Difference between revisions of "Why small PCs should be fanless"

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(So why is fit-PC2 case warm to the touch?)   (change visibility)
 
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A PC usually relies on heat sinks and active cooling by forced airflow (ie fans) to remove heat from hot components. As the case becomes smaller so does the fan. As a fan becomes smaller it needs to rotate faster to achieve the same airflow. Faster rotation results in higher noise level and higher wearing rate. Small cases has small air vents that clog quickly and decrease airflow efficiency, which require the fan to rotate faster increasing noise, wearing and clogging rate further. This cycle cannot go forever, therefore small PCs that rely on fans for cooling are prone to overheating.
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Typically, a PC relies on heat sinks and active cooling by forced airflow (i.e., fans) to remove heat from hot components. As the case shrinks so does the fan size. A smaller fan needs to rotate faster to achieve the same airflow. Faster rotation results in a higher noise level and a higher wearing rate. Small cases have correspondingly small air vents that clog quickly and decrease airflow efficiency, requiring the fan to rotate even faster increasing noise, wear and the clogging rate further. This cycle cannot continue forever, therefore small PC's relying on fans for cooling are prone to overheating.
  
 
== Passive Cooling and fit-PC2 ==
 
== Passive Cooling and fit-PC2 ==
Passive cooling by conduction is silent and has no moving parts that can fail, making it far more reliable than active cooling. Unfortunately it is also less efficient than active cooling. The accomplishment in fit-PC2 is bringing down the system power consumption to such a level as to make passive cooling in a small case possible.<br>
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Passive cooling by conduction is silent and avoids moving parts that can fail, making it far more reliable than active cooling. Unfortunately it is also less efficient than active cooling. fit-PC2's system power consumption is low enough to accomplish passive cooling in a small case.<br>
  
== So why is fit-PC2 case warm to the touch ==
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== So why is fit-PC2 case warm to the touch? ==
fit-PC2 case feels warm to the touch because the case itself is used for heat dissipation. What you feel is all the heat the system generates. Thermal performance is guaranteed not to change over time.
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fit-PC2's exterior feels warm because the case itself provides heat dissipation. You feel all the heat the system generates. Thermal performance is guaranteed to remain constant.

Latest revision as of 13:43, 23 April 2009

Typically, a PC relies on heat sinks and active cooling by forced airflow (i.e., fans) to remove heat from hot components. As the case shrinks so does the fan size. A smaller fan needs to rotate faster to achieve the same airflow. Faster rotation results in a higher noise level and a higher wearing rate. Small cases have correspondingly small air vents that clog quickly and decrease airflow efficiency, requiring the fan to rotate even faster increasing noise, wear and the clogging rate further. This cycle cannot continue forever, therefore small PC's relying on fans for cooling are prone to overheating.

Passive Cooling and fit-PC2

Passive cooling by conduction is silent and avoids moving parts that can fail, making it far more reliable than active cooling. Unfortunately it is also less efficient than active cooling. fit-PC2's system power consumption is low enough to accomplish passive cooling in a small case.

So why is fit-PC2 case warm to the touch?

fit-PC2's exterior feels warm because the case itself provides heat dissipation. You feel all the heat the system generates. Thermal performance is guaranteed to remain constant.