Fifteen Miniature Fans Cooling Performance Compared to a Single High Quality CPU Cooler Including Thermal Results and High Noise Level Challenges
A recent project from the YouTube channel Major Hardware has sparked a conversation about cooling efficiency and fan size. The creator decided to see if a large group of tiny fans could match the performance of a traditional large cooler. While the results seem to indicate that the idea is technically sound, the practical application appears to be limited by a massive increase in noise levels.
The experiment involved taking 15 small fans, each measuring 30 millimeters, and arranging them to replace a standard Noctua unit. Specifically, the blogger used a 3D model to design a custom plastic case that could hold all these small motors at once. It appears that the total surface area of these 15 fans is roughly equal to a single 110 millimeter fan, at least according to the math provided in the video.
Building this setup was not a smooth process. The first version of the 3D printed case failed because the motor mounts began to crack. This suggests that the vibrations from so many small motors were too much for the rigid plastic. The creator had to produce a second version with better vibration dampening to get the system through a full test. Interestingly, the base for the whole project was a Noctua NF A12x25 cooler, which provided the foundation for the mounting brackets.
The testing was done using an Intel Core i7 7700K processor under a heavy twenty minute load. This is how the two setups compared in the trial
- The standard single fan maintained a temperature of 69.5 degrees Celsius
- The 15 fan custom setup achieved a temperature of 69 degrees Celsius
- The noise from the custom build reached 73 decibels
It is quite surprising that the tiny fans actually managed to drop the temperature by half a degree. However, the trade off is significant. A noise level of 73 decibels is often compared to a loud vacuum cleaner running right next to your desk. This suggests that while the airflow is effective, the high pitch and volume of 15 small motors spinning at once make it an unlikely choice for a daily home computer.
This project serves as a fascinating look at the physics of air pressure and cooling. It shows that many small sources of air can move as much heat as one large source. Still, the extreme noise suggests why manufacturers stick to larger, slower spinning blades. It appears that for now, the traditional single fan design remains the superior choice for anyone who values their hearing. The experiment is a great example of pushing hardware to its limits just to see what happens, even if the result is a bit deafening.
