Does the Number of Fans on GPU Matter (Explained)

Does the number of fans on a GPU matter? How many fans should a GPU have? To answer these questions, we should know the impact of fans on GPU. The more fans we would have, the different impact we will see on our PC.

There are differences in the air cooling of a graphics card, being between having 1, 2 or 3 fans. Besides, the heatsink is a key piece to obtain great thermal performance, but do you know the differences?

How to save more or buy a GPU with fewer fans? It is well known that 3-fan graphics cards cost more money and we only find them from the mid-range upwards.

We know that the choice of the ventilation format generates many doubts, so we are going to dispel them (pun intended) with what we expose below.

Table of Contents

Graphics Card Cooling: Aspects t Know

Why buy a model with more or less fans? You will see that the Mini-ITX GPU models are much cheaper, but they only come with one fan. Quickly, many questions come to mind:

1 – What types of cooling do I find in a graphics card? Passive, active or by air (fans or blower) and liquid cooling. This consists of a block of water attached to tubes that flow into a radiator driven by one or more fans.

2 – Is it less powerful? Not exactly, but it has the same GPU as another custom model with 3 fans. We will not be able to raise the Core Clock as much as we want.

And that is not possible because we only have one fan above the graphics card heatsink, so its cooling is more limited and it will have to work more.

3 – Is it louder? If we choose a model with 1 fan, we will notice that they are noisier. They have to run at higher RPM to cool the entire GPU.

On the contrary, the cooling of 2 or 3 fans allows them to work at lower RPM to achieve the same temperatures.

4 – Do more fans cool better? A priori yes, but be careful with the thermal paste of the GPU, the ventilation curve and the air circuit inside the case.

Of course, we must not forget that the one who does the hard work is the aluminum block together with the heat pipes of the heat sink, a key aspect.

5 – Is the lifespan of mini-ITX worse? Let’s say the fan spins at a much higher % than other fans. If we know anything about RMA of GPUs or components is that the fans are the first to fall (bearings, fried circuits, etc.). Think that the fans are constantly turning, so everything has an end.

6 – What to select Blower or fan? If you are going to install only one GPU, I recommend a fan, but if you plan to work with several GPUs at the same time.

The space inside the case will be very small. In the latter case, I recommend blower for its cooling method.

7 – Are 2 fans enough? In most cases yes, being able to do some interesting overclock

8 – What is the best option to overclock? Liquid cooling is going to give you more room to overclock.

What matters here is the GPU you choose because some silicon’s are hotter than others. Also, not all GPUs come with a liquid kit, only the high-end ones.

Air Cooling on a Graphics Card

We will start with the most widespread and used type of cooling in graphics cards, which is the air mode.

We will separately evaluate each option that we find in the market, being as fair as possible and detailing the pros and cons.

Cooling with 1 Fan or Blower: Pros and Cons

We start with the most basic option in GPU cooling: An aluminum block with heat pipes (copper or not) that expels heat with a fan. When we talk about 1-fan graphics cards, we refer to Mini-ITX models. These are the smallest on the market.

On the other hand, we have to highlight the blower cooling, characterized by absorbing the air in the turbine and expelling it from the back of the GPU (video outputs), as well as from the sides while, a fan simply pushes out the heat inside the heatsink.

The first thing we look at is the size of the fan, and here we find big differences:

Very low -end models (less than $100): Less than 70 mm, finding several with a diameter of 65 mm.
Low-medium range models: For these models we can find with a diameter of 85 mm or 73 mm.
Mid-high range or more modern models: For these models we can find with a diameter of 93
The blowers usually have a diameter of about 60-70 mm, being the same in most models.

Does size matter? Yes, since at higher capacities more air flow can move, as well as it will offer a more interesting static pressure.

Builders usually know their stuff, so they often equip the GPU with a fan to give it some cooling capabilities.

That being said, you should know that they will have to run at a higher RPM to cool down in the same way as other larger GPUs.

This implies a higher percentage of use, which can mean a worse useful life in the future. It should be remembered that the PC component that most visits the SAT are the fans, regardless of whether they are supplementary, of the heatsink, of a radiator or of a GPU.

On the other hand, to say that cooling with 1 fan is going to be worse than cooling with 2 or 3 in terms of temperatures. That implies more noise and little efficiency.

We will spend a lot of energy to have a thermal performance surpassed by dual or triple formats in a graphics card.

To this, we must add that we will not be able to squeeze the maximum frequency or Core MHz of the GPU for cooling reasons.

Regarding the models with 2 fans, we are not going to see a significant loss of FPS. We may be losing about 7 FPS (approx.) compared to the models with 3 fans.

And what are the advantages?

They are cheaper.
In low or medium ranges, you will not take full advantage of the 3 fans either. In fact, in low ranges usually there are not 3 fans.
You don’t need a big PC case to equip it.
No need of an excellent air circuit because you will have enough space between components.

Cooling with 2 Fans: Pros and Cons

It is the optimal solution or the one that looks best for the quality-price ratio. It is highly recommended for those who are not looking for an overclock or the maximum frequency.

You simply want the GPU to work perfectly with no temperature issues, not be noisy, and offer a nice factory overclock.

The great advantage of this format is that you will find it in all ranges, except in the enthusiast or in the highest range of all.

This is because builders have had to figure out how to properly cool the more powerful GPUs (RTX 3080, RX 6800 XT or 6900 XT and up).

However, there are custom models with 2 fans and others with 3 fans that give the same temperatures with the fans at 100%.

We see difference very clearly going from 1 fan to 2, but not so much from 2 to 3.Since the largest heatsinks usually carry a price difference of more than $50.

Yes, it is true that the 3-fan models will allow you to run at a lower RPM increase the frequency of the GPU and obtain more FPS. However, this should only matter to those looking for maximum performance.

Fan sizes also vary because there are fairly compact dual form factors that could fit in a Mini-ITX PC, but there are much larger (especially thicker) ones. We find the following diameters:

75 mm (very low ranges or very small models).
85mm
87mm
95mm

It will always be more interesting to have bigger fans in terms of cooling the graphics card. In short, the 2-fan models are interesting for:

Value for money.
Better cooling than the 1 and there are formats that fit in Mini-ITX.
More affordable size in PC cases, especially in mid-towers.
Handsome stock availability.
Presence in almost all ranges, although not in the highest range.
Pretty good loudness, especially if the fans are big.
Very good frequency-noise-temperature relationship.

Cooling with 3 Fans: Pros and Cons

The last option in graphics card air cooling is the one with 3 fans. It is very interesting for very high frequencies, overclocking and maximum performance.

Of course, the main drawback is the size, so we will need a PC case of a certain size to fit it.

Another drawback is the obstruction of the air inside the PC case. If we don’t want everything to overheat we must have good auxiliary fans and a good air circuit.

Perhaps the last con is the price: They are the most expensive custom models. Moreover, you should not only take into account the length, but also its thickness, because many come with monster blocks that occupy 3 slots.

Going back to the size of the fans, it is worth mentioning that the 3-fan models usually come with alternate and independent rotation systems.

This means that while the fans on the sides rotate in the same direction, the central one can rotate in the opposite direction. The sizes we see are:

75mm
87mm
88mm
95mm

Just in case, to say that the larger the diameter of the fan, the longer the GPU will be. Also, say that you can find GPUs that have different dimensions between the 3 fans, the central one being the smallest.

Let’s go with the advantages:

Maximum performance = more MHz and stable temperatures.
Margin to overclock (related to the above).
Quieter for running at medium or low RPM most of the time.
They manage to get extra FPS compared to the 2 fans and the single fan.
They usually come with a cooled back plate so that the heat also comes out the back.

Liquid Cooling in Graphics Card

The alternative to air dissipation is the use of coolant or distilled water through a water block. But we anticipate that this solution is only available in the most powerful models of each generation, i.e. RTX 3080, RX 6900 XT, etc.

See Also: Best Low Profile GPU’s

Why, because usually they are the ones that consume the most energy and, therefore, the hottest models. Here the 3-fan heatsinks reach a certain ceiling.

So the next level is liquid cooling in a GPU and you can mount a water block in 2 ways:

Buying a custom model directly cooled “AIO” style with its built-in radiator.
Use a custom liquid cooler, buy an aftermarket water block (from EK, for example) and connect it to the cooling circuit.

It’s the only way (save for liquid nitrogen) to max out the GPU clock, but we must say that this has its clear drawbacks:

We will use an outlet from the PC case exclusively for the GPU, since the radiators are usually 1-2 fans (except the custom ones that come with up to 3 -> 360 mm).
If you do not have experience, we do not recommend these kits because you will not easily detect any anomaly that may arise and the damage can be serious.
We only recommend it for over clockers or “OC Heads” as that is the only purpose it makes sense for.

In the end, if you are looking for the maximum possible performance… you will change your GPU every 2-3 years.

The progress that is taking place between generations of GPUs is brutal, and it shows a lot (especially in Ray Tracing). Not to mention that the water blocks are custom: They are not compatible with others.

While an AIO kit on a CPU is more interesting, on a GPU it is not so interesting because it is not compatible with newer models.

Bonus: Passive Graphics Card Cooling

Finally, you will see graphics cards cooled by the convection method, that is, without fans or a blower.

Basically, an aluminum block is installed on top of the GPU that expels its heat through convection, by having fins arranged in an organized way for it.

You will only see this cooling in very low-end models, which barely exceed $120, and it is interesting because they are not very hot.

And because of not very powerful components, they do not require much more complex cooling.

We hope all these information’s has been very helpful to you. If you have any questions, comment below and we will help you. We have shown you the impact different number of fans on GPU. Now you can easily make decision, how many fans should a GPU have.

Zahid Khan Jadoon

Zahid Khan Jadoon is an Interior Decorator, Designer and a specialized Chef and loves to write about home appliances and food. Right now he is running his interior designing business along with a managing a restaurant. Also in his spare time he loves to write about home and kitchen appliances.