So why are PWM fans strictly better-at least, in most cases? There’s a few reasons. Neither PWM nor DC fans are an exception to this. Generally speaking, the faster a fan is spinning (measured in RPM), the cooler a system is. There’s a few reasons why this is the case.

Technically speaking, PWM fans are strictly superior to DC fans in nearly every metric-performance, durability, and power efficiency-so it might surprise you to hear that if fans were included with your case, they’re most likely DC fans, with the exception of the CPU fan. Whether they’re pulling in cool air from the exterior of the case, or expelling it from the interior, they play a vital part in keeping a computer within safe operating temperature.ĭespite looking nearly identical, there’s two main variants of fans used in computers: PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) fans, which have 4 pins, and DC (Direct Current) fans, which have 3 pins.Ĭonsidering how important it is for computers to run within their “safe zone”, so to speak, it begs the question: Which option is better? PWM fans or DC fans? PWM Fans vs DC Fans While far less extreme, fans operate under this directive. While there are some components that operate more efficiently at a certain level of heat, as a rule of thumb, the cooler you’re able to keep your system, the greater its performance-it’s why those Nitrogen-Cooled CPU videos exist. The reason is simple: the successful operation of a computer is a game of heat management. Are you in the market for some new case fans? Unsure of whether you should get PWM fans or DC fans? In this post, we highlight the differences between DC fans and PWM fans to help you determine which option is best for you.įans are an important part of any computer system.

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