Is it ok to have no pc fans

[NotReak]

I just got every part i need for my new pc except for my fans(ran out of money)

Can i use my computer with no fans and no side panel?

[Dedayog]

1 minute ago, NotReak said:

I just got every part i need for my new pc except for my fans(ran out of money)

Can i use my computer with no fans and no side panel?

Fans are like $5 or less.  Get two.

 

But yes, it may be enough to just have the side panel off and the CPU cooler and GPU fans may be enough.  Won't hurt anything, try it.

[shoutingsteve]

This is asked a lot.  short answer: No.

Your computer is designed to be a closed case with fans in an d fans out.

 

If you took off the side panel till payday, just point a box fan at it.

[shoutingsteve]

Just now, Dedayog said:

Won't hurt anything, try it.

I mean... hardware shutting down cause it's overheating IS by design, but still could eventually hurt it.

[TryRestart]

1 minute ago, shoutingsteve said:

I mean... hardware shutting down cause it's overheating IS by design, but still could eventually hurt it.

That is true, but maybe just not stress the pc too hard till then...

 

Opening the sidepannel and having it open like that can be fine if you really wanna use it for lightweight stuff, your gpu might be able to get soooome airflow for now from it alone... but i wouldn't trust that for long term use and get fans as soon as possible.

 

It's possible just not very recommended

[filpo]

9 minutes ago, shoutingsteve said:

No.

why not? Even if the case has all solid panels it'd have to be a stock cooler if it were to heat up that much that it'd shut down because of temperatures. If they've got a half decent air cooler then they're fine

 

14 minutes ago, shoutingsteve said:

Your computer is designed to be a closed case with fans in an d fans out.

But wouldn't taking off the side panel help? regardless of design

17 minutes ago, NotReak said:

ran out of money

if you've ran out of money for fans you've probably looked at ones that are too expensive. You can get a 5 pack of P12's for $30 and a three pack of thermalright fans for ~$12

 

17 minutes ago, NotReak said:

Can i use my computer with no fans and no side panel?

parts list?

[OddOod]

We seem to be forgetting the existence of open bench PCs.....
I run my HTPC (8700k/3060ti) ziptied to a pegboard. It runs perfectly. Heck, I even curved my fans so that they don't spin up 99% of the time I'm using it. 

[TVwazhere]

5 minutes ago, OddOod said:

We seem to be forgetting the existence of open bench PCs.....
I run my HTPC (8700k/3060ti) ziptied to a pegboard. It runs perfectly. Heck, I even curved my fans so that they don't spin up 99% of the time I'm using it. 

Well since this is an already enclosed case, this isnt as relevant of a point...

 

30 minutes ago, NotReak said:

I just got every part i need for my new pc except for my fans(ran out of money)

Can i use my computer with no fans and no side panel?

My workstation PC at work has a single tower cooler and a very slow spinning and small rear exhaust fan with no other intakes or exhaust. The computer still functions just fine and does not overheat, especially at idle. 

 

Parts are also designed to throttle and shut themselves down well before they start melting. 

[Levent]

45 minutes ago, NotReak said:

Can i use my computer with no fans and no side panel?

Absolutely, as long as you have fans on things that matter (CPU, GPU and PSU) rest is fine with having no sidepanels. I have used my PCs for decades like that.

[PDifolco]

55 minutes ago, NotReak said:

I just got every part i need for my new pc except for my fans(ran out of money)

Can i use my computer with no fans and no side panel?

Depends

A 5600 in a mesh case don't need much air, now if you try a 14900K with some crappy cooler in a closed case It'll shut down after 5 minutes  

[manikyath]

i assume you have a cpu cooler, and we're talking about case fans...

 

acceptable: yes.

good: no.

 

even with open air test benches you want some airflow over the testbench or trough the room, hot air rising is good and all, but it doesnt go up all that fast.

 

so like said before.. you cant not have 5 bucks for at least one xilence something piece of crud.

[Agall]

2 hours ago, NotReak said:

I just got every part i need for my new pc except for my fans(ran out of money)

Can i use my computer with no fans and no side panel?

Sure, but its not going to perform that well if you're doing anything intensive.

 

The equation for heat transfer, Q = mc(T-T), the m being the mass flow rate of the fluid (in this case air) making contact with the heat source.

 

Thermal expansion creates some airflow, but its like comparing 0.1 to 100 with something as simple as a desk fan pointed at it. Otherwise, the machine is going to thermal throttle itself to single digit wattages, being single digit % of performance.

 

If you have any fans around the house, just use those for the meanwhile to pass air through the case. It might be okay enough to game on.

[RevGAM]

I turned on my computer, which had a 360 AIO but the fans were off (forgot). The only fan on was the exhaust, and the side panel was off. I have a 12700k. It took at least 15 minutes before it thermal throttled, and I wasn't doing anything demanding. It shut down and took a while before I could turn it on. Note: the tubes were going down to the bottom of the rad, which impeded convection flow. 

 

Would it probably do better in an all-mesh case? Maybe, but I'm feeling doubtful. And certainly not for a hotter CPU.

 

Would it do better with the panel of and lying down? Probably, at least to a point.

 

Ultimately, it depends on your hardware and usage. 

 

As @manikyath, who is quite clever, wrote, it is probably not a good idea. 

Edited April 10 by RevGAM

[Zando_]

It'll likely be fine. Your CPU cooler should have its own fan(s) as should the GPU, and the motherboard usually doesn't need much so it should be fine with the air pushed around by the CPU/GPU coolers and just natural radiation (of heat, not nukes ). 

1 hour ago, Agall said:

Sure, but its not going to perform that well if you're doing anything intensive.

Should be fine. The only thing that might see a slight performance drop is the GPU, if it's a modern one that boosts less and less the hotter it gets. Won't throttle, will just boost less, which is usually a ~3-5ish fps difference. Likely not noticeable unless the GPU is already pushed to its absolute limits (like my 2060 Super I ask to run 4K, that ~3fps vs stock/base clocks is noticeable because it's sometimes the deciding factor between reaching my display's minimum refresh rate - 40Hz - or not). I've ran PCs with not enough fans or straight up in a box with no fans... they got hot. That's about it, no major throttling, when I did this I was using a Maxwell GPU so it didn't change its boost clocks at all either. And not hot enough to damage the hardware, as others noted it'll shut itself off before that happens. 

3 hours ago, TVwazhere said:

My workstation PC at work has a single tower cooler and a very slow spinning and small rear exhaust fan with no other intakes or exhaust. The computer still functions just fine and does not overheat, especially at idle. 

Yep. And lots of those work PCs don't just have 0 intake fans, there's no intake vents anywhere on the front panel. The PC lives off what the exhaust fan can feebly pull through the gaps in the chassis. They run fine for... I've worked for the company I'm at for 7 years and I believe we've still got some of the Skylake machines kicking that were purchased around the time I was hired. I've had a dead one or two, not bad for $350-500 machines that are approaching a decade old in sub-optimal conditions (some are office PCs, others are in and out of hot/humid/dusty production rooms or warehouse/pick line locations). 

 

[Morrie Sells Wigs]

As outlined already, OP, you really should try to have at least one exhaust fan and one intake, if nothing else.

 

However, fans aren't that expensive and, depending on your case and components, it may be worth waiting until you can install more cooling options.

[daygeckoart]

Yes, just leave the case open and it will probably be fine