Fanless PC options

[theflyingbelgian]

Back in the day I remember having a fanless nvidia card. Some big CPU coolers can be used without fan, and there are some fanless PSU's out there too. Just wondering what the fastest fanless gaming pc is you could make nowadays ... maybe a video idea?

[thrasher_565]

i mean with a big enough amount of rads you can cool it with no fans so top gpu/cpu...

most psu barley run the fan need to be like 55c or something before turning on and low rpm you wont hear it anyway.

 

again slow rpm fans you cant hear so no real need to go fan less

 

fanless psu

 

Edited September 12, 2025 by thrasher_565

[theflyingbelgian]

There's no "real need" to cool a pc using a swimming pool or to put a turbo intercooler in the loop, that's not the point of the question ... the question is what would be fastest you could build fanless ....

 

More of a hypothetical question than a practical issue really. Something I ponder sitting next to my Legion 5 Pro that sounds like an F16 engine run-up test whenever I'm gaming ...

[thrasher_565]

29 minutes ago, theflyingbelgian said:

There's no "real need" to cool a pc using a swimming pool or to put a turbo intercooler in the loop, that's not the point of the question ... the question is what would be fastest you could build fanless ....

you first need to now what the best cooler is with out a fan...

as for gpu you need a big cooler

or like an gpu aio with alot of rads you still have a pump thow

my guess some 65w cpu but i dont no if you can get a higher wat one and disable things on it or under vlot it.

 

could geothermal it but that might be cheating i guess... still requires a pump thow. 

 

this says 80w but thats been debunked long time ago. think a heat pipe cooler is better

 

there this too but like i said there might be better...

 

Ryzen 9 5900 65w

Ryzen 9 7900 65w

Core i7-14700F 65w

Edited September 12, 2025 by thrasher_565

[theflyingbelgian]

That quitpc site is interesting to look through ... I do note that the only fanless gpu options they list are 1030 and 730, wheres I've seen at least 1 3050 out there (here)

 

I suppose one could try and put this on a 5070 and see how it fares.

 

There's also this, which I now realise was actually featured on LTT a while back (here)

[thrasher_565]

 

[Biohazard777]

46 minutes ago, theflyingbelgian said:

maybe a video idea?

 

[theflyingbelgian]

22 minutes ago, Biohazard777 said:

 

Yeah I remember that video, and it's really cool, but it would be interesting to see how to get a similar fanless result without a $2000 case, the janky option if you like ...

[thrasher_565]

found this looks like a beffy 4060ti

 

https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpus/rtx-4060-ti-transformed-into-a-65w-gpu-with-a-passive-mod-a-downclocked-gpu-and-vram-reduces-power-consumption-from-160w-to-65w

 

seems like the SUS RTX 4060 Strix OC would be the best?

Edited September 12, 2025 by thrasher_565

[theflyingbelgian]

28 minutes ago, thrasher_565 said:

found this looks like a beffy 4060ti

 

https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/gpus/rtx-4060-ti-transformed-into-a-65w-gpu-with-a-passive-mod-a-downclocked-gpu-and-vram-reduces-power-consumption-from-160w-to-65w

Jankyness for the win! Wonder how the newer, arguably more power efficient, 50 series would fare in a similar setup

[thrasher_565]

3 minutes ago, theflyingbelgian said:

Jankyness for the win! Wonder how the newer, arguably more power efficient, 50 series would fare in a similar setup

can only guess. funny how er like hate this gpu...but in this sanareo...haha

[thrasher_565]

there this dont no how well it do fanless?

aslo this

 

sounds like the Noctua NH-P1 can do about 100w fanless so maybe 95w cpus?

 

Edited September 12, 2025 by thrasher_565

[PDifolco]

7 hours ago, theflyingbelgian said:

There's no "real need" to cool a pc using a swimming pool or to put a turbo intercooler in the loop, that's not the point of the question ... the question is what would be fastest you could build fanless ....

 

More of a hypothetical question than a practical issue really. Something I ponder sitting next to my Legion 5 Pro that sounds like an F16 engine run-up test whenever I'm gaming ...

You can run a 65W CPU with a fanless Noctua cooler https://noctua.at/en/nh-p1

However there's no fanless modern GPU, it was a thing with GT730 or such..

[thrasher_565]

7 hours ago, PDifolco said:

You can run a 65W CPU with a fanless Noctua cooler https://noctua.at/en/nh-p1

However there's no fanless modern GPU, it was a thing with GT730 or such..

VGA Palit RTX 3050 6GB KalmX

sound like the nh-p1 can do about 100w so a 95w cpu or passably a 120w under volted

but i don't no what if faster.

 

others were talking of a 4050ti big cooler and going fanless with that.

 

might also use a lap top and mod better coolers on it but i dont no if that off side same with case that use the case as the cooler. if there something cheap enough say $500 maybe an option. 

 

for gpus it between like 35w and 75ishw for a fanless build.

people would also buy thow after market fanless coolers and mount them to non fanless gpus but i think there limited.

 

posably a cpu cooler could work? but there still vram cooling you need. so find a gpu that comes with a beeffy vram cooler that is seprit form the diy cooler. 

 

rtx 5050 might be an option looks like they undervolted to 85w dont no if it can go lower or not. nvm it was a laptop...

Edited September 12, 2025 by thrasher_565

[thrasher_565]

https://www.club386.com/modder-boosts-rtx-5050-performance-by-17-using-a-cpu-heatsink-beats-gtx-1080-ti/

[freeagent]

I haven't tried a fully passive setup since I ran Linpack on my 3770K at 4500MHz. Maybe I tried my old 3600XT..

 

But semi passive I was able to run my 5900X at 185w with no fans on my cooler in a Torrent Compact.

 

I probably wouldn't run a modern GPU passively, unless it was something that was meant to be.

 

I used Thermalright FC140, and PS120 EVO for my testing. 

 

I have not run my 9900X like that, this thing runs at more than 1 GHz faster than my 5900X lol..

[Lurking]

Unless we talk very low-power components, fan-less is a lie. Fanless PSU, for example, state they need to be in a well ventilated case. You also need to cool VRM, RAM, capacitors, chipset etc. So just using a huge radiator and cooling the CPU/PSU passively alone isn't enough.

 

Modern components work at high temps, but they throttle. So you spend all that money for powerful components for nothing. If you don't want fans, then just buy cheaper lower power components to begin with. 

 

Use semi-passive PSU and good fan control with silent fans and you reach 99% of your silent goals. But you still have all the power if needed. Get large heatsinks, large silent fans, good case etc. 

 

Sometimes people seem to think engineers who design the components are just incompetent and waste all the money on fans. Or it is a "big fan" conspiracy that sells us fans that are not needed. but thermal design actually is a large part of electronic design. 

[thrasher_565]

On 9/15/2025 at 8:00 AM, Lurking said:

Unless we talk very low-power components, fan-less is a lie. Fanless PSU, for example, state they need to be in a well ventilated case. You also need to cool VRM, RAM, capacitors, chipset etc. So just using a huge radiator and cooling the CPU/PSU passively alone isn't enough.

 

Modern components work at high temps, but they throttle. So you spend all that money for powerful components for nothing. If you don't want fans, then just buy cheaper lower power components to begin with. 

 

Use semi-passive PSU and good fan control with silent fans and you reach 99% of your silent goals. But you still have all the power if needed. Get large heatsinks, large silent fans, good case etc. 

 

Sometimes people seem to think engineers who design the components are just incompetent and waste all the money on fans. Or it is a "big fan" conspiracy that sells us fans that are not needed. but thermal design actually is a large part of electronic design. 

PRIME FANLESS TX has 12 year warranty so...

 

i mean air acorss it is good dose it say that on the box?

Edited September 16, 2025 by thrasher_565