My CPU fan broke. Is it practical to have a desk fan blow on it with the case open?

Question

My CPU fan broke. Is it practical to have a desk fan blow on it with the case open?

Answer 1

A new stock Intel or AMD fan should be pretty cheap on ebay, and it isn't worth risking your PC without one, a desk fan will not do the same job unfortunately.

Answer 2

Not really.

If you are doing this for a few hours / a few days until you can get a real fix - you can get by.



The case and fans are (supposed to be) designed to maximize airflow around the parts that need it most. Just blowing air on your parts is not as efficient.



Other things that the closed case does include - protection from dust, curious animals, spilled coffee, and accidentally getting yourself shocked .. and RF shielding. It may not seem like much, but every part in there can be affected by magnetic fields if they are strong enough. The case helps to minimize the errors that can occur from everyday things like Microwaves, cordless phones, and other RF generators.

Answer 3

Yes it actually works well if you have a big fan that moves a lot of air. The only reason I wouldn't do this is if you move the fan 5 degrees accidentally you are going to BSOD due to heat possibly cause some damage. $20 can get you a fan that will work better than your stock fan.

Answer 4

Not really no - just buy a new fan. They only cost a few dollars.

Otherwise you will fry your CPu and possibly the motherboard.

Answer 5

Sure, but just in case use one of those old fashioned hand held fans as well. It's not very comfortable, but it'll save you $3 for a new fan.

Answer 6

You know, I'm not too good with numbers, so maybe you can help me. Which is more, $5 for a fan or $80 for a cpu?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010110574%204024&bop=And&ActiveSearchResult=True&Order=PRICE

Answer 7

Nooo! get a new fann!

i never replaced my broken fan and my laptop kept overheating and switching itself off. eventually it completely burned out the motherboard and I had to buy a new laptop :(