When it comes to graphics cards, cooling is an indispensable aspect for optimal performance. Graphics cards are built with complex electronic circuits that require efficient cooling to prevent overheating and thermal throttling. One crucial aspect that determines the cooling efficiency of a graphics card is the type of cooling system it utilizes. Graphics cards come with two types of cooling systems: blower-style coolers and open-air coolers. In this blog post, we’ll dive deep into why a blower-style cooler matters for graphics cards, and whether they improve cooling efficiency.
The role of a Graphics Card Cooler
To understand why a blower-style cooler is essential for graphics cards, let’s start by examining the role of a graphics card cooler. The primary function of a graphics card cooler is to dissipate the heat generated by the graphics card’s GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), VRAM (Video Random Access Memory), and other components. Graphics cards usually come with heatsinks that distribute the heat across a larger surface area, which helps in moving the heat away from the components. However, the heatsink requires an additional cooling system to transfer the heat to the atmosphere effectively.
In the case of most graphics cards, a cooling fan is used to draw cool air into the system and extract hot air out. The cooler air passes through the heatsink, absorbing the heat and carrying it away, while the hot air is expelled from the system. Graphics cards can have either of the two cooling systems – blower-style or open-air – to perform this process.
Blower-Style Cooler Vs. Open-Air Cooler
The two main types of cooling systems for graphics cards are blower-style coolers and open-air coolers. A blower-style cooler, as the name suggests, utilizes a blower fan mounted on a heatsink to draw air into the system and push it out of the case via a rear exhaust port. On the other hand, open-air coolers use one or more fans mounted on the graphics card to push cool air into the heatsink directly and expel hot air out of the case.
While both cooling systems are effective at dissipating heat, they differ in their cooling efficiency, noise levels, and compatibility with different cases. Blower-style coolers are often used in smaller form factor cases that have limited airflow due to space constraints. Since blower-style coolers intake cool air from inside the case and exhaust hot air out through the rear of the case, they ensure that the hot air does not recirculate back into the system, which can cause thermal buildup.
Open-air coolers, on the other hand, require good case airflow for optimal cooling. They intake cool air through the fans mounted on the graphics card and expel the hot air into the case. This process can cause hot air to recirculate back to the graphics card, which can lead to thermal buildup and reduced cooling efficiency.
Blower-Style Cooler Improves Cooling Efficiency
One of the significant advantages of a blower-style cooler is its improved cooling efficiency compared to open-air coolers, given similar thermal profiles. Blower-style coolers ensure that the hot air does not recirculate back into the system, which can cause thermal buildup and reduced cooling efficiency.
Blower-style coolers are also beneficial for graphics cards that generate a lot of heat or consume high power since they can efficiently push hot air out of the case. For instance, blower-style coolers are common in high-end graphics cards like Nvidia’s Titan and AMD’s Radeon VII, which can draw up to 250W of power. Such high-powered graphics cards can quickly generate a lot of heat, which can affect their performance if not cooled efficiently.
Additionally, the blower-style cooler can be beneficial in cases where multiple graphics cards are installed in the same system. Multiple graphics cards generate a lot of heat, and the heat from one graphics card can impact the cooling performance of the others. In such cases, the blower-style cooler can prevent thermal buildup and thermal throttling, leading to improved cooling efficiency.
Noise Levels of Blower-Style Cooler Vs. Open-Air Cooler
Noise levels are another significant factor to consider when choosing a graphics card cooler. Open-air coolers can be noisier than blower-style coolers since they use fans mounted on the graphics card to draw air into the heatsink. The noise levels can vary depending on the fans’ speed, with faster fans generating more noise than slower ones.
Blower-style coolers, on the other hand, can be quieter than open-air coolers. Since the blower fan is mounted on the heatsink and expels hot air out through the rear exhaust port, it can be far less audible than open-air cooler’s fans.
Compatibility of Blower-Style Coolers
Another advantage of blower-style coolers is their compatibility with different case types. Since blower-style coolers exhaust hot air through the rear exhaust port, they are well-suited for cases with limited airflow or small form factors. Open-air coolers, on the other hand, require good case airflow for optimal cooling, which may not be feasible in smaller form factor cases.
Blower-style coolers are also well-suited for cases where the graphics card is mounted vertically. Vertical mounted graphics cards have less clearance between the graphics card and the adjacent components, which can impact the cooling efficiency of open-air coolers. In contrast, blower-style coolers intake cool air from inside the case and expel hot air out through the rear, which ensures that the hot air does not recirculate inside the case.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the blower-style cooler is an essential component for graphics cards, given its superior cooling efficiency and compatibility with different case types. Blower-style coolers utilize a blower fan to draw air into the heatsink and expel hot air out through the rear exhaust port, which ensures that the hot air does not recirculate back into the system, leading to improved cooling efficiency and reduced thermal throttling. Moreover, blower-style coolers can be quieter than open-air coolers and are also well-suited for cases with limited airflow or small form factors. All these benefits make the blower-style cooler an excellent choice for high-end graphics cards that generate a lot of heat and draw high power.
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