Does a Case Have to Have a Fan?

[wirm]

I'm planning to build a cheap budget computer for my mom for internet browsing and Freecell.

Biostar A780L3L AM3 motherboard
Antec Basiq 350 watt power supply
Athlon II X2 Regor 250 CPU
Kingston 1333 DDR3 RAM 2x2 GB sticks
LG DVD Burner

I was thinking either a CoolerMaster 310 case or an Apex 302 case (cheaper). However, the Apex case doesn't come with any fans.

Looking at the components above, is a fan even necessary? There will be no overclocking of any kind. it would use the onboard Radeon 3000 video chip.

However, I don't want to take any risks.

 

[BoomerD]

Does the case NEED a fan? Most likely, the PSU will have a fan that will help to exhaust SOME of the heat generated in the case. It's a good idea to have at least ONE case fan in addition to the one in the PSU.

 

[CurseTheSky]

You would probably be fine without one, but adding one would be a good idea. Heat can reduce the longevity of components.

 

[Nintendesert]

Not if you're trying to build an oven. But having some fans is always a good idea. They don't need to be 60000 rpm fans that generate a ton of noise if that's what you're worried about. There are slower spinning big quiet fans that will do wonders in helping your system run well and have a long healthy life. People here can help out a ton with that.

 

[alaricljs]

I have my HTPC setup where the only fan is in the PSU. It's temp controlled and rarely spins up past idle.

e6750 under a Scythe Ninja
2GB RAM
Asus EN7300LE/HTD
SeaSonic S12-330
HDD is some 60GB laptop drive

All inside an Antec Solo. Even play the Lego Batman without issues.


It's doable...

 

[yottabit]

I have almost the exact specs as the OP in my HTPC and it's running 1 120mm fan which is mooooore than enough. The Athlon II x2 250 is only a 65 W CPU. That being said I think it's good to have one fan to prevent hot spots from arising on the motherboard (specifically the northbridge if you are doing anything graphically intense)

 

[SparkyJJO]

Even a cheap, quiet low RPM fan can make a big difference in case and component temps.

 

[alaricljs]

Even a cheap, quiet low RPM fan can make a big difference in case and component temps.

By all means, have one handy in case you need it.... but sometimes the sound of true silence is worth more.