HSF pointed at CPU or away

[Penalty]

I've now heard support for both directions. (1) Point fan so it blows at CPU and (2) point it so it draws air through and away from the CPU. I had the fan on my Alpha (on a K6-2) blowing at the CPU. I noticed that the fan draws in lots of dust which clogs the heat sink sink. This obviously destroys efficiency. I doubt the same would happen if the fan was turned around to draw air through the heat sink.

Any opinions??

 

[GeoffS]

Seems to me it should be blowing over the fins of the heatsink. If you have that much dust in your case, you have other problems that a couple of filters should be able to fix (unless you work in a sawmill...)

 

[Mikewarrior2]

Alpha's are designed to pull air away from the heatsink, not blow air onto them...

That is why the shroud is included, to guide air though teh whole heatsink.


MIke