Hi, I run Duron 1.6GHz with 512mb memory. I have Silent Breezer 462 II processor fan. I have a mid-tower Q-Tec case, so all my stuff have ample room in there. Now, I want to ask, do I need a case (=chassis?) fan? I'm _not_ intending to overclock the Duron. I am intending to play cpu-demanding games and run heavy music software. Do I need a case fan and how do I determine whether I need one or no? Thanks.

A case fan is always useful to keep the air moving inside the PC. If there is little or no airflow in a case, the air surrounding the components (such as the CPU) will become hot, and will not satisfactorily cool them down. Although this might not make your PC crash, overheating components will not have a shorter life span than ones that have been kept cool. If you install an exhaust fan at the back of your case, it will suck all the hot air out, and cool air will be sucked through the front. Note that case fans only work properly with the side panels on the case. Good luck David

Install a temperature monitoring program like motherboard monitor. Post the temps at idle and under stress, someone here will advise you if temps are acceptable. Get MBM here: http://mbm.livewiredev.com/

The power supply will help ventilate the case somewhat, but if your case is designed to accept fans, it's best to have one in the lower/front bringing in fresh air, & one in the upper/rear exhausting the warm air. Overclocking has nothing to do with it...all newer PCs should have case ventilation. Check your BIOS for system & CPU temps, or try the software recommended by OtheHill

OK, thanks for all the replies. The woman (it was odd to find a woman talking about CPU temperatures and BIOS =)) at the retail store where I had the computer assembled, told me that I don't need case fans. That's why I didn't get them. Another question; with motherboard monitor, how do I see the temperature readings if I put it under stress? E.g. if I play a heavy-duty game, the whole screen is immersed in the game and I don't see anything else. What was the shortcut key to jump from the game back to Windows? (That is the way to check the temperatures with MM right?) Also, is it difficult to install a case fan? I have empty places for them in my case, but I haven't installed one before. Neither I want to pay anymore for someone else to install them. My main idea (with Nexus NX-3500 350W power supply and Silent Breeze) was to keep the machine as quiet as possible as it's in my bedroom and on most of the nights. That's one reason I didn't want any extra fans.

That power supply should easily be able to do all the exhaust work. You might want to add an intake fan to the front of your case. If you can tell us the make/model of your case, we can recommend an intake fan. Skip

Intake fan = fan which takes cool air in? This is my case http://www.qtec.info/products/product.htm?artnr=13671 I was thinking about another Nexus fan, silence is my #1 priority (ok, in addition to ample cooling). The Nexus case fan I was looking at only emitted 17.4dB