> Naturally most all components function better in a large, well > ventilated > case with an adequate power supply. Who but Dell is famous for omitting > the > CPU fan in many models. They rely on shrouding the airflow through a > rear > exhaust vent fan. That, along with the power supply fan makes a > whopping > total of 2 fans in those Dells. Mine have 2 power supply fans, 2 case > fans > and the CPU manufacturer's CPU fan, making a total of 5 fans. >
Speaking only regarding the CPU, the thermal solutions I see on many Dell machines (esp. Dimension 9100, Precision 380's, 390's, 670's, etc) are far superior to the retail box cooler AMD or Intel ship with their processors--all while being less noisy. These models, at least, use a temperature-controlled large diameter fan, and draw in cool outside air to blow through a large heatpipe-enhanced heatsink. Obviously, the bottom feeder models aren't as robust. Regardless of the machine though, Dell is terrible about cooling other components. Greg
