Fan thickness: 30mm vs 25mm vs 15mm

As the PC Building industry has matured over the years things have gotten more standardized, increasing compatibility with different parts and making things easier for the consumer. One minor standard is fan depth. The majority of fans on the market, including most of CORSAIR’s fans, are 25mm thick and so most cases are designed to take this exact size into account. However, if you’re working with older parts or working with more customized equipment, you might run into a 30mm or 15mm fan. What’s the difference? Do you need a certain one? And do they make a difference? Let’s talk about that.

Let's start with the standard 25mm thickness which encompasses almost all CORSAIR fans. Most standard 120mm or 140mm fans will be this size and work in almost every situation in a standard PC build. Most modern fans are a hybrid design of static pressure and air flow that allows them to provide good performance whether they’re being attached to a radiator or moving unrestricted air. This means that for most builds, a handful of basic fans will provide enough cooling without having to think too much about power draw, use case, or physical compatibility.

If compatibility is an issue, you might want to take a look at our 15mm thick slim series of fans. The extra 10mm given by using a slim fan can be essential if you’re building in a small form factor case like our 2000D that comes with 3 slim RGB fans. But, of course, there are tradeoffs. The thinner fans have less material move air, resulting in fans that need to spin faster and make more noise. They also typically have less static pressure and are generally less durable.

A thicker fan has the opposite effect. With more material, it’ll have an easier time to move air around, spinning less and making less noise. They are also generally designed for more static pressure while taking up more space. While they can be used in typical mid-sized cases, you would more typically see them in large cases like our massive 1000D carrying top tier gear being water cooled.

While there are a wide variety of fans on the market, the standard 25mm fan is by far the most common size for PC building. If you are not sure what kind to get, you probably don’t need anything else. But if you’re an expert with dreams of a big workstation or little powerhouse you might want to consider a different sized fan for your use case. While there can be trade offs or additional benefits, the awesome part is that you can customize you build to be just right for you.