Should I use the NL-ACF1 auxiliary cooling fan?

Reducing the speed of the four NF-A14x25 G2 and two NF-A12x25 G2 case fans as well as the three NF-A12x25 G2 fans on the radiator from 100% to 40% results in a significant reduction in total system noise level while the single NL-ACF1 was still barely audible over the other fans. Even with the case fans turned off completely, the NL-ACF1 managed to keep the VRMs at the same temperature level as the case fans alone running at 100%, which demonstrates how much more efficient it is for this purpose. When running the NL-ACF1 in addition to the case fans at full speed, it enabled a further ~2°C reduction in VRM temperatures.

In sum, the additional airflow that the NL-ACF1 provides can be utilised either to lower temperatures of near-socket components or to keep them at the same temperatures while reducing case fan speeds. This way, the NL-ACF1 can be a helpful upgrade both for performance enthusiasts who seek to keep their components as cool as possible and noise-conscious users who want to optimise their system for maximum quietness without letting near-socket components exceed certain temperature levels.

The following thermographic images illustrate how the entire near-socket area can heat up in a scenario with limited case ventilation and how the NL-ACF1 can help to cool things down:

Whether or not you should generally keep an eye on the temperatures of your VRMs and other near-socket components depends on several factors:

• Component selection: While some motherboard VRMs are prone to run hot, others aren’t – this depends both on the VRM design and the VRM cooling solution of the motherboard. Similarly, some M.2 SSDs might be at risk of thermal throttling under continuous loads while others run very cool; higher-frequency RAM is more likely to run hot than lower-end modules, etc. Please use hardware monitoring software such as HWInfo to check the temperatures of your components.
• Usage scenario: Are you overclocking and pushing your components to the max? In this case, they are more likely to run hot than if you keep running everything at stock and don’t push the parts hard.
• Case ventilation: The better your case ventilation, the less likely it is that your near-socket components are running hot. If your case is poorly ventilated or if you’re running your case fans at extremely low speeds in order to reduce noise levels, components will run hotter.
• Ambient temperature: The higher your ambient temperature, the less thermal headroom your components will have, so auxiliary fans can be particularly attractive in hot environments.
• Personal preference and component lifespan: While some people don’t mind if their components are running near their maximum operating temperatures, others prefer to have a bigger safety margin in order to maximise component lifespan.

In conclusion, the NL-ACF1 is rarely strictly necessary except for very specific scenarios such as the usage of particularly hot components, intense overclocking and tuning, high ambient temperatures or poor case airflow. However, it can be helpful to keep near-socket components at the desired temperatures while lowering total system noise levels through reducing case fan speeds. Additionally, the NL-ACF1 is an attractive add-on for customers who want their components to run as cool as possible in order to maximise their lifespan.