this post was submitted on 22 Sep 2025
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I really don't understand why PCs don't use filters today.
I swap out fans and replace them with centrigual units, which can handle the restriction of standard washable air conditioner filter media.
Machines stay much cleaner this way.
Probably because people are lazy and won't clean the filters, and after a few months they wouldn't have any airflow. Without the filter you still get dust, hair, etc, but it takes longer to get to the point where the computer is overheating for those people who do zero maintenance.
It's kind of like how some gas lawn mowers are being sold with "lifetime" oil that doesn't need to be changed. It's not better, unless you're the kind of person who wouldn't do any maintenance anyway.
Because filters restrict airflow.
Like I said, if you use a centrifugal fan it doesn't restrict airflow.
Every air handler on the planet uses a centrifugal fan with a filter because they can generate vacuum/pressure.
That makes no sense. Anything you put the air through causes a restriction.
They mean the fan is rated for that amount of restriction, and will still move a decent cfm of air. Regular pc fans will drop cfm very quickly when there's any restriction.
It doesn't matter what it's rated for. The basic principle doesn't change.
Some fan designs handle restrictions much better than others. PC fans will drop to basically zero airflow with a moderate restriction, while centrifugal fans will still move a decent amount of air with that same restriction.
And yet, once again, the principle doesn't change. More restriction = less flow.
The principal doesn't change, but the magnitude of the effect does.