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For a desktop PC is it bad to leave the side panel to it's case off? Initially I thought it would help cooling (and allow me easy access) but wondered if it lets more dust in. Any other pros and cons? Obviously this is in a safe area and no likely to get bumped.

Celeritas
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  • Aside from the cooling issue, the case provides shielding, both directions. If you have neighbors close-by, an unshielded PC could theoretically cause interference for them, which would put you in violation of FCC rules. For your own use, the PC could pick up strange signals that you would spend time chasing down. – fixer1234 May 12 '16 at 19:52

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The principle of air cooling, as described well in this ExtremeTech guide, is to create either positive or negative air pressure within the case. Both have pros and cons, and there's tons of disagreement over optimal fan placement, but the point is: bring cool air in, heat it up, and get it out. When you remove the side panel, you disrupt the intended airflow of the case—whatever it may be—and also invite more dust to settle on your components. So it's not recommended.

Narzard
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  • Is it therefore bad to have a fan turned off because it essentially just acts as a vent, neutralizing the positive/negative pressure? Let me know if the question doesn't make sense. – Celeritas Jun 01 '16 at 07:35
  • @Celeritas Yes. Any open holes on the case that do not have a fan in front of them are considered loss of pressure and hinder the overall cooling process. – Narzard Jun 01 '16 at 13:08
  • Thanks. One more question, don't all fans need to spinning in the same direction to create over all negative or positive pressure, otherwise they'd be working against each other? Does the motherboard automatically handle this? – Celeritas Jun 01 '16 at 18:53
  • @Celeritas The motherboard does not handle this. In most cases, the motherboard will handle fan speed (called PWM), but is unable to manipulate direction. The direction is set by the user when the fans are screwed onto the case. A common airflow would be the following: Fan on front of the case is blowing cold air into the computer. The fans on top/back of case are sucking air out of the case. This creates a streamlined air in to air out, just like a car. – Narzard Jun 01 '16 at 19:03
  • I hope the technician assembled my computer right... – Celeritas Jun 01 '16 at 19:18