Why Doesn’t Your HBA Card Have a Fan?
The answer has less to do with how much heat it produces and more to do with where it was designed to operate.
If you have ever touched the heatsink on an HBA card after your system has been running for a while, you probably noticed one thing immediately:
THESE CARDS CAN GET HOT.
So why do so many enterprise HBA cards come without a fan?
Because the card was never expected to provide all of its own cooling.
If you have ever touched the heatsink on an HBA card after your system has been running for a while, you probably noticed one thing immediately:
THESE CARDS CAN GET HOT.
So why do so many enterprise HBA cards come without a fan?
Because the card was never expected to provide all of its own cooling.
YOUR HBA WAS DESIGNED FOR A SERVER
Enterprise HBA cards were originally designed for rackmount servers, storage appliances, and other high-airflow systems.
Inside these servers, powerful chassis fans continuously move air from one side of the system to the other.
That airflow passes across the CPU, memory, network cards, RAID controllers, HBA cards, and other components before leaving the chassis.
Because the server is already moving large amounts of air across the PCIe area, manufacturers do not necessarily need to install a separate fan on every card.
The heatsink on your HBA is only one part of its cooling system.
YOUR HBA WAS DESIGNED FOR A SERVER
Enterprise HBA cards were originally designed for rackmount servers, storage appliances, and other high-airflow systems.
Inside these servers, powerful chassis fans continuously move air from one side of the system to the other.
That airflow passes across the CPU, memory, network cards, RAID controllers, HBA cards, and other components before leaving the chassis.
Because the server is already moving large amounts of air across the PCIe area, manufacturers do not necessarily need to install a separate fan on every card.
The heatsink on your HBA is only one part of its cooling system.
THEN WE PUT THESE CARDS IN DESKTOPS
A desktop can have several case fans and still provide very little airflow through an HBA heatsink.
Desktop fans are usually larger, slower, and positioned farther away. Their airflow spreads through the open chassis and can simply move around the heatsink instead of being forced through its fins. That's why fans in desktops are mounted directly against a CPUs tower cooler or GPU heatsink.
Servers are built differently.
THEN WE PUT THESE CARDS IN DESKTOPS
A desktop can have several case fans and still provide very little airflow through an HBA heatsink.
Desktop fans are usually larger, slower, and positioned farther away. Their airflow spreads through the open chassis and can simply move around the heatsink instead of being forced through its fins. That's why fans in desktops are mounted directly against a CPUs tower cooler or GPU heatsink.
Servers are built differently.
A rackmount server is a thin, tightly packed chassis with a wall of high-speed delta fans. Forcing a torrent of high pressure air across the entire system and out the rear, like a wind tunnel.
A rackmount server is a thin, tightly packed chassis with a wall of high-speed delta fans. Forcing a torrent of high pressure air across the entire system and out the rear, like a wind tunnel.
NO FAN DOES NOT MEAN NO AIRFLOW REQUIRED
This is probably the biggest misconception surrounding enterprise HBA cooling.
When someone sees a heatsink with no fan attached, it is natural to assume that the heatsink was designed to handle everything by itself.
But a heatsink does not remove heat from the system on its own.
It transfers heat away from the controller and spreads that heat over a larger surface area.
Airflow then carries that heat away.
NO FAN DOES NOT MEAN NO AIRFLOW REQUIRED
This is probably the biggest misconception surrounding enterprise HBA cooling.
When someone sees a heatsink with no fan attached, it is natural to assume that the heatsink was designed to handle everything by itself.
But a heatsink does not remove heat from the system on its own.
It transfers heat away from the controller and spreads that heat over a larger surface area.
Airflow then carries that heat away.
DIRECT AIRFLOW CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE
The effect of adding airflow directly through the heatsink can substantially lower temperatures.
One customer using a Broadcom LSI 9305-24i Cooler (above image) wrote:
“This product is honestly miraculous. My Broadcom LSI 9305-24i went from running at a constant 89 Celsius to 63.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
89°C → 63°C
That's a 26°C reduction reported in this customer's system.
This demonstrates how much of a difference direct airflow can make when a card is receiving very little airflow from the case itself.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING
Your HBA sits directly between your system and your drives, handling the reads and writes your storage depends on. Excessive heat can contribute to controller instability and resets, potentially interrupting I/O and causing problems when you least expect it.
A hot HBA does not automatically mean your data is in danger, but when something this important is responsible for your data integrity, better safe than sorry.
Give your HBA the airflow it was designed to have.
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FAQ
Why does my HBA card need dedicated cooling?
Why does my HBA card need dedicated cooling?
Your HBA card needs airflow your desktop probably can’t provide. These cards have no built-in fan because they rely on the server’s cooling system. In a desktop or NAS, insufficient airflow can cause overheating, controller resets, and interrupted drive access.
Our coolers deliver airflow directly to the heatsink, giving your card dedicated cooling outside a server chassis.
What is it made of?
What is it made of?
Our coolers are made from durable, engineering-grade polycarbonate, the same type of tough thermoplastic used in bulletproof glass. It offers excellent heat and strength, making it ideal for long-term use around hot-running hardware for extended periods of time without warping and coming loose.
How does it attach to my card?
How does it attach to my card?
They mount securely by hand onto the sides of the PCB without putting unnecessary stress on the card or its components. Each cooler is carefully designed and tested to ensure there are no collisions with components on the PCB.
How do I power the fan?
How do I power the fan?
The included fan is a standard 3-pin DC fan that plugs into a standard motherboard fan header. Most motherboards support DC voltage control, allowing you to adjust the fan speed through the BIOS or motherboard software. Please purchase a fan mount variant if you would like to mount your own PWM fan instead.
How many extra PCIE slots does it use?
How many extra PCIE slots does it use?
Our coolers, with a 10mm thick fan attached, use approximately 1.75 PCIe slots, meaning the card requires one additional open slot for the shroud, fan and airflow.