Single vs Dual vs Triple Fan GPUs: What’s The Difference?

Looking for a GPU that fits your computer needs is already a difficult task. However, once you found a GPU that fits your liking you will find that there are dozens of different models that come equipped with one, two, or even three fans.

While people argue whether which fan amount is the best on your GPU, there are pros and cons to each, which we will discuss in this article.

What’s The Difference Between Single, Dual, and Triple Fan GPUs?

The main argument with having a GPU with multiple fans is that it will be more quiet and provide more sufficient cooling. However, that is just not the case you can have a dual fan GPU that has the exact same cooling potential as one with 3 fans.

Cooling and noise reduction is not the only thing to consider when talking about the fan count on a GPU.

GPU Size

One thing that people overlook is the GPU size. The more fans your GPU has the larger it will be. This is something that is essential to keep in mind when purchasing a GPU because the GPU has to have the size requirements to fit your computer case.

There are many instances where you can purchase a new GPU and it ends up sitting on your shelf because it won’t fit inside of your computer case.

An example of this is a little while ago my friend purchased a brand new RTX 3080 GPU that came equipped with 3 GPU fans. He was so excited to put it to use, but when it arrived in the mail he found out he couldn’t install the GPU because his computer case was too small.

Single fan GPUs

Single fan GPUs are often sought as lower end GPUs and are slowly becoming obsolete, but if you have a small build with a tiny compute case this might be your best option. Often times with smaller PC builds you have to be creative with the way you install your hardware or else it won’t fit inside of the case.

This is where single fan GPUs come in handy because they are very compact.

Dual Fan GPUs

Dual fan GPUs will fit just about any average computer build and are targetted towards your average gamer.

Triple Fan GPUs

Triple fan GPUs can often times be massive and take up a lot of space. With these GPUs you are going to need a big case with a lot of extra room for your GPU.

Not only that, but often times these GPUs can be very heavy and cause something called GPU sag.

Cooling

Single Fan GPUs

Single fan GPUs perform the worst when it comes to cooling. The reason for this is pretty obvious. First, they only have one fan which means it has less options to dissipate heat, and often times the heatsink is a lot smaller because the manufactures have to make a smaller heat sink to fit inside the smaller graphics card.

Dual Fan GPUs

A dual fan GPU comes equipped with 2 fans and a larger heatsink that helps to quickly dissipate heat away from the GPU.

The fans in the GPU won’t have to work as hard because there are two of them and will produce the same efficiency as a single fan running at double the speed.

This also means that it will increase the lifespan of your GPU.

Triple Fan GPUs

Triple fan GPUs are by far the best at cooling because they come equipped with 3 fans. They will disperse heat a lot more efficiently than a single fan GPU, and much better than a dual fan GPU.

This is especially important if you are looking to do some serious overclocking to your graphics card. When overclocking your GPU will produce a lot more heat and will need a good cooling system.

Overclocking

Single Fan GPUs

With single fan GPUs overclocking might not be the right decision as your GPU will overheat a lot quicker be cause of the insufficient cooling.

Overclocking makes your GPU create a lot of heat and if your GPU can’t get rid of it you could potential damage it.

Check out: “How To Increase GPU Performance Without Overclocking”

Dual Fan GPUs

With dual fan GPUs you will be able to do some moderate overclocking as the two fans will be able to cool off your graphics card just fine.

However, this can get annoying as these fans will have to work a lot harder to keep your GPU cool created a lot of noise if overclocked heavily.

Triple Fan GPUs

Triple fan GPUs are the best for overclocking as they provide you with the best cooling.

Having a GPU that stays at a moderate temperature when overclocked is essentially to the longevity and performance of your graphics card.

Not only that, but it will allow you to overclock your graphics card a lot further because it won’t crash from using two much power or overheating because your fans are working less and cooling your GPU much more efficiently.

Performance

The more fans you have doesn’t necessarily mean the GPU will perform better, but most likely it will.

See the thing is the more fans a GPU has the bigger and more powerful the graphics card usually is; due to the better cooling.

When manufactures confidently know that overheating is not an issue they can increase the power of which the GPU performs, as more power means more heat.

That’s why the newest graphics cards that are released never have less than two fans on them.

back in the day it was very common to see high-end GPUs with only a single fan, but now it is actually very uncommon.

What this is telling us is that the more fans a GPU has the more potential performance it has.

You should also read: “Do GPU Fans Always Spin?”

Noise

Single Fan GPUs

Single fan GPUs are often the loudest out of the three especially when the GPU is under a lot of stress. When only one fan is producing airflow it has to work extra hard to prevent your GPU from overheating.

In doing so it will have to spin very fast. The faster the fan spins the more noise it will make.

You might think that using an extra quiet fan will solve this problem, but it really won’t. It might help a little bit, but for the most part when a fan is spinning at maximum speed it will produce noise no matter what.

Dual Fan GPUs

Having a dual fan GPU is actually very optimal for noise reduction. With dual fan GPUs you will often use fans that are 140mm instead of 120mm . The larger fans allow for improved airflow with less work. Meaning the fans don’t have to spin as fast to dissipait the heat made by the graphics card.

Triple Fan GPUs

Triple fan GPUs can often be a hit or miss when it comes to noise. This might have thrown you off because you probably thought the more fans that you have the less noise it will make.

However, with the extra fan especially if they are lower quality GPU fans which is often the case, they will generate a lot more noise.

When you pair up 3 noisy fans together it will strengthen the sound making it louder. Now if your GPU is equipped with 3 quality fans then the noise will be reduced.

However, under extremely demanding workloads, when the 3 fans are forced to spin at a very high speed, this will cause the GPU to create a lot of noise by combining the sound of the 3 GPU fans.

Price

Single Fan GPUs

Single fan GPUs are the cheapest out of the bunch, and are often used in lower end GPUs. The newest GPus such as the 30-series and 40-series from Nvidia have actually stopped making GPUs with single fans because they aren’t able to keep up with the heat they make.

So, because of this if you want to purchase a GPU with a single fan you will have to look for older graphics card models that offer the single fan option.

Dual Fan GPUs

The dual fan GPU provides additional features and components at a premium price, making it ideal for enhancing consistency and supporting more advanced features.

However, when seeking an affordable dual fan option, such additional functions are generally absent. Factors like thermal pads, LED RGB lights, sensors, and other components contribute to the increased cost of the dual fan GPU.

Triple Fan GPUs

Triple fan GPUs will put the biggest hit on your wallet as they are often a lot more expensive. However, with the increased cost usually comes more features as well.

As you can see even with the RTX 3060 the more fans it has the more expensive it is even though it is essentially the same GPU.

Are Single Fan GPUs Worth it?

Are single fan GPUs truly worth it? The answer is not straightforward. To begin with, it is essential to understand that single fan GPUs come in two variations: those with heat sinks fixed with their fans and those without.

The former is definitely worth it since it prevents graphics card throttling. However, the latter may not be so reliable, as it could result in overheating and eventual burnout. It is worth noting, though, that such graphics cards are increasingly rare in the market. In fact, there are even GPUs with no fans at all, which adds to the complexity of the matter.

But that is not the only consideration. While single fan GPUs may have some advantages, they also have some notable disadvantages.

Specifically, their processing power is considerably lower than that of graphics cards with two or three fans.

This is because single fan graphics cards tend to have fewer electronic components and hardware, resulting in fewer cores compared to their more powerful counterparts with multiple fans.

In short, while single fan GPUs can be worth it in some cases, the trade-offs in terms of performance need to be carefully evaluated before making a decision.