Fan guards serve more than just protecting fan blades and preventing foreign objects from entering; they also affect airflow path, fan load, and ultimately, the device's cooling efficiency and noise level.
Influencing Factors:
Airflow Resistance-The guard design affects the smoothness of airflow into and out of the fan. Excessive airflow resistance forces the fan to operate at higher speeds, increasing noise.
Turbulence and Resonance-Some guard designs may cause air turbulence, resulting in turbulent noise or resonance noise.
Material and Thickness-Thicker metal or plastic guards may reflect fan noise, increasing the overall noise level.
