There are various form factors for graphics cards, such as blower-style GPUs and open-air models. Even though the latter is currently much more common, several AIB makers still provide blower-style variations for certain video cards. 

On paper, blower-style GPUs appear to be just as attractive as open-air models, but there are some important considerations that customers should be aware of before parting with their money for one. The main enigma here is the cause of the sharp decline in popularity of blower-style GPUs. 

Open-air and blower-style graphics cards each have advantages and disadvantages. Nobody can really claim that one of these form factors is superior to the other. Multi-fan designs have become widely used since new PC hardware prefers open-air GPUs over blower-style versions. 

GPUs with a blower design have a specific use. 

Blower-style GPUs have a single fan that sucks air into the heatsink at the card's edge. A grille in the I/O portion at the back is utilised to reject this air after it has been used for heat dissipation. 

In order to dissipate heat, today's graphics cards all require a steady flow of air. As a result, unlike open-air variants, the GPU's fans nearly never stop spinning and the card almost never reaches an acoustic level of 0 dB. Coolant requirements rise under heavy load. In order to provide adequate cooling, this forces the card's fans to spin at a greater RPM, which has a negative impact on acoustics. This specific system can be fairly loud when fully loaded, according to some users. 

Open-air GPUs are unaffected by this problem. Air is used as a cooling before being rejected into the case through the sidewalls. The graphics card in this case relies on the enclosure's architecture to vent hot air. 

Open-air GPUs cannot operate effectively in cases with insufficient airflow capacity. The use of blower-style graphics cards solved the issue. However, computer cases have significantly changed in recent years, and the majority of modern designs are now centred on maximising airflow. Blower-style video cards consequently lose their edge. 

With the reference editions of their most recent Geforce RTX 30 series and Radeon RX 6000 series video cards, Nvidia and AMD have both switched to open-air designs. Fans can stop operating while the GPU is idle since open-air models have heatsinks that can dissipate heat passively. As a result, the card barely makes any noise and the fans draw little electricity. Additionally, the fact that modern GPUs have numerous fans means that each of them spins at a considerably lower RPM, improving noise levels. 

I got my old GPU GTX 1080 Ti FE for sale with new Aorus motherboard Z390 Ultra
,I want 500 quid for it pic.twitter.com/xOU0LFYlcr

— Pazu_79 パズ (VGC) (MOv) (@Pazz_79) October 27, 2021

According to the information above, blower-style GPUs are only appropriate for computer systems with little to no airflow. Blower-style video cards continue to effectively cool the GPU, but at a higher noise level. Users can thus select one of these designs to fit systems that have an issue with ventilation.