normal drop in temps?

[DarkDonut]

So up to now I've only had 1 120mm fan in the front of my case to pull air through and I haven't cleaned it for a while (year+). So I got 2 new 120mm fans and installed those and cleaned out my comp.

Temps dropped by 10 across all cores! Went from 48-51 idle to 38-41.

The reason why I asked if this is normal is because the fan I had plugged in before to the front of the case was into the motherboard, but these other fans I have hooked through the power supply. Would the mobo have been detecting the temps based off that old fan? Or is this really how much a proper fan setup and cleanup job can help?

 

[Arkalius]

Exhaust fans can improve case airflow quite a bit, and dust blockage I'm sure plays a role. I'm not sure if it's normal to see that level of improvement but it wouldn't surprise me.

 

[sirmonkey1985]

it doesnt matter if the fans are connected to the motherboard unless the fan has a temp sensor and the motherboard can read it. 10C drop is normal when you have decent cooling in a case and actually clean it.