Where do Cooling Fans actually come from?

In real matches, Cooling Fans mainly come from Server Racks. These are Technological containers, and they are not evenly distributed across the map.

Most players find them in indoor or semi-industrial areas where old infrastructure makes sense. If you are running wide open scav routes with vehicles, you’ll rarely see them. Cooling Fans favor slow, methodical looting routes.

It’s also important to understand what doesn’t drop them. Regular crates, lockers, and random debris almost never produce Cooling Fans. If your route doesn’t include Server Racks, you are basically not farming Cooling Fans at all.

How rare are Cooling Fans when farming properly?

Even when you target the right containers, Cooling Fans are not common. You should not expect one every raid.

From experience, a focused run that hits several Server Racks might give you one Cooling Fan every few raids. Sometimes you get lucky and find two. Sometimes you go dry for a long time. This inconsistency is what makes players frustrated and leads to inefficient farming.

The mistake many players make is assuming rarity means they should roam more. In practice, roaming more usually reduces your chances because you spend less time opening the right containers.

What is the most effective Cooling Fan farming approach?

The most effective approach is not speed, but repeatability.

Most experienced players pick a short route that includes a known cluster of Server Racks. They clear it, extract, and repeat. This does a few things:

• It reduces combat risk.

• It limits inventory clutter.

• It makes your results predictable over time.

Trying to combine Cooling Fan farming with high-risk PvP or boss hunting usually fails. Server Rack areas attract noise and fights, and Cooling Fans are not worth dying for repeatedly.

If you die holding one, the time loss hurts more than the item value.

Should you recycle or sell Cooling Fans?

This depends entirely on where you are in progression.

If you still need Cooling Fans for projects, never recycle or sell them. This sounds obvious, but many players recycle out of habit and regret it later.

If you are past the major project requirements, recycling usually makes more sense than selling. The Plastic Parts you get are often more valuable long-term than the coin payout.

Selling only makes sense when:

• You are short on coins right now.

• You already have spare Cooling Fans.

• You don’t need Plastic Parts urgently.

Most long-term players lean toward recycling.

How much inventory space do Cooling Fans really cost?

Cooling Fans weigh 3.0 and stack to 3. That means a full stack is heavy and eats space quickly.

In practice, most players extract with one or two at a time. Trying to stack three is risky unless your route is very safe. This is another reason short farming runs work better than long scav sessions.

It’s also why people often drop other loot to keep a Cooling Fan. Even though it’s not flashy, it’s harder to replace than many higher-value items.

Is Cooling Fan farming worth doing early?

For new players, dedicated Cooling Fan farming is usually not worth it.

Early on, your time is better spent learning maps, collecting general materials, and upgrading basic systems. Cooling Fans become important when your project list demands them, not before.

That said, if you happen to find one early, keep it. Stashing Cooling Fans ahead of time saves frustration later.

What about buying instead of farming?

Some players reach a point where they are tired of chasing rare materials. At that stage, alternatives start to look attractive.

For example, some players prefer to bypass certain grind-heavy steps entirely and buy Il Toro blueprint rather than sinking more time into repeated risky runs. This doesn’t replace the need for Cooling Fans directly, but it changes how players value their time versus their loot.

The key point is that Cooling Fan farming is a choice, not a requirement. The game offers multiple progression paths, and experienced players use whichever path fits their schedule.

Common mistakes players make when farming Cooling Fans

The most common mistake is farming them passively. Players assume they will “eventually” get Cooling Fans while doing other activities. This rarely works.

Another mistake is overstaying. Players find a Cooling Fan, then keep looting instead of extracting. This often ends in death and wasted time.

A third mistake is ignoring weight. Cooling Fans slow you down, and slower players die more often. Planning your exit matters.

How many Cooling Fans should you realistically aim for?

Most players only ever need a handful at any one time. Once you complete the major project stages, the pressure drops sharply.

A realistic goal is to stockpile just enough to finish your next upgrade step, then stop farming them entirely. Hoarding large numbers usually serves no purpose unless future updates change requirements.

Final thoughts from long-term play

Cooling Fans are a classic Arc Raiders material: simple, annoying, and quietly important.

They reward focused play, punish greed, and test your patience more than your skill. If you treat them like a side objective, they will feel impossible to get. If you treat them like a short-term task with clear extraction goals, they become manageable.

Most experienced players farm Cooling Fans only when they need them, and stop the moment the requirement is met. That mindset keeps the game feeling controlled instead of grindy.

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