Cubic Feet Per Minute

What Does Cubic Feet Per Minute Mean?

Cubic feet per minute (CFM) is a key metric for air handling systems and other systems where air is transported from one place to another. The CFM rate reflects the passage of air flow over time, according to the performance of a device or appliance for its intended use.

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Techopedia Explains Cubic Feet Per Minute

In electronics, CFM is often used to measure performance for workstation fans, server cooling cages, and other cooling systems. A computer's internal fan may be rated for a particular CFM to guarantee specific cooling performance, for example, to handle overclocking and other situations where internal computer temperatures may rise significantly. In some ways, this is similar to the use of CFM in HVAC systems, except that while IT systems use air flow to protect sensitive hardware, HVAC systems use it to reflect performance to heat or cool larger spaces.

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Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical, business audience. Over the past twenty years her explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…