Embodiments of the present disclosure include systems and methods for controlling the direction of cooling air flow across components of an electronic devices. An air-cooled electronic device includes: an air flow generator that is able to generate air flow in either first or second direction across the device; a sensor that measures first and second temperatures of air in the device when the air flows in the first and second directions, respectively; and a controller coupled to the mechanism and the sensor. The controller compares the first temperature to the second temperature and controls the air flow generator to generate the air flow in one of the first and second directions based on comparison of the first temperature to the second temperature.
