Alternative to Fans

Are there any other alternatives than using fans to cool down your CPU? The fans I have in this comp make a lot of noise. I could always change them, but I just don't feel like going out and buying new fans. Although, if there was an alternative to fans, I would have to go out and buy those... but I'm also just curious if there is an alternative to fans, like a better way. There must be something! Could I just take out the fan I have? What happens if the computer overheats, does every circuit in it become unusable?