Numerical experiments of natural convection of a zero Prandtl (Pr) number fluid in 4×1×2 (length to height to width) and 4×1×1 rectangular cavities (with a free top surface) and enclosures (having a solid top surface) are performed. The cavities are referred to as R‐F (rigid‐free) while enclosures are referred to as R–R (rigid–rigid). The objective of this study is to establish the pattern of three‐dimensional convection and to determine the value of the critical Grashof number, Grcrit, at which the flow becomes time dependent. A three‐dimensional laminar flow model of a constant property fluid is used. The model equations are solved numerically by a finite volume method. The flow field is steady at relatively low Grashof number (Gr), and is represented by one cell, unlike the multicellular flow predicted by two‐dimensional studies. When Gr reaches Grcrit, the flow becomes oscillatory. Transition to time dependence is a function of the geometry and the type of top surface (rigid or free). The R–R flow is more stable than that of the R‐F case, for both widths considered (one and two). The width of cavity and/or enclosure has an important effect on transition to oscillatory convection, for it is found that reducing the width from two to one, leads to a much higher Grcrit, making the results of two‐dimensional numerical simulations completely inadequate.