Advice on case fans

Masher8559 · 17 Oct 2012 at 19:00

Hey, i'm looking for some advice on whether i should have my side case fan as intake or outflow. I'm new to all of this so forgive me if it's a silly question. I've just bought two fans, i added one at the front of the case as an intake, have the back one as exhaust, but i can't decide on what the side case should be.

I googled around, and found that most forums/info sites suggest that it should be intake, so i added it as an intake fan. Yet, i have found that my GPU runs 4c hotter compared to when i have it as outflow. I'm just wondering if there is a reason why most people recommend side case fans as intake when i am getting 4c cooler from it being outflow, even though the GPU is 4c hotter as intake, are there any other benefits to having the side fan as intake or should i just keep it as outflow? Sorry for making what should be a simple question sound complicated.

Thanks.

pob9 · 17 Oct 2012 at 19:53

does ur gpu cooler dump warm air into the case or does it exhaust it straight out the back

RetrogamerX · 17 Oct 2012 at 19:54

The last 2 cases I've had side fans are intake. It could be anything you want, but front and side should be intake, Back and top are outflow.

Marine-RX179 · 17 Oct 2012 at 20:05

It's depended on the type of GPU cooler more than anything else. For the "dump heat into case" type graphic card cooler, having the side-panel fan as exhaust is better as it would remove the heat from the case effectively, rather than blowing the heat all over the place at the low half of the case and get recycled back into the graphic cooler. For my 5850 Twin FrozR (a dump heat into case cooler), I myself also found the temps with the side-panel fan as intake being 3-5C higher than as exhaust.

Masher8559 · 17 Oct 2012 at 20:07

pob9 said:
does ur gpu cooler dump warm air into the case or does it exhaust it straight out the back

I believe the card blows air out, i'm not 100% sure though. as i said i'm fairly new to fiddling around with pc's.

RetrogamerX said:
The last 2 cases I've had side fans are intake. It could be anything you want, but front and side should be intake, Back and top are outflow.

I had installed it as intake first, but out of curiosity changed it to outflow to see if it had any effect, as i said i get about 4c cooler according to MSI afterburner with the fan being outflow.

Was just wondering if it's fine to leave it as an outflow or should i really be keeping the side fan as intake?

Masher8559 · 17 Oct 2012 at 20:09

Marine-RX179 said:
It's depended on the type of GPU cooler more than anything else. For the "dump heat into case" type graphic card cooler, having the side-panel fan as exhaust is better as it would remove the heat from the case effectively, rather than blowing the heat all over the place at the low half of the case and get recycled back into the graphic cooler. For my 5850 Twin FrozR (a dump heat into case cooler), I myself also found the temps with the side-panel fan as intake being 3-5C higher than as exhaust.

I have a cheap card, GTX 550ti, it's all i could afford for the moment, i'm guessing this card dumps air into the case? which would be why my side fan being outflow gives me 4c cooler? so i should leave the side fan as outflow in my case then?

Marine-RX179 · 17 Oct 2012 at 20:10

Masher8559 said:
I had installed it as intake first, but out of curiosity changed it to outflow to see if it had any effect, as i said i get about 4c cooler according to MSI afterburner with the fan being outflow.

Was just wondering if it's fine to leave it as an outflow or should i really be keeping the side fan as intake?

You experimented with first hand experience on your on PC...so why bother by what you read elsewhere, when you got first hand knowledge of which configuration give you lower temp? I know I certainly wouldn't go with the higher temp configuration

Marine-RX179 · 17 Oct 2012 at 20:11

Masher8559 said:
I have a cheap card, GTX 550ti, it's all i could afford for the moment, i'm guessing this card dumps air into the case? which would be why my side fan being outflow gives me 4c cooler? so i should leave the side fan as outflow in my case then?

Have you got the exact brand and model of the 550Ti?

Masher8559 · 17 Oct 2012 at 20:13

Marine-RX179 said:
You experimented with first hand experience on your on PC...so why bother by what you read elsewhere, when you got first hand knowledge of which configuration give you lower temp? I know I certainly wouldn't go with the higher temp configuration

Well, i have left it as outflow for now.

but i was just wondering if there was a reason why so many people/sites recommended the side fan being intake. that was all. For example, would having it intake keep other parts cooler than it being outtake? i have been going off of the GPU reading.

Edit: It's the same as this one.

http://www.google.co.uk/products/ca...a=X&ei=__9-UO7DHKO50QXChYCYAw&ved=0CHQQ8wIwAA

BrianB · 17 Oct 2012 at 20:44

With side as intake I get loads of extra dust just in case the hole in the side panel wasn't getting enough inside already.

I found with side as intake I had slightly lower temps, for video and case, but this is with good exhaust at back and top. 200top/140rear. Fresh cold air onto the GPU is great. Yours exhausts air out the back so side intake is ideal.

Marine-RX179 · 17 Oct 2012 at 20:55

Masher8559 said:
Edit: It's the same as this one.

That cooler would exhaust may be half the heat out the back, but with the other dumped out the front/right-hand side (meaning if you have a front intake fan, it will blow the heat right back into toward the left and get recycled back into the graphic cooler)

But if you already confirmed you got lower temp with exhaust than intake, then best to stick with it, as there are other factors involve, such as airflow of the case, which other people won't know as well as you do, since it is your case.