Place PSU upside down so fan faces GPU fan?

marcosscriven · 27 Apr 2019 at 11:47

I just built a new ITX setup in an Nano S case with a regular PSU and an RX580.

There's at most 1cm between the the rearmost GPU fan and the PSU top.

The normal advice with PSUs is to have it's intake face to the outside of the PC if the case allows it (as the air will be cooler).

However, wondering if in this instance it would actually help the GPU, and not affect the PSU too much, if I flipped it and have the PSU draw air away from the GPU fan?

UnworthyBean · 27 Apr 2019 at 12:12

The fans will be fighting each other so you'll get worse temps. Install it with the fan facing downwards, it's what it was designed for.

Plec · 27 Apr 2019 at 12:15

What's brand/model of PSU?

For such a small system flip the PSU to draw air from the bottom of the case.

The PSU sucks air in and pushes it out the back of the unit, under load. The PSU and GPU will effectively be competing for air if they're facing each other. The case has been designed for fan face down PSU placement for a reason.

/beaten to it - as above - you know have stereo.

marcosscriven · 27 Apr 2019 at 12:15

UnworthyBean said:
The fans will be fighting each other so you'll get worse temps. Install it with the fan facing downwards, it's what it was designed for.

That's how I have it at the moment.

But if I were to change it, I don't see how they'd fight? The GPU fan and the PSU fan would both be sending air in the same direction, which I'd have thought would be better than the GPU fan hitting a wall of metal 1cm away.

Plec · 27 Apr 2019 at 12:17

marcosscriven said:
The GPU fan and the PSU fan would both be sending air in the same direction, which I'd have thought would be better than the GPU fan hitting a wall of metal 1cm away.

No they wouldn't, they both draw air into their respective units to cool.

marcosscriven · 27 Apr 2019 at 12:25

Plec said:
No they wouldn't, they both draw air into their respective units to cool.

Ahhh - I see, thanks!

drakulton · 28 Apr 2019 at 00:30

I suppose it depends upon how much heat the PSU and GPU produce under load. If it's a really hot GPU and starved of air, and a really cool PSU, you could theoretically open up the PSU and flip the fan so that it pulls cool air from the back of the case and blows slightly warmer air directly at the GPU. I'm not advocating this. Again you're going to have to have a PSU that is very, very cool. Not an ideal scenario, but perhaps something worth investigating by someone like Steve at GN.

freddie64 · 28 Apr 2019 at 07:29

As has already be said, leave it as it is.

I would add another fan to the front of the case to increase air intake though.