Advice for cooling my case

chef-borjan · 26 Jul 2016 at 16:50

Hi there. I have an ITX case with a 4690k and a 1070, both overclocked.

I feel like I could do much better than with the cooling I already provide them. Temps on the CPU can go over 85 degrees at max load (flash window playing on the second screen plus maxed out 144fps overwatch at 150% target render seemes to do the job!) and GPU can hit high 70s too, even with an aggressive fan profile.

Part of this problem is that I am using an ITX case, plus I don't have that many fans. So can people make suggestions? I have some specific things I want to address:

CPU cooler - An Evo 212 is in there at the moment. It has to be this direction because of the radiator size and my GPU, but I initially placed it to push from below. But look at the clearance there... Right next to the GPU. Should I move it above? Set it to push or pull?
There is a 200mm intake fan in the front. Should I leave this as it is or put in 2 140mm? Any benefit?
Should I be putting more exhausts into the top? Is it worth thinking about radiators for AIO coolers?
Currently I am thinking about getting a fan controller, possibly the phanteks one, and control all the case fans via the PWM signal from the motherboard. At the moment they are at constant speed (medium I would say) and run from voltage control. How does this sound?
Generally... And recommendations for which fans should go where? Ie air flow versus static pressure.. Brands etc.

I think that's it for now... Sorry I know these are a lot of question but any help would be much appreciated.

archerz · 26 Jul 2016 at 16:54

usually its best to have the AIO as an exhaust as you don;t want the hot air blown into the case from the rad.

You could get a better heatsink to dissipate the heat.

You want to to try and get the cleanest path of airflow; if your heatsink fans are pointing at the GPU i would rotate it so it pushes out the back

chef-borjan · 26 Jul 2016 at 17:01

chef-borjan · 26 Jul 2016 at 17:03

archerz said:
usually its best to have the AIO as an exhaust as you don;t want the hot air blown into the case from the rad.

You could get a better heatsink to dissipate the heat.

You want to to try and get the cleanest path of airflow; if your heatsink fans are pointing at the GPU i would rotate it so it pushes out the back

Sorry I forgot to attach photos!

Sadly... not sure that I can rotate any heatsink fans in this set up!

Also not entirely sure why my heatsink seems to be skewed... might look to reinstall it but such a hassle!

JanxSpirit · 26 Jul 2016 at 17:08

Ouch! Do you have room to fit one of these fans on the CPU heatsink instead so it can actually suck some air in?

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/arctic-f9-pro-pwm-case-fan-92mm-fg-020-ar.html

archerz · 26 Jul 2016 at 20:12

It's your gpu drooping. Happens a lot.

If star with the fan the other side of the hs at least. It will help get s bit of air through.

There a differnt type of hs you can fit? Even a 120 aio is a great shout.

chef-borjan · 26 Jul 2016 at 20:38

archerz said:
It's your gpu drooping. Happens a lot.

If star with the fan the other side of the hs at least. It will help get s bit of air through.

There a differnt type of hs you can fit? Even a 120 aio is a great shout.

It's a combination of GPU and the actual cooper being skewed... have a look at the first picture, it doesn't doesn't look straight compared to the rest of the motherboard!

Yes I will try and move the fan to the other side of the heatsink. Do you recommend pull or push for that location? If its push... I'll be pushing hot air onto the GPU, but I'm not sure how big a deal that is.

Biomorphs · 27 Jul 2016 at 09:43

Move the CPU fan to the top and have it in a pull config, I always find drawing bad diagrams in paint helps me think about stuff like this. I made this one for yours

chef-borjan · 27 Jul 2016 at 09:54

Biomorphs said:
Move the CPU fan to the top and have it in a pull config, I always find drawing bad diagrams in paint helps me think about stuff like this. I made this one for yours

Perfect thank you very much. I will try to do that tonight.

No need to change any other fan configurations? (i.e. exhausts on the top?)

Biomorphs · 27 Jul 2016 at 10:41

Top looks fine, leave that single fan pushing out the hot air that the CPU fan will be pulling out. If you have extra fans you could put them in the top, but hot air rises so will make its way out of the case on its own accord without any fans

chef-borjan · 27 Jul 2016 at 13:18

Biomorphs said:
Top looks fine, leave that single fan pushing out the hot air that the CPU fan will be pulling out. If you have extra fans you could put them in the top, but hot air rises so will make its way out of the case on its own accord without any fans

Cheers. I actually tried swapping the bracket around and having to re-thread the screws into the plastic of the bracket is a real pain!

Going to test it later. Maybe this will help everything!

But a quick question, there is a fair gap between the bracket and the heatsink. Common sense would tell me that brakes should sit flush to the heatsink, so that if you have a fan pulling air through it must be forced to come through the heatsink rather than being pulled from the side edges... Or is this just normal?

Biomorphs · 27 Jul 2016 at 15:42

The gap does look quite big, but I would say over your current setup anything would be an improvement as the CPU currently cant be shifting much air right next to your GPU like that - Also as you would be pulling in the same direction as the heat is traveling (up) then it shouldn't matter to much.

Depending how you want it to look you could tape up the gap with regular sellotape or some black electrical tape, but id imagine your CPU temps should improve after just moving that fan.

Biomorphs · 27 Jul 2016 at 15:44

Also as a side note I find with my 1080's and the Overwatch menu screen - they heat up loads. But soon as I go into a match - they cool down

archerz · 27 Jul 2016 at 16:29

Biomorphs said:
Also as a side note I find with my 1080's and the Overwatch menu screen - they heat up loads. But soon as I go into a match - they cool down

you should see what its like with the h1z1 main menu

archerz · 27 Jul 2016 at 16:29

Biomorphs said:
Move the CPU fan to the top and have it in a pull config, I always find drawing bad diagrams in paint helps me think about stuff like this. I made this one for yours

this is what i was trying to explain. thanks for the diagram

lude1962 · 27 Jul 2016 at 17:46

It has to be this direction because of the radiator size and my GPU,

so to clarify the gpu is watercooled?

chef-borjan · 27 Jul 2016 at 18:59

lude1962 said:
It has to be this direction because of the radiator size and my GPU,

so to clarify the gpu is watercooled?

Sorry that's probably just me using the wrong terminology. I meant the radiator/heatsink for the CPU, as in the Evo 212. I would have liked it to face back towards the rear of the case but it's just not possible...

And thanks for the tip on the tape. Hopefully I can find something that isn't going to melt haha.

pastymuncher · 27 Jul 2016 at 19:08

Is that the Phanteks Evolve itx? If so I would be tempted to get rid of the cpu cooler and fit one of the Antec AIO's and have it exhausting out of the roof.

chef-borjan · 27 Jul 2016 at 23:32

pastymuncher said:
Is that the Phanteks Evolve itx? If so I would be tempted to get rid of the cpu cooler and fit one of the Antec AIO's and have it exhausting out of the roof.

Yes it's the phankets.

Thanks I did wonder about this since there is space for an AIO at the top. I don't know much about them at all though, and just come across the horror stories in the other thread about the raijinteks leaking... These are more reliable?

Quartz · 27 Jul 2016 at 23:56

Even better than the pull configuration above would be to turn your cooler 90 degrees so it's in line with the rear exhaust fan. If that's not possible, turn the rear exhaust fan into an intake fan, with the hot air venting through the top of the case.