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- 18 Aug 2019
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So, Ive gone a little overboard.....
I have a Cool master Silencio 600 silent case - this allows for 2 front mounted fans (120mm or 140mm), 2 top mounted fans (1200mm or 140mm), and one rear fan (120mm). Link to the specs so you can see their positions in the case. BE AWARE though tat the top/front fan location is misleading on that link. There is a long oval slot to fit the top fans screw in - and when its as far forward as it will go, the fan actually sits partially over the drive bay, so its nowhere near as far back as it seems (this is important to remember later). It is possible to fit 2 x 140mm fans in that top slot with a gap (if you push one as far forward and the other as far back as you can) of approx 35mm between them.
https://www.coolermaster.com/catalog/cases/mid-tower/silencio-s600/
I have a Noctua NH-12A CPU cooler fitted so that helps with the throughput.
The case comes with 2 Coolmaster 120mm fans - one in the front lower slot and one in the rear exhaust slot.
When I configured the PC I spec'd another 140mm fan to be fitted at the front. Be Quiet fans were out of stock so I ordered something similar.
I had a play - because my temps were higher than I wanted (turns out they fitted the 140mm fan in pull not push orientation which really wasnt helping). I tried fitting the 140mm to the top - and removing the dampened top - and TBH the noise levels wernt that much higher until the fans were at full belt - by which time cooling is preferable to noise (or lack of) anyway.
The main reason for trying to get a silent system is its main use is music recording - for most of the time some noise is OK BUT for recording acoustic instruments or vocals using a microphone you need it quiet. Ive decided I can always turn off the top fans and replace the sound dampened lid IF its a problem WHEN I record that way (way less than 5% of the time I record - and less than 1% of the PCs total use time).
I also havent been happy with the fans themselves. The 140mm I went with is a LOT noisier than the Coolmaster fans (and also the Silent Wings as well - as well get to) so I want to replace that. I also found (while changing locations around) that 140mm on the front isnt great, as the cutouts in the case are actually for 120mm fans - so with 140mm theres a lot of metal in the way of the fan.
Sooooo - Ordered a Silent wings 120mm and fitted that in the front in place of the 140mm - which is currently top/rear mounted for extra exhaust. I have ordered a Silent wings 140mm to replace that fan.
The next issue (for me at least) - I dont like the stock fans as much as the silent wings. The control isnt as good. Even on their slowest speed there pretty quick. Its almost like they have a 50% to 100% range rather than a 0-100. Not bad as such - but it just bugs me. SO another Silent wings 120mm is on its way to fit at the front.
The plan is to mount the 2 x 120mm Silent wings on the front pushing air in, coming from a single Mobo header (as there's only 3 on there - I can use the AIO pump header but thats on full all the time, while the CPU-Opt header is tied to the CPL Fan speed). The 2 original Coolmaster fans Im going to mount rear and top rear as exhaust fans - and again these 2 will come from a single header.
The big question - is the top FRONT mounted fan - which will be the 140mm Silent wings, do I push or pull with it?? Ive read a lot, and seen some temp diagrams but Im not sure.
My original though was push. It will create a positive case pressure - and will push air directly to the CPU fan intake and as it will have its own speed control I can slow it down so the cool air feeds into the Noctua (rather than blasting past it the the bottom of the case). I have no HDs in the way and it would also make up for the lack of a 3rd front fan providing cool air to the top front of the case.
My concerns are that "wisdom" seems to dictate top fans are exhaust fans. Also having hot air coming out of that top/rear fan - will that just get sucked back into the case (which would be pointless - though the exhaust fans will always be have higher flow than the intake so should blow the air out of the way.). However If I mount that top/front fan as exhaust - wont it pull the cool air from the front fans out before its had chance to cool things? Bear in mind the link - and where the fan sits. Its actually over the front half of the case.
Should I just not fit that 3rd fan? (wasted cash obviously but would be spare, and TBH in a project thats costing approx £3k all in - wasting £16 on an unused fan isnt a great concern) - and use the 2 x 120 SW on the front, 1 X Coolmaster on the back and the 140mm SW top/.rear as exhaust leaving the top front just open for natural cooling (be that drawing cool in or warm out)?. That could easily cause neg pressure in the case (2 x 120mm in - 1x120 and 1 x 140 out) which may cause dust problems?
Am I just TOTALLY overthinking and over engineering this... probably, but thats me. Im an engineer by trade.
ANYWAY - anyone who has actually read through my waffle and understands what I mean, can you please chip in with the best (or your considered best) cooling plan with the fans I have at my disposal, and the case in the link. As an aside, both the top slots and the front slots have dust filters so Im happy to push or pull in those slots.
Many Many thanks
I have a Cool master Silencio 600 silent case - this allows for 2 front mounted fans (120mm or 140mm), 2 top mounted fans (1200mm or 140mm), and one rear fan (120mm). Link to the specs so you can see their positions in the case. BE AWARE though tat the top/front fan location is misleading on that link. There is a long oval slot to fit the top fans screw in - and when its as far forward as it will go, the fan actually sits partially over the drive bay, so its nowhere near as far back as it seems (this is important to remember later). It is possible to fit 2 x 140mm fans in that top slot with a gap (if you push one as far forward and the other as far back as you can) of approx 35mm between them.
https://www.coolermaster.com/catalog/cases/mid-tower/silencio-s600/
I have a Noctua NH-12A CPU cooler fitted so that helps with the throughput.
The case comes with 2 Coolmaster 120mm fans - one in the front lower slot and one in the rear exhaust slot.
When I configured the PC I spec'd another 140mm fan to be fitted at the front. Be Quiet fans were out of stock so I ordered something similar.
I had a play - because my temps were higher than I wanted (turns out they fitted the 140mm fan in pull not push orientation which really wasnt helping). I tried fitting the 140mm to the top - and removing the dampened top - and TBH the noise levels wernt that much higher until the fans were at full belt - by which time cooling is preferable to noise (or lack of) anyway.
The main reason for trying to get a silent system is its main use is music recording - for most of the time some noise is OK BUT for recording acoustic instruments or vocals using a microphone you need it quiet. Ive decided I can always turn off the top fans and replace the sound dampened lid IF its a problem WHEN I record that way (way less than 5% of the time I record - and less than 1% of the PCs total use time).
I also havent been happy with the fans themselves. The 140mm I went with is a LOT noisier than the Coolmaster fans (and also the Silent Wings as well - as well get to) so I want to replace that. I also found (while changing locations around) that 140mm on the front isnt great, as the cutouts in the case are actually for 120mm fans - so with 140mm theres a lot of metal in the way of the fan.
Sooooo - Ordered a Silent wings 120mm and fitted that in the front in place of the 140mm - which is currently top/rear mounted for extra exhaust. I have ordered a Silent wings 140mm to replace that fan.
The next issue (for me at least) - I dont like the stock fans as much as the silent wings. The control isnt as good. Even on their slowest speed there pretty quick. Its almost like they have a 50% to 100% range rather than a 0-100. Not bad as such - but it just bugs me. SO another Silent wings 120mm is on its way to fit at the front.
The plan is to mount the 2 x 120mm Silent wings on the front pushing air in, coming from a single Mobo header (as there's only 3 on there - I can use the AIO pump header but thats on full all the time, while the CPU-Opt header is tied to the CPL Fan speed). The 2 original Coolmaster fans Im going to mount rear and top rear as exhaust fans - and again these 2 will come from a single header.
The big question - is the top FRONT mounted fan - which will be the 140mm Silent wings, do I push or pull with it?? Ive read a lot, and seen some temp diagrams but Im not sure.
My original though was push. It will create a positive case pressure - and will push air directly to the CPU fan intake and as it will have its own speed control I can slow it down so the cool air feeds into the Noctua (rather than blasting past it the the bottom of the case). I have no HDs in the way and it would also make up for the lack of a 3rd front fan providing cool air to the top front of the case.
My concerns are that "wisdom" seems to dictate top fans are exhaust fans. Also having hot air coming out of that top/rear fan - will that just get sucked back into the case (which would be pointless - though the exhaust fans will always be have higher flow than the intake so should blow the air out of the way.). However If I mount that top/front fan as exhaust - wont it pull the cool air from the front fans out before its had chance to cool things? Bear in mind the link - and where the fan sits. Its actually over the front half of the case.
Should I just not fit that 3rd fan? (wasted cash obviously but would be spare, and TBH in a project thats costing approx £3k all in - wasting £16 on an unused fan isnt a great concern) - and use the 2 x 120 SW on the front, 1 X Coolmaster on the back and the 140mm SW top/.rear as exhaust leaving the top front just open for natural cooling (be that drawing cool in or warm out)?. That could easily cause neg pressure in the case (2 x 120mm in - 1x120 and 1 x 140 out) which may cause dust problems?
Am I just TOTALLY overthinking and over engineering this... probably, but thats me. Im an engineer by trade.
ANYWAY - anyone who has actually read through my waffle and understands what I mean, can you please chip in with the best (or your considered best) cooling plan with the fans I have at my disposal, and the case in the link. As an aside, both the top slots and the front slots have dust filters so Im happy to push or pull in those slots.
Many Many thanks
