Air Flow Setup

blitzyuk

blitzyuk

blitzyuk

Associate
Joined
7 Jun 2010
Posts
482
Location
Tamworth
Hi All

Just a quicky.

I've been reading on the web that when you setup your fans for your case you should always have the air coming in from the front and out through the back.

So...My pc is an overclocked system and my Corsair H50 and roof fan were already installed, My Corsair H50 fan is sucking air in from the rear and the roof fan is blowing out as exaust.

Now i have added 3 more fans, 2 front fans as outtake and 1 side as an intake for graphics cards.

Is this the correct setup?

My Idle temps are:

Graphics cards 44oC
Hard drives 33oC
Processor 33oC

may be a little higher due too being slightly warmer in room.
 
Front to back airflow is a general recommendation because:
1) The hottest components (CPU, GPU, PSU) are at the back of most cases, with cooler ones (HDD, ,optical) at the front. Heat is transferred most quickly when there is a big difference (aka delta) between the air and device temp. Front to back gives a good delta for all devices i.e. the air is always cooler than the device it reaches. Other way round you'd be sending the hottest air from the GPU towards the HDDs, which would actively heat them up rather than providing cooling.
2) In most installations with a case near a wall or cabinet, there is more space around the front so it's easier to find cool air from the room. Other way round is more likely to end up "short-cycling" i.e. recirculating the same hot air instead of fresh air. Also PSUs are usually at the back and always exhaust hot air.

Having said that, there's not really such a thing as a universal "correct" setup for all scenarios. It will depend on your specific case design, GPU, case location, inlet/exhaust points, fans etc. Best bet is just experiment what gives best results for you. Those temps look fine as they are.
 
As hot air is less dense and rises, the exhaust should be at the highest available point on the case. This has tended to be at the rear on most cases without roof venting like mine and has tended to use the PSU to help vent the air from the CPU where the PSU is at the top.
The natural air flow therefore is bottom to top, there should be similar air flow between intake and exhaust, this is not always possible but as nature abhors a vacuum, it tends to balance out with excess air being exhausted or taken in through air gaps in the case.

andy.
 
Air flow from front to back is normally the way to go but the H50 likes to go the other way so it gets cold air on it. I assume the temps you posted are idle what are the load temps?
 
your set up will be fine. dont worry about all this hot air rises and ill that fans will push the air anyway you want it to go.

as long as you H50 is sucking air from the out side of your case you will be ok
 
would installing another fan on the H50 make much difference. As ive heard other people say it doesnt drop temps that much
 
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