airflow help/new case reccomendation

implosiveturnip · 16 Aug 2013 at 19:28

Hi all,

So I have just installed a h100 and two msi gtx 670 power editions into my Define r4. Iv'e not had the define r4 long, and I must say I love the thing!

Problem is, I'm having some airflow issues, as the twin frozr IV coolers on the GPUs exhaust most of their hot air into the case, and I'm getting a crazy hotspot right where the h100 rad is. It only happens during gaming really, where the cpu and gpus are going full whack. you can really feel the heat once you open the front panel door and put your hand in front of the intakes, it is crazy hot. The top exhausts are blowing warm air out, but the air near rads is hot. I shouldn't even be able to feel that much heat since it's pulling cool air in at this point!

I have tried running prime95 on its own (so no gpu heat up,) small ffts, and the hottest any core went to was 80, rad fans (2x noctua nf-f12) were at about 50-60%, case fans at 5v using built in fan controller. As far as I can tell, the h100 is working fine, does 80 deg seem a little hot for a 4.5ghz 3770k @ 1.214v? I got the h100 from the ocuk refurb deal, I was expecting some better temps than my h80, but they are around the same, somewhat disappointingly

So I'm looking for some advice as to re-arranging my airflow, or if I should just go for a different case, which I really don't want to do tbh.

Here's how my airflow is currently set up:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vlw6zf3jubmz2i0/define blank.jpg

Thanks for taking the time to have a looksie guys and dolls

implosiveturnip · 16 Aug 2013 at 19:30

And I apologise for my ****** spelling in the pic, trying to do the sketch as fast as possible as I'm off to watch the Alan Partridge movie very soon, computer be damned

bicpug · 16 Aug 2013 at 21:00

shouldn't a cpu AIO watercooler exhaust out of the case? you have it blowing heated air into the case.
That looks like an R4 case, the middle HDD cage can be rotated to improve airflow, or removed altogether if not being used. I'd put the H100 on the roof and exhaust, use the front 2 fans as air intakes.

implosiveturnip · 16 Aug 2013 at 23:58

It won't mount in the top without modding as it's too close to the motherboard :/ not up for drilling holes in my case in case I decide to sell. Having it set up as exhaust in the position it's in will lead to high cpu temps thanks to gpu airflow there too, so I'm kinda stumped.

implosiveturnip · 17 Aug 2013 at 00:01

And I have both hdd cages removed already, the h100 wouldn't git in the front otherwise.

WuMyster · 17 Aug 2013 at 01:16

Put fans up front intaking cool air in. Put the h100 up top intaking cooler outside air in and have the rear fan exhausting.

Hakanese · 17 Aug 2013 at 02:07

Have you tried reversing the side fan on the panel to vent air out? May help move air out from the hotspot

implosiveturnip · 17 Aug 2013 at 11:11

Hakanese said:
Have you tried reversing the side fan on the panel to vent air out? May help move air out from the hotspot

I thought about this, will give it a bash. Only thing I didn't want to do is lose the positive pressure in the case, which I think this might do. But between that and a freshly baked cpu...

implosiveturnip · 17 Aug 2013 at 11:13

WuMyster said:
Put fans up front intaking cool air in. Put the h100 up top intaking cooler outside air in and have the rear fan exhausting.

see above dude.

I'm still looking at new cases btw, so any recommendations are welcome too. Though not the HAF X/lanboy air/majority of nzxt cases. Fugly things they are.

implosiveturnip · 17 Aug 2013 at 16:45

well as it turns out i had my front "intake" fans set up as exhaust. derp.

Switched them round and testing now.

Hakanese · 17 Aug 2013 at 17:38

How's it working out now?

implosiveturnip · 17 Aug 2013 at 19:04

Good so far, much better cpu temps and gpu temps are still acceptable. No hot spot either

casual_eze · 18 Aug 2013 at 02:30

Lol. Also try reversing your side fan to exhaust instead of intake and you should notice more difference with dual 670s.

I have always wondered why people use side vents as intake where I believe manufacturers want us to use them as exhaust. If not, wouldn't they have dust filters?

korso · 18 Aug 2013 at 03:40

casual_eze said:
Lol. Also try reversing your side fan to exhaust instead of intake and you should notice more difference with dual 670s.

I have always wondered why people use side vents as intake where I believe manufacturers want us to use them as exhaust. If not, wouldn't they have dust filters?

I use to think this! However I always found cold air going directly onto my GFX card helped cooling by 4/5 degrees in some cases. Think its just tightness on the manufacturers part

implosiveturnip · 18 Aug 2013 at 13:58

I may turn the side over, don't know. I'm happy with temps atm, and I'm not sure if I'll loose positive pressure if I make it an exhaust.