Is my cooling configuration good enough

Joshuk said:
Ok that’s great. The rear fittings below gpu are removed now, it does look like a good suggestion for sure. I’ll get x4 new fans for the front. Silent wings 2/3 120mm x4 sound good? And with regards to the roof fans, would you have both 140’s fitted on roof because the one that’s further forward seems like it might be sucking air out too early and before it gets to the gpu?
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With all the fans in the pcie covers can go back in. They are vented anyway so won’t make much difference.

I would put both 140mm’s in the roof. Those radiator fans will be close to the gpu so it will still be of benefit to have both fans in the top.

I would if you can get decent radiator fans for the AIO. Like Corsair ml120 pro’s in black if you’re not wanting LED. Then silent wings for the rest where static pressure is not needed as much.
 
tyler_jrb said:
With all the fans in the pcie covers can go back in. They are vented anyway so won’t make much difference.

I would put both 140mm’s in the roof. Those radiator fans will be close to the gpu so it will still be of benefit to have both fans in the top.

I would if you can get decent radiator fans for the AIO. Like Corsair ml120 pro’s in black if you’re not wanting LED. Then silent wings for the rest where static pressure is not needed as much.
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Ok that's ideal! I'll do that then! Thanks a lot for your help and thanks everyone else for some quality advice.
 
Joshuk said:
So have the 2 tops as intakes and the 2 radiator fans exhausts from the other side of the radiator, pushing outwards as an exhaust?
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That is what I would try. That way the cool air coming in the top goes to both radiator and GPU .. meaning if air temp to GPU goes down 5-10c so will it's temp readings. ;)
 
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just as an update, as you can see I've fitted 4 new corsair ml20 pro's to the front in a push/pull config (pulling in so much more air than before) and I've ditched my stock rear 120 fan and attached the 2 silentwing 140's that I already had to the top as exhausts. When under strain the rear most of the 2 top exhausts seems to be pulling loads of hot air while the front of the 2 is pulling cool air so I might remove the further forward of the 2 at the top and add the 120 rear back in. But all in all it's been a great change and it's massively cooler even to touch than it was before.
 
Quartz said:
Where is the pump for the Asetek? It shouldn't be at the highest point.
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It’s an all in one so I thought it would only go in 1 way? It was built by overclockers for me though so I wouldn’t know. But particularly in this case it physically can’t fit another way can it? Because there’s no gap between the radiator and gpu.
 
Joshuk said:
It’s an all in one so I thought it would only go in 1 way? It was built by overclockers for me though so I wouldn’t know. But particularly in this case it physically can’t fit another way can it? Because there’s no gap between the radiator and gpu.
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Could it go up top in place of the 2 fans you have there? Advantages are pump would be below rad so no air entrapment in pump killing it, and would also keep rad's heated air away for GPU. ;)
 
Joshuk said:
It’s an all in one so I thought it would only go in 1 way?
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The thing is, if the pump is at the highest point - the top of the radiator in your picture - then that is where air will accumulate so the pump will just push against air and not actually push any fluid around. You should be able to tell where the pump is located from the noise it makes
 
End result is pump even with / above top of radiator means system will die in about half the time one with pump below top of radiator will.
 
Might work, just keep in mind we can't push more air into case than is leaving case. Best is to have more exhaust vent area than intake. ;)
 
doyll said:
Might work, just keep in mind we can't push more air into case than is leaving case. Best is to have more exhaust vent area than intake. ;)
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I though "wisdom" (unless it's just opinion) is more in than out.

Yes you can only put as much in as you get out, but the "extra" flow not provided by the fans be that in or out comes through all the holes in the case (empty bays, screw holes etc). These holes dont havd filters, so more in than out (by fans) means air is leaving by these holes (positive case pressure) where as more out than on means direct is pulled into the case through these holes...and with it comes dust.

While cooling is the primary objective, if you get enough cooling either way then more in than out I'd preferable to help prevent that dust intake.
 
paulmapp8306 said:
I though "wisdom" (unless it's just opinion) is more in than out.

Yes you can only put as much in as you get out, but the "extra" flow not provided by the fans be that in or out comes through all the holes in the case (empty bays, screw holes etc). These holes dont havd filters, so more in than out (by fans) means air is leaving by these holes (positive case pressure) where as more out than on means direct is pulled into the case through these holes...and with it comes dust.

While cooling is the primary objective, if you get enough cooling either way then more in than out I'd preferable to help prevent that dust intake.
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Some of what you are saying is true.

I'll try to explain how case airflow works by explaining airflow in general.

First things first.

Air flow is like water flow .. the science of airflow is 'fluid dynamics'. Airflow is like water flow.

Simple science says we cannot push more into a box than is flowing out out of box (case).

There is no 'extra airflow' 'in to' or 'out of' our cases .. same amount that flows is also flowing out.

For all intent and purpose, the only airflow we have in our cases is what fans are creating.

A case is not tall enough to create a chimney effect and flow enough air to make any difference .. and that is only if there are no fans in system moving air.

Case fans generate very little pressure. Less pressure than the pressure differential between dippping your toes into ocean and standing on a dock 8' above surface of ocean.

So yes, if we have 'negative' a litle air leaks in bringing dust with it, and if we have 'positive' case pressure then air will flow out those same holes in the case. But there is so little 'positive pressure' differential between inside of case and room, any air fans are pushing into case needs very low resistance areas (like vents) for most of that air to get out.

Hope that helps.
 
AS a 52 year old engineer.... Im more than aware of fluid dynamics lol (not that you know my background). What Im saying is all other things being equal - ie you get sufficient cooling in whatever configuration you have - then even the smallest gain from the smallest pressure differential is the only difference. In that case more air in is better than more air out - however marginally.

The key being "all other things being equal". Even if you only have a 1 deg to 2 deg temp drop by having more air flowing out than in - them better that for the small gains in dust control. If however you have lots of fans to play with - and good actual airflow through the case, you may well NOT get any difference between say 3 fans in and 4 out v 3 fans in and 3 out. If theres no difference, then 4 in and 3 out is better (though marginally).
 
Sorry, wasn't in any way talking down to you, but without knowing what you know I started from basics.

I've found the small gains are not from pressure differential, but from elimiating turbulence / smoothing existing airflow and thus getting more cool air to component. Pressure differential only changes by increaseing fan speed / decreasing resistance to airflow. Best way to do that and maintain a quiet system is smoother airflow.

Again, there is no such thing as "having more air flowing out than in". The airflow in and out is equal. We can have more fans pushing air into case and thus have a very very slightly higher pressure in case than in room. Easy way to do that is have more exhaust vents than intakes but less exhaust fans than intake fans. Most of my builds have no exhaust fans .. only intakes and remove all PCIe slot covers to increase rear vent area around GPU and thus improve front to back airflow in that area. I've found 2x/3x 120/140mm front and 1x 120/140mm bottom intakes is the best way to keep heated exhaust air coming off of GPU from moving up into airflow to CPU cooler (in typical tower case).

I never have more exhaust than intakes. I have on occasion used exhaust fan to improve an airflow chanel from intake to cooler (CPU cooler).

I find the hardest part of case airflow is usually managing the GPU exhaust that is dumping in all directions unless using a reference / blower GPU.

Anything that helps keep dust out of case is good. I hate dust inside.
 
That all makes sense - what I meant by more flow in than out wasnt actual air in/out but rather the airflow the fans provide in or out, but I take your meaning.

Unfortunately I dont have any fan mounts in the base, and only 2 in the front.

I agree with the GPU cooling though. Hot air rises of course, so unless your blowing a hurricane from front to back directly over the GPU some heat will always rise up over the CPU. Im really surprised this isnt addressed with Mobo manufacturers. As most people cool CPUs either with water where theres limited heat generated outside that system - or air, with a cooler blowing air from front to rear anyway - Id have thought the best design would be the GPU slots on TOP, with the CPU under that. Then air flow front to back - preferably the complete height of the tower, but at least in the lower part of the case (with exhaust fan real bottom/middle not rear top) feeding from the front to the CPU cooler, to the rear exhaust - then extraction fans on top to take the GPU heat and any other rising heat out from there. If there are bottom facing fan mounts as well all the better.

Id also prefer the PSU intake fan to be facing upwards into the case - the PSU wont get that hot - it will be the coolest air in the case (if not as cool as outside) and would help further extract warmer air. Unfortunately thats not possible with my case, as the PSU bay is pretty much completely sealed from inside the case.

I will definitely take the PCIE blanks off when Im back ion the case tomorrow. That can only help.
 
Actually 'hot air rises' is kinda a myth, espeically when we have fan moving air. Warmer air is less dense than cooler air. thus with no other foreces (fans) involved warm air will be over cool air. Good example of how 'hot air rises' is not true is forced air heating with furnace in loft that pushed heated air into living space below. Anoth is air conditioning pushing cool air up into rooms.

I understand the problem of cases with no bottom vent, 2x front vents, 5.25 optical bays near top front and top ventsstarting behind optical bays on top. Almost impossible to get enough intake airflow to supply CPU cooler using 140mm fan/s and GPU with at least 2x often 3x 80-90mm fans. Key is buying cases with more optimal vent placement. ;)

Removing PCIe back slot covers really does help with front to back airflow, and in a tower case that is what we, at least what I want. ;) It will help as long as you have enough intake venting and fans to supply enough airflow. Sometimes the fan closest to back on GPU will pull a little air in the closer PCIe slot/s and might get some dust. The approx 1/4" thick kitchen cleaning pads that look kinda like filters actually work quite well as case fiilters and can be cut to fit in PCIe slot openings. They are slightly abrasive, so don't use a good scissors to cut them. I usually use a razor knife and straight edge.

I prefer bottom intake for PSU, but either way is fine. It's draw on airflow may help or may hinder GPU's cool air supply. Most PSUs don't make much heat anymore anyway.
 
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