Blower vs 2 or 3 fans in CM HAF XB EVO?

[Nena Trinity]

So my question is simple for this case what GPU cooling is best?

 

AIRFLOW

 

● Top: 200mm fan x 1 (optional)
● Front: 120mm XtraFlo fan x 2, 1200 RPM, 17 dBA (installed), or 140mm fan x 2 (optional)
● Rear: 120mm fan x 1, or 80mm fan x 2 (optional)

 

TWO CONFIGURATIONS

 

Mesh top panel version

(RC-902XB-KKN2)

Windowed top panel version

(RC-902XB-KWN2)

 

MORE INFORMATION

 

 

 

Should I go for a blower like this?

Or a two or three fan solution like this?

Yes I know the picture is a bit small...

Its simple what is best for this cube case?

 

PLEASE NOTE THE MODEL I WILL BUY DOES HAVE GLASS!

[Thorium19]

the aftermarket cooler will allow for lower GPU temps, so I would go for that so long as your case has decent airflow (it's an XB evo, so it should). I would only go for the blower/reference cooler if you have poor case airflow, don't want overall system temps to increase or have a case like mine which benefits from a blower style cooler apparently (I doubt it, but still)

[Nena Trinity]

the aftermarket cooler will allow for lower GPU temps, so I would go for that so long as your case has decent airflow (it's an XB evo, so it should). I would only go for the blower/reference cooler if you have poor case airflow, don't want overall system temps to increase or have a case like mine which benefits from a blower style cooler apparently (I doubt it, but still)

Okay so 2-3 fans is best for the case then? Cause I was not to sure about the air-flow.

[Thorium19]

Okay so 2-3 fans is best for the case then? Cause I was not to sure about the air-flow.

It's a case with good airflow, plus the aftermarket cooler will have better temps, leading to more overclocking headroom on air. So long as you have a decent airflow setup in the case it'll be fine.

[MageTank]

Okay so 2-3 fans is best for the case then? Cause I was not to sure about the air-flow.

 

Honestly, both would work fine in this case. You have officially reached the point in your threads where you have to make the decision based on what you want. The 970 or the 290. You must understand that the 970 has a lower TDP by default, so it takes less effort to keep it running cooler. I imagine both cards will run about the same as far as temps go, now you must decide if you want the Nvidia card, or the AMD card. My advice would be to get the most performance for your dollar. Whichever one performs better for the amount of money you pay should be the clear decision here. Looking at the prices here in the US, it seems the R9 290 tends to sell for about $250 USD, or $270 for the specific model you are purchasing. The specific GTX 970 you are trying to purchase in the US, is currently selling for $330. If these prices reflect the same difference in your country, the price:performance of these two cards are very good, but the 290 seems to be a better option for the price. It is 18% cheaper for a card that is not 18% slower than a GTX 970. In fact, the 290 performs almost on par with the GTX 780, and the GTX 780 can out perform a 970 in some area's. Granted, driver support makes the 970 slightly faster than the 780 as of recent, the r9 290 is still a damn good card for its price.

 

Now, lets recap on how you should decide which card you should get. Take the price of your two cards, and figure out exactly which card is cheaper, and by what percentage it is cheaper. I would say the GTX 970, on average, is 10-15% faster than a 290 depending on the scenario. If the price of the 970 is over 10-15% more than the 290x, then price:performance favors the 290. If the GTX 970 is on sale, and is very close to the price of the 290, you may have to take that into heavy consideration as a choice. If you have to upgrade your power supply to use the r9 290, factor that in as a choice as well. I want you to get the most out of your dollar, and you should want that too. AMD should be releasing a new driver soon, to come out with the new 300 series cards. If you can wait for that, it might help make choices clearer for you on which cards to choose, because right now, AMD has fallen far behind in driver updates (its been almost a year since they released a new official driver). 

 

Good luck on whichever you choose, just understand both are damn fine cards and you should be satisfied with either choice.

[Nena Trinity]

Honestly, both would work fine in this case. You have officially reached the point in your threads where you have to make the decision based on what you want. The 970 or the 290. You must understand that the 970 has a lower TDP by default, so it takes less effort to keep it running cooler. I imagine both cards will run about the same as far as temps go, now you must decide if you want the Nvidia card, or the AMD card. My advice would be to get the most performance for your dollar. Whichever one performs better for the amount of money you pay should be the clear decision here. Looking at the prices here in the US, it seems the R9 290 tends to sell for about $250 USD, or $270 for the specific model you are purchasing. The specific GTX 970 you are trying to purchase in the US, is currently selling for $330. If these prices reflect the same difference in your country, the price:performance of these two cards are very good, but the 290 seems to be a better option for the price. It is 18% cheaper for a card that is not 18% slower than a GTX 970. In fact, the 290 performs almost on par with the GTX 780, and the GTX 780 can out perform a 970 in some area's. Granted, driver support makes the 970 slightly faster than the 780 as of recent, the r9 290 is still a damn good card for its price.

 

Now, lets recap on how you should decide which card you should get. Take the price of your two cards, and figure out exactly which card is cheaper, and by what percentage it is cheaper. I would say the GTX 970, on average, is 10-15% faster than a 290 depending on the scenario. If the price of the 970 is over 10-15% more than the 290x, then price:performance favors the 290. If the GTX 970 is on sale, and is very close to the price of the 290, you may have to take that into heavy consideration as a choice. If you have to upgrade your power supply to use the r9 290, factor that in as a choice as well. I want you to get the most out of your dollar, and you should want that too. AMD should be releasing a new driver soon, to come out with the new 300 series cards. If you can wait for that, it might help make choices clearer for you on which cards to choose, because right now, AMD has fallen far behind in driver updates (its been almost a year since they released a new official driver). 

 

Good luck on whichever you choose, just understand both are damn fine cards and you should be satisfied with either choice.

Well if I pick AMD I am worried they wont fix their OpenGL in Windows and their Linux drivers. (also lower FPS than 970?)

Another thing that kinda worries me is if AMD where to go bankrupt but thats unlikely right?

If I pick the 970 I am worried about the 3.5 and the fact that many say installing the drivers is hard on Linux...

Both has so many problems I am worried I will regret. But the 290 is cheaper and the cooling on it seems better even if it takes a bit more power.  I will buy it in June but I am not sure if the cards are released before or after...