Define R5 Airflow

[Guest]

Hello,

 

I have been thinking of airflow for the Define R5 for a first build. I have come up with this: one Noctua 140mm ULN fan as exhaust and the two fans that come with the case in the front. Keep in mind I'll also have a blower-style GPU. 

 

So would this create positive airflow or would the Noctua fan move to much air? 

 

Thanks. 

[WoodenMarker]

It would be positive. 

[JebKerman]

Noctua Fan =/= silent jet engine. the 2 fans in the front should create positive air pressure

[airdeano]

actually, since the intake fans are filtered, this will diminish the flow rate of the

intake fans. and with the aid of the blower GPU fan, the case will actually run a

negative pressure. the OE fans supplied are fine for silence, but flow rate is a

bit short.

[dfsdfgfkjsefoiqzemnd]

Yeah, the blower card will be comparable to an exhaust fan, which combined with the filter on the intake means the pressure will be neutral or negative.  You're going to need an extra intake fan on the bottom or side. 

If you decide to go with the side, be sure to get a filter for that fan because Fractal didn't include one (at least they didn't on my R5)

[Guest]

Darn, it's annoying when you get a ton of different answers. 

[Guest]

actually, since the intake fans are filtered, this will diminish the flow rate of the

intake fans. and with the aid of the blower GPU fan, the case will actually run a

negative pressure. the OE fans supplied are fine for silence, but flow rate is a

bit short.

Then what should I should? Should I order more fans with it? 

[airdeano]

use more effective intake fans to overcome the filter deficiency.

[Jimmybiggs]

Hello,

 

I have been thinking of airflow for the Define R5 for a first build. I have come up with this: one Noctua 140mm ULN fan as exhaust and the two fans that come with the case in the front. Keep in mind I'll also have a blower-style GPU. 

 

So would this create positive airflow or would the Noctua fan move to much air? 

 

Thanks.

I've been running this config on my R5. Yeah. Positive - but it's relative. With all the gaps out the back air will escape, so you won't technically get a pressure difference. I love these discussions - you only really get positive or negative pressure in sealed systems - Air will escape and return to neutral by nature. The dust covers work great & I need to clean em every month or so.

But yea, that fan config runs my notoriously hot system cooler than any other case/fan config I've had. HTPC's and even slightly cooler than my thermaltake v8 - a "negative" pressure system with huge fans that sound like jets.

Go the R5 - very happy given the massive drop in temps I measured.

[Jimmybiggs]

Darn, it's annoying when you get a ton of different answers.

Think of it like this...

You blow into a balloon with an opening (intake) & end hole (exhaust).

The harder you blow (larger fans on intake) the more the balloon expands - as you increase exhaust, balloon doesn't expand as the air escapes. You move to neutral or negative pressure.

But - the air always gets out. So the "positive pressure" only increases its kinetic energy - movement - in the system.

I always choose positive if the environment is relatively cool (lower than system temp) and I have good intake filters.

I've had negative on my htpc cases for a while. The air is drawn in from all manner of gaps/holes & hence the mad dust creation on the motherboard - you can't use dust filters under an optical drive or on the rear in pci gaps with negative systems.

Hope this helps empower you to be happy with your choice.