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Hey all! I upgraded my old rig with 32GB DDR4 4000mhz RAM, but running the XMP profile caused it to not post. This is likely because with my i7 7700k and Z270 motherboard, my memory controller can't handle 4000mhz. The motherboard's manual lists that the maximum compatible frequency is 3866mhz, so after dialing it back to 3866mhz, it works without issue. However, I am still using that same XMP profile, but at a frequency 144mhz slower than what it is rated for. That puts it at 3866mhz 1.4v 18-24-24-46, and I don't know if the voltage is too high and the timings are too loose for that frequency. I reduced it to 1.35v and 18-22-22-40 (as I see other 3866mhz kits use those specs in their XMP profile) and it seems to work, though I haven't tested the stability for too long. This is my first time manually tuning RAM and I've heard that OS corruption is possible, so I am a little afraid. Am I fine to leave it on that XMP profile without any tuning, since I assume with the same CL and marginally better timings the difference is going to be so miniscule it won't be noticed in games? Or is 1.4v too much for 3866mhz? Thank you!

The motherboard did not come with a heat pad, likely because they weren't as prevalent when this motherboard released. Which is why I'm wondering if a heatpad would even fit on it with the cover on. I have left the cover on for aesthetics and to prevent dust buildup inside. Before I had a 960 EVO and temps were 10-20C less than this with the cover on, so I wasn't too worried about it. I just upgraded, I knew it was going to run hotter but not by this much.

It still hovers around that temperature for a while when idling after gaming, and gets even hotter when I do heavy writes too. Only thing is I'm not sure if I'd be able to install a heatpad or heatsink with my motherboard. Here's what it looks like. Can I put a heatpad on top of the M.2 and put the cover back on?

Thanks! I assume it would be easier to know my pressure is positive if I just go with 280mm radiator route then? I'd have 3 140mm fans as intake and 3 140mm fans as exhaust, all the same model. But with the radiator reducing some of the exhaust airflow, my pressure would be slightly positive most of the time and about neutral at worst l if the radiator fans run slightly higher than the case fans. I won't let any of my fans run at high speeds so that should eliminate any possible scenario of negative pressure. Also on an related note if you know, as I understand it a 280mm radiator would run slightly hotter than a 360mm one but would make much less noise to reach the same CPU temperature right?

So I'm trying to determine if my build will have positive or negative pressure at lower RPMs based on the combined rated max airflow of my fans. Intake: 3 140mm = 180.51 CFM Exhaust: 1 140mm and 3 120mm on a radiator as push = 182.87 CFM (minus however much the radiator reduces that) Here are my questions. 1. Since I only ever plan to run these fans at medium RPMs max, I'm not sure how accurate this is for that though. Does airflow scale linearly with a fan's speed, so if I run it at half its max RPM will it output about half its max rated airflow? 2. How much does a radiator with fans in a push configuration generally impede the airflow output of those fans and the contribution to the case's overall pressure? 3. I want to have it so even if the radiator fans ramp up but the case fans stay the same, there will still be a slight positive pressure at the very least. Do you think that's achievable with my configuration at low-medium fan speeds?

Thank you. Since you seem to know your fans, do you know of any 140mm fan that is just as good as the NF-A14 in terms of noise and airflow, but with white or clear fan blades? I want to install Phanteks Halo ARGB fan frames on them, because it works with Phanteks fan hub I got with their LED strips and from what I've seen most fans with built in RGB sacrifice performance and noise for looks. Doing it this way I can have both, the only downside is the LEDs are less bright and their effects are less pronounced with darker color fans blades like Noctua's black and brown. I heard the Arctic P14 is really good, but I think that's a radiator fan so I don't think it would work too well as a case fan.

Thanks for the insight. I plan to have the radiator fans run at low RPMs when idling and normal/medium RPMs when gaming. I never want them to run at high RPMs since the most intensive task I do is gaming and I have plenty of airflow in a large mid tower to provide ample cooling to make higher fan speeds unnecessary (we'll see how hot the 5900X runs though). With that being said and based on what you said, it sounds like the Noctuas will run much quieter at these RPMs. So I don't have to be concerned about the static pressure loss (and temperature difference) because at these RPMs the gap in static pressure between the two is much smaller?

My bad, I meant the NF-A14. The one with the standard square frame.

Would changing the Aer P fans on this radiator to NF-A14 fans make any discernable difference in noise and/or temperature? The Noctua has less static pressure but better airflow according to their spec sheets. Noctua has said that although it isn't a static pressure optimized fan, it's great for both radiators and cases. The other reason I want to is because I'm going to use 4 of the Noctuas as case fans (three front intake and one rear exhaust), so if I use two more of them on my top mounted radiator as exhaust I'll know for sure that I have slightly positive air pressure.

Hi guys, I'm trying to decide on the 280mm or the 360mm version of the Kraken. I included both X and Z models since they are functionally the same. I've heard that 280mm AIOs have very similar performance to 360mm ones because their radiators have almost the same surface area. But how do these Kraken models compare in terms of noise? I'm assuming the 280mm is quieter because the 140mm fans can run at lower RPMs and still provide a good amount of airflow? The only intensive thing I'll be doing is gaming so I don't expect to run the fans higher than normal speeds. That said I'll be getting the 5900X, which will probably run hot if the 3900X is any indication.

Thank you. Does the low static pressure only really matter in situations like this, and not for when being used as a case fan?

Hi guys, I'm planning a build and I need advice on the position and orientation of this 360mm radiator. The AIO is the NZXT Kraken Z73, the case is the Phanteks P600S and I'll be installing 4 Corsair QL140 fans (3 front intake, 1 rear exhaust) in it. Also I'll probably be getting an AIB RTX 3080 that exhausts all of its air into the case, unless more Founder's Editions become available (haha I know...). Now I've read the general rule for radiators that front intake cools your CPU better but makes your GPU run hotter, and vice versa for top exhaust. But I've also seen many people say that these QL fans are not optimal to put on radiators, like for example here and here. Not sure how true that is, but thought I'd at least mention it. If so I don't know if the radiator being sandwiched between the Corsair QL fans and stock NZXT fans would change that, but do you think it would be better for my overall temps to just mount it to the top as exhaust? Side question if you are familiar with these QL fans, I've heard that they're are great for airflow otherwise, both from reviews and people I've talked to about them. If it's true, what makes them so bad for radiators specifically? Thank you.

Hi guys, I will be looking to upgrade my Sound Blaster ZXR soon. I was considering the Sound Blaster AE-9, but after l learning that the 3080 and 3090 (which I am considering upgrading to as well) are 2.75 and 3 slot cards respectively, I'm not sure if a PCI-E sound card is still an option for me unless I get creative with a vertical extension cable. So I was looking at the X7 as an alternative, but I am wondering if there is any noticeable difference between them, or between PCI-E and USB sound cards as a whole? I think I read somewhere that USB compresses the audio more, though I don't know if that could ever make a real world difference. Thanks!

With just the CPU cooler the inside of my PC will be quite empty, so I'd need a lot to completely fill it up (as there is nothing around my CPU cooler to line it up against). That is why I suggested bubble wrap since I'd need a lot less of that to fill up this space. I could also get instapak foam, but I'm not sure if I'd need just one to put ontop of the cooler, or more to put around its sides as well. I've read a lot of places that mentioned things like clothes, bubble wrap and packing peanuts are not good to stuff the inside of your PC with, because of the risk of them generating static electricity. Am I misunderstanding what they mean? Thanks for the help!

Thanks so much! And is stuffing the inside of the PC with anti static bubble wrap safe? They'll be directly touching the components and as far as I'm aware, only one side protects against ESD. I'm going to have to use a lot to get a tight fit since the interior will be so empty without my GPU in there, so I just wanted to make sure them being bunched up and rubbing together won't be an issue.