Ideal fan configuration for Meshify C

[valvoa]

Hello, 

I will be using the Meshify C case for my new build- Does anyone have experience in what the best fan setup would be in addition to what fans? I've read a lot about creating negative pressure in the case so it doesn't get dusty, any input on this would be helpful. 

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel - Core i9-9900K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor	$489.99 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler	be quiet! - Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler	$84.99 @ SuperBiiz
Motherboard	Gigabyte - Z390 AORUS PRO WIFI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard	$194.99 @ Amazon
Memory	Corsair - Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory	$215.99 @ Newegg Business
Storage	Crucial - P1 500 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive	$69.89 @ OutletPC
Storage	Crucial - MX500 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$129.89 @ OutletPC
Video Card	EVGA - GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB Black Video Card	$1098.99 @ SuperBiiz
Case	Fractal Design - Meshify C Dark TG ATX Mid Tower Case	$94.99 @ Walmart
Power Supply	Corsair - RMx (2018) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply	$109.99 @ Amazon
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$2509.71
	Mail-in rebates	-$20.00
	Total	$2489.71
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-04-12 17:51 EDT-0400

 

[Unkindness]

I use 2x Noctua NF-A14 PWM 140mm at the front and the supplied exhaust case fan along with a D-15S Noctua cooler with the second case fan attached to that for extra flow through the cooler which makes mine a positive pressure set up.

Keeps my 8086K, which is overclocked to 4.9 Ghz, and my RTX 2060, which is overclocked to 2 Ghz, all under thermal throttle while running Prime95 and FurMark stress testing.

[Skiiwee29]

I personally subscribe to the mind set to fill out all the fan slots. It helps increase the air flow overall and allows you to drop the fan RPMs to compensate and lessen the noise overall. 

[dfsdfgfkjsefoiqzemnd]

You want positive pressure, not negative.  Negative draws dust in from all nooks and crannies, positive blows it away.

 

My default setup for a Define C or Meshify C is dual 140mm intakes in the front, a good 120mm exhaust at the back.  Even with your hardware that should suffice to keep the temps at acceptable levels. 

If it's really necessary you can add a fan in the top, near the rear of the case.  However I haven't needed to do that yet.  Then again the most I've crammed into my Define C was an overclocked 5930K and dual 1070s. 

 

Money seems to be no object, so I'm going straight to some of the best:

2x Noctua Chromax NF-A14 PWM (https://noctua.at/en/nf-a14-pwm-chromax-black-swap)

1x Noctua Chromax NF-S12A PWM (https://noctua.at/en/nf-s12a-pwm-chromax-black-swap)

 

The Meshify C has fairly flexible mounting options. 

For the front I'd suggest putting both fans in the lowest possible position above the PSU shroud.  That will put the upper fan more in line with the CPU cooler and allow the bottom fan to blow all its air to the area below the GPU, maximizing that one's potential to draw in cool air. 

For the rear I'm using the lowest position too on my own Define C, simply because that also lined up more with my CPU cooler. 

[Unkindness]

Are you planning to overclock?

[valvoa]

probably no overclocking, at least to start anyway. It's been quite sometime since I've even built a PC so I'm just going to take one step at a time. That being said I need a stock beast to start for work and haven't played modern games on anything higher than low in awhile.

[Unkindness]

If you going all air, I'd recommend the Noctua stuff. The hype is real with their stuff and I am more than happy with them and I'm running the same case as you. Have hear good things about the BeQuite stuff but i can screen shot you my numbers.

[NineEyeRon]

I second Noctua or BeQuiet, Enermax is also hugely underrated.

[valvoa]

Any difference between the standard brown color and the chromax? I added both sets for comparison. Also What is up with the industrial ones? Assuming they run at a higher RPM? I also swapped out the Be Quiet for the NH-D15.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel - Core i9-9900K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor	$489.99 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler	Noctua - NH-D15 82.5 CFM CPU Cooler	$89.95 @ Amazon
Motherboard	Gigabyte - Z390 AORUS PRO WIFI ATX LGA1151 Motherboard	$194.99 @ Amazon
Memory	Corsair - Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3200 Memory	$229.99 @ Corsair
Storage	Crucial - P1 500 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive	$69.89 @ OutletPC
Storage	Crucial - MX500 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$129.89 @ OutletPC
Video Card	EVGA - GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB Black Video Card	$1098.99 @ SuperBiiz
Case	Fractal Design - Meshify C Dark TG ATX Mid Tower Case	$89.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply	Corsair - RMx (2018) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply	$109.99 @ Amazon
Case Fan	Noctua - NF-S12A PWM 120mm Fan	$19.79 @ OutletPC
Case Fan	Noctua - NF-A14 PWM 82.5 CFM 140mm Fan	$21.95 @ Amazon
Case Fan	Noctua - NF-A14 PWM 82.5 CFM 140mm Fan	$21.95 @ Amazon
Case Fan	Noctua - NF-S12A PWM chromax.black.swap 63.27 CFM 120mm Fan	$22.90 @ Amazon
Case Fan	Noctua - NF-A14 PWM chromax.black.swap 82.52 CFM 140mm Fan	$24.90 @ Amazon
Case Fan	Noctua - NF-A14 PWM chromax.black.swap 82.52 CFM 140mm Fan	$24.90 @ Amazon
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$2660.06
	Mail-in rebates	-$20.00
	Total	$2640.06
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-04-13 09:22 EDT-0400

 

[Stormseeker9]

I have 2 120mm at the front as intake, 240mm aio as exhaust on top and another 120mm at the back as exhaust. 

[TVwazhere]

On 4/13/2019 at 9:22 AM, valvoa said:

Any difference between the standard brown color and the chromax? I added both sets for comparison. Also What is up with the industrial ones? Assuming they run at a higher RPM?

Chromax are just the black versions, as the "Noctua brown" is their signature color. 

 

The industrial are 100% performance without emphasis on silence. So you'll get a crap ton of airflow but a crap ton of noise as well. Most of the industrial fans spin around 2000 rpm and have very high airflow, with some spinning at 3000rpm. I wouldnt recommend them unless they're for an industrial application like in a server room or your PC is in a spot where you dont care about acoustics and only performance matters (such as in a different room from the one you sit in when operating the PC)

[bowrilla]

The NF-A14 are more suitable for radiators. They come with a motherload of static pressure, at around 500-700rpm they're perfectly fine to run. Yes, you can hear them in a silent room but below 20db this is really no real concern. Typing on any (!) keyboard is more noisy. 

 

The Meshify C is perfectly fine without high static pressure fans, you're good with high airflow ones. Depending on what exactly you're looking for. The BeQuiet Silent Wings 3 PWM High-Speed are a great choice as a regular case fan with little restrictions in the path. The Corsair ML series is also great with a bit more static pressure and airflow but at higher noise levels no fulln throttle. Best thing about the ML series: the available rpm range is unbeaten as far as I know thanks to the magnetic levitation bearing.

 

In the Meshify C I'd definitely put either 2x140 or 3x120 fans in the front, I'd stick one 120 fan on the bottom - all intakes (that is, unless you're putting your case on a thick carpet or you need the lower drive case - in that case forget about the bottom fan). One exhaust at the back and potentially another 120 or 140mm exhaust at the top back. You can, of course, put 2x140mm on the top as exhaust. In that case I'd go for 2x140mm on the front and mount them as low as I can. You'll still run into a scenario in which the upper front fan and the top front fan will more or less only circulate most of the air. 

[valvoa]

OK great, thanks for all the feedback! 

[valvoa]

On 4/12/2019 at 4:17 PM, Unkindness said:

I use 2x Noctua NF-A14 PWM 140mm at the front and the supplied exhaust case fan along with a D-15S Noctua cooler with the second case fan attached to that for extra flow through the cooler which makes mine a positive pressure set up.

So you basically made your D-15s into a D-15? You also get better clearance with the D-15s correct? 

[valvoa]

On 4/12/2019 at 11:50 PM, Unkindness said:

If you going all air, I'd recommend the Noctua stuff. The hype is real with their stuff and I am more than happy with them and I'm running the same case as you. Have hear good things about the BeQuite stuff but i can screen shot you my numbers.

Is there any difference in installing the D-15 vs the D-15s? I've read others recommend getting the D-15 and have the option of adding the second fan if desired. 

[valvoa]

On 4/15/2019 at 8:52 AM, bowrilla said:

The NF-A14 are more suitable for radiators. They come with a motherload of static pressure, at around 500-700rpm they're perfectly fine to run. Yes, you can hear them in a silent room but below 20db this is really no real concern. Typing on any (!) keyboard is more noisy. 

 

The BeQuiet Silent Wings 3 PWM High-Speed are a great choice as a regular case fan with little restrictions in the path. The Corsair ML series is also great with a bit more static pressure and airflow but at higher noise levels no fulln throttle. Best thing about the ML series: the available rpm range is unbeaten as far as I know thanks to the magnetic levitation bearing.

 

Looking at the BeQuiet line it looks there are 3 different models, the SW3, SW3 PWM and finally the SW3 PWM High-Speed. The high-speed ones are just capable of running at a higher rpm? Other than that do they operate just like the regular PWM's? Is it worth it to go with the high speed ones or should I just stick with the regular PWM's? Thanks for the help.

 

[bowrilla]

29 minutes ago, valvoa said:

Looking at the BeQuiet line it looks there are 3 different models, the SW3, SW3 PWM and finally the SW3 PWM High-Speed. The high-speed ones are just capable of running at a higher rpm? Other than that do they operate just like the regular PWM's? Is it worth it to go with the high speed ones or should I just stick with the regular PWM's? Thanks for the help.

 

You'll want to pick either of the PWM versions. I'd recommend the High-Speed versions because they can run a bit higher if needes. Yes, that can mean a bit more noise but if temps do rise you maybe want the additional headroom. Up to 1000 RPM they should be identical to their slower counterparts. You'll probably want to set them at anything around 400-500 RPM as a good baseline. That should be well below 15db. Your GPU will be much louder just like your CPU cooler.

As a comparison: quiet breathing is around 10db and whispering or leaves in the wind are around 20db (ish). Your usual library will on average be around 40db.

[Unkindness]

15 hours ago, valvoa said:

Is there any difference in installing the D-15 vs the D-15s? I've read others recommend getting the D-15 and have the option of adding the second fan if desired. 

D-15S only comes with one fan and has a slight offset to help fit with different case set ups. D-15 comes with 2 fans and is symmetrical.

 

D-15 vs D-15S

[valvoa]

10 hours ago, bowrilla said:

You'll want to pick either of the PWM versions. I'd recommend the High-Speed versions because they can run a bit higher if needes. Yes, that can mean a bit more noise but if temps do rise you maybe want the additional headroom. Up to 1000 RPM they should be identical to their slower counterparts. You'll probably want to set them at anything around 400-500 RPM as a good baseline. That should be well below 15db. Your GPU will be much louder just like your CPU cooler.

As a comparison: quiet breathing is around 10db and whispering or leaves in the wind are around 20db (ish). Your usual library will on average be around 40db.

Sounds good, thank you bowrilla.

[Quadriplegic]

I use 3 120 fans in the front as intake and 2 120 fans at the top as exhaust. I guess that third fan at the very bottom helps with providing more air for the video card?

The second fan on my CPU cooler acts as additional exhaust fan (sort of), so didn't feel like there was need to add a fan there, especially considering how little space is between the chassis and CPU fan.

[valvoa]

On 4/12/2019 at 4:20 PM, Captain Chaos said:

You want positive pressure, not negative.  Negative draws dust in from all nooks and crannies, positive blows it away.

 

My default setup for a Define C or Meshify C is dual 140mm intakes in the front, a good 120mm exhaust at the back.  Even with your hardware that should suffice to keep the temps at acceptable levels. 

If it's really necessary you can add a fan in the top, near the rear of the case.  However I haven't needed to do that yet.  Then again the most I've crammed into my Define C was an overclocked 5930K and dual 1070s. 

 

Money seems to be no object, so I'm going straight to some of the best:

2x Noctua Chromax NF-A14 PWM (https://noctua.at/en/nf-a14-pwm-chromax-black-swap)

1x Noctua Chromax NF-S12A PWM (https://noctua.at/en/nf-s12a-pwm-chromax-black-swap)

 

The Meshify C has fairly flexible mounting options. 

For the front I'd suggest putting both fans in the lowest possible position above the PSU shroud.  That will put the upper fan more in line with the CPU cooler and allow the bottom fan to blow all its air to the area below the GPU, maximizing that one's potential to draw in cool air. 

For the rear I'm using the lowest position too on my own Define C, simply because that also lined up more with my CPU cooler.  

I guess my only real issue with the chromax line is having to buy extra pads and maybe the anti vibration mount set. Is the performance worth it over just buying the Be Quiet SW3 High speeds that come with everything?

[dfsdfgfkjsefoiqzemnd]

33 minutes ago, valvoa said:

I guess my only real issue with the chromax line is having to buy extra pads and maybe the anti vibration mount set.

The Chromax fans come with 4 black, 4 red, 4 blue, 4 green and 4 yellow pads.  On my main PC (a black and red build) I simply put the black pads against the case and the red ones in plain sight.  Looks just perfect to me. 

And if you really want to put all corners in the same color you only need 1 set of pads (3 fans = 12 more pads needed).  Given the rest of your spec list, I don't think you'd mind spending $10-ish (no idea on US prices, at my local shop they're €7.99 for a set of 16) on cosmetics.

 

As for the anti-vibration mount set, I'd avoid that.  The Meshify C doesn't use screw holes to mount the fans, it uses long cutouts.  If you use the anti-vibration mounts, the fans will be able to slide up and down instead of being fixed in place.  With only 3 fans and Fractal's build quality you'll barely notice any difference in noise levels anyway.

 

As for the SilentWings3, I have no experience with those.  I do have 6 SilentWings2 fans in my NAS and plan to put 3 more in my secondary rig's Define C (which is still running Fractal fans right now).   No complaints apart from the mounting mechanisms ... which they fixed for the SW3. 

[valvoa]

2 hours ago, Captain Chaos said:

The Chromax fans come with 4 black, 4 red, 4 blue, 4 green and 4 yellow pads.  On my main PC (a black and red build) I simply put the black pads against the case and the red ones in plain sight.  Looks just perfect to me. 

And if you really want to put all corners in the same color you only need 1 set of pads (3 fans = 12 more pads needed).  Given the rest of your spec list, I don't think you'd mind spending $10-ish (no idea on US prices, at my local shop they're €7.99 for a set of 16) on cosmetics. 

  

As for the anti-vibration mount set, I'd avoid that.  The Meshify C doesn't use screw holes to mount the fans, it uses long cutouts.  If you use the anti-vibration mounts, the fans will be able to slide up and down instead of being fixed in place.  With only 3 fans and Fractal's build quality you'll barely notice any difference in noise levels anyway. 

 

As for the SilentWings3, I have no experience with those.  I do have 6 SilentWings2 fans in my NAS and plan to put 3 more in my secondary rig's Define C (which is still running Fractal fans right now).   No complaints apart from the mounting mechanisms ... which they fixed for the SW3.  

OK yeah it really isn't much more, was curious about the anti-vibration set though. Thanks for the feedback.