Radiator Inlet or Outlet or Both?

[Yoshi Moshi]

In any case, where there's mounting holes to mount a fan, you can place a fan as either intake our outtake. People seem to say that it makes sense to put the radiator on the intake fans, because your pulling air from outside of the case that's colder than the air inside the case and pushing it through the radiator. This brings the radiator closer to the temperature of the air outside of the case, cooling the radiator.

 

Does it ever make sense to place the radiator in the outtake fan slots? I don't see how this would help because you would be pushing hot air though the radiator, wouldn't this heat up the radiator?

 

Would I see any benefit in feeling all slots with radiators? Meaning every slot for a fan, I put a radiator as well as a fan.

[Enderman]

First of all, it's called exhaust, not outtake.

 

Second, when you're liquid cooling, most of the heat from the components is transfered to the radiator, that's the entire point of liquid cooling.

This means the air inside the case is not much hotter than outside the case.

The radiator is still much warmer than the air, and still gets cooled.

[bowrilla]

Depends on the case. This has been discussed many times. 

 

Intake: larger ΔT, but slightly hotter air in your case

Exhaust: smaller ΔT (therefore little less efficient heat transfer between radiator and air), slightly lower colder air in your case though.

 

I'd say put your radiator on the best ventilated position to avoid additional airflow restrictions.

 

Every radiator (or filter or any other thing partly blocking air flow) will reduce airflow and therefore transport less air. You'll have to compensate with higher RPMs so there's more noise or you have to accept lower airflow and live with slightly higher temps.

 

More fans at around the same RPM means more air volume being moved every second which means case temps will get lower since the heat sources in your case have less time to heat the air up until it gets exhausted and exchanged.

 

The closer the air temps inside your case get to ambient air (outside case) the lower the effects will get.