120mm vs 140mm

Andre01 · August 28, 2016

I am going to buy ONE fan to round out my case airflow. The place I want to put it (the top) supports triple 120s dual 140s or dual 200s. Right now I only have the orignal fans, a 200 in the front and a 140 in the back. My question is should I get a 120 to allow for a possible 2 more fans or a 140 limiting me to only one more fan in the top.

Bonus question. If it supports dual 200s and I get a 120 does that mean mean I can potentially fit a dual 140 rad? Or at least a dual 120 rad.

Bonus question 2. Am I right in thinking getting a 200 would not be ideal in terms of airflow.

August 28, 2016

10 minutes ago, Andre01 said:

I am going to buy ONE fan to round out my case airflow. The place I want to put it (the top) supports triple 120s dual 140s or dual 200s. Right now I only have the orignal fans, a 200 in the front and a 140 in the back. My question is should I get a 120 to allow for a possible 2 more fans or a 140 limiting me to only one more fan in the top.

Bonus question. If it supports dual 200s and I get a 120 does that mean mean I can potentially fit a dual 140 rad? Or at least a dual 120 rad.

Bonus question 2. Am I right in thinking getting a 200 would not be ideal in terms of airflow.

I seem to recall the general rule of thumb being the biggest and least amount of fans possible. So in your case, no pun intended, I'd go with the 140mm. I think it stems from the fact that more air can be moved with a bigger fan and multiple smaller fans don't do as well in that department, or that they compete for some reason. Could be wrong though, so someone can feel free to correct me.

Matu20 · August 28, 2016

You dont really need more than 3 fans in PC case. 2 intake, 1 exhaust. 140mm would be the better choice (quieter).

aisle9 · August 28, 2016

2 hours ago, Andre01 said:

I am going to buy ONE fan to round out my case airflow. The place I want to put it (the top) supports triple 120s dual 140s or dual 200s. Right now I only have the orignal fans, a 200 in the front and a 140 in the back. My question is should I get a 120 to allow for a possible 2 more fans or a 140 limiting me to only one more fan in the top.

Bonus question. If it supports dual 200s and I get a 120 does that mean mean I can potentially fit a dual 140 rad? Or at least a dual 120 rad.

Bonus question 2. Am I right in thinking getting a 200 would not be ideal in terms of airflow.

Assuming this is the system in your profile (6700K, 1080), I don't think you need to worry about maxing out your case's fan potential. A pair of big, efficient 140mm fans that push a lot of air and do it quietly would work nicely.

Your case's manual should show you exactly what radiator sizes are supported and where.