FPI vs Thickness for 360mm radiator

[JHurley7nrx]

Gday mates, 

 

What's more imporant FPI or thickness for a 360mm radiator. The 360 will be cooling a CPU and GPU and will have corsair af120s mounted to it, maby in a push and pull config. 

[narrdarr]

A balance between the two side good. But static pressure fans would be better than those af120mm fans

[SolarNova]

For pure performance you would want thick and high density.

 

However i cant think of a rad as thick as a Monsta RAD that is also high FPI, its usually one or the other, with a few options of in between.

 

A high FPi rad will require higher static pressure fans and higher RPM, resulting in more noise, but better performance for its size.

A thick low FPI rad can run slower fans and be quieter with similar performance, but will take up more space.

[Blai5e]

3 hours ago, JHurley7nrx said:

Gday mates, 

 

What's more imporant FPI or thickness for a 360mm radiator. The 360 will be cooling a CPU and GPU and will have corsair af120s mounted to it, maby in a push and pull config. 

Please note the AF120 (Air Flow) series is optimized for high air flow but low static pressure (63.47 CMF / 1.1 mmH₂O) and not designed to overcome the resistance of a radiator. The SP120 (Static Pressure) series is optimized for high static pressure (62.74 CMF / 3.1 mmH₂O) to help overcome the resistance of a radiator. The ML120 series fan has an even higher static pressure of 4.2 mmH₂O assuming you wish to stick with Corsair..

 

I'm not saying the AF fans won't work but you'll get better performance using fans designed with static pressure in mind especially if you go for a more higher FPI or thicker radiator.

[Ttnuagmada]

for push/pull, get a good thick rad. From what I've used personally, I can recommend an EK 360XE Hardwarlabs GTX or a Hardware labs SR2. I've personally cooled an OC'd 3770K and an OC 1080Ti with the 360XE in p/p, and with fans at about 1100-1200 RPM I was getting great temps in gaming conditions. My GPU wasn't even getting into the 40's with a 21C ambient.

 

Also, you absolutely need to ditch those fans. If Corsair RGB is that important, then get the ML's, the AFs were not made for radiators.

[andrewmp6]

Depends what your case can handle.

[JHurley7nrx]

On 4/7/2019 at 12:33 PM, narrdarr said:

A balance between the two side good. But static pressure fans would be better than those af120mm fans

Ah ok

[JHurley7nrx]

On 4/7/2019 at 3:55 PM, Blai5e said:

Please note the AF120 (Air Flow) series is optimized for high air flow but low static pressure (63.47 CMF / 1.1 mmH₂O) and not designed to overcome the resistance of a radiator. The SP120 (Static Pressure) series is optimized for high static pressure (62.74 CMF / 3.1 mmH₂O) to help overcome the resistance of a radiator. The ML120 series fan has an even higher static pressure of 4.2 mmH₂O assuming you wish to stick with Corsair..

 

I'm not saying the AF fans won't work but you'll get better performance using fans designed with static pressure in mind especially if you go for a more higher FPI or thicker radiator.

Ah that explains why i cant feel much air being moved by the fans, i was thinking aboit mounting the 360mm rad on the front of my case but wouldn't the hot air stay in the case.

[JHurley7nrx]

On 4/8/2019 at 2:03 AM, Ttnuagmada said:

for push/pull, get a good thick rad. From what I've used personally, I can recommend an EK 360XE Hardwarlabs GTX or a Hardware labs SR2. I've personally cooled an OC'd 3770K and an OC 1080Ti with the 360XE in p/p, and with fans at about 1100-1200 RPM I was getting great temps in gaming conditions. My GPU wasn't even getting into the 40's with a 21C ambient.

 

Also, you absolutely need to ditch those fans. If Corsair RGB is that important, then get the ML's, the AFs were not made for radiators.

Rgb is horrible, yes i was looking at hardware labs rads becauses people habe said they make the best rads. Pretty low temps, i get about 50oc on air with my 6700k and around 70oc on the GPU, would putting a front rad be a good idea because i dont have space to put a 360mm on top.

[JHurley7nrx]

On 4/8/2019 at 10:28 AM, andrewmp6 said:

Depends what your case can handle.

Only place i could put a 360mm rad was on the front

[JHurley7nrx]

9 minutes ago, Mr. horse said:

Its a trade off. And hard to enplane without getting all to technical.

But to keep it simple. Higher FPI per given thickness will require a higher static pressure fans to cool. But the higher surface area means more heat dispersion. So better cooling wile having higher sound output with higher FPI thick rads.

 

Its a very complex balancing act. 

For me I find that 360mm rads around 55mm thick and 16 FPI with 800 rpm fans in push pull to be ideal for most of my setups, But everyone has different needs. 

Ah cool ok, would putting a 360mm rad on the front of a case be a good idea wouldn't the hot air just stay inside the case.

[JHurley7nrx]

26 minutes ago, Mr. horse said:

Yes its not ideal, but It works if you have a rear fans to suck the hot air out. You could move the fans to suck air out the front. that's how my x79 system works.

Couldn't you just have have some top fans to remove the hot air from the case

 

[andrewmp6]

9 hours ago, JHurley7nrx said:

Only place i could put a 360mm rad was on the front

Again depends the room you have.A thick rad with push pull is a lot of room,Most fans alone are 25mm themselfs and you need push pull over 60mm rad.What case do you have or want to use ?

[Ttnuagmada]

9 hours ago, JHurley7nrx said:

Rgb is horrible, yes i was looking at hardware labs rads becauses people habe said they make the best rads. Pretty low temps, i get about 50oc on air with my 6700k and around 70oc on the GPU, would putting a front rad be a good idea because i dont have space to put a 360mm on top.

The GTX and SR2 perform similarly. The GTX will probably perform the absolute best in p/p, but the SR2 has a lot more flexibility due to the multi-port design.

[JHurley7nrx]

8 hours ago, andrewmp6 said:

Again depends the room you have.A thick rad with push pull is a lot of room,Most fans alone are 25mm themselfs and you need push pull over 60mm rad.What case do you have or want to use ?

I have the corsair carbide 275r

[JHurley7nrx]

8 hours ago, Ttnuagmada said:

The GTX and SR2 perform similarly. The GTX will probably perform the absolute best in p/p, but the SR2 has a lot more flexibility due to the multi-port design.

Not sure if i will have the space for that config. 

[SolarNova]

On 4/9/2019 at 5:50 PM, JHurley7nrx said:

Couldn't you just have have some top fans to remove the hot air from the case

 

You can infact have your radiators as exhaust so long as you filtered intakes. Otherwise with no intake fans, and unfiltered 'holes' you will eventually end up with a dust problem.

 

I personally run all 3 of my 240 rads as exhaust but i also have 5 140mm filtered fans as intake.

 

FYI finding a case that can do this results in very large cases. I use the Enthoo Primo.

 

That said if u only intend on having 1 rad, be it 240 or 360mm ..or even 420. You should have room elsewhere to have filtered intake fans, allowing you to run the rad as exhaust. For example you could have the rad at the top of the case as exhaust with front and bottom as intake, or have it at the front and have top and bottom as intake.

 

[JHurley7nrx]

1 hour ago, SolarNova said:

You can infact have your radiators as exhaust so long as you filtered intakes. Otherwise with no intake fans, and unfiltered 'holes' you will eventually end up with a dust problem.

 

I personally run all 3 of my 240 rads as exhaust but i also have 5 140mm filtered fans as intake.

 

FYI finding a case that can do this results in very large cases. I use the Enthoo Primo.

 

That said if u only intend on having 1 rad, be it 240 or 360mm ..or even 420. You should have room elsewhere to have filtered intake fans, allowing you to run the rad as exhaust. For example you could have the rad at the top of the case as exhaust with front and bottom as intake, or have it at the front and have top and bottom as intake.

 

What 3 240mm rads why, you only have 2 bits of hardware that need to bw cooled.

[SolarNova]

43 minutes ago, JHurley7nrx said:

What 3 240mm rads why, you only have 2 bits of hardware that need to bw cooled.

 

Short story on that.

 

Originally, about 4 years ago, i bought a 240x 80mm Monsta rad ,and a single XSPC AX240 rad to fit inside the CM Storm Stryker, it only technically had room for a single rad but i managed to mod in a front rad.

The AX240 arrived with a leak in the core, during replacement i ended up getting sent 2, so in the end i ended up with 3 240 mm rads, i bolted the extra one to the back of the case on the outside.

This was to cool a 3930k and a 780 classi, both when OC'ed kicking out a good deal of heat.

 

Now recently i swapped the case to a Enthoo Primo (as well as upgrading to a 1080ti) for the purpose of getting all 3 rads inside and making the loop easier to work on as i wouldn't need to mod in any rad mounts. The other reason for choosing the Enthoo Primo is that its big enough to fit all 3 rads and still have mounts spare for intake fans. Other smaller cases would have also fit all 3 rads but would not have had any spare space for intake fans.

 

Despite having now 13 fans in total in my system, i can run them at about 800-1000 RPM thanks to having the extra Rad, which keeps it relatively quiet. it could be quieter still if i had all NF-A12x25 installed but that would cost around £325.

 

Spoiler

 

[JHurley7nrx]

1 hour ago, SolarNova said:

 

Short story on that.

 

Originally, about 4 years ago, i bought a 240x 80mm Monsta rad ,and a single XSPC AX240 rad to fit inside the CM Storm Stryker, it only technically had room for a single rad but i managed to mod in a front rad.

The AX240 arrived with a leak in the core, during replacement i ended up getting sent 2, so in the end i ended up with 3 240 mm rads, i bolted the extra one to the back of the case on the outside.

This was to cool a 3930k and a 780 classi, both when OC'ed kicking out a good deal of heat.

 

Now recently i swapped the case to a Enthoo Primo (as well as upgrading to a 1080ti) for the purpose of getting all 3 rads inside and making the loop easier to work on as i wouldn't need to mod in any rad mounts. The other reason for choosing the Enthoo Primo is that its big enough to fit all 3 rads and still have mounts spare for intake fans. Other smaller cases would have also fit all 3 rads but would not have had any spare space for intake fans.

 

Despite having now 13 fans in total in my system, i can run them at about 800-1000 RPM thanks to having the extra Rad, which keeps it relatively quiet. it could be quieter still if i had all NF-A12x25 installed but that would cost around £325.

 

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Ah cool, yikes RGB

[SolarNova]

Just now, JHurley7nrx said:

Ah cool, yikes RGB

No no .. Just B

 

i dont do rainbow puke

[JHurley7nrx]

11 hours ago, SolarNova said:

No no .. Just B

 

i dont do rainbow puke

Ah cool ha ha.