Cooling upgrade

[ChopNorris]

Hello everyone, I want to improve my temps and I´ve been thinking about different alternatives. I´ve got this setup https://imgur.com/W6dYvmw with a pair of CM SF120R ARGB in the front as intake and in the back as exhaust, I´ve also have a pair of Noctuas A12x15 in the bottom. The CPU is a 3800x and the GPU a KFA2 2080 SUPER. The GPU actually sits in around 72ºC while playing (without dust filters in the bottom, with them around 3ºC extra) and the CPU around 63ºC. The thing changes a lot if I put the GPU fans to 100ºC, droping the GPU to 60ºC and the CPU to 55ºC (seems like thermal throtting) but the noise is really high. 

What I´ve been thinking is to remove the GPU fans and throw at it a good pair of case fans because the stock heatsink is huge. I would place something in the bottom of the case to rise them up like 2-3cm so they stay right next to the heatsink without needing to tie them to it. The think is that I´ve never done something like this and I´m a bit lost about how to connect them to the GPU fan header without danger of burning it out (I suppose I would have to check the max voltage it supports?). 

I would like some advice from you:

- Which fans do you recommend me? I thought in Noctuas A12x25, but they are not available in Chromax, so maybe Noctua NF-F12 and put my A12x15 in the front and rear. Noise is an important factor for me.

- Which fan config should I use? Some friend pointed out that maybe I should use the rear as intake, and even using both rear and front and using the bottom as exhaust (cooling the GPU in pull).

 

I´ll appreciate any help. 

Thanks in advance!

[WoodenMarker]

I assume you meant 100% fan speed and not 100c. 

Your temps are fine and there shouldn't be any throttling. There's no need to change anything. 

There may be fan stickers on the back of the graphics card fans that indicate how much power they draw. They should be 12v pwm and what you're looking for is the amperage. Noctuas don't draw much power so it's probably fine. 

[ChopNorris]

8 minutes ago, WoodenMarker said:

I assume you meant 100% fan speed and not 100c. 

Your temps are fine and there shouldn't be any throttling. There's no need to change anything. 

There may be fan stickers on the back of the graphics card fans that indicate how much power they draw. They should be 12v pwm and what you're looking for is the amperage. Noctuas don't draw much power so it's probably fine. 

Yeah, the 100ºC thing was meant to be 100%. The thing is that right now ambiental temps is about 20ºC, but where I leave temps hit 40ºC in summer and I want to be prepared.

I´ve been searching and found the EK meltemi, it is 38mm thick so I probably could throw them behind the GPU and they would be next to the heatsink.

What do you think?

[WoodenMarker]

4 minutes ago, ChopNorris said:

Yeah, the 100ºC thing was meant to be 100%. The thing is that right now ambiental temps is about 20ºC, but where I leave temps hit 40ºC in summer and I want to be prepared.

I´ve been searching and found the EK meltemi, it is 38mm thick so I probably could throw them behind the GPU and they would be next to the heatsink.

What do you think?

Looking at reviews, it doesn't seem very impressive especially for a 38mm fan. You're probably better off with NF-A12x25's. NF-F12's are also great and hard to go wrong with. 

[ChopNorris]

48 minutes ago, WoodenMarker said:

Looking at reviews, it doesn't seem very impressive especially for a 38mm fan. You're probably better off with NF-A12x25's. NF-F12's are also great and hard to go wrong with. 

I think I´ll go for the NF-F12 then since the A12x25 are available only in brown, the good thing about the 38mm is that I could avoid doing a piece to raise it. Anythinkg about how to connect them? Or how I should distribute intakes and exhaust?

Thanks again

[WoodenMarker]

52 minutes ago, ChopNorris said:

I think I´ll go for the NF-F12 then since the A12x25 are available only in brown, the good thing about the 38mm is that I could avoid doing a piece to raise it. Anythinkg about how to connect them? Or how I should distribute intakes and exhaust?

Thanks again

You can use a gpu pwm fan adapter. This is what I usually use: https://www.amazon.com/CRJ-Splitter-Adapter-Sleeved-Graphics/dp/B07T95C68T

NF-F12 Chromax is also good in that they come with shorter cables meant to be used with extensions but they end up very clean on a graphics card. 

[ChopNorris]

Okay! I think I´ll take the NF-F12 then. Now I just have to figure it out how to mount then. I think I´ll 3D print some kind of duct so they don´t take air from the laterals and just from the bottom. 

Do you recommend me keeping the intake in the front and bottom and use the rear as exhaust? Or should I change something else?

[WoodenMarker]

3 hours ago, ChopNorris said:

Okay! I think I´ll take the NF-F12 then. Now I just have to figure it out how to mount then. I think I´ll 3D print some kind of duct so they don´t take air from the laterals and just from the bottom. 

Do you recommend me keeping the intake in the front and bottom and use the rear as exhaust? Or should I change something else?

What you have currently is fine. If all else fails, you can always use zip ties.