Possible GPU airflow problems in small case?

[CAC1291]

Hi, I'm planning on picking up a 3080 whenever I can actually get my hands on one. I plan on getting a founders edition, even if I have to wait a few weeks to snag it. I saw on NVIDIA's website that the FE is 11.2 inches long. My case, the Fractal Design Node 804, can accommodate up to 11.4 inch cards with a front fan installed (which I have). This seems like it would be a really tight fit. Would this disrupt airflow from the front fans to the GPU, and should I be concerned about thermals?

My current card isn't nearly that long. This case has served me well for 5 years, and while I wasn't anticipating getting rid of it, I don't mind spending $80-90 on a mid tower or other mATX case to ensure decent case temps. When I buy hardware, I like to keep it for at least 4 years, so cooler components helps make longevity more likely. In case it's relevant, here's my other components:

Asrock x570M Pro4 motherboard
Ryzen 5 3600 @ stock, cooled by a Noctua NH-D12s
GTX 970 (current card)
Seasonic Focus 850w modular
16 gb hyperx ram (putting in another 2 DIMMS sometime soon)
2 front intake fans and 1 rear exhaust fan

[jaslion]

3 minutes ago, CAC1291 said:

Hi, I'm planning on picking up a 3080 whenever I can actually get my hands on one. I plan on getting a founders edition, even if I have to wait a few weeks to snag it. I saw on NVIDIA's website that the FE is 11.2 inches long. My case, the Fractal Design Node 804, can accommodate up to 11.4 inch cards with a front fan installed (which I have). This seems like it would be a really tight fit. Would this disrupt airflow from the front fans to the GPU, and should I be concerned about thermals?

My current card isn't nearly that long. This case has served me well for 5 years, and while I wasn't anticipating getting rid of it, I don't mind spending $80-90 on a mid tower or other mATX case to ensure decent case temps. When I buy hardware, I like to keep it for at least 4 years, so cooler components helps make longevity more likely. In case it's relevant, here's my other components:

Asrock x570M Pro4 motherboard
Ryzen 5 3600 @ stock, cooled by a Noctua NH-D12s
GTX 970 (current card)
Seasonic Focus 850w modular
16 gb hyperx ram (putting in another 2 DIMMS sometime soon)
2 front intake fans and 1 rear exhaust fan

It will most likely be fine. The intake fans seem to be on the gpu side so whilst the gpu is going to sit against the fan it will still have some airflow. You could always install some top fans too.

 

You may want too look into getting a non founders edition model with a more traditional cooler the asus tuf sells for the same price and has better cooling abilities.

[CAC1291]

1 hour ago, jaslion said:

It will most likely be fine. The intake fans seem to be on the gpu side so whilst the gpu is going to sit against the fan it will still have some airflow. You could always install some top fans too.

 

You may want too look into getting a non founders edition model with a more traditional cooler the asus tuf sells for the same price and has better cooling abilities.

Thanks! Unfortunately, almost all of the AIB cards are too long for my case. The only other one that I'm aware of being less than 11.4 inches is the EVGA XC3 Black, which I am also keeping an eye on.