I have too many radiators, which and how many radiators should i use?

[Yoshimitsu]

Hi

 

I ordered my watercooling gear several years ago but never got the chance to actually build it, but tomorrow i will start.

 

I ordered several radiators back then to figure out the best possible layout, for some reason i didn't send any back.

 

My case is an In WIn 909

 

I am just gonna cool my GPU 1080GTX and my CPU i7-9770K. Is it okay not to watercool the VRM mosfets?

 

So basically these are the radiators i have:

 

XSPC RX360 Dimensions: 130 x 56 x 398.5mm (WxDxH)

Hardware Labs Black Ice GTS 360 398mm x 133mm x 29.6mm  

HW Labs GTS XFLOW 292mm x 133mm x 29.6mm

HW LABS GTX 240mm 278mm x 133mm x 54mm

 

I will use the corsair ML120 pro fans, which are really good.

 

The original idea, was to use the XSPC in the rear for the outtake fans, then the XFLOW flat on the bottom intake and the GTX in the front (picture attached).

 

But now I am wondering, isn't that a bit exagerated so many radiators in that thickness? It has to be said that the front has no direct intake, there is a 2cm in width empty room (where the red line is on the picture), uses the bottom intake (blue arrow on the photo)

 

Yeah sure i already have them so why not use them, I am more like concerned that it's gonna overfill my case and will look bad and stuffy. Would the XSPC radiator in the back and a 240x30mm in the bottom be enough aswell?

 

What configuration would you guys reccommend me to use? I am gonna keep the thick rear radiator for sure.

 

 

I would appreciate some of your opinions

 

Ty very much

 

 

[Yoshimitsu]

1 minute ago, Caroline said:

No. Those get really hot so do something about it or you're going to run into throttling issues or fry them. At least add some heatsinks and tiny fans, you don't have to directly watercool them to keep them a bit cool

 

I'd keep front and rear, no bottom, you're not cooling a multi CPU/GPU workstation

can't you make the fans push air through the front rad? keep the bottom fans for fresh air intake

Thanks for your reply.

 

Just to be clear, i would keep the stock aluminum heatsinks of the VRM mosfets.I am not sure if there will be enough airflow in the case to cool the heatsinks. What do you think?

 

Yeah sure i will mount some fans on the front rad aswell (in pull) and keep the bottom fans aswell. i guess that would be enough air. What thickness for the front rad would you suggest 30mm or 56?

[alyen]

57 minutes ago, Yoshimitsu said:

I am just gonna cool my GPU 1080GTX and my CPU i7-9770K. Is it okay not to watercool the VRM mosfets?

What motherboard do you have? I don't see too many people watercoling VRM. Monoblocks are quite expensive and limited to certain motherboards unless you plan to custom build it.

 

40 minutes ago, Caroline said:

I'd keep front and rear, no bottom, you're not cooling a multi CPU/GPU workstation

can't you make the fans push air through the front rad? keep the bottom fans for fresh air intake

I can't see any opening for the fans on the front to be pulling air from other that cracks between the panels. It looks like a solid front panel would be directly in front of the fans.

 

I could be wrong about this after reviewing the case design, but I actually think the 360 radiator would be the intake for the CPU. The bottom radiator would be exhaust and cool the GPU. This might work better to providing some air flow for the VRM, but may not with some motherboards depending on I/O shroud/heatsink. Positive pressure will help push air out the bottom. Do not utilize the front fans because it would look like the warm air would just keep recirculating if it has no exit. This might work better if the case was flipped upside down. Are there any plans to modify the case? Drill holes in the front?

[Yoshimitsu]

34 minutes ago, alyen said:

I can't see any opening for the fans on the front to be pulling air from other that cracks between the panels. It looks like a solid front panel would be directly in front of the fans.

Maximus IX Hero is the motherboard.

 

There is an empty space in the front, the air just comes from the bottom. I put arrows on the picture to indicate the direction of the airflow, but as you can see the compartment with the blue lines is empty, it's 20x230x400mm (2l of air volume). Essentially there should always be 2l of fresh air the fans can take in.

 

As you can see in the 3d and 4th picture someone put a radiator in the front. 

 

That's what Caroline suggested.

[alyen]

 

6 minutes ago, Yoshimitsu said:

There is an empty space in the front, the air just comes from the bottom. I put arrows on the picture to indicate the direction of the airflow, but as you can see the compartment with the blue lines is empty, it's 20x230x400mm (2l of air volume). Essentially there should always be 2l of fresh air the fans can take in.

Air flow still looks very restrictive air flow for the front rad. Not sure if I would make use of one there. I didn't know there was a spot to mount 240 on the side at the back, but again its another spot that with bad airflow.

 

If you are just running things at stock it may not matter too much. Could just have the bottom 2 fans as intake. Front rad at the front for the GPU. Rear 360 as exhaust for CPU for CPU. Might be easier to route the tubing this way. Things could get warm and may lead to throttling.

 

If you plan to do some heavy overlock you'll have to decide if you want to cool CPU or GPU more. I still think I would do it my original way even though its so unconventional considering I don't do any gaming that heats the GPU enough, but CPU are stressed more from gaming and 3D rendering. It really vary from one person to another depending on how they use their system.

 

Have you considered  selling 3 rads and the case to buy that will allow better airflow?