What do I prioritize when cooling?

[BrooksinIT]

Just got a Corsair Air 540! My dream case and my first case to be doing a Open-Loop system in. Very Excited!

 

I decided to go with two 280mm Radiators, and plan to use one as intake and one as outake. This creates a bit of a dilemma as I am sure some of you are noticing! This means one has to be the intake, getting fresh room temperature air (the lucky bastard), the other is going to be an exhaust, getting the already heated air from the front intake radiator.

 

My question is, should I use the intake (the one that I can only assume will be more cool) to cool my GPU, the hottest thing in the system and the exhaust for my CPU? Or vice-versa?

 

Another option I suppose would be to have liquid go straight from GPU to CPU but it seems others tend to stay away from this option, for reasons I can only speculate.

[Tea1337]

You can do dual rads for both, but instead of cooling the CPU and GPU seperatly, cool them both. Going RES>CPU>GPU>RAD>RAD?

[BrooksinIT]

You can do dual rads for both, but instead of cooling the CPU and GPU seperatly, cool them both. Going RES>CPU>GPU>RAD>RAD?

Does that tend to produce better temps then isolated cooling?

[Cubit481]

Are u planning the second rad to be placed at the top..then u can go for a push pull configuration for that...

[Tea1337]

Does that tend to produce better temps then isolated cooling?

You can benefit from open loops, being able to top off the coolant and such. and yes it can help with temps, but not majorly.

[Theblasphemouscoffee]

I would cool both in the same loop, temps will be affected by 1 degree at the MAX, though probably less, the only real reason for using dual loops is for aesthetics and by using one loop you can also save yourself some money by not having to buy another res and pump. So, its up to you, if you want the look of two loops, often people used different coloured coolants in each, then you will have to pay a little bit more for the extra hardware. However personally I think that I would stick to one loop for everything.

[Cubit481]

And one thing also i would like to recommend that for the pump u get the pump with the speed regulator...

[BrooksinIT]

You can benefit from open loops, being able to top off the coolant and such. and yes it can help with temps, but not majorly.

 

 

I would cool both in the same loop, temps will be affected by 1 degree at the MAX, though probably less, the only real reason for using dual loops is for aesthetics and by using one loop you can also save yourself some money by not having to buy another res and pump. So, its up to you, if you want the look of two loops, often people used different coloured coolants in each, then you will have to pay a little bit more for the extra hardware. However personally I think that I would stick to one loop for everything.

 

So it sounds like if I was going for aesthetics a RES > PUMP > FRONT RAD > GPU > TOP RAD > CPU loop would be best.

 

For performance (albeit at a 1C difference) a RES > PUMP > FRONT RAD > GPU > CPU > TOP RAD loop would be best?

[TheNinjaNextDor]

It won't matter since the loop is going to even out in temps anyway. I tried isolated cooling and it gives at best a few temps better.

 

Go for what looks best. I do!

[BrooksinIT]

And one thing also i would like to recommend that for the pump u get the pump with the speed regulator...

 

 I heard that they help a TON for getting bubbles out of the loop! Hoping that's where the positives end because I already got this guy based on other forums advice and reviews: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ODOKV8/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Yikes!

[Cubit481]

 I heard that they help a TON for getting bubbles out of the loop! Hoping that's where the positives end because I already got this guy based on other forums advice and reviews: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ODOKV8/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Yikes!

Man... ...which forum was it... :lol:

[toggleguy]

put the two together