CPU cooler does not fit well

[PusheenKill]

Hi guys, I am new to the forum and new to PC building in general. This is the first PC that I will be building and I seem to have run into a small problem. I recently ordered all the parts I need for a gaming PC and I realized the CPU cooler does not fit well in the case.

 

So the problem is that the case has a fan on the side panel and I have to remove it for the cooler to fit. Now, I would like to place the fan somewhere else in the case, and there are two places I was thinking of. Either put it on the bottom beside the PSU (my rational is that it will help blow air onto the GPU), or place it in the optical drive bays (hoping it will bring fresh air onto the CPU cooler). Which of these two options would you guys recommend?

 

Thanks to anyone who answers.

 

 

System Specs:

Intel i5 4670k @ stock speeds

Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO

Rosewill Blackhawk Mid-tower Gaming Case

Zotac Geforce GTX 970

Crucial M500 240GB

Gygabyte Z97 Motherboard

G. Skill Ripjaws X 8GB

EVGA SuperNova 750W PSU

 

[deVIZtation]

By the PSU blowing air onto the graphics card is best.

[Statik]

Where else do you have case fans. I would recommend getting fans in the front and back and/or top of the case to pull air through the case.

[PusheenKill]

Where else do you have case fans. I would recommend getting fans in the front and back and/or top of the case to pull air through the case.

 

The case comes with 2 x 120mm fans in the front as intake, a 120mm at the rear as exhaust and a 140mm on top as exhaust.

[PusheenKill]

By the PSU blowing air onto the graphics card is best.

 

That sounds good. I will do that. Thanks

[syntaxgeek]

By the PSU blowing air onto the graphics card is best.

This doesn't sound ideal at all really as most psu's intake with the fan and blow out the back (so this would fight the gpu for air), even if you flipped the fan around you'd be blowing potentially hot psu air onto your gpu.  I, personally, would not recommend this setup to the OP.

 

 

The case comes with 2 x 120mm fans in the front as intake, a 120mm at the rear as exhaust and a 140mm on top as exhaust.

It seems like you have an ideal fan setup already but it would help to understand:

1) what your temps are on your cpu and gpu

2) what you do with your machine (gaming, etc)

3) are your goals silence, performance, etc.

 

You could always try something like positive air pressure which means most fans are intake and all point to one exhaust fan to give more of a sucking effect for the hot air to be trapped and expelled. Maybe switch your rear, or top, fan(s) to intake and throw your extra fan next to psu for gpu intake like you were thinking and watch your temps for changes.

 

This video from silverstone demos the positive air pressure better than I can explain in text

[Zubkover]

I see that your case has the support for watercooling loops at the back of the case. So why not just mount it on the outter and make the fan cable into the case through one of those 3 rubber holes?

Doesn't it seem legit?

[PusheenKill]

This doesn't sound ideal at all really as most psu's intake with the fan and blow out the back (so this would fight the gpu for air), even if you flipped the fan around you'd be blowing potentially hot psu air onto your gpu.  I, personally, would not recommend this setup to the OP.

 

I don't understand how hot air will be blown on the GPU. The way the PSU is setup is that it is drawing cool air from the bottom of the case (where there is a filter), and exhausting to the rear of the case. If the fan is beside it, it will also draw cool air from the bottom (also filtered), and blow it on the GPU. I am still inexperienced, so maybe I just don't get it lol.

 

It seems like you have an ideal fan setup already but it would help to understand:

1) what your temps are on your cpu and gpu

2) what you do with your machine (gaming, etc)

3) are your goals silence, performance, etc.

 

You could always try something like positive air pressure which means most fans are intake and all point to one exhaust fan to give more of a sucking effect for the hot air to be trapped and expelled. Maybe switch your rear, or top, fan(s) to intake and throw your extra fan next to psu for gpu intake like you were thinking and watch your temps for changes.

 

This video from silverstone demos the positive air pressure better than I can explain in text

 

I am going for a gaming PC. I would like silence, but good cooling takes precedence since I will be using headphones most of the time. Also, would the positive air pressure reduce the air flow by reducing the amount of air exhausted?

[syntaxgeek]

I don't understand how hot air will be blown on the GPU. The way the PSU is setup is that it is drawing cool air from the bottom of the case (where there is a filter), and exhausting to the rear of the case. If the fan is beside it, it will also draw cool air from the bottom (also filtered), and blow it on the GPU. I am still inexperienced, so maybe I just don't get it lol.

 

 

I am going for a gaming PC. I would like silence, but good cooling takes precedence since I will be using headphones most of the time. Also, would the positive air pressure reduce the air flow by reducing the amount of air exhausted?

My mistake, I re-read the original post I quoted and missed the "By the PSU" - I read it as "The PSU blowing air onto the gpu" which is just silly

 

I later in that same post recommended putting a fan down next to the psu as intake, apologies.

[PusheenKill]

My mistake, I re-read the original post I quoted and missed the "By the PSU" - I read it as "The PSU blowing air onto the gpu" which is just silly

 

I later in that same post recommended putting a fan down next to the psu as intake, apologies.

 

No problem, thanks for the detailed response