Which of these fan configurations would be better?

[Bob Jim]

So I am going to be building in a Prodigy M case, and am planning case fan setups. Which of these would be better?

 

 

Option 1:

Option 2:

 

 

 

 

 

The first option makes sense to me because hot air rises, so top makes sense for exhaust, and the back intake allows for air to the CPU cooler. My main concern is whether the GPU would be suffocated though, as it's fans point up and intake air.

 

The second option gives nice cooling to the GPU, and ok(?) cooling to the CPU, but again, heat rises so would a bottom exhaust be stupid.

 

 

Please tell me which of those is best, or if I should do something entirely different. The reson I don't want a 200mm/230mm fan at the bottom is that I need space to ghetto mount an HDD, because I am removing the drive bay so that I can get the windowed side panel.

[pwn_intended]

I would intake from back and bottom, and have the PSU so that the fan is inside, acting as exhaust for the case along with the other top fan exhausting.

[Deathstroke]

Depending on how hot you expect the internal ambient to be, you may want to PSU to run independently.

 

Not sure otherwise, not really a fan of the upside down orientation for this reason.

[tomas710]

So I am going to be building in a Prodigy M case, and am planning case fan setups. Which of these would be better?

 

 

Option 1:

Option 2:

 

 

 

 

 

The first option makes sense to me because hot air rises, so top makes sense for exhaust, and the back intake allows for air to the CPU cooler. My main concern is whether the GPU would be suffocated though, as it's fans point up and intake air.

 

The second option gives nice cooling to the GPU, and ok(?) cooling to the CPU, but again, heat rises so would a bottom exhaust be stupid.

 

 

Please tell me which of those is best, or if I should do something entirely different. The reson I don't want a 200mm/230mm fan at the bottom is that I need space to ghetto mount an HDD, because I am removing the drive bay so that I can get the windowed side panel.

Convection (Heat rising) is not as influential as many people think, specially in smaller cases, convection happens when the air is stagnant, if you got decent airflow that won't happen. Intake at the bottom and rear and exhaust at top makes sense, gives you a clear path for airflow and cools your GPU

[Deathstroke]

Maybe PSU independent, Back and bottom in, Top out, and gpu will have ambient to swim in, but all heat would be pushing out the top.

 

Better CPU temps, but a little warmer for the GPU.

 

EDIT: Above.

[Bob Jim]

Convection (Heat rising) is not as influential as many people think, specially in smaller cases, convection happens when the air is stagnant, if you got decent airflow that won't happen. Intake at the bottom and rear and exhaust at top makes sense, gives you a clear path for airflow and cools your GPU

Are you sure that would be OK for my GPU? I am getting an ITX one so that I have room for an optical drive, so it kinda needs good airflow (it got 73C in an open air testbench according to JayzTwoCents)

[tomas710]

Are you sure that would be OK for my GPU? I am getting an ITX one so that I have room for an optical drive, so it kinda needs good airflow (it got 73C in an open air testbench according to JayzTwoCents)

You can invert it, make the exhaust the bottom and the intake the top, just make sure there is cool air intaking torwards your GPU

[Bob Jim]

You can invert it, make the exhaust the bottom and the intake the top, just make sure there is cool air intaking torwards your GPU

Could I have 1 120mm at the top intaking, 1 120mm at the bottom exhasuting, and 1 140mm on the rear intaking?

[tomas710]

Could I have 1 120mm at the top intaking, 1 120mm at the bottom exhasuting, and 1 140mm on the rear intaking?

Yeah, you would have positive air pressure and pretty good airflow. The good thing about the Prodigy is that being relatively bigger than other mATX cases allows for good airflow. Do you need to buy any fan? Also there are PCI fans which i've never used but may be helpful for you. I've actually never seen a build using one, just saying, they exist...

[Bob Jim]

Yeah, you would have positive air pressure and pretty good airflow. The good thing about the Prodigy is that being relatively bigger than other mATX cases allows for good airflow. Do you need to buy any fan? Also there are PCI fans which i've never used but may be helpful for you. I've actually never seen a build using one, just saying, they exist...

Yeah, I will go with that setup, using be quiet! SilentWings 2 fans, 2 120mm and 1 140mm. Silence is fairly important to me.

[tomas710]

Yeah, I will go with that setup, using be quiet! SilentWings 2 fans, 2 120mm and 1 140mm. Silence is fairly important to me.

ok, cool, was in case you needed some sugestions but, those fans are awesome.

[Bob Jim]

ok, cool, was in case you needed some sugestions but, those fans are awesome.

Sorry to bother you, one last thing. The White Prodigy M is by far the best looking, but the Black front panel is full mesh whereas the others are just solid with intakes around the side (google them). Do you think I should sacrifice some looks and also order a black front panel with mesh? Or not? The PSU intake fan is there, so I don't want that overheating.

[tomas710]

Sorry to bother you, one last thing. The White Prodigy M is by far the best looking, but the Black front panel is full mesh whereas the others are just solid with intakes around the side (google them). Do you think I should sacrifice some looks and also order a black front panel with mesh? Or not? The PSU intake fan is there, so I don't want that overheating.

I don't think it matters, PSUs don't need that much airflow, and one thing case makers can't fuck up  is the cooling of the PSU, i'm sure both the mesh or the side vents will provide enough air, choose the color you like.