Optimal cooling for this layout?

Allshevski · December 4, 2015

Hey,
I've got a small problem with my new case.
I can install 3 fans (1x 80mm and 2x 120mm) and don't know what will give me the best results.

I can put 2 51 cfm 120mm ones in blow direction and one tiny high speed 37 CFM 80mm to suck everything out, but will the 80mm be even useful when 2 120mm are blowing that hard?

Or put the 80mm and bottom 120mm to blow and top 120mm to take the hot air out? That is possibly the best solution but then I should probably reverse the cpu fan so instead of blowing into the radiator it sucks air through it.. Does it change performance? And won't the PSU take all fresh air from 80mm and just throw it outside?

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

Oh, and here is my masterpiece

Enderman · December 4, 2015

no, you want the fans on the side to blow in the same direction

leave them as intakes

the 80mm fan will help pull hot air out the case

if its too loud for you then just run it slow or remove it, it wont have much of an impact

are there no fans in the front of your case?

i would put some additional ones there if i were you

Drakthorn9935 · December 4, 2015

Keep in mind when cooling that heat rises, what I would do is leave your 80mm as exhaust under your PSU there, and get some kind of intake fan in the front there (assuming thats where you'd place your two 120mm fans). Any other fans on the side or bottom of the case should be intake and on top that's entirely up to you whether you want it intake or exhaust. In your situation I'd probably do exhaust on top since you only have an 80mm in the back.

Whichever best fits your set up man, just remember intake through front, exhaust through the back.

EDIT: Jk i see where you put your 120mm fans, oops... see if you can move those fans to the front, or if you can get fans for the front. If thats not possible, keep the fans on the side as intake and the 80mm in the back as exhaust.

Allshevski · December 4, 2015

Okay, thanks, I see your point. Unfortunately the case was too cheap to include fan tray in the front so I must live only with this... And I know that having an exhaust is always better than nothing, but won't the fan blades stop the air from getting out? I mean, it's over 100 CFM intake and 37 exhaust so that is 60 left and pushing... Or is this cooling a little overkill for just gtx 960 and i5 4460?

LogicalDrm · December 5, 2015

Okay, thanks, I see your point. Unfortunately the case was too cheap to include fan tray in the front so I must live only with this... And I know that having an exhaust is always better than nothing, but won't the fan blades stop the air from getting out? I mean, it's over 100 CFM intake and 37 exhaust so that is 60 left and pushing... Or is this cooling a little overkill for just gtx 960 and i5 4460?

You are making this too complicated. For now, just leave whole CFM thing out of equation. Your PSU will act as exhaust by itself. I'd add rear 80mm to exhaust also since stock CPU cooler is blowing air down and all around, like GPU cooler.

You say front is mesh without fan holes? Could you ziptie fan there? It would really help GPU cooling.

Allshevski · December 5, 2015

You are making this too complicated. For now, just leave whole CFM thing out of equation. Your PSU will act as exhaust by itself. I'd add rear 80mm to exhaust also since stock CPU cooler is blowing air down and all around, like GPU cooler.

You say front is mesh without fan holes? Could you ziptie fan there? It would really help GPU cooling.

Thanks, but I've found an easiest solution, another case ^^ It is $20, looks good and have excellent airflow. I plan to put 140mm intake in front and 120mm exhaust, maybe add second intake on the side to keep graphic card cool.