Thinking of changing my fans, unsure what to change to and how many should i add. Would love some help!

[jackson6643]

Currently i have two 140mm Fractal fans on intake that came with my Fractal design arc midi r2 and one 140mm Fractal fan on exhaust at the back. I am using a SP120 for my Hyper 212x heatsink.

 

I am thinking of changing my front and back fans to improve the temperatures, what fans would you guys recommend? Would more SP120 fans do the work or should i get AF120 fans?
 

Or are there any ways i can improve my temps? I am sitting at 41 degrees at idle.

 

Thanks!

[IsaacDaGrazin]

Luke done a video in case fans about 1-2 weeks ago on LTT, I Can't upload it here but it's there.

[jackson6643]

49 minutes ago, IsaacDaGrazin said:

Luke done a video in case fans about 1-2 weeks ago on LTT, I Can't upload it here but it's there.

yeah watched it. but still unsure which fans to get to replace..

[jackson6643]

Should i get another SP120 for my front intake fans?

[LukaH]

if you are happy with the sp120 then by all means get another  I'd suggest noctua but you have to consider the color and price...

[jackson6643]

1 hour ago, LukaH said:

if you are happy with the sp120 then by all means get another  I'd suggest noctua but you have to consider the color and price...

noctua too expensive in my area
 

if SP120 works i will get more.. unsure will the AF120 be better as intake fans.

[Mattyp92]

35 minutes ago, jackson6643 said:

noctua too expensive in my area
 

if SP120 works i will get more.. unsure will the AF120 be better as intake fans.

The AF120s are better case fans, the SP120s are good for radiators and heat sinks.

[JaZoN_XD]

Which fractal fans have you got? and also what are your temps? To be honest, case fans will have nearly no impact on temperatures since you've got an aqueduct amount in the case already. If you want fans that will make a noticeable difference, they might as well be making a noticeable noise difference as well, unless you are getting some really high quality fans that can be quiet while pushing lots of air. (This is from a LOT of experience, trial and error with my fractal design r5 and a BUNCH of different fans)

[jackson6643]

Just now, JaZoN_XD said:

Which fractal fans have you got? and also what are your temps? To be honest, case fans will have nearly no impact on temperatures since you've got an aqueduct amount in the case already. If you want fans that will make a noticeable difference, they might as well be making a noticeable noise difference as well, unless you are getting some really high quality fans that can be quiet while pushing lots of air. (This is from a LOT of experience, trial and error with my fractal design r5 and a BUNCH of different fans)

I not sure which fans i got just those that came with the case. I assume is the same.

 

 

[JaZoN_XD]

3 minutes ago, jackson6643 said:

I not sure which fans i got just those that came with the case. I assume is the same.

 

 

if it's the white ones, it's probably the gp14. what about temps?

[jackson6643]

Just now, JaZoN_XD said:

if it's the white ones, it's probably the gp14. what about temps?

getting 40-41 degrees on idle average.

[JaZoN_XD]

2 minutes ago, jackson6643 said:

getting 40-41 degrees on idle average.

i see. what cpu have you got? you may also think about replacing the thermal paste. 80% of the time, idle temperatures are hugely affected by the way you mounted the cooler and also the thermal paste. If you still think it's the airflow, first try turning one of your fans off completely. (or unplug it). If currently with 2 fans, the temps are affected, then turning one of the fans off should dramatically increase load temperatures.

[jackson6643]

13 hours ago, JaZoN_XD said:

i see. what cpu have you got? you may also think about replacing the thermal paste. 80% of the time, idle temperatures are hugely affected by the way you mounted the cooler and also the thermal paste. If you still think it's the airflow, first try turning one of your fans off completely. (or unplug it). If currently with 2 fans, the temps are affected, then turning one of the fans off should dramatically increase load temperatures.

using i5-6600k. Just changed my thermal paste few days ago using arctic silver mx4 and a hyper 212x cooler.

 

Alright i will test it out. just placed an order for AF120 too.

For the exhaust fans is it good to use static pressure fans or the airflow fans?

[JaZoN_XD]

On 3/8/2016 at 2:26 AM, jackson6643 said:

using i5-6600k. Just changed my thermal paste few days ago using arctic silver mx4 and a hyper 212x cooler.

 

Alright i will test it out. just placed an order for AF120 too.

For the exhaust fans is it good to use static pressure fans or the airflow fans?

Airflow is just fine! Airflow will be quieter and more airflow than SP because there's no obstructions in the exhaust of of your computer (assuming). You would want to use SP fans when there are obstructions and restrictions in the way.

[Guest]

On 3/7/2016 at 5:50 PM, Mattyp92 said:

The AF120s are better case fans, the SP120s are good for radiators and heat sinks.

 

AF fans are fine if there is a clear airflow path. For front intake fans where you are pulling air through the mesh grill, or where there are any obstructions (Drive cages etc) then SP should perform better.

[jackson6643]

On 09/03/2016 at 6:36 AM, JaZoN_XD said:

Airflow is just fine! Airflow will be quieter and more airflow than SP because there's no obstructions in the exhaust of of your computer (assuming). You would want to use SP fans when there are obstructions and restrictions in the way.

So should i use Sp for my intake fans? They go thru a dust filter. As for my exhaust fan i guess i would use a AF one.

 

Should i add fans on top too?

[JaZoN_XD]

18 hours ago, jackson6643 said:

So should i use Sp for my intake fans? They go thru a dust filter. As for my exhaust fan i guess i would use a AF one.

 

Should i add fans on top too?

What fans do you have in your case right now? I have a pretty decent understanding of fan performance, not just their specifications... Anyway, you can consider upgrading the intakes if you want a more positive or balanced airflow. As soon as you get those higher quality AF fans installed on the back, you're going to be pushing much more air out of the case than in. If you do want to upgrade the intake, if it's just going through a dust filter/mesh panel and that's it (no harddrive cages on the back either) then you should go with another AF fan. (Doesn't have to be from Corsair! They make great fans but there are other options out there!). Get the biggest size that you can fit in it. Also, what case do you have? And do you care about noise levels?

[jackson6643]

8 hours ago, JaZoN_XD said:

What fans do you have in your case right now? I have a pretty decent understanding of fan performance, not just their specifications... Anyway, you can consider upgrading the intakes if you want a more positive or balanced airflow. As soon as you get those higher quality AF fans installed on the back, you're going to be pushing much more air out of the case than in. If you do want to upgrade the intake, if it's just going through a dust filter/mesh panel and that's it (no harddrive cages on the back either) then you should go with another AF fan. (Doesn't have to be from Corsair! They make great fans but there are other options out there!). Get the biggest size that you can fit in it. Also, what case do you have? And do you care about noise levels?

I am using Fractal Arc Midi R2 and the stock fans that came with it. It is quite noisy when i put it at full load. 

 

SP fan should fit better for intake as it goes through hard drive cages and dust mesh? Just placed an order for another SP120(Already got two) Ordered one that is non PWM how do i control the speed?

 

Planning on buying a AF140 as the exhaust fan. 

[JaZoN_XD]

9 hours ago, jackson6643 said:

I am using Fractal Arc Midi R2 and the stock fans that came with it. It is quite noisy when i put it at full load. 

 

SP fan should fit better for intake as it goes through hard drive cages and dust mesh? Just placed an order for another SP120(Already got two) Ordered one that is non PWM how do i control the speed?

 

Planning on buying a AF140 as the exhaust fan. 

Hmm this case is quite open and spacious for airflow... But I'm assuming that you don't need ALL of the drive cages right? If you can, I STRONGLY recommend you remove the upper drive cage (reference picture, if this is your case) and that will open a huge path for airflow. That way, you can get away with using only AF fans in the front. The mesh and dust filter doesn't obstruct airflow enough to the point where an SP is recommended, but since you've got them on the way already, once the fans get here, toy around with them. Set the fans to a speed that you like which is quiet and then place them on different positions in the configuration that you will have the case in, and then stick you hand behind the fans to feel the airflow. Once you feel like you've optimised which fan goes where, then finally check temperatures. I really can't guarantee that you will see better temps because the case was pretty open and airflowy to begin with and the fans were not too awful (they should have provided enough airflow to have a decent temperature anyway). I think the most important thing is the load temperatures. As long as things don't overheat while under load, you should be fine. It's slightly unfortunate that your parts will be a few degrees hotter while idle, but it really won't affect its life span at all when you consider the fact that under load, it has the potential to reach the 80s...etc.

http://www.fractal-design.com/media/b4b95178-3a07-412a-a480-2da7363e0a8a