Radiator mounting - Technical questions

[Ser James Acinonyx of Compactis]

Background story upcoming. Skip one empty line if you only want to read the main questions.

 

So, earlier this week I finally received my water cooling kit. When I went on to mount the radiator, though, I discovered I cannot fit both rad and fans on the inside, because it hits various parts on the motherboard. Thus, I had the idea of mounting the rad externally (because 1: I would rather have the rad visible than the fans, and 2: One fewer source of possible unfortunate leak inside the case).

Now, this is where most people would go the easy route and mount the radiator on the roof because it feels like the obvious choice for this. However, I began to think. When I first heard of push-pull, I immediately thought it meant airflow going in opposite directions through the fan slots (so on a 2-slot it could be both exhaust and intake, on 3-slot two intakes or two exhaust and so on). That led me to look at the fan slot on my side panel. Before I do anything possibly wrong, I would like to hear your opinions.

(Illustrations will be added and hopefully visible and clear)

 

1) Will mounting the rad on the panel with my aforementioned understanding make for good cooling, or do I risk choking the fans?

2) To begin with, I only plan to cool my GPU. Would passive cooling from a dual 120mm rad be sufficient, or will the water overheat?

 

3) Would it be fine to mount the rad on the side and with only one fan on the inside?

Thanks for any helpful advice!

(Edit: Corrected a wrong illustration)

[mikat]

1 minute ago, Ser James Acinonyx of Compactis said:

Background story upcoming. Skip one empty line if you only want to read the main questions.

 

So, earlier this week I finally received my water cooling kit. When I went on to mount the radiator, though, I discovered I cannot fit both rad and fans on the inside, because it hits various parts on the motherboard. Thus, I had the idea of mounting the rad externally (because 1: I would rather have the rad visible than the fans, and 2: One fewer source of possible unfortunate leak inside the case).

Now, this is where most people would go the easy route and mount the radiator on the roof because it feels like the obvious choice for this. However, I began to think. When I first heard of push-pull, I immediately thought it meant airflow going in opposite directions through the fan slots (so on a 2-slot it could be both exhaust and intake, on 3-slot two intakes or two exhaust and so on). That led me to look at the fan slot on my side panel. Before I do anything possibly wrong, I would like to hear your opinions.

(Illustrations will be added and hopefully visible and clear)

 

1) Will mounting the rad on the panel with my aforementioned understanding make for good cooling, or do I risk choking the fans?

2) To begin with, I only plan to cool my GPU. Would passive cooling from a dual 120mm rad be sufficient, or will the water overheat?

 

3) Would it be fine to mount the rad on the side and with only one fan on the inside?

Thanks for any helpful advice!

1) i don't think it will be very good, not many people do this

2) will be sufficient

3) yes since the water circulates through the loop

[The_Denks]

6 minutes ago, mikat said:

1) i don't think it will be very good, not many people do this

2) will be sufficient

3) yes since the water circulates through the loop

I agree with 3 except 2 fans would be optimal

[mikat]

Just now, UberGamerKing said:

I agree with 3 except 2 fans would be optimal

would be optimal, but even the R9 295X2 is cooled by a single 120 mm rad

[Rolling Potatoe]

1. Wouldnt really work, the finns would block the airflow, so the air would have to travel through the few mm or so the shroud provides, change directions 180° and then get recycled. Youd barely get any airflow/cooling.

 

2.Passive only would probably not work, for a 120mm rad you are looking at about a 15°C water/air delta with quiet fans (1000rpm or so pressure optimized) for every 200w youre putting out. 600rpm would bring you to a 25°C delta or so with very hot water, so running passive on a single 120mm rad would not go very well.

 

Edit: Didnt see it was a dual rad, might work if you got good airflow (with high water temps), but I wouldnt recommend it.

 

3. Pic doesnt work

 

Edit:now it does

 

So you have a single 120mm Opening for the fan and you plan to mount your 240mm rad there with a single fan to cool your gpu only?

Yes that would work for a single gpu, you are pretty much wasting half of the rad, but that doesnt matter much,

there is no difference in your gpu running at 55°C vs 45°C. 

[Ser James Acinonyx of Compactis]

15 minutes ago, Rolling Potatoe said:

1. Wouldnt really work, the finns would block the airflow, so the air would have to travel through the few mm or so the shroud provides, change directions 180° and then get recycled. Youd barely get any airflow/cooling.

That's what I suspected, but had to be sure.

16 minutes ago, Rolling Potatoe said:

2.Passive only would probably not work, for a 120mm rad you are looking at about a 15°C water/air delta with quiet fans (1000rpm or so pressure optimized) for every 200w youre putting out. 600rpm would bring you to a 25°C delta or so with very hot water, so running passive on a single 120mm rad would not go very well.

 

Edit: Didnt see it was a dual rad, might work if you got good airflow (with high water temps), but I wouldnt recommend it.

I am currently waiting for the GTX 1080 and 1070 release, and I'll see where I go from there. Whether or not I go for Pascal, I will see what the mounted cooler is good for and what temps my GPU will show up with. My current one as far as I know reaches a max of 81° (at very rare times 82), with its blower style cooler from Gainward, which led me to consider going for water cooling in the first place. What temps the water would reach with said card I don't know and probably won't ever, hah.

16 minutes ago, Rolling Potatoe said:

3. Pic doesnt work

 

Edit:now it does

 

So you have a single 120mm Opening for the fan and you plan to mount your 240mm rad there with a single fan to cool your gpu only?

Yes that would work for a single gpu, you are pretty much wasting half of the rad, but that doesnt matter much,

there is no difference in your gpu running at 55°C vs 45°C. 

I too did find this setup a tiny bit odd after I first thought of it, but I live by the rule of not knocking something unless it's tried or absolutely written off.