Case fan optimal setup

[ValKK]

What is the optimal radiator setup, with positive air pressure in mind? seeing as the case comes with two front 200mm RGB intake fans(which i really dont want to switch), and one 140mm fan for outtake in the back, should i do the top 280mm radiator as intake or outtake in this case?

[RollinLower]

What case? The H500M? 

[Origami Cactus]

Top fans should be outtakes most of the times, because as you learned in physics lessons, hot air rises, but if you have intakes as top fans, then it starts to create a loop inside your pc, so hot air cant escape. Also radiators should be outtakes if possible, that way the cpu heat gets dumped right out of the case, not into it.

200mm fans have massive airflow, so you will be fine with top and back 140mm fans as outtakes.

[Eastman51]

Typically you want the back and top fans set to exhaust, with the front and bottom set to intake. Radiators work best as exhaust, so your radiator is best positioned at the top or back, depending on size. You could reverse this, but you'll have a problem with heat. After all, hot air rises.

[ValKK]

48 minutes ago, RollinLower said:

What case? The H500M? 

Yes, forgot to mention that.

[ValKK]

42 minutes ago, Origami Cactus said:

Top fans should be outtakes most of the times, because as you learned in physics lessons, hot air rises, but if you have intakes as top fans, then it starts to create a loop inside your pc, so hot air cant escape. Also radiators should be outtakes if possible, that way the cpu heat gets dumped right out of the case, not into it.

200mm fans have massive airflow, so you will be fine with top and back 140mm fans as outtakes.

That basic principle didn’t cross my mind at all for some reason. Thanks a bunch though, will do that. As a side note, do you think reversing the 140mm at the back to get a fresh stream to the cpu rad would be a good idea? Or should i keep it as exhaust?

[Origami Cactus]

1 minute ago, ValKK said:

That basic principle didn’t cross my mind at all for some reason. Thanks a bunch though, will do that. As a side note, do you think reversing the 140mm at the back to get a fresh stream to the cpu rad would be a good idea? Or should i keep it as exhaust?

Just keep it as an exhaust, gpu heat also needs to get dumped out.

the 200mm fans have double the airflow as 140mm ones, so it will be good.

[Eastman51]

Just now, ValKK said:

As a side note, do you think reversing the 140mm at the back to get a fresh stream to the cpu rad would be a good idea? Or should i keep it as exhaust?

Keep it as exhaust. Changing it will only disrupt your airflow. By having more exhaust than intake, your intake fans can't keep up. This causes air to get sucked in through gaps in the case panels.

[ValKK]

22 minutes ago, Origami Cactus said:

Just keep it as an exhaust, gpu heat also needs to get dumped out.

the 200mm fans have double the airflow as 140mm ones, so it will be good.

 

19 minutes ago, Eastman51 said:

Keep it as exhaust. Changing it will only disrupt your airflow. By having more exhaust than intake, your intake fans can't keep up. This causes air to get sucked in through gaps in the case panels.

Thanks a lot guys for helping a newbie out, appreciate it a lot!

[Shrepto]

Sorry, but the rate at which hot air rises inside a case cannot overcome the motion already set upon it by your fans.  Air will travel whichever direction the fans push/pull it.  Optimal fan setup is going to always be directly towards your graphics card and CPU cooler.  If you have a radiator it would be best to use it as an exhaust because if used as an intake all the heat transferred to the air coming through it will now make its way to other components in your case.

[Shrepto]

Furthermore, the number of fans doesn't necessarily create a negative or positive pressure case.  Fan size, speed, build, and obstructions are all determining factors.  If you want to test positive/negative pressure locations I suggest using incense and putting them near vent locations on your case at both idle and during a load and seeing if the smoke pulls in or gets pushed out.  Your case may have positive pressure in one location, and negative in another.

With that said, you could use the front and rear as intake and the top radiator as an exhaust or run the rear and top as exhausts and just set fan curves so that the front fans create a positive pressure environment by spinning faster, though you'll probably still have a negative pressure area under the graphics card by the PCIE slots when the GPU is under load.