NZXT S340 elite 'bad' airflow?

[TheArcadian]

Hi everyone,

 

I was finishing up planning a future pc build, checking all the measurements, component compatibilities, ... I eventually found out that there were a lot of mixed opinions on the airflow of the NZXT S340 elite. The general opinion seemd to be that the airflow is 'not that bad, but not that great either', which is 'super helpful'. Since I am planning to OC the cpu (I7 8086K) and use the Corsair H110i AIO cooler, temperatures will be impacted if the airflow is 'not that great'. Same problem with the AIO mounting, some people report having problems mounting the cooler.

 

So now I'm checking out the Fractal design meshify c, which does seem to have better airflow (not sure on the clearance of the H110i in the case yet). I also like the fact that it has more room for fans on top in the case.

 

My question really is, is if the NZXT s340 elite does indeed have bad airflow, and if the meshify C would be a better option?

 

Extra information that might have an impact:

PSU: Seasonic Focus plus gold 850W (clearance should be okay for both cases)

GPU: probably a 1080ti / rtx 2080 (still looking around)

 

Thanks in advance!

[79wjd]

I'd say the airflow issue is wildly overblown. I have the OG H440, which was also notorious for 'bad airflow', and sure -- it probably led to temps that were 5-10º higher in Prime95, but that's rarely going to ever limit overclockability in real world usages.

[jiyeon]

As an owner of a normal NZXT S340, the airflow issue really isn't as bad as it seems. I use static pressure fans at the front so there's probably where my setup right. I ran my PC without the front panel - because the front panel is the culprit of 'poor airflow' - and I only ever saw temperature dips of 5ºC on the CPU and the graphics card at most without the front panel on.

[Jurrunio]

If there's airflow issue, blame the front panel

[AidenBear]

I'm building in an S340 Elite right now and the reason I chose it over the Meshify C is aesthetics. I'm not sure about the front panel mesh design that the meshify C has and because I have an I5-8500 and I won't be overclocking, it wasn't worth choosing what I think is a worse looking case just for temperatures that are a few degrees lower. With an AIO in the front and the two fans that come with the case in stock exhaust configuration, you will be completely fine with the S340 elite. If you want lower temperatures and like the look of the Meshify C better, then obviously choose that. If you get the S340 Elite be careful with the front panel, I took it off and one of the connector clips snapped. It still mounts fine as there are 5 others though.

[WoodenMarker]

11 minutes ago, 79wjd said:

I'd say the airflow issue is wildly overblown. I have the OG H440, which was also notorious for 'bad airflow', and sure -- it probably led to temps that were 5-10º higher in Prime95, but that's rarely going to ever limit overclockability in real world usages.

The H440 has much worse airflow than the S340.

 

You can see how the S340 Elite compares to the Meshify C's airflow here: https://www.gamersnexus.net/hwreviews/3061-fractal-meshify-c-review-vs-define-c

I'd call the S340's airflow average or below average but it's just relative to other cases. 

[AidenBear]

10 minutes ago, WoodenMarker said:

The H440 has much worse airflow than the S340.

 

You can see how the S340 Elite compares to the Meshify C's airflow here: https://www.gamersnexus.net/hwreviews/3061-fractal-meshify-c-review-vs-define-c

I'd call the S340's airflow average or below average but it's just relative to other cases. 

I believe he tested it with the stock fan configuration which is 2 exhaust fans. Moving the top exhaust fan to the front would almost certainly make thermals better. Even in stock configuration thermals aren't bad at all.

[TheArcadian]

18 hours ago, AidenBear said:

I'm building in an S340 Elite right now and the reason I chose it over the Meshify C is aesthetics. I'm not sure about the front panel mesh design that the meshify C has and because I have an I5-8500 and I won't be overclocking, it wasn't worth choosing what I think is a worse looking case just for temperatures that are a few degrees lower. With an AIO in the front and the two fans that come with the case in stock exhaust configuration, you will be completely fine with the S340 elite. If you want lower temperatures and like the look of the Meshify C better, then obviously choose that. If you get the S340 Elite be careful with the front panel, I took it off and one of the connector clips snapped. It still mounts fine as there are 5 others though.

@AidenBear I did check out the meshify c a bit more, and although I like the aesthetics, the case might not be a great choice, because the internal width is around 340mm. With the h110i (rad 27mm + 25mm fans), I probably would only have around max 288mm clearance for a graphics card. I don't really know if that would be quite enough. The NZXT S340 elite offers much more internal space in that regard. (Also tnx for the heads-up with the front panel, I'll extra careful if I decide to build in the S340 elite).

18 hours ago, WoodenMarker said:

You can see how the S340 Elite compares to the Meshify C's airflow here: https://www.gamersnexus.net/hwreviews/3061-fractal-meshify-c-review-vs-define-c

I'd call the S340's airflow average or below average but it's just relative to other cases. 

@WoodenMarker In the comparison it does indeed seem to be described as average or below average, because of the lack of a side grill for better air intake. The airflow doesn't come out as such a big problem though. The Meshify C does indeed come out better, but as I mentioned previously, the gpu clearance of max 288mm might be a downside.

 

Seems like the NZXT S340 elite is a better choice over the FD meshify c (despite the better airflow). I do like to have some extra options, so is there any case anyone would recommend that has better airflow than the S340 elite, while still having enough clearance for an H110I and a gpu?

[WoodenMarker]

7 hours ago, TheArcadion said:

In the comparison it does indeed seem to be described as average or below average, because of the lack of a side grill for better air intake. The airflow doesn't come out as such a big problem though. The Meshify C does indeed come out better, but as I mentioned previously, the gpu clearance of max 288mm might be a downside.

Seems like the NZXT S340 elite is a better choice over the FD meshify c (despite the better airflow). I do like to have some extra options, so is there any case anyone would recommend that has better airflow than the S340 elite, while still having enough clearance for an H110I and a gpu?

Are you set on using the H110i? If you use a 240mm rad, it can fit at the top and allow better airflow for the graphics card which is generally more sensitive to temps than the cpu. 

[Gedgn]

Most users on this forum are inexperienced, the S340 is not airflow optimized, it could be used for an average config, but not an OC'd one like you plan to. 1080s run very hot. The only NZXT case that has good airflow is the H700.

 

 

 

Also you don't need a 850W PSU. Go with the Seasonic Focus Plus Gold 550W.

20 hours ago, TheArcadion said:

 

 

[TheArcadian]

1 hour ago, WoodenMarker said:

Are you set on using the H110i? If you use a 240mm rad, it can fit at the top and allow better airflow for the graphics card which is generally more sensitive to temps than the cpu. 

@WoodenMarker I'm not yet set on the 280mm, so that's something that can still be changed. I'm going with a asus Z370-f rog strix and 2x G.skill tridentz rgb, so top mounting might pose some problems, as the mobo heatsinks and ram stick out quite a bit. What would you recommend for 240mm in this scenario?

 

56 minutes ago, Gedgn said:

Most users on this forum are inexperienced, the S340 is not airflow optimized, it could be used for an average config, but not an OC'd one like you plan to. 1080s run very hot. The only NZXT case that has good airflow is the H700.

 

Also you don't need a 850W PSU. Go with the Seasonic Focus Plus Gold 550W.

 

@Gedgn Sadly enough, the H700 is a bit out of my price range  The 850W might have been a bit overkill indeed, but I'm planning on future-proofing this build. I'm going to use it as a NAS/Mediacenter + normal pc for programming/virtualization (I'm an IT student). The reason for having such a high wattage psu is because I'll have 3*2TB 7200RPM HDD's, 2 in raid 1 for the NAS and 1 for personal use, 2 monitors and an OC'd cpu + a decent gpu. This all will draw some serious power from the wall. I checked with several wattage calculators and most come out with 550-600W. I might drop to 650W, because if I decide to add another hdd later on, 550W might not cut it.

[WoodenMarker]

2 minutes ago, TheArcadion said:

@WoodenMarker I'm not yet set on the 280mm, so that's something that can still be changed. I'm going with a asus Z370-f rog strix and 2x G.skill tridentz rgb, so top mounting might pose some problems, as the mobo heatsinks and ram stick out quite a bit. What would you recommend for 240mm in this scenario?

Yeah, top mounting would be a problem with that ram but there are other cases that have more height like the Cooler Master H500 that would perform pretty well with a top 240mm exhaust. https://www.gamersnexus.net/guides/3084-cooler-master-h500p-radiator-placement-guide

The H100i Pro is good. If you're not as concerned with noise or want to use your own fans, the H100i v2 is also good if it's cheaper.

[Gedgn]

1 hour ago, TheArcadion said:

@WoodenMarker I'm not yet set on the 280mm, so that's something that can still be changed. I'm going with a asus Z370-f rog strix and 2x G.skill tridentz rgb, so top mounting might pose some problems, as the mobo heatsinks and ram stick out quite a bit. What would you recommend for 240mm in this scenario?

 

@Gedgn Sadly enough, the H700 is a bit out of my price range  The 850W might have been a bit overkill indeed, but I'm planning on future-proofing this build. I'm going to use it as a NAS/Mediacenter + normal pc for programming/virtualization (I'm an IT student). The reason for having such a high wattage psu is because I'll have 3*2TB 7200RPM HDD's, 2 in raid 1 for the NAS and 1 for personal use, 2 monitors and an OC'd cpu + a decent gpu. This all will draw some serious power from the wall. I checked with several wattage calculators and most come out with 550-600W. I might drop to 650W, because if I decide to add another hdd later on, 550W might not cut it.

Wattage calculators are crap, don't use them. Take what the calculator gives you and cut it in half. A good 550W PSU will handle everything just fine. Only real reason to go with more than 550W is for dual GPU setups, even then those are pointless.

 

 

As for the case, have a look at the Phanteks Pro M Special Edition, very roomy for many applications, server etc.. Or look at my signature.

[TheArcadian]

11 minutes ago, Gedgn said:

As for the case, have a look at the Phanteks Pro M Special Edition, very roomy for many applications, server etc.. Or look at my signature.

@Gedgn I was looking around for some other cases, but then: Phanteks Pro M SE <-- This case; Wow (price is a bit less wow, but still). The fact that it has good airflow, fits a front 280mm rad and has room for future expansion, are big plusses for me, which more than make up the price, which isn't that bad either. The more simpler design is also something I like.

1 hour ago, WoodenMarker said:

Yeah, top mounting would be a problem with that ram but there are other cases that have more height like the Cooler Master H500 that would perform pretty well with a top 240mm exhaust. https://www.gamersnexus.net/guides/3084-cooler-master-h500p-radiator-placement-guide

The H100i Pro is good. If you're not as concerned with noise or want to use your own fans, the H100i v2 is also good if it's cheaper.

@WoodenMarker The H500 would have been a great choice, but this trend of 'gamery/more extreme' looks is something I don't really like in pc cases. That was also the case for the H500. Still, thank you for all the alternative suggestions!

 

I'll cut down a bit on the psu, as it was overkill, so that also makes up for the price increase for the case. Everyone, thank you for all the help, advice and recommendations! You really helped me out here!  

[john3m]

I run a 240mm AOI in the front panel with Corsair MagLev fans pulling air in. Day to day airflow is not bad, however your fans will be working overtime if the cpu is kicking out heat for any extended amount of time. That is unless you remove the front panel in which noise levels are greatly reduced. It's also worth noting I am running Ryzen 1700x with fan software that quickly ramps the fans up after 65 degrees. Overall it is a nice case, however if you want to keep the looks and have a quite system you may want to look elsewhere.