Can SP fans pull?

[hollert]

I've thought about getting an AIO for my build in the Phanteks p400, where it is only possible to place the radiator in the front where there is already pretty tight airflow, due to the two small dust filters on the top and bottom of the front panel, so if a fan should be able to pull through those and the radiator I figured it would make sense to have a high pressure fan there. But as far as I've been informed, SP optimised fans are only good at pushing air, since the blades just ensure that air doesn't escape back out again.

 

So my question is, in my situation would it be better to have SP or AF optimised fans as front intake?

[WoodenMarker]

Static pressure optimized fans are usually better in push than pull but that doesn't mean they can't be good in pull -- they should still be better than airflow optimized fans for static pressure and having enough static pressure is necessary for good performance. It depends on the specific fans being compared since some 'airflow' designs can have pretty good static pressure but static pressure fans will generally be better even in pull and especially at low rpm.