Dick Montage Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I am building up my new PC, based around a Fractal Design Arc Mini R2 case with a Corsair H100i sealed watercooling heasink and radiator. There's quite some varied options that I have seen for cooling, I've put together 3 workable solutions for me, and would appreciate some feedback on what the mass-mind at Neowin thinks is optimal. Obviously the PSU fans are immovable in this idea. Option 1: Cool air in from the front (over the GPU) and back (over the mobo/ram/processor) and hot air out of the top via the radiator. This seems to keep the "Pressure" people happy, as the same number of intakes as exhausts. I know cool air at the back is a little different, but it kinda makes sense. Option 2: Cool air in from the front (over the GPU) and and hot air out of the top via the radiator and the back. Seems more "standard" I guess. There's significantly greater exhaust than there is intake. Option 3: Cool air in from the front (over the GPU) and down through the radiator - hot air out of back. Again, the pressure is uneven, and this is non standard, but... Well the radiator is kept cool, thus the processor is kept cool. The rear should allow sufficient exhaust for hot air. Option 4: Cool air in from the front over the radiator. Hot air expelled through the top and the back. Hmmmm, different again. Keeps the radiator (and thus the CPU) cool, but there's hot airflow over the ram and mobo. Opinions please Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mindovermaster Moderator Posted February 9, 2015 Moderator Share Posted February 9, 2015 Option 2. Front fans to go in. All others, side, top, sidefans, go out. Dick Montage 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Montage Posted February 9, 2015 Author Share Posted February 9, 2015 Yeah that would be the norm. But doesn't that then imply that I am blowing hot air over the radiator? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T3X4S Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Dont over think things - you might be talking about the difference of 2-3 degrees - unless you just do a real bad job. Dick Montage 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mindovermaster Moderator Posted February 9, 2015 Moderator Share Posted February 9, 2015 You can move the radiator to the front if your case if it allows for it. Otherwise, the hot air on top is getting out. Remember heat rises? You want to get the air out of there. Air comes in through the bottom and back of most cases, so it's not all just hot air in there. Dick Montage 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Montage Posted February 10, 2015 Author Share Posted February 10, 2015 Completely agree. Just the processor if a 4ghz i7. A damned hot chip. As such cooling it is priority Number 1. So options 2 or 4 then...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mindovermaster Moderator Posted February 10, 2015 Moderator Share Posted February 10, 2015 I have an i5 3570, overclocked to 4.5, and I never get above 60 on load. Although I do have a H80i in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Static937 Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 Mine is set up like option 4 without the top fans because of lazyness/dont really need it. I have 4770k @ 4.2GHz watercooled with a corsair h105 and gpu is a GTX970. CPU stays under 60C and GPU while gaming is 55-75C depending on which fan profile I use. Dick Montage 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Montage Posted February 10, 2015 Author Share Posted February 10, 2015 So you have your radiator at the front? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Montage Posted February 10, 2015 Author Share Posted February 10, 2015 Very much looking for comments and opinions here as am building this tonight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odom Member Posted February 10, 2015 Member Share Posted February 10, 2015 I would go with Option 2: Suck in air at the front and blow out the back and up. Hot air rises, so having the fans on top blow air out makes sense to me. The fan on the CPU usually blows the air to the back, so having a fan there to blow the air out looks good for me. This would be the setup I'd go with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daedroth Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 My machine is configured like option, but swap the up arrow on the PSU to down. The main aim is to have consistent air flow, as in one direction. I'd set it up as option 4, and ensure you have good cable management inside the case, maximising the free space inside. (The more free space that isn't taken up by cables all over the place, the better) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Montage Posted February 10, 2015 Author Share Posted February 10, 2015 Hot air rises, so having the fans on top blow air out makes sense to me. Even when it means blowing hot air over the cooling radiator for a closed watercooling system? My machine is configured like option Which? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daedroth Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 Even when it means blowing hot air over the cooling radiator for a closed watercooling system? Which? Sorry, option 4. I could have sworn I typed the number 4! Clearly my brain and fingers cannot communicate correctly together. Dick Montage 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Montage Posted February 10, 2015 Author Share Posted February 10, 2015 4 would be my personal preference in all honesty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Montage Posted February 11, 2015 Author Share Posted February 11, 2015 Genuinely surprised this has only had a handful or replies. Maybe I should post about Kanye West or finding girls passed out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+E.Worm Jimmy Subscriber¹ Posted February 11, 2015 Subscriber¹ Share Posted February 11, 2015 Genuinely surprised this has only had a handful or replies. Maybe I should post about Kanye West or finding girls passed out... lots of people who would participate are in North America and just getting to work now. give it time. but yeah, not sure what else you expect. option 4 for sure. Dick Montage 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Montage Posted February 11, 2015 Author Share Posted February 11, 2015 Cheers. See Option 4 seems like a no-brainer. EXCEPT - it's not how Corsair suggest, nor how Fractal Design suggest... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Montage Posted February 12, 2015 Author Share Posted February 12, 2015 And then I find that the radiator doesn't actually fit frontwards. Doh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsupersonic Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 And then I find that the radiator doesn't actually fit frontwards. Doh Option 2 it is then. You want cool air to enter through the front and sides - this is a common setup. Dick Montage 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Montage Posted February 13, 2015 Author Share Posted February 13, 2015 Yup, already built now Went with option 2. Am going to upgrade from the corsair fans to some more Noctua ones (as the front) to match those I installed at the top. Mmmm silence! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neu B Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 Yup, already built now Went with option 2. Am going to upgrade from the corsair fans to some more Noctua ones (as the front) to match those I installed at the top. Mmmm silence! I'm sorry, but there is not enough cooler air coming in with just one intake fan. Not very efficient cooling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aergan Posted February 13, 2015 Share Posted February 13, 2015 Option 4, you want the radiator as an intake and mounting it at the top wouldn't necessarily not work but it would be inefficient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athlonite Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 I'd go for opt 2 but with one small change two fans at the front instead of just the one more cool air in is what you want Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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