120mm vs 200mm fan & CPU cooler confusion

[Usman Aly]

Hi there guys,
Sorry for a lengthy post.

I went through a lot of 120mm vs 200mm fan debates on forums. I find it hard to come to a conclusion because one thread tends to lean toward 120mm & the other to 200mm. Some says 120mm is better & some says 200mm is better. Now I thought I'll just put in my situation & need here to get your opinions so I can figure out what is good for me. Also I need some answers related to CPU coolers.

Now my situation is I put a lot of stress on my system. Like video editing, 3D rendering & games. Right now I have only two 120mm chasis fan and I am planning to add more because at idle my temps stays between 30c to 40c all around the motherboard while the ambient/environment temps are below 30c. I have multiple sensors in my motherboard so I can monitor CPU, Vcore, Vcore(back), Dram, PCH, PCIE1 & PCIE2 temps. When I put load on my PC my CPU temp goes to 70c-90c and the rest of temps jumps between 40c to 50c. I know this isn't good that is why I am planning to add more fans & a CPU cooler. Now back to my question which is good for me?

Options for fans I have
CM sickleflow X (120mm) life expectancy is 160,000 hrs & have a flow of 69.69 cfm. Power 4.2W.
CM Megaflow (200mm) life expectany is 30,000 hrs & have a flow of 110 cfm. Power 3.36W.

Options for CPU cooler
Noctua NH-U14S available only at one place for $160+,
CM hyper 612 v2 available for $50+
CM Hyper 212x available for $50+
CM Hyper D92 available for $44+

1. I have 4 hard drive so what is best on front 1 x 200mm or 2 x 120mm.
2. Top for exhaust 1 x 200mm or 2 x 120mm?
3. I'll put my current fans on side & back when I purchase new one so you can ignore side & back.
5. If I go with Noctua NH-U14S. Does it worth the extra month they are asking for?

If you ask my opinion I am leaning toward sickflow X & hyper 212x.

My system specs are
Asus z87 gryphon Mobo
Intel Processor i7 4770k (Speed 3.50 to 3.75)
Corsair vengeance Ram 16Gb DDR3 1600 MHz
GPU Asus strix GTX 960 4Gb
Samsung DVD/RW 24x
SSD 120 Kingston V300 Primary
HDD 500 Seagate Primary + Secondary
HDD 2TB WD Black Secondary
HDD 4TB Seagate Barracuda Secondary
PSU 450W CM thunder
Case/Chasis CM HAF 912

 

[geofelt]

The Intel stock cooler is ok for stock operation, but not good and noisy under high load.
Most any good air cooler will do the job.
My suggestion would be a Noctua NH-U12s. The NH-U14s is tops, but pricey and not really necessary.
Hyper612 might be the best of the rest. and would do the job.

What you want to focus on is front intake airflow.
Two front 120mm intakes will do the job.
A single 200mm intake will also do the job.
If you care about quiet, a 200mm fan will push air at lower rpm and consequent noise.

You want a filter for the front intakes.
If all intake air is filtered, your case will stay clean.

I would start by relocating the rear 120mm fan to the front and see how you do.
Whatever is drawn in from the front will exit somewhere and take heat with it.
At most, use a slower 120mm as exhaust to direct airflow.
If exhaust is too strong, it will draw in unfiltered air from nearby openings.

Now, if your airflow is not sufficient, you can replace the intakes with higher rpm versions or a good 200mm fan.

At idle, I expect any cooler to show 10-15c. over ambient.
Under load, I would not be alarmed if your cpu was around 70c, and your graphics card was 80c.

FWIW, my case uses a single 180mm fan as intake, and it is set to low speed at that.

 

[Isokolon]

I'd go with a 200mm front intake. I had 1x120mm in my old case, now 1x200mm and it's just so convenient! the whole case is a lot quieter since a 200mm fan usually spins between 300-700rpm while the 120mm fans start at 800rpm often and accelerate up to 1500 or 2000rpm which creates significant noise and vibration

I'd put 1x200mm in front, 1x120mm at the back and maybe 1x120mm at the side. that's usually all that's needed, you can however use 1x120mm as top exhaust as well.

 

[CountMike]

For same airflow, larger fans tend to run slower and because of that are quieter, that's just in general, things like that vary buy manufacturer and model.
Of those coolers, Noctua is the best, CM 612 is way better than 212 and d92, because it's much smaller, only if you must use because of case depth.
Life expectancy is pretty arbitrary, manufacturer can write what they want.

 

[Usman Aly]

The Intel stock cooler is ok for stock operation, but not good and noisy under high load.
Most any good air cooler will do the job.
My suggestion would be a Noctua NH-U12s. The NH-U14s is tops, but pricey and not really necessary.
Hyper612 might be the best of the rest. and would do the job.

What you want to focus on is front intake airflow.
Two front 120mm intakes will do the job.
A single 200mm intake will also do the job.
If you care about quiet, a 200mm fan will push air at lower rpm and consequent noise.

You want a filter for the front intakes.
If all intake air is filtered, your case will stay clean.

I would start by relocating the rear 120mm fan to the front and see how you do.
Whatever is drawn in from the front will exit somewhere and take heat with it.
At most, use a slower 120mm as exhaust to direct airflow.
If exhaust is too strong, it will draw in unfiltered air from nearby openings.

Now, if your airflow is not sufficient, you can replace the intakes with higher rpm versions or a good 200mm fan.

At idle, I expect any cooler to show 10-15c. over ambient.
Under load, I would not be alarmed if your cpu was around 70c, and your graphics card was 80c.

FWIW, my case uses a single 180mm fan as intake, and it is set to low speed at that.

Noise is not the issue for me to some extent. I live in a place which is already a bit noisy.

Sorry just rechecked the prices NH-U14S is $160+ & NH-U12S is $140+. Is it okay to spend this much.

Was going through the reviews of hyper 612 people are saying it is not good which is confusing me more. Plus it is very big. I'll have to consider the ram height too.

which will be better performance wise 120mm or 200mm because I am considering better performance on budget right now.

HAF 912 already have a filter on the intakes.

Will try relocating my rear fan to see if it does makes any difference.

Okay but my all temps, in the whole case are 10-15c above the ambient that is what makes me worry.

 

[Usman Aly]

I'd go with a 200mm front intake. I had 1x120mm in my old case, now 1x200mm and it's just so convenient! the whole case is a lot quieter since a 200mm fan usually spins between 300-700rpm while the 120mm fans start at 800rpm often and accelerate up to 1500 or 2000rpm which creates significant noise and vibration

I'd put 1x200mm in front, 1x120mm at the back and maybe 1x120mm at the side. that's usually all that's needed, you can however use 1x120mm as top exhaust as well.

I am talking about the 2 x 120mm not 1 x 120mm. That is what is confusing if it was 1 x 120mm vs 1 x 200mm then I would have gone with the 200mm obviously.

 

[Isokolon]

I'd go with a 200mm front intake. I had 1x120mm in my old case, now 1x200mm and it's just so convenient! the whole case is a lot quieter since a 200mm fan usually spins between 300-700rpm while the 120mm fans start at 800rpm often and accelerate up to 1500 or 2000rpm which creates significant noise and vibration

I'd put 1x200mm in front, 1x120mm at the back and maybe 1x120mm at the side. that's usually all that's needed, you can however use 1x120mm as top exhaust as well.

I am talking about the 2 x 120mm not 1 x 120mm. That is what is confusing if it was 1 x 120mm vs 1 x 200mm then I would have gone with the 200mm obviously.

2x120 is louder and more vibrating than 1x200 and should push a similar amount of air in a usual setting

 

[Usman Aly]

For same airflow, larger fans tend to run slower and because of that are quieter, that's just in general, things like that vary buy manufacturer and model.
Of those coolers, Noctua is the best, CM 612 is way better than 212 and d92, because it's much smaller, only if you must use because of case depth.
Life expectancy is pretty arbitrary, manufacturer can write what they want.

Okay I don't care about the noise to some extent. I am looking for better performance.
As far as I've seen CM 612 is bigger than 212 & D92.
Okay it means I can go with any I like.

 

[CountMike]

You'd need that Noctua only in case of large to extreme OC. I had CM 612 Evo on a FX 8350 and it was almost enough for 5GHz but not for long time. CM 212 Evo was good enough for only 4.3 - 4.4 GHz on same setup. D92 I never tried or know anybody that has it but it's only 92mm fan so.......

 

[Usman Aly]

@ Moderators I have accidentally clicked the button & choose the answer which marks my thread as solved which is not right now if you can undo it please do it.

 

[Usman Aly]

I'd go with a 200mm front intake. I had 1x120mm in my old case, now 1x200mm and it's just so convenient! the whole case is a lot quieter since a 200mm fan usually spins between 300-700rpm while the 120mm fans start at 800rpm often and accelerate up to 1500 or 2000rpm which creates significant noise and vibration

I'd put 1x200mm in front, 1x120mm at the back and maybe 1x120mm at the side. that's usually all that's needed, you can however use 1x120mm as top exhaust as well.

I am talking about the 2 x 120mm not 1 x 120mm. That is what is confusing if it was 1 x 120mm vs 1 x 200mm then I would have gone with the 200mm obviously.

2x120 is louder and more vibrating than 1x200 and should push a similar amount of air in a usual setting

What do you mean by usual setting? Can you tell me in detail. If there is similar amount of air than obviously 200mm is the winner in terms of price & power.

 

[Isokolon]

better performance is all in vain when it's overkill.
will a 3500rpm fan cool better than a 1000rpm fan? yes
will a 1000rpm fan transport enough air in your case to keep your system sufficiently cool? probably yes
will a 3500rpm fan keep the system cooler? yeah, maybe for 2-5°C.

but I can tell you I used to think like you, go for performance not noise level
this in my old rig has led to being unable to play counterstrike as my cooler would be so loud that I wouldn't be able to hear distant steps.
also the amount of air you need in your case, especially when installing a side fan anyway, is highly overrated. a single 140mm fan would do fine in most cases as front intake.

What do you mean by usual setting? Can you tell me in detail

you usually don't have your case fans @maxrpm as they simply get noisy and it's unnecessary.
for example, my 200mm fan is 810rpm max, but in idle it's around 460rpm and my temps are in the mid 30s.
when gaming heavily it usually speeds up to 550-650rpm.

for my 140mm fans it's similar. it's 1250rpm max for me but I haven't gotten over 1000rpm yet. usually somewhere around 800 rpm when gaming tops.

in that setting, the 200mm fan pushes significantly more air.
for a 120mm fan with it's limited air flow potential, 1 slow-medium fast turning 200mm fan pushes more air than 2 medium fast turning 120mm fans
also 2x120 mm is significantly louder as sound grows exponentially.

 

[Usman Aly]

You'd need that Noctua only in case of large to extreme OC. I had CM 612 Evo on a FX 8350 and it was almost enough for 5GHz but not for long time. CM 212 Evo was good enough for only 4.3 - 4.4 GHz on same setup. D92 I never tried or know anybody that has it but it's only 92mm fan so.......

No I am not in to extreme OC you can see my clock speed. I've mentioned them which is 3.50 base to 3.75 max. Okay got it so in your experience CM 612 was better.

 

[CountMike]

Yes better than 212 but that doesn't mean you can't use it, I don't know what TDP would that processor have at those frequencies.

 

[Usman Aly]

better performance is all in vain when it's overkill.
will a 3500rpm fan cool better than a 1000rpm fan? yes
will a 1000rpm fan transport enough air in your case to keep your system sufficiently cool? probably yes
will a 3500rpm fan keep the system cooler? yeah, maybe for 2-5°C.

but I can tell you I used to think like you, go for performance not noise level
this in my old rig has led to being unable to play counterstrike as my cooler would be so loud that I wouldn't be able to hear distant steps.
also the amount of air you need in your case, especially when installing a side fan anyway, is highly overrated. a single 140mm fan would do fine in most cases as front intake.

Got it what you are trying to say. I'll consider it.

 

[Usman Aly]

better performance is all in vain when it's overkill.
will a 3500rpm fan cool better than a 1000rpm fan? yes
will a 1000rpm fan transport enough air in your case to keep your system sufficiently cool? probably yes
will a 3500rpm fan keep the system cooler? yeah, maybe for 2-5°C.

but I can tell you I used to think like you, go for performance not noise level
this in my old rig has led to being unable to play counterstrike as my cooler would be so loud that I wouldn't be able to hear distant steps.
also the amount of air you need in your case, especially when installing a side fan anyway, is highly overrated. a single 140mm fan would do fine in most cases as front intake.

What do you mean by usual setting? Can you tell me in detail

you usually don't have your case fans @maxrpm as they simply get noisy and it's unnecessary.
for example, my 200mm fan is 810rpm max, but in idle it's around 460rpm and my temps are in the mid 30s.
when gaming heavily it usually speeds up to 550-650rpm.

for my 140mm fans it's similar. it's 1250rpm max for me but I haven't gotten over 1000rpm yet. usually somewhere around 800 rpm when gaming tops.

in that setting, the 200mm fan pushes significantly more air.
for a 120mm fan with it's limited air flow potential, 1 slow-medium fast turning 200mm fan pushes more air than 2 medium fast turning 120mm fans
also 2x120 mm is significantly louder as sound grows exponentially.

Okay thank you for explaining.

 

[Usman Aly]

Yes better than 212 but that doesn't mean you can't use it, I don't know what TDP would that processor have at those frequencies.

84+ W is the TDP.

 

[Usman Aly]

To sum up or to get out of my confusion. I'll say CM 612 v2 & megaflow is my best bet. What do you say guys? Plus I would like to thank you for taking your time out & answering me

I'll wait for more people to get in this conversation & try to mark it as unsolved until I decide.

 

[madmatt30]

200mm fan in the front , 120mm rear exhaust, 120mm rear top exhaust .

Take those 2 exhausts down to lower rpm or just 7v mod them.

Side fan - No wouldn't entertain one , waste of time, noisy & will interfere with a tower cooler

Case airflow isn't about pushing air in & out as fast as you can , its about keeping a steady stream of air running front to back at a constant.

What country are you in??
The prices on those noctua's is obscene!!

There are plenty of cheaper options that will do a good job

 

[CountMike]

CM doesn't list TDP for their coolers but judging by what I have experienced with them, 212 is good for 120 - 125 W, 612 for about 160W at least.

 

[Usman Aly]

200mm fan in the front , 120mm rear exhaust, 120mm rear top exhaust .

Take those 2 exhausts down to lower rpm or just 7v mod them.

Side fan - No wouldn't entertain one , waste of time, noisy & will interfere with a tower cooler

Case airflow isn't about pushing air in & out as fast as you can , its about keeping a steady stream of air running front to back at a constant.

What country are you in??
The prices on those noctua's is obscene!!

There are plenty of cheaper options that will do a good job

Okay thinking about the same configuration with one extra 120mm fan on top exhaust.

Okay will do that.

Well everyone is saying no need for a side fan so I'll think everyone is right.

That is why I was leaning toward high RPM fans to get more air in & out.

I am from Pakistan.
Yes that is why they are still in consideration otherwise I have gone with the NH-U14S or NH-U12S without considering any CM cooler.

That is why I am here to consider all the option best price for performance, best performance etc.

 

[Usman Aly]

CM doesn't list TDP for their coolers but judging by what I have experienced with them, 212 is good for 120 - 125 W, 612 for about 160W at least.

So I can pick any from Noctua to Hyper 212 except D92. I am dropping D92 from the list for now because reviews are not as good as others.

 

[CountMike]

Some dual core or ITX would probably be quite happy with a cooler with 92mm fan but that's about it.

 

[madmatt30]

Don't fill the top with exhaust fans mate , just a rear & a top rear

Putting an exhaust in the top front mount pulls air away from a tower heatsink before it gets chance to use it.

The 212 evo would manage your CPU fine BUT in all honesty the mounting system is a pain in the ass generally .

Is the deepcool gammaxx 400 available at a decent price ??
Its a good , fairly budget cooler , has a fairly easy mounting system , & outperforms the 212 by 3-5c.

 

[Usman Aly]

Some dual core or ITX would probably be quite happy with a cooler with 92mm fan but that's about it.

I think I made a right move dropping the D92