AF120 Fans Efficiency on a Push/ Pull AIO Setup

[ZOOM-]

Hello, everyone.

I read around here that the Corsair SP fans are more suited to be installed on a radiator. Unfortunately, I have not done my homework as thoroughly as perhaps I should have... still not the end of the world. I got myself a Kraken X52 AIO, alongside with a pack of a couple of AF120 fans.
I intend on using the fans that come with the AIO, specially now that I know that the AFs alone wouldn't be enough for good/ desired performance.
My question is -- Would it be worth it to include them on the radiator in addition to the two 120mm fans that come with it? Would they help at all on a Push/ Pull setup?

Apologies for any misconception about Liquid Cooling. I'm new to this.
Thanks in advance.

 

[velocityg4]

Performance will be pretty bad. The AF120 have poor performance with high static pressure. You may just end up circulating air. Air being being drawn through the fan blades and blown back out the sides of the blades.

- At 1.0 mmH20 pressure. The AF120 have virtually no airflow.
- At 1.0 mmH20 pressure. The SP120 is still doing around 40 CFM. It doesn't give up until over 3.2 mmH2O.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/9737/the-corsair-sp140-led-af140-led-sp120-af120-fan-review/4

You are better off using the AF120 for case fans (although performance will suffer a lot if your case is filtered). Then use the original fans which came with the Kraken.

Personally, I would not touch a high airflow low static pressure fan unless I had an open case. You can depend on a good quality high static pressure fan to deliver plenty of air without fretting too much about possible restrictions.

 

[ZOOM-]

Performance will be pretty bad. The AF120 have poor performance with high static pressure. You may just end up circulating air. Air being being drawn through the fan blades and blown back out the sides of the blades.

- At 1.0 mmH20 pressure. The AF120 have virtually no airflow.
- At 1.0 mmH20 pressure. The SP120 is still doing around 40 CFM. It doesn't give up until over 3.2 mmH2O.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/9737/the-corsair-sp140-led-af140-led-sp120-af120-fan-review/4

You are better off using the AF120 for case fans (although performance will suffer a lot if your case is filtered). Then use the original fans which came with the Kraken.

Personally, I would not touch a high airflow low static pressure fan unless I had an open case. You can depend on a good quality high static pressure fan to deliver plenty of air without fretting too much about possible restrictions.

I see. I ordered a new case, a Noctis 450 and I have no idea which fans come in it. I know there are 4 fans total, 3 which are 120 that I could use if they'd be any good for the job in addition to the 2 that come with Kraken. Highly doubt it though...
And yes, the case will be filtered, so I have no idea what to do with these now if they won't even help in a Push/ Pull working together with the ones that come with Kraken.
What if I put them on the Push side? Would that be no good either?

 

[nukemaster]

It may be worth giving it a shot. What do you have to loose.

I know the NF S12's(air flow) do perform worse than the P12s(pressure) on a radiator in my testing, but I was surprised that it was not THAT much worse. Maybe my heat source was not hot enough.

Filters DO hurt all fans performance wise(a compromise one has to make).

 

[ZOOM-]

It may be worth giving it a shot. What do you have to loose.

I know the NF S12's(air flow) do perform worse than the P12s(pressure) on a radiator in my testing, but I was surprised that it was not THAT much worse. Maybe my heat source was not hot enough.

Filters DO hurt all fans performance wise(a compromise one has to make).

Hmm... makes sense, yeah.
I mean it's the first time I'm doing this so clearly I have not researched enough. I'm considering trying to send these back to get a pack of a couple SPs. But trying to get my head around the physics of this, maybe putting them on the Push side (aka the "ceiling" of the case) wouldn't be too bad as the default fans done all the hard work Pulling through the radiator fins? I mean, all the AFs would have to do would be Push that air out, right? I might be so wrong...

Comforting to know that. I really don't want to get rid of filters.

 

[nukemaster]

SPs are a better(static pressure) fan than the AF for this.

I only did this test because I had the fans already and wanted to see how much difference I got(I also used a 2 different Silverstone branded globe fans.). I was using a video card(gpu) not a cpu so the results may be a bit different.

 

[ZOOM-]

SPs are a better(static pressure) fan than the AF for this.

I only did this test because I had the fans already and wanted to see how much difference I got(I also used a 2 different Silverstone branded globe fans.). I was using a video card(gpu) not a cpu so the results may be a bit different.

Yeah I see what you mean. I will get SPs as soon as possible but let's say hmm... If default AIO fans work at 100% performance, then using the AFs as Push, would it help even if ever so slightly?

 

[nukemaster]

Push pull does generally help performance(how much depends on various factors).

I never used it on by video card in the end because of space concerns and temperatures that fell so far under stock, that I just did not need it.

 

[Corsair Nick]

AF series fans will be fine for additional airflow in and out of the case on spots without a radiator installed. Otherwise SP fans should be installed on a radiator. If you saw our ML series fans, they are the jack of all trades, and can be used as either a case fan or a radiator fan.

 

[ZOOM-]

AF series fans will be fine for additional airflow in and out of the case on spots without a radiator installed. Otherwise SP fans should be installed on a radiator. If you saw our ML series fans, they are the jack of all trades, and can be used as either a case fan or a radiator fan.

Thought so. After further consideration I decided to send back my AFs and got SPs here with me today awaiting installation. I did buy an ML fan but it is for the exhaust at the back of the case. Might get 3 more of these for the front of the case later on.