Question AIO Questions from a New PC Builder

[DoIxMegatron]

I plan on buying a 280 Arctic Liquid Freezer for the Hyte Y40. I'm going to have to put it on the side of the case on the spot where I would otherwise put 2 intake fans. How should I do the fan configuration with the aio? Should I still leave them as intake and have the 3 top fans be exhaust?

Every PC build tutorial I've watched so far deals with a top mounted radiator set to exhaust, so I'm not too sure how I should run the fans with the radiator side mounted.

 

[bill001g]

There is no right answer if you top mount the radiator or front/side mount it.

Generally if you top mount it you do exhaust if you were to front side mount it you would do intake. In one case you put hot air into the case and heat up the gpu and other components to some extent in the other the gpu heat will pass through the radiator.
It does not have to work that way it is just not common to say take air in from the top or the back of the case.

 

[CountMike]

I plan on buying a 280 Arctic Liquid Freezer for the Hyte Y40. I'm going to have to put it on the side of the case on the spot where I would otherwise put 2 intake fans. How should I do the fan configuration with the aio? Should I still leave them as intake and have the 3 top fans be exhaust?

Every PC build tutorial I've watched so far deals with a top mounted radiator set to exhaust, so I'm not too sure how I should run the fans with the radiator side mounted.

Front or side as intake. Top/back exhaust.

 

[Paperdoc]

I suggest a small change. DO put the rad and fans on the side with the fans installed for INtake of air. The case comes already fitted with an intake fan at the bottom, and an exhaust fan at the rear. Then we deal with your added exhaust fans at the top - and yes, that's where they should be. HOWEVER, I suggest you place only TWO exhaust fans at the top, in the REAR two spots - do not install a third top exhaust at the front. An exhaust fan at top front directly above the rad intake fan at top side will create an air flow "short circuit" that simply pulls all the air brought in by the top intake right out again so it does not circulate through the whole case to assist in overall cooling. As a side benefit, this will bring your fans into better balance as far a intake versus exhaust flow rates is concerned. Roughly, total max intake air flow rate should be similar to (or slightly higher than) total max exhaust air flow. The two pre-installed fans roughly match each other. The two rad intake fans may roughly match the two exhaust top ones you plan (depends on the air flow max specs of each fan). In fact, the rad intake fans' max real air flow will be a bit less that their specs because of the resistance to air flow offered by the rad itself, but that is unavoidable. But doing it this way will get you close to balance. If a third exhaust fan were at top front, the impact on total case air flow would be similar to NOT having that fan and NOT having the top rad fan, reducing total air flow through the case. This would be somewhat like having one intake and two top exhausts, an unbalanced arrangement for sure.

To be clear, a third top exhaust fan would NOT reduce the effectiveness of the rad system for cooling the CPU, but it WOULD impact air flow and cooling of everything else in the case.