Airflow and Overheating Issue With CPU Cooler

[iRealizedKing]

I have just completed installing a new Power Supply to my system and have neatly done cable management to my System. I also installed a custom after-market CPU cooler for my system. Its an Arctic Freezer A11. Whilst playing games I am having a slight issue with overheating. After installing the after-market cooler, the CPU temperatures are higher than with the stock cooler which is unusual, and during gameplay, with games like BF4 and Sleeping Dogs, the CPU region of the motherboard & case becomes increasingly heated, and I believe I have identified the problem. I have 1 Intake fan at the front of my Zalman T3 case and 1 BeQuiet exhaust fan at the back of my case. Problem is the CPU cooler's fan is directly up behind the Exhaust fan, and is serving as an intake for the CPU's heatsink. However the Exhast fan is pushing air out of the case in the opposite direction, creating a "blank" air space between the two fans and lowering the system's ability to exhaust hot air out of the case. I would flip the CPU cooler round but the Fan is large and obstructs my 2x4GB Vengeance Ram Cards. What can I do to solve this other than buy a new CPU Heatsink. Would turning the Exhaust fan into an intake harm the system? I have provided images and diagrams for my build below:

http://i.imgur.com/Vsx89j5.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/EL7Gowx.jpg

 

[kanewolf]

The fan on the CPU cooler should be on the RAM side of the cooler blowing to the back of the case.

 

[iRealizedKing]

The fan on the CPU cooler should be on the RAM side of the cooler blowing to the back of the case.

Yeah I thought so too, But thats an issue with this motherboard because the CPU cooler fan knocks the RAM sticks out of the slots. What if i made the rear fan an intake, and turned the side panel into an exhaust? Or made the front an exhaust?

 

[kanewolf]

Are there vents in the top? If you had the rear as an intake the pressure would naturally exit the top.

 

[iRealizedKing]

Are there vents in the top? If you had the rear as an intake the pressure would naturally exit the top.

No unfortunately there are not vents at the top. ( Accident for making your comment a solution 😀 ).

 

[iRealizedKing]

The side-panel fans are directly on top of the cooler so that wouldnt work out unless I chose one spot down on the side panel too.

 

[kanewolf]

Are there vents in the top? If you had the rear as an intake the pressure would naturally exit the top.

No unfortunately there are not vents at the top. ( Accident for making your comment a solution 😀 ).

You can unselect best answer. Can you position the fan on the RAM side but slid UP on the cooler so that some of the fan is sticking up above the cooler?

 

[iRealizedKing]

Are there vents in the top? If you had the rear as an intake the pressure would naturally exit the top.

No unfortunately there are not vents at the top. ( Accident for making your comment a solution 😀 ).

You can unselect best answer. Can you position the fan on the RAM side but slid UP on the cooler so that some of the fan is sticking up above the cooler?

Thats actually a good idea, Ill see whether the fan allows for this and ill report back.

 

[iRealizedKing]

I was only able to lift the fan so high before it fell off the heatsink.

 

[kanewolf]

OK after looking at your picture closer, I think you will need to rotate the entire heat sink 180. There is a notch that the fan fits into on the side you have the fan mounted. Wouldn't that notch need to be on the RAM side to mount the fan on that side?

 

[iRealizedKing]

OK after looking at your picture closer, I think you will need to rotate the entire heat sink 180. There is a notch that the fan fits into on the side you have the fan mounted. Wouldn't that notch need to be on the RAM side to mount the fan on that side?

Dont worry about it Kanewolf, I found a solution. I turned the heatsink 180 as you suggested and I was able to put the fan on the RAM side of the heatsink with air ushing out the back of the case by removing the RAM stick covers and replacing them with low profile ones I found lying around. Then I just slightly lifted the CPU Fan up just before it touches the side panel and TADA ! Temperatures are excellent. Thanks alot!

 

[kanewolf]

OK after looking at your picture closer, I think you will need to rotate the entire heat sink 180. There is a notch that the fan fits into on the side you have the fan mounted. Wouldn't that notch need to be on the RAM side to mount the fan on that side?

Dont worry about it Kanewolf, I found a solution. I turned the heatsink 180 as you suggested and I was able to put the fan on the RAM side of the heatsink with air ushing out the back of the case by removing the RAM stick covers and replacing them with low profile ones I found lying around. Then I just slightly lifted the CPU Fan up just before it touches the side panel and TADA ! Temperatures are excellent. Thanks alot!

Glad I could help a little.

 

[iRealizedKing]

OK after looking at your picture closer, I think you will need to rotate the entire heat sink 180. There is a notch that the fan fits into on the side you have the fan mounted. Wouldn't that notch need to be on the RAM side to mount the fan on that side?

Dont worry about it Kanewolf, I found a solution. I turned the heatsink 180 as you suggested and I was able to put the fan on the RAM side of the heatsink with air ushing out the back of the case by removing the RAM stick covers and replacing them with low profile ones I found lying around. Then I just slightly lifted the CPU Fan up just before it touches the side panel and TADA ! Temperatures are excellent. Thanks alot!

Glad I could help a little.

Are you able to help with this? : http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/answers/id-2605170/asrock-fm2a55m-support-pin-fan-control.html

 

[madmatt30]

You could have just kept the cooler the way it was but reversed the fan on it so it was pulling air away from the heatsink.
But sorted now so all good.

 

[iRealizedKing]

You could have just kept the cooler the way it was but reversed the fan on it so it was pulling air away from the heatsink.
But sorted now so all good.

I see where your coming from but I couldn't do that because the fan isn't interchangeable or reversible because there is only a railing on one side of the cooler where the fan clips onto. To change the position of the fan, you have to move the heatsink too.