[SOLVED] Are static pressure fans good as a complete case fan solution?

[fishbuster23]

I recently bought some static pressure fans off U mart and I am wondering if they will do as good a job as big airflow fans in my case.

 

[Phaaze88]

Generally speaking, yes.
Big airflow fans are just that: airflow fans. They make for poor intake fans. If one does make use of them for intake, open mesh has to be used.

Airflow and big airflow fans make for great exhausts.

 

[Karadjgne]

Can depend a lot on the case. In my mITX, it's very crowded, and extremely tiny (think size 10 shoebox small), so static fans work great, much better than airflow fans.

It's a matter of need really. Cfm is just the volume of air moved, SP is how hard that volume is moved. So SP can be very good as low intake, they'll get the air moved to the gpu, even if it's less cfm than a cfm fan, except a higher % gets there.

But when using a top mounted aio, many times it's cfm that's better, flood the case and let the aio fans do the work. Same for the more specialty airflow cases like the Fractal design meshify C, 3x intakes, 1x exhaust, enclosed. Flood the case, let the exhaust move the air.

Most cases benefit from a more balanced design at intake, higher sp than a airflow fan, higher cfm than a sp fan. The old Noctua NF-P12 is a good example, as is its successor, the A12x25.

 

[fishbuster23]

So would it be a good idea to buy an airflow fan or two for exhaust?

 

[Phaaze88]

So would it be a good idea to buy an airflow fan or two for exhaust?

Depends on a number of factors.
Rear exhaust: AF fan, max size supported.

Top exhaust: AF fan, also depends on the cpu cooler, and how many fans - as well as size - are supported
A)If you have a top-down area cooler, you could do like 2 or 3 120/140mm up top - if the chassis supports that many, or 1 or 2 200mm(if supported).
B)If a tower cooler, you should avoid placing top exhaust 'ahead' of the cooler's first/front fan. That will only serve to pointlessly draw cool air out when it could go to the cooler instead. Seal off the unused fan slot(s) to keep cool air from escaping.

Front intake: SP, 120/140mm. Only go for 200mm if your chassis supports it and has an open mesh front panel.

 

[fishbuster23]

I am using an NZXT H510 case. I have bought a 3 pack of SP fans. Is that OK? And how many AF fans should I buy?

 

[Phaaze88]

I am using an NZXT H510 case. I have bought a 3 pack of SP fans. Is that OK? And how many AF fans should I buy?

NZXT's H500 series is unique.
If air cooling only, the stock setup of top and rear exhaust is the best. Adding fans in the front is worse overall; a bit of a waste to add fans here.

This changes with liquid coolers. The front should be reserved for a 240/280mm liquid cooler on the hottest component between the cpu and gpu - for most gaming PCs, that's going to be the gpu.
A little 120mm should be set as either top or rear exhaust.

 

[fishbuster23]

should I not replace the stock NZXT fans with my new ones?

 

[Karadjgne]

That's entirely up to you. You are probably under the impression that because the fans are 'stock', they suck. They are actually very good fans, you didn't spend $70 for a cheap pos case. You bought a very good case that comes with very good fans. Nzxt, Phanteks, Fractal Design, Silverstone etc, many of the better built cases have very decent fans

I ran my nzxt fans 24hrs a day, 7 days a week for over 6 straight years. Got every bit of their 50,000+ MTBF hours out of them.

So replacing them is a personal decision.

 

[Phaaze88]

^What they said.
You can if you want, just don't expect anything spectacular from doing so.