[SOLVED] Best cooling setup for this case?

[Deleted member 2720853]

Made a budget build for my brother. These are the specs:

CPU: Ryzen 3 3200G with Wraith Stealth stock cooler, MX-4 paste
MOBO: ASUS Prime A320M-K
RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 2x8GB 2666 MHz CL16 DDR4
GPU: Some HP GTX 1060 6GB from my old pre-built that I gave him to save money, applied MX-4 paste on die
STORAGE: 1x 256 GB Innovation SSD for OS + 1 TB Crucial MX500 SSD for games
CASE: be quiet! Pure Base 500 (not the DX version)
PSU: Corsair CX 2017 650W
AIRFLOW: All Pure Wings 2, 3-pin, 900 RPM, 140mm: rear & top, and one at the front in the middle.

I was wondering what kind of airflow setup should I go for this case. His motherboard only has one system fan header so I used a fan hub to connect two more case fans. The top fan is connected directly to the PSU, and I used the fan hub to connect the rear & front fans.

Should I move the front fan to the top as an extra exhaust, and focus entirely on negative pressure in this specific case, or should I leave the front fan as is, and keep 1x intake 2x exhaust setup?

I'm not asking because there might be some temperature issues or anything, the temps are actually decent however the GPU does reach 82C in some games at max settings (which is understandable considering it looks like this), but still keeps great framerates and doesn't throttle enough to be noticeable. The Ryzen doesn't surpass 65C under load either. But I still want to know the best airflow setup.

I have the DX version of the same case and, in my case, it looks like the front fans are actually a good idea, but in his, I'm not so sure. So do let me know if I should move that fan to the top, keep it as is or remove it altogether.

Thanks.

 

[Phaaze88]

Rear and top exhaust - do it like the NZXT H500.

EDIT: I overlooked that 3rd fan.
Test with it in the front, and with it removed. You don't want 2 exhausts up top, because the first one will reduce the amount of cool air that goes to the cpu cooler.

 

[Zerk2012]

Made a budget build for my brother. These are the specs:

CPU: Ryzen 3 3200G with Wraith Stealth stock cooler, MX-4 paste
MOBO: ASUS Prime A320M-K
RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 2x8GB 2666 MHz CL16 DDR4
GPU: Some HP GTX 1060 6GB from my old pre-built that I gave him to save money, applied MX-4 paste on die
STORAGE: 1x 256 GB Innovation SSD for OS + 1 TB Crucial MX500 SSD for games
CASE: be quiet! Pure Base 500 (not the DX version)
PSU: Corsair CX 2017 650W
AIRFLOW: All Pure Wings 2, 3-pin, 900 RPM, 140mm: rear & top, and one at the front in the middle.

I was wondering what kind of airflow setup should I go for this case. His motherboard only has one system fan header so I used a fan hub to connect two more case fans. The top fan is connected directly to the PSU, and I used the fan hub to connect the rear & front fans.

Should I move the front fan to the top as an extra exhaust, and focus entirely on negative pressure in this specific case, or should I leave the front fan as is, and keep 1x intake 2x exhaust setup?

I'm not asking because there might be some temperature issues or anything, the temps are actually decent however the GPU does reach 82C in some games at max settings (which is understandable considering it looks like this), but still keeps great framerates and doesn't throttle enough to be noticeable. The Ryzen doesn't surpass 65C under load either. But I still want to know the best airflow setup.

I have the DX version of the same case and, in my case, it looks like the front fans are actually a good idea, but in his, I'm not so sure. So do let me know if I should move that fan to the top, keep it as is or remove it altogether.

Thanks.

I would move the top fan to the front blowing in.

 

[Deleted member 2720853]

I would move the top fan to the front blowing in.

The front is closed though, will two intakes and one rear exhaust really perform that well in that case?

 

[Deleted member 2720853]

Rear and top exhaust - do it like the NZXT H500.

EDIT: I overlooked that 3rd fan.
Test with it in the front, and with it removed. You don't want 2 exhausts up top, because the first one will reduce the amount of cool air that goes to the cpu cooler.

Well I was planning to move the front fan as a second top exhaust, so there would be no air from the front getting in in the first place.

I tested with the front fan plugged in and unplugged, no difference in temps.

 

[Unolocogringo]

Most cases do better with 2 front intake and one rear exhaust.
The lower the front intake the better air flow the video card gets.
Intake filters can cut air flow in half. So with one intake and 2 exhaust you will have negative pressure which fills the case with dust.

 

[Zerk2012]

Well I was planning to move the front fan as a second top exhaust, so there would be no air from the front getting in in the first place.

I tested with the front fan plugged in and unplugged, no difference in temps.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApdliGCqtZg


Front fans made no difference using static pressure fans so this time he went for high airflow.

 

[Karadjgne]

Personally I'd stick 3x 120mm intakes and leave just the single 140mm exhaust with the silencer panel intact. The Wraith is an area cooler, not a tower, so having 2x fans on top doesn't 'steal' air from the cpu cooler as air comes more from a central location and is exhausted 360° from the base of the cooler.

Having a fan set high in front will actually benefit case temps with no top exhaust, almost direct airflow path from front to back.

2x 140mm at intake, set high, will work as well. Run both the fans from the hub and leave the rear by itself on the header.

 

[Deleted member 2720853]

Personally I'd stick 3x 120mm intakes and leave just the single 140mm exhaust with the silencer panel intact. The Wraith is an area cooler, not a tower, so having 2x fans on top doesn't 'steal' air from the cpu cooler as air comes more from a central location and is exhausted 360° from the base of the cooler.

Having a fan set high in front will actually benefit case temps with no top exhaust, almost direct airflow path from front to back.

2x 140mm at intake, set high, will work as well. Run both the fans from the hub and leave the rear by itself on the header.

So I'm assuming from this that 2x 140mm front intake 1x 140mm rear exhaust would be a good choice for a case with closed front? It only has vents on the sides of the front panel. Interesting, I'll try that.

 

[Deleted member 2720853]

Alright I installed 2x 140mm front intakes and 1x 140mm rear exhaust, intakes were set on fan hub and the rear is connected directly to PSU, then I placed the sound canceling panel on the top.

Temps seemed to have decreased, and the PC is quieter, which is weird considering this is a closed front case? anyway, I'm liking this.

 

[Karadjgne]

Heh, yeah, it's the nature of airflow and where a fan gets it. You have a rear exhaust fan and that fan gets its air from in front of it in an almost 180° arc, with the strongest suction closer to the fan. With open top venting, that's the closest 14.7lb in² air source. So the exhaust sucks a lot of air right through the top vent, reducing its effectiveness. Put the silencer panel on, and you force the intakes to supply the rear exhaust instead, optimizing airflow. Which lowers temps. Also quuetens the pc, it is a silencer panel after all.

 

[Deleted member 2720853]

Heh, yeah, it's the nature of airflow and where a fan gets it. You have a rear exhaust fan and that fan gets its air from in front of it in an almost 180° arc, with the strongest suction closer to the fan. With open top venting, that's the closest 14.7lb in² air source. So the exhaust sucks a lot of air right through the top vent, reducing its effectiveness. Put the silencer panel on, and you force the intakes to supply the rear exhaust instead, optimizing airflow. Which lowers temps. Also quuetens the pc, it is a silencer panel after all.

The silencer panel does have 3 rows of holes right above where the top exhaust used to be and I can feel it pulling air through that. Is that an issue?

 

[Deleted member 2720853]

I am able to flip the panel around so the holes are next to the intake fans, it fits just perfectly, should I do that? I do still feel a bit of air going through the holes, even when the holes are next to the intakes.

 

[Deleted member 2720853]

Lol, little DYI project:

https://imgur.com/a/xnC12Gj

View: https://imgur.com/a/xnC12Gj

I don't feel air being pulled through those top vents anymore.

If anyone knows whether or not this is a good idea considering the information left by @Karadjgne above, I'd appreciate the help

 

[Unolocogringo]

What ever works is good.
I have the side fan and top fan mounts on my case taped up. And left out all the extra PCI slot covers.
Straight front to back airflow. with 3 intake and 1 exhaust.
Works very well for me.

 

[Phaaze88]

I don't feel air being pulled through those top vents anymore.

If anyone knows whether or not this is a good idea considering the information left by @Karadjgne above, I'd appreciate the help

Karadjgne made a good point about the Ryzen stock cooler.
If you had a tower cooler instead, it would be drawing air through the top - if you didn't have fans there, of course.