Question Best fan/rad configuration for hybrid style GPU in a larger case? Front or side panel?

[Bears133]

I have a corsair 7000D with a top mounter 420mm CPU AIO cooler and i wanted to get one of those hybrid style GPUS like the EVGA GeForce RTX 3080 12GB FTW3 ULTRA HYBRID GAMING.

What would be the best place to put the rad/fans in the case? On the front or side panel? Push or pull config? Here is a picture of the case fans slots


I was originally planning on putting the rad on the side panel towards the top of the case (leaving room for 1 more 120/140mm fan at the bottom) and having it exhaust (push air through the rad and out of the case) while keeping the front open for 3x 140mm standard fans for pulling air into the case. Side pannel exhaust seems weird tho. but pulling hot air into the case doesn't sound idea either.

What would be the best setup in a case like this?

 

[Lutfij]

I'd have the AIO for the GPU set as exhaust and mounted to the top of the case. Curious to learn what sort of processor you're going to work with in that case/build of yours. Any fans set to exhaust out of the side of the case will rob most, if not all, of the cooler ambient air coming into the case, leaving the rest of your internals fighting for cooler air.

 

[Phaaze88]

corsair 7000D

Top: Ultra Hybrid.
Rear: Nothing but a filter.
Side: Nothing.
Front: 420mm cpu AIO/CLC.

 

[Bears133]

I'd have the AIO for the GPU set as exhaust and mounted to the top of the case. Curious to learn what sort of processor you're going wot work with in that case/build of yours. Any fans set t exhaust out of the side of the case will rob most if not all of the cooler ambient air coming into the case, leaving the rest of your internals fighting for cooler air.

Thanks for the info. I should have phrased that better, but I have a 7000D and I am planning on getting a 13700k in the future and also getting a AIO cpu cooler with 420mm rad. Yes probably a bit overkill, but I figured I could run the fans slower/quieter while getting the same performance. Should have room in this massive case.

Top mounted exhaust for the GPU AIO sounds like the good spot though. Do you think mounting the CPU AIO on the side panel as an intake would be fine? While having fans on the front panel to then mix cool air with the warm intake from the CPU? My concern about flip flopping those (CPU AIO rad on the front panel and case fans on the side panel) is that the case fans on the side would kinda blow into the wall and not provide the best flow of air. I guess it would still be positive pressure either way, so might not matter too much.

 

[Lutfij]

The only sure way to know if it'd be a good idea to do what you're proposing, is to try it out and see if temps get worse or hold their own ground or improve upon what you initially got.

 

[Bears133]

Top: Ultra Hybrid.
Rear: Nothing but a filter.
Side: Nothing.
Front: 420mm cpu AIO/CLC.

Thank you for the suggestion!

Do you think it would be worth adding some case fans on the side panel to intake some cool air that would then get mixed with the warm air coming into the case from the front panel CPU AIO?

I think the top would be the best spot for the GPU, but what about putting the CPU AIO on the side panel? Do you think that would be any better than mounting the CPU AIO on the front panel?

I figured with case fans on the side panel I would be blowing air into the glass panel, but with fans mounted on the front I would have better airflow and maybe mix cooler air with the wam air coming from the CPU aio on the side a bit better.

It would be positive pressure either way I guess, so might not make a huge difference.

 

[Phaaze88]

Do you think it would be worth adding some case fans on the side panel to intake some cool air that would then get mixed with the warm air coming into the case from the front panel CPU AIO?

No. That's prioritizing aesthetics. After 4-6 fans, that's diminishing returns, and more is to look pretty.
The more straightforward, the better. Same reason I posted 'nothing but a filter' for the rear panel. A 'T-bone' is less efficient.
Dunno what cpu you're using, and what you use it for, but for many users, the upper end RTX 30s just flat out dunk on the power use of most cpus.

I think the top would be the best spot for the GPU, but what about putting the CPU AIO on the side panel? Do you think that would be any better than mounting the CPU AIO on the front panel?

It's either:
A)Seal off the front panel so some of the air from the cooler doesn't escape out the front.
B)The less effective T-bone scenario that I responded to in the first question.

The side panel is better used for custom loop reservoirs, reservoir + pump combos, and distro plates... or if one wants it to look pretty.

I figured with case fans on the side panel I would be blowing air into the glass panel, but with fans mounted on the front I would have better airflow and maybe mix cooler air with the wam air coming from the CPU aio on the side a bit better.

It would be positive pressure either way I guess, so might not make a huge difference.

Negative. It's comparable to 2 perpendicular lanes of traffic, but with no signal lights...

It's neutral pressure. There's too many open gaps/seams.

 

[Bears133]

I am planning a new build in the near future with a 13700k when it comes out and a hybrid style GPU.

I am trying to find the best way to cool everything and thought about having an NH-D15 cpu cooler and then top mounted GPU AIO cooler ( as an exhaust).

Here is a picture of what I was thinking. I just grabbed this stock photo from corsair and marked it up.

My main concern with this setup is:

1. With the GPU under the CPU and NH-D15 cooler, I might have trouble mounting the rad at the top as an exhaust and guiding the tubes out there. I have never owned this CPU cooler, but I think it's on the larger side, so I am not sure if it would interfere with the tubes going to the top mounted GPU rad. I am also not sure if I can even fit a GPU rad above the NH-D15. might be a tight fit even with a large case like a 7000D.

2. The other concern is getting fresh air to all the components. I want to get fans on both the front and side panels (green blocks in the picture with airflow direction in pink arrows), but it seems like if I mount the GPU rad towards the front half (assuming it's 240mm) of the case, then most of the air would get sucked into the GPU rad and the CPU might not get much cool air. That may be an issue with the top fans on the front and side panel, but maybe not with the middle and bottom fans on the front and side panel. Would those provide enough fresh air to the CPU? If I moved the GPU rad towards the back of the case (on top of the NH-D15 essentially) then it seems like the GPU might not get enough air or I will be blowing hot air from the CPU into the GPU.


Any thoughts on this kind of setup? I am also thinking about using an AIO cooler for both the CPU and GPU, but I was curious if this method described above would be a decent alternative.

 

[Phaaze88]

If the content of new thread has too much in common with another, it's likely to get merged with the older one.

1. With the GPU under the CPU and NH-D15 cooler, I might have trouble mounting the rad at the top as an exhaust and guiding the tubes out there. I have never owned this CPU cooler, but I think it's on the larger side, so I am not sure if it would interfere with the tubes going to the top mounted GPU rad. I am also not sure if I can even fit a GPU rad above the NH-D15. might be a tight fit even with a large case like a 7000D.

The 7000D is a massive case, not just on the outside. Such a fit will not be a problem.
The tubing of the Ultra Hybrid comes out the side, not the front, and the NH-D15 isn't so big that you can't run the UH's tubes behind it.

2. The other concern is getting fresh air to all the components. I want to get fans on both the front and side panels (green blocks in the picture with airflow direction in pink arrows), but it seems like if I mount the GPU rad towards the front half (assuming it's 240mm) of the case, then most of the air would get sucked into the GPU rad and the CPU might not get much cool air. That may be an issue with the top fans on the front and side panel, but maybe not with the middle and bottom fans on the front and side panel. Would those provide enough fresh air to the CPU? If I moved the GPU rad towards the back of the case (on top of the NH-D15 essentially) then it seems like the GPU might not get enough air or I will be blowing hot air from the CPU into the GPU.

Something is going to get samples of sloppy seconds(air). Can't really defeat such physics without at least going open bench.

Spoiler

Well, I did post the above sentence, but...
Side: Fan intake.
Front: Cpu AIO/CLC exhaust. I highly doubt the UH's tubing would allow the its radiator to reach the front panel.
Top: Gpu CLC exhaust.
Rear: Nothing.
Neither cooler gets sloppy seconds(air) that way, but you can see another problem with this layout...

Pick the lesser of the 2 evils, which in many builds is cpu cooler > gpu cooler.