Fan Orientation ....

[prince_xaine]

Optiplex 7010 MT 0GY6Y8
Intel Core i7-3770K
Zotac Nvidia 1080 Ti Mini
Corsair Vengeance Pro 32 GB
Samsung 850 Evo 500 GB
Kingston A400 120 GB
WD Black Performance 6 TB
WD Black Performance 6 TB
EVGA Glacier 650W Modular


So I took my computer apart the other day, and cleaned everything. This included underneath the motherboard, Hard Drives, Fan blades and vents, etc.

Well, I put the only case fan on this machine on backwards, so now it's an intake fan. I would have taken a picture, but I feel it's better for viewers to see where the fans are blowing air...

The current Orientation:
https://ibb.co/gJdD9z

A picture of a Dell Optiplex 7010 motherboard in chassis:
https://kbimg.dell.com/library/KB/KNOWLEDGE_BUNDLE_GROUPS/ESUPPORT/7010MTcover4.JPG

As you can see from the terrible paint picture and an actual picture of the system, the only way the case can breathe is now through any holes in the chassis. My temps seem normal for the most part, when gaming the GPU always runs a little hotter than I'd like, but it is SFF so it's to be expected. So my question is, do you think this will be an issue for the other components where the air might be sitting longer? (RAM, HDD/SSD, etc.) This way probably keeps hot air in longer.

Another thing to note:
The fan comes attached using little rubber pieces that are big on two ends and skinny in the middle, meaning, when you want to remove the fan, they get broken. No screw fits the holes as replacement. Right now I have zip ties on to hold it in place, but do you think I should swap this back around?

Basically - it's either in or out.

 

[Gam3r01]

Having the intake fan is probably a good idea, though its not in a great place.
Personally, I would find a way to get an intake in the front of the case, and put the other fan as exhaust.

Also some corrections, the PSU intakes from the fan and blows out the back, meaning it flows the opposite of your drawing, the GPU fans blow the other direction as well.

 

[prince_xaine]

The only way to do an intake fan would to actually destroy it. And I'm not good with that sort of thing tbh. And really, the GPU fans and PSU fans blow in? I would have never of guessed that. I thought it would make more sense for the PSU to draw cool air from outside, and the GPU to blow hot air from the heatsink.

 

[Gam3r01]

Yeah the GPU fans blow air into the card, across the heatsink, and it basically escapes out the sides. In modern cases the PSU draws air from outside the case through its own vent and exhausts out the rear, it never enters the case. OEM cases dont do this.
If you cant really do anything else with the case I would leave it as is, and look into getting a new case down the line if you have to.

 

[prince_xaine]

Yeah the GPU fans blow air into the card, across the heatsink, and it basically escapes out the sides. In modern cases the PSU draws air from outside the case through its own vent and exhausts out the rear, it never enters the case. OEM cases dont do this.
If you cant really do anything else with the case I would leave it as is, and look into getting a new case down the line if you have to.

So...if I keep this intake fan as is, would it make more sense to have the CPU fan go the other way as well? This would prevent the hot air from the CPU from getting mixed in with the cool air from outside the case as much, as well as allowing that cool air to cool the CPU more?

 

[Gam3r01]

The CPU fan should be blowing downward

 

[jsmithepa]

I don't like it.

Rule of thumb: hot air naturally wants to rise, but from your diagram this box pushes hot air down, is inefficient.

 

[prince_xaine]

Well I tested all of my thermals and it appears they are actually better than when that fan was pointed out. CPU fan is pointed down, I switched it a long time ago and forgot, and the PSU is in fact pulling hot air out of my case. So all in all, not a terrible switch. Thanks for the responses.

 

[william p]

The cleaning may be responsible for the lower temps. The design is for all the heat to go out the back. With an intake in back there is the chance that hot air will be drawn back in. Especially if mounted in a desk, or near a wall, as many Optiplexes are. The rubber fan mounting "rivets" are pretty standard parts. You should be able to find some.
https://www.google.com/search?q=rubber+fan+screws&num=20&newwindow=1&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS774US774&source=univ&tbm=shop&tbo=u&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjfk6_ojs3dAhWNz1MKHW4fBHoQsxgILA&biw=1600&bih=827