Fans in the 912

[bw85]

Hey guys, noob question here, but what is better: (2) 120mm fans, or (1) 200mm fan for intake? Is one set up quieter than the other, or push more air than the other? Also, should I consider adding a 200mm Megaflow to the top for exhaust?

 

[clutchc]

Are you refering to the Cooler Master HAF 912 case? Mine has 1 200mm in front and a 120mm in the back. I added a 140mm in the side when I added a 2nd GTX 570, but you wouldn't need that with one card. I used to have 2 120mm in the top but took them out to quiet the fan noise; they weren't really needed as convection draws warm air out the top anyway. And my Hyper 212+ is exhausting to the back anyhow.

To answer your question directly, (all else being equal) a single 200mm in front will move at least as much air as 2 x 120mm fans and be quieter doing it. Normally you want more air pressure entering than exhausting. Be sure to use filters if you intend on moving a lot of air thru the case. If you really want to put a fan in the top, remember... at the same RPM, larger fans are quieter than smaller fans and move more air.

 

[bw85]

Ok, so I may switch the 2 front fans for one 200mm fan. I also have an Evo cooler, i5-3570 and Asus Z77 Sabertooth, without any overclocking, and a GTX 670 FTW. Would you recommend me adding one on top?

 

[clutchc]

Ok, so I may switch the 2 front fans for one 200mm fan. I also have an Evo cooler, i5-3570 and Asus Z77 Sabertooth, without any overclocking, and a GTX 670 FTW. Would you recommend me adding one on top?

I can only go by my experience. I noticed no temp difference between when I had 2 fans on top and no fans on top... no difference except noise, that is. If you already have the 120mm fans, hang on to them. Try them and see if the noise is objectionable. If not, use them. If you don't want to open the pkg so you can refund them, I can understand that.

 

[bw85]

Forgot to mention, it is the Cooler Master 912 lol. If temperatures are relatively the same and there isn't much difference by adding more exhaust, I may just stick with the stock fans.

 

[clutchc]

I should mention, I quit doing O/Cing some time back. I mostly run stock now. If you are a heavy O/Cer, you may want to direct your cooler's airflow upward and add top fans if heat becomes an issue. But that would really be a worse case scenerio.