[SOLVED] Fractal Define 7 and Cooler Master ML240 Setup?

[leecarver]

After about seven years, I decided to downgrade from my Thor Full ATX case to a Fractal Define 7 Mid-ATX case. I took the opportunity to upgrade my CPU and cooler, going from a Intel Core i5-4670S with a Cooler Master Hyper 212 to a Ryzen 5 5600X with a Cooler Master ML240 AIO.

The Fractal Define 7 has me a little worried - I haven't had a door on my desktop in forever and that is one of the intakes. My guess is, with how they have it engineered, the intake still works through the slats on the sides? It sits under my office desk, but is otherwise free of obstruction.

Right now, I've likely got a negative pressure system. The front two stock fans are intake. The back stock fan is exhaust. The fan on my GPU is pointed down through the case's dust filter and naturally exhausting out the back. The AIO is mounted on the top with the fans intaking through the radiator (case-->rad-->fans).

I did a stress test on my chip through the CPUID-Z and never saw it go over 66-67C while all cores were at 100%. That said, the chip is typically running at around 38-40C idle. I don't overclock. Ambient temperature in the room is around 25-26C (a small office with not exactly the greatest A/C vent).

Do I have this setup right? Should I make any adjustments? Thanks in advance!

 

[Eximo]

Not quite sure how you have your AIO setup. Your description could go either way. Typical would be top radiator as exhaust. Probably more of a neutral setup, if anything.

GPU fans point towards the graphics card, and unless they are flush with the exterior, aren't really part of the intake.

Doesn't sound like there are any issues.

 

[leecarver]

Not quite sure how you have your AIO setup. Your description could go either way. Typical would be top radiator as exhaust.

Yeah - I suppose it's difficult to describe visually. Here's a picture with how the airflow is setup currently.

https://ibb.co/pnpxg5b

 

[Eximo]

Unless I am mistaken you are incorrect. Fans generally blow towards their frames/labels/hub (aka the stationary part (stator)). So your CPU cooler fans appear to be running as exhaust, pushing through the radiator. Unless I just can't see the frames in the picture, but pretty sure I am seeing the 'back' of the fans.

If you are feeling air flow coming off the fans, that is simply because they are restricted and some air will blow back and out the sides (one of the reasons they are ducted)

 

[leecarver]

Unless I am mistaken you are incorrect. Fans generally blow towards their frames/labels/hub (aka the stationary part (stator)). So your CPU cooler fans appear to be running as exhaust, pushing through the radiator. Unless I just can't see the frames in the picture, but pretty sure I am seeing the 'back' of the fans.

You are not mistaken and I am incorrect. For one reason or another, I had it in my head that I had installed the fans with air pushing down (according to the arrows on the frame). Pulled the radiator/fan out to check and sure enough, arrows are pointing towards the radiator and out. So it is indeed pulling air out of the case and pushing it out the top (exhaust). So I've got two intake and three exhaust (with the PSU doing its own thing on the bottom). Fairly neutral airflow.

Thank you! I'm going to go sit over in the corner now and think about what I've done.

 

[Eximo]

About the only change you could make would be to flip the rear exhaust, that would put fresh air over the motherboard (good for the VRMs) and directly feed the CPU radiator. You would want to add a filter to that fan. However, that would also mean less extraction of the GPU heat, potentially.

Something to experiment with. I know for my water cooled GPU, I do the rear intake, it makes the most sense. But I also did front push pull to make sure there is some incoming air through the rest of the chassis, even if slightly heated.