swtrader :
Have a Fractal Design Define R5 Case, going to purchase a Corsair H100, 105, 110, 115 as the cooler. I AM gong to keep the Optical Bays at the top and will keep the bottom 3 HD Bays at the bottom.
Can I mount a H115 in the front? Is there enough room? Most configurations I've seen have removed all the Bays which isn't an option I will have lots of storage in the machine.
So my quesions:
Will the H115 fit without removing Bays?
H100 better (smaller)?
What location Top or Front?
Photos or links to builds would be great.
Thanks in Advance
You can mount either a 280mm or 240mm (dual fan radiator) at the front intake of your Define R5 without removing the optical bays above and the HDD cage below. Here are some sample builds:
Corsair H110 (240mm) in Push Front Intake configuration (Source: https://pcpartpicker.com/b/NBKZxr)
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Corsair H110i (240mm) in Pull Front Intake configuration (Source: https://pcpartpicker.com/b/7xqkcf)
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Corsair H115i (280mm) in Push Front Intake configuration (Source: https://pcpartpicker.com/b/XCyXsY)
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Corsair H115i (280mm) in Pull Front Intake configuration (Source: https://pcpartpicker.com/b/mYJ8TW)
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Corsair H105 (240mm) in Push Top Exhaust configuration (Source: https://pcpartpicker.com/b/CWsJ7P)
Whether you mount the radiator at the top or at the front, with fans in push or in pull configuration, will
all depend on your preferences.
Front-mounted radiators will let in significantly cooler ambient air into the radiator and let out warmer air into the case. This scenario usually ends up with a cooler CPU temps at the expense of a warmer GPU temps (as well as the HDD due to its positioning adjacent the front radiator in the layout of the case).
Top-mounted radiators will let in slightly warmer air from inside the case and into the radiator then exhaust it out top. This scenario usually ends up with a slightly cooler GPU temps and a CPU temp not as low as that of the front-mounted rad scenario. Since the front intake will now be case fans letting in cooler ambient air, HDDs and rest of the components will be slightly cooler than that of the front-mounted rad.
Fans in push configuration will create dust built-up between the fans and the radiator and may be harder to maintain/clean-up. If the front-mounted rad is chosen, a push config will hide/conceal the fans from view. If the top-mounted rad is chosen, a push config will show-off the fans.
Fans in pull configuration is less maintenance. If the front-mounted rad is chosen, a pull config will show-off the fans. If the top-mounted rad is chosen, a pull config will hide/conceal the fans from view.
Both push or pull configuration is more-or-less the same in thermal performance with some slight differences in noise.
Ultimately, it's a matter of preference for your specific build/layout.
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