Question How could I position the fans to get good CFM in this case?

[Katkya]

Hello! I'm getting ready to build a new computer, and I'm thinking of getting either this case or this one. The first one has no reviews and I'm worried it would be hard to clean since the front grate is behind the fans. The second one should keep out dust pretty efficiently, but I'm worried it might not get good airflow so I'm hoping y'all can give me some advice.

The front of the case is mostly covered by the front panel, with a mesh area at the bottom. It comes with an rgb fan behind the meshed area and an exhaust fan at the back. The specs say a radiator can't be installed on the top for some reason, only the front or back.

I'd rather leave the front fan where it is so I don't want to put a 360mm radiator in the front. Could I install a 240mm radiator above the fan, and if so, would it be able to suck in in enough air behind the plate?

My other thought was to install a 120mm radiator in the back and put the built-in fan on the top of the case, with three intake fans in front. Would the front fans suck in enough air to keep the case pressurized even though two of them would be covered by the front plate?

Would either of these configurations provide good CFM, or is there another way that would work better? Any thoughts?

 

[Darkbreeze]

For the hardware you are planning to run I really don't see any reason to run anything other than a good 280mm. You can certainly go with a 360mm but it's absolutely not necessary for an Alder lake i5 and probably not necessary for the i7 either.

In point of fact, I have an Alder lake 12th Gen i7-12700k and it runs perfectly fine on my Noctua NH-U14S single finstack cooler that I've been using for years, since when I had an AMD FX-8320 for a brief amount of time and then jumped back to an Intel 6700k, which was overclocked to 4.8Ghz on this cooler. So, it runs cooler with my 12700k than it did with my 6700k, but I am running the 12700k at the stock, or mostly stock configuration. Regardless, even on a single finstack air cooler it runs well within thermal specifications so any good 280 or 320mm cooler is plenty for that.

What model of cooler you go with might be more important than whether it is a 280 or 320mm unit.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Here's another really good option if you can find one. It's a full tower though. And probably not available from what I can see. Might be a smaller version of it and has the bits all right on the front panel.

https://www.deepcool.com/products/C...55-Mesh-4F-Mid-Tower-ATX-Case/2021/4656.shtml

 

[Darkbreeze]

Actually, it's available. And it's NOT a full tower, it's a mid tower like the rest we've been looking at. Might even be a better choice. Only 99 bucks CAN. Even comes with FOUR ARGB fans preinstalled.

https://www.newegg.ca/p/N82E16811853092?Description=matrexx 55 mesh&cm_re=matrexx_55 mesh--11-853-092--Product

 

[Katkya]

Great recommendation! I can see that one getting really good airflow, and I like the nice clean line with the IO on the side. But the other one has the nice tinted glass plate and two USB 3.2 ports. Hmm ... they're both really good options.

Which models of coolers are best? What sort of features should I be looking for? I've never had an AIO before so I don't know a ton about them.

 

[Darkbreeze]

That depends on what size you want to go with but I'll give you some recommendations tomorrow.

 

[Katkya]

Thanks so much! I've read that it's better to have more air going into the case than out so I'm thinking a 240mm radiator might be best.

 

[Darkbreeze]

That totally depends. More air going in, which is POSITIVE pressure, is better to suppress dust from going into the case. More air going OUT, which is NEGATIVE pressure, is better for sheer cooling performance of both the CPU and graphics card, as well as for memory and any storage devices that are in the flow of the air path and not on the backside of the motherboard tray like many are these days.

Honestly, it really matters what you decide to go with. Once you pick a CPU and case, THEN it makes sense to choose a cooler.

 

[Katkya]

Oh, that makes sense. I'm thinking I'll probably go with the Cooler Master case, but I'm still waffling on which processor to get. An i5-13600 would be much cheaper than an i7-12700 and on paper it sounds like it might perform better? I've been doing some research, but I'm not really experienced enough to know exactly how much a difference it makes how many P-cores it has or how big the cache is. Either of them would probably be more than sufficient for my needs.

I'm not planning to start buying parts for a couple weeks anyhow, so I'm gonna keep an eye on the prices and think it over for a while.

 

[Darkbreeze]

It completely depends. If you are inclined to do a lot of multitasking WHILE gaming, like simultaneously recording, streaming, many browser tabs, other applications, lots of game mods running, overlays, etc., then you may well benefit from the i7's additional cores and hyperthreads. If you ONLY/JUST "game" and don't do much of anything else and don't run many (Or any) mods and just very little multitasking at the same time you game, then the i5, as it has been for years and years through basically the last 13 generations, is totally fine.

 

[Katkya]

Oh man yeah, I guess I do almost all those things. I have like 100 tabs open in firefox and I have to turn the graphics settings way down on certain games to run them with all the mods. I do a lot of multitasking too. So it might be worth it to go with i7 if it would tolerate that better.

I know computer parts aren't the sorts of things that normally get marked down on Black Friday, but I'm still kind of hoping there'll be some good deals. The i7-13700KF is 15% off on Newegg right now, which could work with my budget if I can also get other parts on sale ... but I feel like it's safer to have something with onboard graphics in case the video card malfunctions and I need to troubleshoot.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Yes to onboard graphics. And the 12700k is like 70 bucks cheaper, and while it is significantly outperformed by the 13700k, it is still within the top ten percent when it comes to CPU performance, ALL TIME.

But, the 13600k still outperforms the 12700k in both single and multicore performance AND is like 140 bucks cheaper than the 13700k and honestly it has plenty of cores for multitasking. If you have to make some component decisions based on money, it would not hurt that much to go with the i5-13600k instead of one of the i7's. I mean, it has 6 performance cores with 6 hyperthreads, and 8 efficiency cores, so it has plenty of horsepower for gaming and mods, it just doesn't have AS many as the 13700k. If you have to shift some funds to another area of the build, this is where I'd do it.

 

[ohio_buckeye]

If I can make a recommendation since you like that cooler master mb520, check this out.

https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product...11-argb-atx-mid-tower-case-mcb-b511d-kgnn-rga

I’ve got the black and red version of that case. You can go up to 6 fans.

In my case, the front is mesh so has great airflow, 3 fans for intake, a 240mm aio mounted on top to exhaust, and one fan in the rear for exhaust.

Running right now a 5900x under the 240 mm aio and I’m pretty happy with it. I will say with the 240mm rad on top it is a little tight as in the fans on the rad nearly touch the ram but it all fits. I think you could fit a 360mm aio on the front as well. I like the fact that it’s mesh and so has good airflow moving through. I’m in the USA, but here’s the exact case I’ve got. I’ve had it probably 4-5 years.

https://www.newegg.ca/red-cooler-master-masterbox-mb511-atx-mid-tower/p/N82E16811119346

 

[Darkbreeze]

Yes, that same case but with the mesh in front is a much better idea, as were several others I recommended, however it seems he didn't like them BECAUSE they didn't have the TG in front. In this case the TG in front isn't really a deal breaker because there is plenty of ambient air access through the very large slots on each side. Will it flow as well as the mesh one? No. Would I agree with your recommendation to go with the mesh instead? Yes, but then again, the Matrexx 55 mesh that I recommended is also full mesh in front AND has power button and USB ports directly and easily reachable, in front so..................................

 

[Katkya]

Actually it's funny, I had already been looking at that one and thinking I'd probably get that instead! It seems like basically the same model except with the mesh and some minor cosmetic differences. As much as I like the look of tinted glass, I actually like that one better aesthetically and of course it would get better airflow. It's also a "fine" mesh, which is preferable to me. I'm concerned that it might be a little louder, but I wear my headphones a lot anyway.

Thanks for the recommendation though, that's spot on. And Darkbreeze, again, thank you so much for you help, you have been incredibly helpful to me! I'm gonna keep an eye on the deals and figure out exactly what I can afford, would still appreciate a recommendation on coolers once I settle on a cpu. It's been like 10 years since I built a computer so I don't wanna mess it up!

 

[Katkya]

The one I like best of that line is actually this one that has THREE glass panels, but it's very expensive so it's off the table. Anyway, what is that third panel really going to show? The back of the motherboard and some cables? I don't get it.

 

[ohio_buckeye]

Exactly. My mb511 is a solid panel on the back. How do you think I hide all the cable routing lol.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Yes, unless you are very "artistic" with your build and do a really outstanding job of routing the cables on the backside of the motherboard, and have FULL CUSTOM sleeved cabling (Not just sleeved extensions), it's pointless and actually looks like crap to have a clear panel on that side. I sure as hell wouldn't pay MORE to have it. Even if I got one for free, I'd probably order a solid side panel and then keep the other TG one in case something happened to the one on the other side since they are usually interchangeable. Otherwise, I'd likely paint the inside of it black or whatever color the case was. Kind of lame really but some people will pay a lot for something that is "different" or in their opinion "better" regardless of whether everybody else thinks it's stupid or not.

Just think back on "spinners" that used to be on peoples wheels. Again, lame.

 

[Katkya]

I put together a (tentative) list of the parts I'm thinking of getting: https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/GC2QNc

All it needs is a cooler and a rear exhaust fan since it looks like that case doesn't come with one. It's unclear if a 360mm radiator can be installed on the top of the case or if it only takes a 240mm one since the specs and the promotional images say two different things, but I'm guessing it's the latter since the specs on the manufacturer's website also say 240mm.

I'm thinking I'll definitely go with the i5-13600k unless I find a really good deal on an i7-13700k in the next few weeks. Can you recommend a cooler?

Also, is the psu on that list alright? pcpartpicker has a warning that says the motherboard can use "an additional 8-pin EPS power connector" that is not supported by that psu, but google says that cpu shouldn't draw enough power to require one anyway.

 

[Darkbreeze]

No, the specs on the Cooler Master page for the MB511 ARGB say it can take up to 360mm in the top (44mm max motherboard component height) and 360mm in front (75mm clearance) on the product page I see.

https://www.coolermaster.com/catalog/cases/mid-tower/masterbox-mb511-argb-2021/#specifications

How that PSU is at that price, for that model, is completely baffling to me, but you better order it NOW before it's not available anymore, because that is normally a LOT more expensive and anything even close to the quality of that unit, with that kind of efficiency and warranty normally are more like 175 bucks and up these days.

You only need a single 4+4 EPS connector unless you plan to do some pretty intensive overclocking.

 

[Katkya]

Oh yeah, I guess I was looking at the page for the non-ARGB model. Thanks for the tip, I went ahead and bought the PSU since it did look like it could sell out soon. What kind of price range am I looking at for a good cooler? I keep waffling back and forth on whether it's worth it to spend the extra money on an i7-13700, it'll depend on how much the other parts end up costing me.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Are you going to go with a 360mm or a 280mm? It definitely makes a difference on what to recommend. Also, are you wanting an AIO that comes with ARGB or is lighting on the AIO not a concern?

 

[Katkya]

If you think a 280mm radiator would be sufficient for either the i5 or the i7 then I suppose I'd rather go with one of those since I imagine it'll be less expensive. As much as I love those rainbow RGB fans, it isn't necessary since I'll rarely be seeing it anyway.

 

[Darkbreeze]

So, in a 360mm unit, this would be my basic recommendation if you don't want rainbow puke.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 360 56.3 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($124.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $124.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-11-15 16:34 EST-0500



Or 360mm WITH rainbow puke.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU Cooler: EK AIO 360 D-RGB 66.04 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($162.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $162.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-11-15 16:36 EST-0500


Or, if for any reason you want or need to be able to have compatibility with the Corsair iCue ecosystem, this is also a good choice.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU Cooler: Corsair iCUE H150i ELITE CAPELLIX 75 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($179.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $179.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-11-15 16:39 EST-0500


If you choose to go with a 280mm unit, this would be my basic recommendation if you don't want rainbow puke.

https://www.amazon.com/ARCTIC-Liquid-Freezer-All-One/dp/B07WP6M7P7


Or 280mm with rainbow puke.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 A-RGB 68.9 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($124.57 @ Amazon)
Total: $124.57
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-11-15 16:43 EST-0500


Or, again, if you require the iCue ecosystem.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU Cooler: Corsair iCUE H115i ELITE CAPELLIX 97 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($158.38 @ Amazon)
Total: $158.38
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-11-15 16:44 EST-0500


Any and all of these are very good coolers.

 

[Katkya]

Nice, thanks! I'll probably go with the first one if I end up getting an i7 and the 280mm one if I get an i5. I don't need rgb for the radiator, I'll rarely see it anyway.

Now I'm all ready to start buying parts next week! Thank you so, so much for all your help, I really appreciate you taking the time to give me advice. I'm really excited to build this PC! Hopefully everything goes smoothly, I'm pretty rusty when it comes to this stuff. If only it were as easy as they make it seem in PC Building Simulator...

 

[Darkbreeze]

I definitely don't agree with everything Jay does or says, including in this video, but it's a good "point of reference" to brush up if you haven't built a system in a while.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK51upU5bkU



Watching these would not hurt, at all, either. Paul used to (Might still be, IDK) be Newegg's guy and did the Newegg build a PC videos back in the day which were fairly decent. As are these.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHY6ygHj80c

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5jFXl0GZJo