Is this a bad place to put my PC? (NZXT H500)

[justinm517]

Not really sure if I'm putting this thread in the right place (I'm new here). I'm thinking of building a new Video Editing PC, and I'd like to ask whether or not the area I'm planning to put my PC is a bad location.

Here's a picture of my desk: https://i.imgur.com/KMiaQRw.jpg

As you can see, with the way that the area is set up, the back side of the PC will be a few inches away from the wall. The remaining three sides of the PC will be completely enclosed (with ~1" buffer room/side) when the lid is closed. The top area shouldn't really matter (unless it does) since it'll have around ~15cm of buffer space.

I'm thinking of getting an NZXT H500, which features front intake holes on the right side of the PC. Fan Setup - Top/Back Exhaust (Stock 120mm), 2x Front Intake (still finding a 140mm fan).

I'm just wondering whether or not I will have any cooling/temperature/airflow issues, since it's an enclosed space on all sides, and because I don't think this area of my room gets the best airflow.

I would place the PC in a better area if I could, but my room is pretty small and I don't want to get a new desk. FYI I'm going to remove all the racks in the circled area when I get the PC.

Thanks. Sorry if this isn't worded as well as it could've.

 

[dederedmi5plus]

more like room temp, all good but i recomm getting more positive air pressure innard the case, positive is not having unmoved air area especially on hot spot near CPU, if your graphic card cooler is blower type then get that area also adaquate air flow

 

[mgallo848]

It's going to get hot in there. Some hardware will be OK, some won't.

List all of your PC specs:

CPU:
Motherboard:
How many hard drives, SSD or mechanical?
GPU:
Is anything overclocked?
water cooling?
Custom CPU cooler or stock fan?

This info would help

 

[justinm517]

It's going to get hot in there. Some hardware will be OK, some won't.

List all of your PC specs:

CPU:
Motherboard:
How many hard drives, SSD or mechanical?
GPU:
Is anything overclocked?
water cooling?
Custom CPU cooler or stock fan?

This info would help

Sorry, I definitely should've added this info in the OP. Here are the specs I'm looking to get:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i7-8700 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor ($279.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG - H7 49.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($36.40 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus - Prime Z370-A ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($159.00 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($157.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill - Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($157.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung - 860 Evo 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($67.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital - BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($106.09 @ Newegg Marketplace)
Storage: Western Digital - BLACK SERIES 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($106.09 @ Newegg Marketplace)
Video Card: MSI - GeForce GTX 1070 Ti 8GB Titanium Video Card ($459.99 @ B&H)
Case: NZXT - H500 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ B&H)
Power Supply: Corsair - RMx 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Corsair - Air Series White 2 pack 52.2 CFM 120mm Fan ($19.67 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Dell - S2417DG 23.8" 2560x1440 165Hz Monitor ($399.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $2101.15
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-09-10 11:13 EDT-0400

The NZXT H500 case comes with 2 stock 120mm fans, and that's about it.

I definitely need some help with the Fan setups and stuff. I only picked the Corsair fans to be a place holder for the PCPP list. If you could provide some more information about fans and the setup I should be looking for, that'll be much appreciated as well.

 

[cryoburner]

Those components can be relatively power-hungry under load, so I could see heat buildup potentially being a problem, such as when encoding video for an extended length of time.

 

[mgallo848]

That's a very nice PC. You're most likely going to have heat issues with that setup in a confined space. My backup PC is in a confined area (not as bad as yours) and it heats up real fast if I'm not careful.

 

[justinm517]

Those components can be relatively power-hungry under load, so I could see heat buildup potentially being a problem, such as when encoding video for an extended length of time.

That's a very nice PC. You're most likely going to have heat issues with that setup in a confined space. My backup PC is in a confined area (not as bad as yours) and it heats up real fast if I'm not careful.

Thanks guys. <moderator edit for language>I guess I'll have to look for a new desk.

I appreciate the help with my PC.

Btw, do you guys have any recommendations for intake fans for my PC? I'm thinking 140mm, but I'm not sure and I could really use the help.

 

[cryoburner]

It looks like the back of the compartment might be open to the wall, so it's possible that there could potentially be enough ventilation, so long as the desk is kept far enough away from the wall and the front door is left open. It's hard to say for sure though.

 

[justinm517]

It looks like the back of the compartment might be open to the wall, so it's possible that there could potentially be enough ventilation, so long as the desk is kept far enough away from the wall and the front door is left open. It's hard to say for sure though.

Thanks for replying.

Yes, you're correct about the desk compartment being open to the wall. I have considered inching my desk a few inches away from the wall, but I'm most likely going to get a new desk.

 

[Karadjgne]

Won't be an issue. I have my fractal design R5 sitting in a cubby built into the desk, basically the same setup as you intend. The R5 (has a door in front of the intake fans) is said to be not so good for airflow, I've had no issues. But basically again, the same venting on the front of the case as the H500.

So. Cooler air goes on the front, hot air out the rear/top. This heat will naturally rise to the top area available, that 15cm of space you have. From there it'll travel out the leftover space and mix with the cooler air, above the intake fans draw which sit much lower. Not an ideal situation for sure, but hot/cold air don't mix anywhere but inside the case, no different than in any other placement. The only thing you'll see is the concentrated heat above the pc, but that's got nothing to do with what's inside the case, it's just more obvious since open air settings dissipate the heat into a broader area. As long as there is plenty of exhaust fan potential, the heat won't travel backwards back into the case top.

The only time it will be an issue is if you block the cool air intake by closing the cubby door, then the hot air exhaust will be circulated back into the case as it'll be the only place to draw air from.

 

[justinm517]

Won't be an issue. I have my fractal design R5 sitting in a cubby built into the desk, basically the same setup as you intend. The R5 (has a door in front of the intake fans) is said to be not so good for airflow, I've had no issues. But basically again, the same venting on the front of the case as the H500.

So. Cooler air goes on the front, hot air out the rear/top. This heat will naturally rise to the top area available, that 15cm of space you have. From there it'll travel out the leftover space and mix with the cooler air, above the intake fans draw which sit much lower. Not an ideal situation for sure, but hot/cold air don't mix anywhere but inside the case, no different than in any other placement. The only thing you'll see is the concentrated heat above the pc, but that's got nothing to do with what's inside the case, it's just more obvious since open air settings dissipate the heat into a broader area. As long as there is plenty of exhaust fan potential, the heat won't travel backwards back into the case top.

The only time it will be an issue is if you block the cool air intake by closing the cubby door, then the hot air exhaust will be circulated back into the case as it'll be the only place to draw air from.

Thanks for replying; I'll definitely be taking this into consideration if I don't have the budget to get a new desk. This makes me feel a lot better, so thanks.

 

[mgallo848]

Won't be an issue. I have my fractal design R5 sitting in a cubby built into the desk, basically the same setup as you intend. The R5 (has a door in front of the intake fans) is said to be not so good for airflow, I've had no issues. But basically again, the same venting on the front of the case as the H500.

So. Cooler air goes on the front, hot air out the rear/top. This heat will naturally rise to the top area available, that 15cm of space you have. From there it'll travel out the leftover space and mix with the cooler air, above the intake fans draw which sit much lower. Not an ideal situation for sure, but hot/cold air don't mix anywhere but inside the case, no different than in any other placement. The only thing you'll see is the concentrated heat above the pc, but that's got nothing to do with what's inside the case, it's just more obvious since open air settings dissipate the heat into a broader area. As long as there is plenty of exhaust fan potential, the heat won't travel backwards back into the case top.

The only time it will be an issue is if you block the cool air intake by closing the cubby door, then the hot air exhaust will be circulated back into the case as it'll be the only place to draw air from.

You missed the part in his original post he will be doing "video editing". Most VE software will make his CPU run at 100% creating as much or more heat than it would if he was gaming.

 

[Karadjgne]

Didn't miss that at all. It doesn't make a difference. Air goes in the bottom front, it's got full access to cold air. Hot air goes out the gap up top/rear access. The 2 don't mix anyplace other than inside the case, just as a open area. The only difference is op will get concentrated warm air above the pc, whereas normally it would broadcast into the open. I have almost the exact same setup as op plans, pc with mediocre airflow sitting in a cubby, and I have 6" of space above, Op has 15cm or 5.9". I've run Prime95 for 8 hours on a i7-3770k at 4.9GHz, cpu doesn't go past 70°C, firestrike torture test doesn't put gpu (asus 970 with 124%OC) past 80°C and case temps don't go past 37°C with a intake mounted 280mm aio.

As long as there is someplace for the cool air to enter and hot air to escape the case, what happens on the inside is identical. A cubby does not affect airflow in/out of the case unless the door is closed.

 

[mgallo848]

An i7 3770k thermals are not the same as an i7 8700. i7 8700 will hit 78 degrees Celsius at stock speeds in a normal cooling environment. (And that's even using an aftermarket cooler.

https://techreport.com/blog/32661/just-how-hot-is-coffee-lake

 

[Karadjgne]

So what? What does that have to do with anything? That's inside the case. And the only reason the 8700k hits those temps is Intel lackluster Tim. Delid the cpu and properly apply the Tim and temps are a whole lot lower.

Still got nothing to do with whether the case is in a cubby or sitting on an open desktop.

And just fyi, an i7-3770K at 4.9GHz is @200w ±, the 8700k isn't quite that high, even with HT. And don't quote 'aftermarket cooler' without saying at least what aftermarket cooler, there's a huge difference between the 250w+ Noctua NH-D15S, a 350w+ 280mm aio and a 140w CM hyper212 EVO.

 

[punkncat]

I think it would be worthwhile to put a cabinet fan/hole into that enclosed area before putting the PC in there.

 

[mgallo848]

LOL, you're right. Silly me. I guess every single reputable website and every single reputable person on YouTube should just go ahead and start benchmarking their temperatures in cubby holes because it doesn't matter right? LOL s i g h

FYI, you didn't bother to read or look at the link I posted because I didn't just say any aftermarket cooler. It was posted in the link

 

[mgallo848]

Oh and thank you for proving my other point. You say the i7 8700 isn't as high as your overclocked 3770 yet it's still reach temperatures of 78 degrees Celsius. Thank you for that

 

[Karadjgne]

Still trying to figure out just exactly what point you are trying to make with all the sideways shtuff about it being an i7?

Yet you still haven't said anything other than slander about the fact that it makes no difference where the case is as long as it gets air. When sitting in a cubby, the air at the intakes is the exact same as if it was sitting on a desk. The heat exhaust is exactly the same. So I'll say it again, it doesn't matter. Ppl have been using cubbys for years, even building pc's into desks and other furniture, Lian-Li even makes a desk that'll hold 2x full pc's inside? The cubby is no more than an extension of the case the components sit in.

Close the door, different story, block the heat with no escape, again, different story. But op has a good 6" of space beyond the fans. That's more than enough.

 

[mgallo848]

You're completely missing the point about specific Hardware. Some Hardware can handle confined areas that don't generate enough proper air flow. An i7 8700 is not one of them

 

[Gam3r01]

Please stick to the topic at hand here. This is about putting a PC in a cabinet, not test methodology and older processors.

 

[Karadjgne]

No, you missed the point entirely. The case isn't confined and has the proper airflow. The sides don't matter, the bottom is identical and there's room for the fans to exhaust the heat from the case. The interior of the case will get the exact same airflow and temps as if it was sitting on a desktop. Confined is closing the door or obstructing either air intake or exhaust. With 6" of space above the case, exhaust is not confined, it's just concentrated at the point it rolls out from under the top shelf. Doesn't change any parameters inside the case one iota. Cpu cooling is not changed, gpu cooling is not changed, case temps are not changed. Any hardware inside the case will see exactly the same restrictions or benefits, airflow hasn't changed.

 

[mgallo848]

I completely disagree with you. I have a very similar set up in a cubby hole and I have literally watched my temps drop when I've benchmarked my machine inside that cubby hole and outside of it

 

[dederedmi5plus]

this is interesting, mgallo build can't be compared directly to OP's build, technically karadigne point is true, mgallo also true if the condition of usage produce constant heat over minutes (system stressing or any CPU GPU intensive task), the room temperature won't cool case's innards as fast as non stressed system due to circulated warm air immediately being sucked back near the case itself, in more spacey area, intake fans have more chance to suck cooler temp air because the exhaust fan is unobstructed so it blew warm air further out of case.