My computer build question about cooling

[se7en_ate9]

Hi guys,

I am in the process of completing my second PC build (first in over 5 years) and budget is not really a concern.

Here is the build:
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/6Ykmm8

I am waiting on the gtx 1080ti (hopefully a month away!) and am also planning on getting the predator x34 for my monitor. Eventually I plan on getting another gtx 1080ti for SLI and will upgrade the monitor to whatever resolution that will allow for (explains the premium PSU I selected). Further, I do plan on OC'ing both the CPU and GPU. I have read that most people achieve an adequate and stable OC of the i7-6700K at around 4.4-4.6 GHz which will be my goal.

My fans will be oriented with 3 noctua nf-a14 fans (ppc-2000) in the front as intake fans. I plan on placing 2 of them on the radiator which I will install in the front as intake. QUESTION 1: is this an OK placement for the radiator or does it have to be up top as an exhaust?
I will have the 4th nf-a14 on the rear as an exhaust.
I will use the 3 provided silent wings 3 fans on the top as exhaust fans as well. QUESTIONS 2-3: Do you all think it would be be necessary to make room for a bottom intake fan as well for additional airflow? Should I use an additional fan on the side panel as an intake fan? This fan, however, will be on the back of the motherboard tray and would this at all make a noticeable difference?

Once I get the GPU, I am under the impression that the warm air from the GPU will just be cycled back into the case and, therefore, good airflow is necessary to blow that warm air out of the case so it does not heat up the CPU. LAST QUESTION: With this set up, do you all think the airflow would be sufficient to accomplish this?

I will remove the optical bay and all but 1 of the HDD cages for maximizing airflow.

Sorry for the lengthy post but thank you in advance for any help/advice you all can provide!
I am very exited to get this started and am eager for the GTX 1080ti release!

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Hi guys,
I am in the process of completing my second PC build (first in over 5 years) and budget is not really a concern.

Here is the build:

1. A $2,700 build with a CLC cooler is like $2,700 chrome rims on a $500 car .... aka rolling rust bucket .

a) CLC use inefficient aluminum rads with poor thermal transfer coefficients
b) CLCs use mixed metals (copper block / alum. rad) which cause galvanic corrosion
c) To get within 2C of a Noctual NH-D15 air cooler, a CLC will come close and to do that it will be as much 12 times as loud because of the need to use extreme rpm fans.
d) Yon can not replace corrosion inhibitors and algaecides in a CLC
e) You can not repair a CLC
f) You can not add components to a CLC

I'd use a custom loop here, but failing that, if you want the ease on an All-In-One:

Swiftech H250-X2 All-In-Ome Cooler on top.... This a set of custom loop water cooling components pre-assembled at the factory/ All copper components, built in reservoir, completely serviceable and expandable.
http://www.swiftech.com/h240x2.aspx

If ya wanna cool GFX cards also ...

420mm radiator on top

MSI 1080 Ti Seahawk, w/ pre-installed WK Full cover water block manufactured by EK. (Here's the 1080)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127952

The 5 x 140mm of radiator is more than enough cooling for (2) 1080 Ti and CPU overclocked "bawlz to the wall". The Swiftech pump has more than enough "oomph" to support the system

You'll need to buy 3-4' of tubing and 6 fittings (2 for each GFX card + 2nd radiator) as well as some extra coolant.

2. Consider what that extra $200 - $300 is bringing to the table with regard to MoBo. When folks come over to get a build done, and bring a preliminary parts list with a $500 board, the question asked is "What feature do you need that $200 boards don't have ? Unable to answer that question, they usually wind up choosing a $200 board and spend the difference on huge SSD or GFX card upgrade. The GIGABYTE G1 Gaming GA-Z170X-Gaming 7 is a common choice ...as is the MSI Xpower Titanium. You can compare the features of the Extreme and Gaming 7 here.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?CompareItemList=%2D1%7C13%2D128%2D835%5E13%2D128%2D835%2C13%2D132%2D637%5E13%2D132%2D637

If there's features you need, then by all means spend what ya need to get them. But if it was just a "if it costs more, it's better, then I'd look again.

3. You have a 50-50 chance of getting 4.7 - 4.8 GHz with the above cooling. If you don't, it will the the CPUs fault (bad luck in silicone lottery) not the cooling.

4. What is purpose of this build ? If purely a Gaming box, I have not seen anything benefit from 32 GB .... Consider 32 GB if doing rendering / video editing on a production basis.... tho if you are, consider X99 platform

5. Radiator fans ALWAYS blow in ... no exceptions unless you chose a poor case design which leaves no other option.

6. Regarding fan choice, be aware that:

a) You want 140mm fans wherever possible... move a lot more air and do it quietly.
b) Today's fans are optimized for radiators with low to moderate FPIs (Fins per Inch). Hi-SP fans are a carryover from a bygone era when hi fpi rads were all the rage. You need Hi SP fans when you are trying to push air thru a radiator with 30 fpi ... this is completely unnecessary with today's rads of 9 - 14 fpi. Hi fpi radiators are quite rare today.
c) Nocs are not the best fans available. OverclockersClub found that replacing the Noctua AFs on Noctua's own coolers with Phanteks Fans, resulted in a 3C drop in CPU temps and that was with the Phanteks spinning at 12rrpm while the Nocs were at 1500 rpm. Also silentpcreview ranked the Phanteks 1st for performance to noise ratio ... Nocs came in 2nd and 3rd
http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/phenteks_f140/3.htm

If you want a quiet system, the general rule of thumb is 75 - 100 watts per 140mm fan (50 - 75 for a 120mm). The MSI 108-s ran about 200 watts average in gaming ... add 15% for OC and we at 230 ...add the OC'd 6700k (130) and we at 590 say 600 watts. For a quiet PC, that's about 6 - 8 fans.

2 Fans on the Swiftech Rad in front (intake)
3 Fans on the 420 rad on top (Intake)
1 Rear (Exhaust)
1 (or 2) Bottom (Intake)

With just the one card, I'd use be ones in bold. Remember, you want more fans blowing in that out as intake filters can reduce air flow by as much as a third. 4 in and 2 out is ok and it makes use of the most important case features, the rear grilles and vented case slot covers.

If you have say 2 in and 2 out ... your ins are reduced to the equivalent of 1.33 fans as we lost 1/3 of the flow to inlet restriction caused by the filter. Let's say you go all out using the "common sense" (but wrong) approach that heat rises. It certainly does.... but not when mechanical ventilation is present.

IF we do as you have planed 3 Out on top, 1 out in rear and 2 in at front, keep in mind that air filter restriction on the inlet eat 1/.3 of that air flow. So you are left with what is now equivalent to just 1.33 fans from inlet restrictions from filters. You have 3 out on top and rear out. That's 4 out and 1.33 in or 3 times as much air going out as coming in thru fans ... that means that you have to 1.3 of ya case air coming in thru front fans and 2/3 of it coming on thru bottom and rear case grilles. And what is immediately below your rear case grilles ? All the hot air exhausting from your 2 GFX cards (if not water cooled) and well the hot air exhaust from your 850 watt PSU is being sucked in along w/ a load of dust.

Yes, you have basically created the situation that you were concerned about regarding exhaust air from GFX cards being recycled into case. That won't happen (GFX cards not water cooled) with 2 in thru rad, 2 in thru bottom and 1 out thru rear ... the rest will be blow out thru rear and top grilles.

The cages are not really an issue in your instance but of course remove them if mot being used. BTW, you might want to consider the Enthoo Primo which is in same price range and you won't have to replace any of the 5 fans. I have 16 of them in my primo...10 rad fans / 6 case fans. The Primo also comes with a fan controller bult in ... I added 2 more so I can have 4 different control channels

CPU and CPU_OPT => Twin water pumps
CHA_1 => Hub # 1 => (6) PH-140SP fans on 420mm Radiator
CHA_2 => Hub # 2 => (4) PH-140SP fans on 420mm Radiator
CHA_3 => Hub # 3 => (6) PH-140SP fans on 420mm Radiator

BTW, there is a rare but real issue w/ these fans.... when installed horizontally pushing air down, the blade assemble can lift up between the shaft stops and if ya at just the right rpm it can make a noise when it falls back and clunnk against the stop. So far I have installed over 100 of them and 1 exhibited this behavior.

7. Consider the Seasonic 1050 Snow Edition... better build quality, lower noise and $10 cheaper

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story6&reid=361

 

[se7en_ate9]

Thank you so much for the very detailed and comprehensive reply. I did select the CLC for ease of installation but if you believe the Swiftech H250-X2 All-In-One Cooler is better, along with being an easier installation than a custom loop, then I will go with that.

I think water cooling my GPU will be a little too much for me. So for now, since I will just have one GPU, would it be sufficient to place the Swiftech radiator at the front of the case (I will switch to the Phanteks PH-F140SP fans) as an intake and add a third one of these fans to the front for additional intake? I can then add an additional intake fan to either the back of the motherboard of the floor of the case. Then just have one fan on the back as exhaust? This would mean no exhaust fans at the top but would allow the space for a radiator for the GPU (if i go SLI) in the future.

 

[se7en_ate9]

Perhaps I could just also scrap the watercooling idea for now and go with with noctua NH-D15 with phantec fans instead of the noctua fans. Use then three fans up front for intake and just one rear for exhaust?

 

[JackNaylorPE]

An OLC installs the same as a CLC tho many reviewers report that the Swiftech is easier to install than any other CLC they have installed.

With the Swiftech... the pump performs like a real custom loop quality unit ... well, because it is one. The pump performs like a real custom loop quality unit because it is one ... you see where this is going. They simply put it together for you so it easily installs. My intent was that you install the Swiftech in the front of your case ... it will easily handle the CPU. My son did exactly that .... and left his twin GFX cards air cooled When the 1080 Ti drops, he's planning to swap those out for a MSI Seahawk. Her again, the water block is pre-installed at the factory.

EK even make it easier with their Predator line.

https://youtu.be/1k1yLsdS3hQ

It's not much harder with the Seahawk / Swiftech. Only thing different is that you don't have the quick disconnects. So you need to drain some of the coolant out, pull off one of the tubes, connect it to the GFX block and then connect a tube from GFX block to CPU clock.

As above, you will have the 2 fans in front blowing in that come with the Swiftech. Leave the one in the case at the rear and install the other two at the bottom. Yes, the Phanteks fans are better but not so much so that I's thru the BitFenix ones away.

 

[se7en_ate9]

Awesome! Thanks so much for your help. That's what I will do. Put the Swiftech up front as intake, another intake at the bottom and leave just the rear exhaust and not have the exhaust fans at the top. I really appreciate your help!

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Any time