[SOLVED] Need help choosing a case with decent thermals

[Jussinen]

Hi
I'm planning a PC and haven't decided the case for it yet. Around 250 euros top (something like Fractal Design Torrent, Meshify, H710i, Be Quiet! Silent Base 802 etc.). What's inside matters of course. 250 euro case without fans is expensive, but 250 euro case with 12 fans is almost a bargain. It doesn't have to handle heavily overclocked high-end CPUs and GPUs. No, the build is as follows:
CPU:5600X Ryzen
GPU: Possibly Rog Strix 3060 Ti 2.9 slots
Regular 3200 mhz DDR4 RAM
PSU: Seasonic PX 850 W
Some regular B550 or X570 motherboard I guess

No need for a lot of space for hard drives or anything like that.

I don't mind if the case is fairly big, I'm not planning on moving it around much. It can be a small case too, as long as the above mentioned stuff will fit in. But I guess bigger case has potentially better airflow?

CPU and GPU are relatively low wattage compared to many other options on the market right now. Of course I'd prefer it if the case could one day house an overclocked 5600X and maybe RTX 3090 or some such. In terms of looks, cleaner is better, nothing like Asus Rog Strix model cases or such. H710i would perhaps be my number 1 choise but I'm worried whether it is good enough keeping the temperatures at good level.

I mentioned some cases above and I have been considering some of them. H710i is for me the best looking.
Fractal Design's Define S2 and Define S7 are also alright. Also FD's Torrent, even though the looks are a bit bolder. Not sure about the 180mm fans though (not many options if need to be replaced). Meshify 2 is worth considering aswell, but I do dislike the front mesh.
MSI Sekira 500X actually pleases my eye too. It's a bit pricy but should come with all fans.
Be Quiet! Silent Base 802 isn't very pretty either, but again, it's a compromise between looks and performance.

RGB isn't a big thing to me, but it can always be added a little bit with some extra fans later on. I've watched and read a good many reviews on these different cases and that's also why I mentioned some of the mesh-design cases here.

 

[Aeacus]

Since choosing a PC case is personal choice, it's hard to suggest one. But since you asked for good thermals, GamersNexus roundup is good place to start looking best cases regarding thermals,
link: https://www.gamersnexus.net/guides/3630-best-worst-pc-cases-2020

 

[Jussinen]

Thanks, and believe me that I have checked their charts

It's a bit dated right now though, being from 2020, so it's possible that some new cases have arrived. And many lists just don't include all the cases.

But actually my problem is that I can search for the best airflow case available, and I'll likely find it from GamersNexus or somewhere, but is it an overkill? I cannot say honestly, I just don't have the experience. It's like the motherboards. I know what the good motherboards are, I just cannot say what is simply too much for me. GamersNexus is actually one of the main sources from where I picked at least two of the above mentioned options: Silent Base 802 and Meshify 2.

The more I read the reviews though, I'm starting to lean towards performance (in terms of thermals, the airflow), rather than the looks. Oh how I wish that PC cases would be designed by white coated engineers with no sense of humour! We'd get the optimal performance and the cases could look boring but not embarrasing.

 

[thx1138v2]

IMO you are over-thinking the problem. The arrangement of components inside the case will change the way it functions simply because it changes the air flow. But don't worry about overkill because the more air flow the better - always. You can't have too much.

 

[Aeacus]

It's a bit dated right now though, being from 2020, so it's possible that some new cases have arrived. And many lists just don't include all the cases.

True. However, just because a new case has arrived, doesn't mean it's good.

I have 3 builds: Skylake, Haswell and AMD (full specs with pics in my sig).

Now, my Skylake build has full-tower ATX case: Corsair 760T V2 Black and at the time when i bought the PC case, back in 2016, 760T was already 2 years out, with release date in 2014. Is 760T bad due to it's age?
I don't think so.

Here's video review of it:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLOt8h8-kNY


Sure, it doesn't have TG side panel and sure, it doesn't have PSU shroud but on other aspects, it excels, including airflow. And since i need 5.25" external bays, it was one of the very few cases to choose from. Also, i don't like PSU shroud, since i love to see my top-end PSU and custom sleeved power cables, which would be otherwise hidden. And with PC case, i don't look price that much. If i love the design and features it has (e.g best case for me), i'm not going to weep over €198.40 EUR i payed for it.

Of course, my taste is completely different from yours. You seem to prefer "clean boxes", which IMO, are tasteless. And with full solid front panel, are bad for airflow as well. That is, unless you put high static pressure fans in front, that have the power to suck the air from the tiny vents. But that also increases the fan noise.

Since PC cases are personal choice, no point arguing over taste.

But actually my problem is that I can search for the best airflow case available, and I'll likely find it from GamersNexus or somewhere, but is it an overkill?

When is enough cooling an overkill?

E.g in my Skylake build, i have 7 high-end case fans, where 6 of them are 140mm and one is 120mm;
Front: 2x 140mm Corsair ML140 Pro LED (red)
Top: 3x 140mm NZXT AER140 RGB
Rear: 1x 140mm Corsair ML140 Pro LED (red)
Bottom: 1x 120mm Corsair ML120 Pro LED (red)

Is it overkill? Perhaps.
But with that many of fans, i can keep them all running at lower RPMs (1000-1200), while still maintaining good airflow but no audible noise. And when need be, i can ramp them all up as i want them, since all 140mm are connected to fan controller (sitting in 5.25" bay) and fans have very good performance as well; 97 CFM for Corsair 140mm, 91.2 CFM for NZXT 140mm and 75 CFM for Corsair 120mm. Static pressure wise: 4.2 mmH2O for Corsair 120mm, 3.0 mmH2O for Corsair 140mm and 1.52 mmH2O for NZXT 140mm.

Stock fans, that come with a PC case, are almost always with poor performance. Even the AF140mm fans that came with my 760T, are very poor performance fans. Hence why i replaced them all with high-end fans. Only Phanteks cases (some of them) come with good stock fans.

Cooling wise, you'd better want to have more and excess of it, rather than coming short of it.

---

You can make H710i work, IF you're willing to sacrifice fan noise for proper cooling. If not, then you'd need to look towards mesh front panel cases.

 

[Jussinen]

But don't worry about overkill because the more air flow the better - always. You can't have too much.

Well, you're right. You and Aeacus both. You can't have a case with thermal performance that is too good! But I guess it could be an overkill if all your hardware is 15 years old
I guess that's not the case here though!

Stock fans, that come with a PC case, are almost always with poor performance. Even the AF140mm fans that came with my 760T, are very poor performance fans. Hence why i replaced them all with high-end fans. Only Phanteks cases (some of them) come with good stock fans.

That's what I was thinking aswell. I'm not even sure if these "case edition" fans are exactly the same as those that they sell separately, even if they have the same model name. It's a bit dissapointing that cases even come with preinstalled fans. Especially if you get a case with 120mm fans and you intend to use 140mm. Then you're paying for totally useless fans.

I'm slowly starting to think that Fractal Design's Meshify 2 or Meshify S2 (haven't figured out what the difference is, yet) would be a rather good option. Does the front grill look bad? Yes, like the door of my car after I bumped into a mail box. But it looks comfortably tasteless, like you put it! It's boring rather than annoying.

The thing should have dust filters in bottom, rear (PSU), top and front and they should be more easily accessable than H710i's filters (I'm not expecting H710i's panels to last very long, the clips that is).
3x140mm front
3x140mm top
2x140mm bottom
1x120mm rear
That's hard to beat, although sure there are cases with another few fans on side panel aswell. It should have plenty of room inside for all the hardware and the price tag isn't that bad either. So far FD Meshify 2/S2 is on the top of my list.

I do appreciate all the answers, thank you guys. Getting a PC built is not an easy task. There are just so many things to consider when choosing the components. If I can decide which case to buy, I can start focusing in cooling options.

 

[Jussinen]

It seems that FD Meshify 2 (which actually outperformed S2 in GamersNexus' test) does have some issues fitting in those two bottom fans. 1x140mm is more realistic. But either way the case did okay in the tests (though so did H710 too, strange enough). Yea, sounds like a good case. More expensive than some other cases in the same level of performance, maybe, but has anyone ever bought a pair of jeans that are more expensive than the cheapest jeans in supermarket that are just as tough? Yep, thought as much. Design and materials cost, even if they do not affect the performance.

 

[Aeacus]

That's what I was thinking aswell. I'm not even sure if these "case edition" fans are exactly the same as those that they sell separately, even if they have the same model name. It's a bit dissapointing that cases even come with preinstalled fans. Especially if you get a case with 120mm fans and you intend to use 140mm. Then you're paying for totally useless fans.

I can tell you for sure that the AF140 fans that come with Corsair 760T and 750D are not the same AF-series fans Corsair sells. Those fans have model name of AF140L, instead the AF140 you can buy separately. These case installed fans are slightly better but they still are poor fans.

When it comes to pre-installed fans, i've seen a lot of people who buy cases solely just to get those "free" fans and if case doesn't come with any fans, they even don't look at such cases.
IMO, it would be best if each case doesn't come with any pre-installed fans. This way, anyone can decide which fans to buy for their system and aren't stuck with leftover and poor fans.

It seems that FD Meshify 2 (which actually outperformed S2 in GamersNexus' test) does have some issues fitting in those two bottom fans.

Usually, one 120mm fan as bottom intake is enough, especially since many cases doesn't come with any bottom intake mounts. Though, 140mm is better since it moves more air and does it more quietly than same spec 120mm fan.

Bottom intake is best for cooling since air is usually colder the lower you go. However, bottom fans can come with a trade-off, and that is dust intake. Since dust settles down (on the ground) and if you have your PC on the floor, bottom intake is the biggest dust intake for your PC. For example, even if you lift the case 2 inches/5 cm off the ground, you can reduce dust intake up to 80%. And that's why it's bad idea to set your PC down on the floor, especially on the carpet.

Due to that, my Skylake and Haswell builds are sitting high on the table, next to our monitors. AMD build isn't in use currently but it still sits ~5cm off the ground, on a stand, built-in to my desk.
Of course, Skylake and Haswell builds also have Demciflex aftermarket filters as well, keeping our PCs clean.

Design and materials cost, even if they do not affect the performance.

Brand name also costs and in some cases, quite a lot. So, there's that as well.
Best example would be Corsair gaming chairs,
link: https://www.corsair.com/eu/en/Categories/Products/Gaming-Chairs/c/Cor_Products_Gaming_Chairs

Where you'd be paying extra €/$100 just for the brand name. These "brand chairs" are waste of money IMO.

 

[emitfudd]

I looked at a lot of cases and ended up buying a Lian Li Lancool II Mesh Performance. It has 2 140mm front fans and a 120mm rear fan. It looks very nice and was easy to install everything in it. My 7700K is idling at 28C right now with the fan control on the low setting.

 

[Jussinen]

IMO, it would be best if each case doesn't come with any pre-installed fans. This way, anyone can decide which fans to buy for their system and aren't stuck with leftover and poor fans.

Yes. Even if the stock fans are good, even excellent, you might still rather want to use their RGB (or non-RGB) versions instead. But I think this is something that the manufacturers will probably do one day, but not today, not tomorrow!

Bottom intake is best for cooling since air is usually colder the lower you go. However, bottom fans can come with a trade-off, and that is dust intake.

Meshify has a dust filter over the bottom intake, but yes, I'd still not place it on the floor (even though I could then move my loudspeakrs on table).

I looked at a lot of cases and ended up buying a Lian Li Lancool II Mesh Performance.

Thanks for the tip. I've noticed that Lancool II Mesh Performance does pretty well in all thermal charts, but personally I'm just not a fan of its looks 😃That being said though, I disliked Meshify aswell, but now I'm slowly coming to my senses. Performance first, then the looks. Or maybe it's the other way around afterall... Honestly though, I've never had a PC built before in my whole life. All my PCs have been prebuilt and I've never really had a chance to affect their looks. I've always been staring at the monitor, not my desktop.

I'll still have to consider my options, but right now I'd say that my number one choise would be Fractal Design's Meshify, unless someone has something horrible to say about it. I think I can finally ditch that H710i (though in GamersNexus' tests it actually did great in terms of thermals.)

Thanks for all the help, I appreciate it!

 

[Aeacus]

Honestly though, I've never had a PC built before in my whole life. All my PCs have been prebuilt and I've never really had a chance to affect their looks.

In the early days, yes, you had to deal with what you got. Nowadays, there is plethora of choices when it comes to PC cases and case manufacturers are on their last leg, in terms of what new or innovative they can come up when releasing a new PC case.

Now, if i would have far more funds and there wouldn't be availability issues, i would go with Lian-Li DK-04F or DK-05F,
specs: https://lian-li.com/product/dk-05f/

It looks good, is very practical and is also unique.

 

[emitfudd]

In the early days, yes, you had to deal with what you got. Nowadays, there is plethora of choices when it comes to PC cases and case manufacturers are on their last leg, in terms of what new or innovative they can come up when releasing a new PC case.

Now, if i would have far more funds and there wouldn't be availability issues, i would go with Lian-Li DK-04F or DK-05F,
specs: https://lian-li.com/product/dk-05f/

It looks good, is very practical and is also unique.

That's friggin cool! I wish I hadn't seen this. My checkbook already hurts from my new build.

 

[Jussinen]

Lol, if I wanted a new desk, it'd probably be of oak rather than what I now have, which is pine. Like you said Aeacus, there's no point arguing over taste!

 

[Jussinen]

I just asked a question about my planned PC build.

I decided to start a new thread on cooling though, as it can get a bit lengthy and technical.

So as I've decided upon a Fractal Design Meshify 2 case, I would ask for some help with the cooling.

Build:

CPU: Ryzen 5600X
GPU: Asus Rog Strix 3060 Ti OC
RAM: Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 3200 MHz
Motherboard: B550 MSI Gaming Edge Wifi
SSD: M.2 Samsung 970 Evo Plus (500gb and 1tb)
PSU: Seasonic PX850
Case: Fractal Design Meshify 2
Cooling: I'm willing to spend some 200-300 €, but need some help with what to get.

So I was thinking of first getting rid of the stock fans. I know, it's brutal, but honestly I want some RGB because otherwise the case looks ugly to me and yes, looks matter. So we start with an empty case here. But how are we going to fill it up?

I already read about this and someone here on this forums suggested that people generally put too many fans in PC cases. Or at least they think that they need to fill every hole with a fan. I understand what he meant. In a case with good airflow or air circulation the air goes through the whole case, at least through those parts that heat up more heavily. The case sucks in cool air, circles it around the components and then blows the now-hot air out of the case. If you had super powerful fans in front intake and also top exhaust, the air would probably just find the quickest and easiest way through the case, so much of the air would escape the top exhaust closest to the front intake, leaving GPU hot. This made me think that maybe I should use a smaller AIO on top and put it close to the rear exhaust. On the other hand, the more air that goes through the case the better, as long as the airflow works in an optimal way.

And then there's the AIO (or maybe I'm fine with the stock 5600X cooler?). Which size AIO should I use? I'm not sure if there's even any point asking which brand/model to go with. I'm not sure if there are any "bad" ones as long as you choose something like Thermaltake, Corsair, NZXT, Arctic, Alphacool or Alpenföhn.

 

[Phaaze88]

Then reconsider a different chassis that already provides some of that color you want and doesn't skimp too hard on cooling.
With how expensive decent LED fans can be, starting completely over on fans is OUCH.
You CAN have your cake and eat it too.
Lian Li has a Lancool II Mesh ARGB that has 3 of them preinstalled.
Cooler Master: H500 P Mesh ARGB and RGB variants, also H500M. Two, 200mm ARGB fans.
Phanteks: P500A D-RGB. 3 ARGB fans preinstalled.
With those, you probably want to add a couple/few more LED fans. Gonna be a little easier on the bank than five or more of them...

This made me think that maybe I should use a smaller AIO on top and put it close to the rear exhaust

I'd argue when doing top exhaust AIOs, you over-provision a little on size, because most users have gpus that dump their waste heat inside the chassis.
The fans on the AIO are also responsible for aiding with cooling the rest of your components. They are chassis fans as much as they are cpu cooler fans.
That card isn't that bad on power, so I guess my point is kinda moot.

I'm not sure if there are any "bad" ones

They are definitely out there. Even the ones that are good can be rendered bad due to poor decisions by the user, those of which would've been better served with an air cooler.
I think the top bad AIOs out at the moment are Msi's Coreliquids - the ones that don't have the S or K SKU. Oh, and also NZXT's Kraken M22.

 

[Aeacus]

I just asked a question about my planned PC build here: https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/need-help-choosing-the-components-for-my-gaming-pc.3735346/

I decided to start a new thread on cooling though, as it can get a bit lengthy and technical.

Is it just me, or is your topic deleted? Since i can't access that.

A bit of magic and correct link would be this: https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/need-help-choosing-the-components-for-my-gaming-pc.3735345/
Difference is in last digit. Go figure.

And then there's the AIO (or maybe I'm fine with the stock 5600X cooler?). Which size AIO should I use? I'm not sure if there's even any point asking which brand/model to go with. I'm not sure if there are any "bad" ones as long as you choose something like Thermaltake, Corsair, NZXT, Arctic, Alphacool or Alpenföhn.

As far as AIOs vs air coolers go, you won't gain any cooling performance if you go with AIO over air cooler since both are cooled by ambient air.
For equal cooling performance between AIOs and air coolers, rad needs to be 240mm or 280mm. Smaller rads: 120mm and 140mm are almost always outperformed by mid-sized air coolers. Single slot rads are good in mini-ITX builds where you don't have enough CPU cooler clearance to install mid-sized CPU air cooler.

Here are the positive sides of both (air and AIO) CPU cooling methods;

Pros of air coolers:
less cost
less maintenance
less noise
far longer longevity
no leakage risks
doesn't take up case fan slots
additional cooling for the RAM
CPU cools down faster after heavy heat output

Pros of AIOs:
no RAM clearance issues*
no CPU clearance issues
CPU takes longer time to heat up during heavy heat output (about 30 mins)
* on some cases, top mounted rad can give RAM clearance issues

While how the CPU cooler looks inside the PC depends on a person. Some people prefer to see small AIO pump in the middle of their MoBo with tubing going to the rad while others prefer to see big heatsink with fans in the middle of their MoBo.

Main difference between AIO and air cooler is that with AIO, you'll get more noise at a higher cost while cooling performance remains the same.
Here's also one good article for you to read where king of air coolers (Noctua NH-D15) was put against 5x high-end AIOs, including king of AIOs (NZXT x61 Kraken),
link: http://www.relaxedtech.com/reviews/noctua/nh-d15-versus-closed-loop-liquid-coolers/1

Personally, i'd go with air coolers every day of the week. With same cooling performance, the pros of air coolers outweigh the pros of AIOs considerably. While, for me, the 3 main pros would be:
1. Less noise.
Since i like my PC to be quiet, i can't stand the loud noise AIO makes. Also, when air gets trapped inside the AIO (some AIOs are more prone to this than others), there's additional noise coming from inside the pump.
2. Longevity.
Cheaper AIOs usually last 2-3 years and high-end ones 4-5 years before you need to replace it. While with air coolers, their life expectancy is basically unlimited. Only thing that can go bad on an air cooler is the fan on it. If the fan dies, your CPU still has cooling in form of a big heatsink. Also, new 120mm or 140mm fan doesn't cost much and it's easy to replace one. While with AIOs, the main thing that usually goes bad is the pump itself. And when that happens, your CPU has no cooling whatsoever. Since you can't replace pump on an AIO, you need to buy whole new AIO to replace the old one out.
3. No leakage risks.
Since there's liquid circling inside the AIO, there is always a risk that your AIO can leak. While it's rare, it has happened. It's well known fact that liquids and electronics don't mix.

I already read about this and someone here on this forums suggested that people generally put too many fans in PC cases.

If you mount all fans into the PC case, you can move more air and/or do it more quietly than with lesser fans.

For example: 3 140mm fans at max speed and lot of noise = same airflow with 5-6 140mm fans at ~50% speed and considerably less noise. Trade-off, is initial fan purchase price.
Also, more fans means that the surface area where air goes in and out is bigger, giving the whole case internals a nice "breeze", rather than air rapidly passing through the case like a river, missing several spots.

Here's a good video to watch regarding fan placement and air pressure:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh6F2eccMec


Btw, i'm running negative pressure in my PCs.

 

[Jussinen]

Is it just me, or is your topic deleted? Since i can't access that.

A bit of magic and correct link would be this: https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/need-help-choosing-the-components-for-my-gaming-pc.3735345/
Difference is in last digit. Go figure.

Well I started a new thread about Meshify 2 cooling options. Apparentally the management or something thought that the question is the same as this one in here, which is fair enough I guess. Although since I've decided upon Meshify 2 I'm no longer asking for tips for new cases.

Then reconsider a different chassis that already provides some of that color you want and doesn't skimp too hard on cooling.
With how expensive decent LED fans can be, starting completely over on fans is OUCH.
You CAN have your cake and eat it too.
Lian Li has a Lancool II Mesh ARGB that has 3 of them preinstalled.
Cooler Master: H500 P Mesh ARGB and RGB variants, also H500M. Two, 200mm ARGB fans.
Phanteks: P500A D-RGB. 3 ARGB fans preinstalled.
With those, you probably want to add a couple/few more LED fans. Gonna be a little easier on the bank than five or more of them...

Well, there is that for sure.. And I know that some of them did even better in thermal tests than Meshify 2. But I really don't like their looks. Meshify 2 isn't my favourite either but it is bearable! If I went with any of those above mentioned, even the RGBs couldn't make them appealing 😀

As far as AIOs vs air coolers go, you won't gain any cooling performance if you go with AIO over air cooler since both are cooled by ambient air.
For equal cooling performance between AIOs and air coolers, rad needs to be 240mm or 280mm. Smaller rads: 120mm and 140mm are almost always outperformed by mid-sized air coolers. Single slot rads are good in mini-ITX builds where you don't have enough CPU cooler clearance to install mid-sized CPU air cooler.

True, though like I think I said earlier, I was told that too many fans on top exhaust may decrease the air circulation inside the case even though it certainly increases the air that goes through the case. Anyway, I guess I could use a short one slot AIO and still fit two regular fans on top? If it makes any sense?

Pros of air coolers:
less cost
less maintenance
less noise
far longer longevity
no leakage risks
doesn't take up case fan slots
additional cooling for the RAM
CPU cools down faster after heavy heat output

Pros of AIOs:
no RAM clearance issues*
no CPU clearance issues
CPU takes longer time to heat up during heavy heat output (about 30 mins)
* on some cases, top mounted rad can give RAM clearance issues

Yes, there are many pros on air coolers for sure... I know a sensible thing for me would be to go with a regular CPU air cooler. They're just a bit ugly, but that's not a sensible reason not to choose it anyway. I was considering Noctua NH-D15 as an option, although maybe a slightly smaller one would work just fine aswell. Risk of leakage on AIOs worry me the most. Their life expectancy also worries me.

 

[Jussinen]

Here's a good video to watch regarding fan placement and air pressure:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh6F2eccMec


Btw, i'm running negative pressure in my PCs.

It's a good video, yes. And that also demonstrates what I meant above by air finding the quickest route through your case (1:53 on video where Negative Pressure is explained). Smoke is seen entering the case from the front intake, but a significant amount of smoke leaves the case through the top exhaust fan closest to the intake. So that fan is actually not helping much. It blows out the air before it even gets warm. It doesn't get all the way to your CPU or GPU before it already exits the case. That's why I was asking about a single top exhaust fan as close to the rear of the case as possible.

 

[Aeacus]

Anyway, I guess I could use a short one slot AIO and still fit two regular fans on top? If it makes any sense?

I get what you are thinking but using single slot AIO rad has very poor performance in terms of CPU cooling. Single slot AIO rads, are only viable in mini-ITX builds, where you don't have enough space for proper air cooler.

Meshify 2 has 185mm of CPU cooler clearance and there is no air cooler (that i know of) which wouldn't fit in there. Even the big boys fit there just fine; NH-D15 (165mm), NH-D15 chromax.black (165mm), Dark Rock Pro 4 (163mm), Fuma 2 (154.5mm), Assassin III (171.5mm).

I know a sensible thing for me would be to go with a regular CPU air cooler. They're just a bit ugly

Are they ugly?

Dark Rock Pro 4

NH-D15 chromax.black

They look nice and classy to me.

by air finding the quickest route through your case (1:53 on video where Negative Pressure is explained). Smoke is seen entering the case from the front intake, but a significant amount of smoke leaves the case through the top exhaust fan closest to the intake.

That video does get the main point across. However, with negative pressure, only intake isn't only from the front, it's from everywhere and if they would've put smoke machine at the back of the PC, near PCI-E slots, you would've seen the back fans exhausting most of the "visible air", while passing over GPU and CPU.

So that fan is actually not helping much. It blows out the air before it even gets warm.

Regarding this, found a good topic about fluid dynamics; the answer by fanchiuho is really good read,
link: View: https://www.reddit.com/r/hardware/comments/6lcvqb/is_there_any_actual_hard_data_on_case_fan/

 

[Jussinen]

Thanks everyone for these tips. I consider this question "solved", even though I guess this is a topic that we could talk about forever. I still need help deciding what parts I need for my computer, including the cooling, but we may just as well continue this on:
https://forums.tomshardware.com/thr...nents-for-my-gaming-pc.3735345/#post-22521707