[SOLVED] Should I Get More Case Fans?

[Kirbyarm]

I went ahead and purchased this case: https://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352087

It seems to come equipped with 2 case fans by default. I chose this case primarily for the high standing it has for being one of the best airflow cases in its class, at least according to what I was able to find in my research. My concern is it only comes with said 2 fans. Claims to support 7 total fans. Should I get more? Where should I mount the 2 (or more) fans for optimal airflow?

I'll be putting an overclocked 9900k with NH-D15 in there.

Thanks for your time~

 

[Jepson]

If you are overclocking and it supports 7 fans, I would recommend getting 1-2 more fans just in case.

 

[Groveling_Wyrm]

I would definitely put more fans if with the I9. Putting 2 fans in the front, 1 fan in the back, 1 fan in top rear will give you good airflow.

I also recommend using 140mm fans. MUCH less noise, same or more airflow.

 

[Kirbyarm]

Really, Groveling_Wyrm? Bigger fans make less noise? How does that work?

@Groveling_Wyrm

Thanks @Jepson , I'll try to make sure I get 4 total then. I just need to decide on 120mm or 140mm. Would you also say 140mm would be the better choice?

 

[maziech]

I'll be putting an overclocked 9900k with NH-D15 in there.

Water cooling 0 : 1 Air cooling

2 fans: 1 in front, 1 at the back. The one in front sucks air into the rig, the one at the back pulls air out of the rig

3 fans: add second fan in front of the case

4 fans: add one at the top to pull the air out of the rig

5 fans: add one at the front

6: add second to the top

etc....

I suggest to start with setup of 3 or 4 and monitor the temps. Also make sure to have enough connectors for the fans. (might need some kind of fan hub... meh, i don't know how's it called)

 

[Jepson]

Really, Groveling_Wyrm? Bigger fans make less noise? How does that work?

@Groveling_Wyrm

Thanks @Jepson , I'll try to make sure I get 4 total then. I just need to decide on 120mm or 140mm. Would you also say 140mm would be the better choice?

no problem, glad I could help!

 

[Groveling_Wyrm]

Really, Groveling_Wyrm? Bigger fans make less noise? How does that work?

Larger fans have the same or more surface area. This means that they dont have to spin as fast as 120mm fans. Less speed equals less noise, but yet give as much or more airflow.

 

[Kirbyarm]

@Groveling_Wyrm Thank you. That makes a lot of sense!

If the case supports the 7 x 120mm fans, will it be able to support 4 x 140mm fans?

 

[Groveling_Wyrm]

@Groveling_Wyrm Thank you. That makes a lot of sense!

If the case supports the 7 x 120mm fans, will it be able to support 4 x 140mm fans?

If you read newegg...the case specification states it can hold:


Fan Options

Front: 2 x 140mm / 3 x 120mm fan (1 x Dynamic X2 GP-12 included)

Top: 2 x 120mm / 2 x 140mm

Rear: 1 x 120mm fan (1 x Dynamic X2 GP-12 included)

Bottom: 1 x 120mm fan



So, you can put 140mm fans in on the top and front.

 

[maziech]

If the case supports the 7 x 120mm fans, will it be able to support 4 x 140mm fans?

Front and upper panel fans: supports 3x120 and 2x140

Rear and bottom: supports only 120.

Here's the link:
https://www.fractal-design.com/home/product/cases/meshify/meshify-c-white-tg

 

[Kirbyarm]

@Groveling_Wyrm Sorry, I'm still trying to learn what to look for when purchasing all of these new computer parts. The explanation is really helpful and appreciated, thank you! I think I get it now.

If anything, at least you're getting a bunch of upvotes! hehe

So if I went with a 4-fan setup at first.. we want two of them pulling air from outside the case at the front of the computer right? I can kind of see why @maziech seems to prioritize a second fan there before a top fan. Hmm.

 

[Groveling_Wyrm]

@Groveling_Wyrm Sorry, I'm still trying to learn what to look for when purchasing all of these new computer parts. The explanation is really helpful and appreciated, thank you! I think I get it now.

If anything, at least you're getting a bunch of upvotes! hehe

So if I went with a 4-fan setup at first.. we want two of them pulling air from outside the case at the front of the computer right? I can kind of see why @maziech seems to prioritize a second fan there before a top fan. Hmm.

I also recommend 4 fans. it promotes good airflow. Also, prevents any issues if a fan fails. You always have a second fan on the front or rear.

Correct, 2 fans at front, 1 at back, 1 at the top back....promotes smooth air flow through the case that way.

 

[maziech]

So if I went with a 4-fan setup at first.. we want two of them pulling air from outside the case at the front of the computer right?

Right. Intake and exhaust should be kinda balanced.

 

[Kirbyarm]

Awesome. I think I'll get 4x Be Quiet Pure Wings 2 fans, 120mm for the back, and the other 3 at 140mm size. Do you guys think this type of fan would be a wise choice for my situation?

 

[maziech]

Those are gr8 fans, but why 4? If i am correct, You should get 2x120 fans included buying this case?
For a start, You can just buy 2x 140 for the front panel. If You're not satisfied, You can always replace them with bq!

 

[SkyNetRising]

Awesome. I think I'll get 4x Be Quiet Pure Wings 2 fans, 120mm for the back, and the other 3 at 140mm size. Do you guys think this type of fan would be a wise choice for my situation?

Get 2x 140mm fans, put them in front.
Move existing 120mm fan from front to top.

That's, how I'd do this.

 

[Kirbyarm]

@SkyNetRising @maziech Is there a way we can find out which two fans get included with the case so I can compare their airflow to the Be Quiets and other fans? Because I want to do that, but I don't want cheap crappy fans if I can get good ones to keep my system cool, you know?

Really don't want to go baller $2,300 CDN on this PC and end up cheaping out on the fans/cooling.

 

[SkyNetRising]

Dynamic X2 GP-12 are included with Fractal Design Meshify C.

https://www.fractal-design.com/home/product/casefans/dynamic-series/dynamic-x2-gp-12

 

[maziech]

120mm fans are 120 mm fans. They just spin. You won't notice a difference.
Those included won't be as bad as You think, it's not the cheapest tower on the market. You'll be fine.

 

[SkyNetRising]

Fans included are 3pin models. I'd suggest getting PWM regulated 4pin fans.

 

[Kirbyarm]

I figured the performance would be comparable and not a huge concern, but the noise level... not so sure. 4 case fans. Be Quiets are well.. reputable for boasting performance and silence at the same time.

So the fractal 120's have 1200 max RPM compared to the Pure Wing's 1600. They perform about the same but the fractal doesn't list a minimum and maximum sound it just says

Acoustical noise [dB (A)]

19.4

Which I'm not sure if that means 19.4 at max speed or at idle temperatures, it doesn't quite specify. The Pure Wings say 15 - 20 dB.

Perhaps it wouldn't kill me to get them anyway in case some go bad as I have no extras and my old PC (the one I'm using right now) I intend to turn into a server-hosting PC in another room of the house which the fans on those are going on 5 years on nearly 24/7 operation and could go anytime. I think it wouldn't be a terrible investment, yeah?

So back to the Pure Wings inquiries. I have the option to get them with or without PWM. I'm not sure what PWM is. Should I get them with PWM?

 

[Gmoney06ss]

I have an R6 that came with the gp-14, which are the 140mm version of the ones included in your case. As maziech stated, they're decent fans. They're fairly quiet and flow decently. The be quiet fans will definitely be an upgrade.

Pwm means pulse width. Basically they'll be adjustable. Where as the 3 pin will be direct voltage. Fixed at max rpm all the time.

 

[Kirbyarm]

@SkyNetRising

I'd suggest getting PWM regulated 4pin fans.

The specifications on the PWM variants don't list the number of pin connectors, unlike the PWM-less counterparts. Should I assume PWM = 4 pin?

Also, will my power supply and motherboard come with what I need to connect potentially 4x 4 pin connector fans?

 

[Kirbyarm]

Pwm means pulse width. Basically they'll be adjustable. Where as the 3 pin will be direct voltage. Fixed at max rpm all the time.

So definitely PWM then, by the sounds of it. Hmm.

 

[Gmoney06ss]

Usually a safe assumption that 4 pin equals pwm. Depends on your board, but most newer boards have an abundance of fan headers available. And if not you can grab a fan hub/splitter. Fractal has one, and it may even come with the case, the r6 did.

Pwm fans if you care about noise levels. This way you can adjust based on temp, and not just have them all out, all the time.