Question Should I install some case fans ?

[Vetrix1996]

I have a front mounted Arctic II AIO but there are no case fans in front of the case, just the radiator.
The AIO fans are on the inside, my 200mm case fans would not fit.
Should I buy new fans for the front?
Would this improve cooling?

 

[Aeacus]

Would this improve cooling?

Well, if you plan to run in push-pull conf (fans on both side of the rad), then only static pressure would increase inside the rad. But airflow remains the same IF all fans on either side are same spec fans and rotate at same speed. But if you get different spec fans for the front side or run them at different RPM, then airflow would suffer. And in turn, cooling as well.

I'd keep the setup as is, in pull setup, since it makes easier to clean the rad from dust when there are no fans blocking it at the front.

Here's video of push-pull for rad (conclusion at 3:45):

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyC3lZ5WFMk#t=3m45s

 

[thestryker]

It would help to know what your case is and what you're cooling if you want any specific suggestions. It also depends on what the airflow path is that you're using. Fans are going to do a better job pushing air through the radiator than pulling.

 

[Vetrix1996]

Well, if you plan to run in push-pull conf (fans on both side of the rad), then only static pressure would increase inside the rad. But airflow remains the same IF all fans on either side are same spec fans and rotate at same speed. But if you get different spec fans for the front side or run them at different RPM, then airflow would suffer. And in turn, cooling as well.

I'd keep the setup as is, in pull setup, since it makes easier to clean the rad from dust when there are no fans blocking it at the front.

Here's video of push-pull for rad (conclusion at 3:45):

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyC3lZ5WFMk#t=3m45s

thanks

 

[Vetrix1996]

It would help to know what your case is and what you're cooling if you want any specific suggestions. It also depends on what the airflow path is that you're using. Fans are going to do a better job pushing air through the radiator than pulling.

5090 / 9800X3D / H500M

 

[thestryker]

5090 / 9800X3D / H500M

If the mounting on top has enough clearance you'd definitely be better off putting your radiator there because the video card is going to use a lot more power than CPU. That allows you to keep using the 200mm fans in the front to provide clean air to your system.

If it's not possible to put the rad there then you could always put in the 200mm fans assuming you don't have anything else in the top.

 

[Vetrix1996]

If the mounting on top has enough clearance you'd definitely be better off putting your radiator there because the video card is going to use a lot more power than CPU. That allows you to keep using the 200mm fans in the front to provide clean air to your system.

If it's not possible to put the rad there then you could always put in the 200mm fans assuming you don't have anything else in the top.

I did try that and no room. I could put the fans up top, would replacing the glass top with mesh help GPU temps? GPU 80 - 85c a lot

 

[thestryker]

I did try that and no room.

I guessed that, because while those thick Arctic rads are great many cases can't handle them in the top.

I could put the fans up top, would replacing the glass top with mesh help GPU temps? GPU 80 - 85c a lot

Yeah it should help some with the temperatures by getting more of the hot air out. Cooling high power components can get tricky pretty quickly.

 

[Vetrix1996]

I guessed that, because while those thick Arctic rads are great many cases can't handle them in the top.

Yeah it should help some with the temperatures by getting more of the hot air out. Cooling high power components can get tricky pretty quickly.

Darn, the fans i got wont fit up there. Would it be ok if i replace the glass top with mesh and just let the hot air go out the top naturally?

 

[thestryker]

Darn, the fans i got wont fit up there. Would it be ok if i replace the glass top with mesh and just let the hot air go out the top naturally?

Yeah it will.

I looked at the H500M specs, and then manual and it says it supports 200mm fans on the top. It looks like you remove the top, mount the fans to the outside of the frame then put the top back on. So there really shouldn't be any issue installing fans at the top.

 

[Aeacus]

Would it be ok if i replace the glass top with mesh and just let the hot air go out the top naturally?

You'd get better cooling with replacing front glass panel with mesh panel. 5C difference this way, with negligible diff in noise.

Case review:

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


As far as your AIO goes, you should be able to install rad fans on top, outside of the metal part of the PC case and rad inside the metal case. This way, you should have enough clearance inside the PC case, while rad would be easy to clean still, given that you install fans in pull configuration (just like in the video i linked).

200mm front fans are there purely for eyecandy. Fans have mediocre airflow for 200mm fan, 90 CFM and poor static pressure of 0.88 mmH2O. Hardly moving any air.
Fan specs: https://www.coolermaster.com/en-global/products/masterfan-mf200r-argb/?tab=tech_spec

E.g for comparison, my Corsair ML140 Pro LED fans, have 97 CFM with 3.0 mmH2O and they are 140mm,
specs: https://www.corsair.com/us/en/p/cas...premium-magnetic-levitation-fan-co-9050047-ww

Despite my fans being smaller, they are better in both aspects (especially in static pressure).
So, you may want to replace your 200mm fans all together, if you want to improve cooling performance. Good 140mm fan easily outperforms single 200mm fan you have.

 

[Vetrix1996]

You'd get better cooling with replacing front glass panel with mesh panel. 5C difference this way, with negligible diff in noise.

Its already mesh at the front, i hate the 200mm fans, i tried again, i could put them in top but dont wanna cuz the extra noise, rather just let the hot air go out the top naturally

 

[CountMike]

Its already mesh at the front, i hate the 200mm fans, i tried again, i could put them in top but dont wanna cuz the extra noise, rather just let the hot air go out the top naturally

Just slow them down as far they can go, it's better than not having them.

 

[JayGau]

If the mounting on top has enough clearance you'd definitely be better off putting your radiator there because the video card is going to use a lot more power than CPU. That allows you to keep using the 200mm fans in the front to provide clean air to your system.

If it's not possible to put the rad there then you could always put in the 200mm fans assuming you don't have anything else in the top.

It's the opposite. The card generates a lot of heat, so if you put the rad at the top you just get all this hot air going through the rad.

When you have a power hungry GPU it's better to put the rad on the front with intake fans (so you cool down the liquid with fresh air) and evacuate the heat from the case with top and back exhaust fans.

 

[thestryker]

It's the opposite. The card generates a lot of heat, so if you put the rad at the top you just get all this hot air going through the rad.

When you have a power hungry GPU it's better to put the rad on the front with intake fans (so you cool down the liquid with fresh air) and evacuate the heat from the case with top and back exhaust fans.

No, just no. With a case that has a singular intake limiting intake airflow and heating it up does not improve GPU temperatures.

 

[CountMike]

No, just no. With a case that has a singular intake limiting intake airflow and heating it up does not improve GPU temperatures.

Whole idea of cooling is to REMOVE the heat, just cramming cool air in a case without proper hot air removal doesn't help much.

 

[Aeacus]

If the mounting on top has enough clearance you'd definitely be better off putting your radiator there because the video card is going to use a lot more power than CPU.

It's the opposite. The card generates a lot of heat, so if you put the rad at the top you just get all this hot air going through the rad.

The old age debate of rad front vs rad top. 🙄

JayzTwoCents did in-depth testing about it:

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


For CPU, top mounted rad gave +2C in temps, compared to front mounted rad.
For GPU, top mounted rad gave -5C in temps, compared to front mounted rad.
But that, when running fans at fixed speeds.

Most folks have fan curve based on the temp, making the temp delta between the two mounting options effectively 0. So, it doesn't matter where the rad is mounted.
And those few who do run fixed RPM on their fans at all times, 5C delta for GPU is negligible diff.

 

[thestryker]

The old age debate of rad front vs rad top. 🙄

JayzTwoCents did in-depth testing about it:

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


For CPU, top mounted rad gave +2C in temps, compared to front mounted rad.
For GPU, top mounted rad gave -5C in temps, compared to front mounted rad.
But that, when running fans at fixed speeds.

Most folks have fan curve based on the temp, making the temp delta between the two mounting options effectively 0. So, it doesn't matter where the rad is mounted.
And those few who do run fixed RPM on their fans at all times, 5C delta for GPU is negligible diff.

He tested using a case that has mesh at the bottom which has extra intake whether the fans are on or not and the case in question here has a solid bottom. He even explained that using a front radiator caused a negative pressure situation and temperatures would have been worse if there hadn't been the additional openings. Negative pressure is fine if there's openings to draw air in, but when there's minimal openings you're better off with a closer to equal setup which is what you get with clean intake and rad in the top.

Bottom line is radiator in the front is going to end up with GPU fans running faster and/or a hotter running GPU. That doesn't mean it won't work or be okay just that it's not optimal for video card cooling.

 

[Aeacus]

He tested using a case that has mesh at the bottom which has extra intake whether the fans are on or not and the case in question here has a solid bottom. He even explained that using a front radiator caused a negative pressure situation and temperatures would have been worse if there hadn't been the additional openings.

CM H500M, when populating all fans, would also be in negative pressure setup (given that there's no airflow normalization via RPM changes). And the case isn't as closed up as you indicate. It has ventilated PCI brackets + two vertical ventilated PCI brackets and nice gaping hole above those. Also, rear exhaust fan doesn't block all the rear vents, leaving some open for air to come in.
So, negative pressure can still work in H500M case.

just that it's not optimal for video card cooling.

Putting components into small box isn't optimal cooling in any way. Open-air PC case would be better since then, entire room's air acts as a heatsink. But in a small closed case, it is far easier to heat up the air inside it, thus, loosing on optimization part.