Water Cooled GPU in a Air Cooled PC

[cxerphax]

Looking to install a EVGA hybrid 1080 on my Cougar Panzer Max case with three Noctua 140mm intake fans and a NHD15. Where would the best place for the radiator be? As the exhaust fan? On top? Bottom near the PSU? Or connected to one of my fans on the side? Looking for best cooling possible for my case and build.

 

[jacobweaver800]

Looking to install a EVGA hybrid 1080 on my Cougar Panzer Max case with three Noctua 140mm intake fans and a NHD15. Where would the best place for the radiator be? As the exhaust fan? On top? Bottom near the PSU? Or connected to one of my fans on the side? Looking for best cooling possible for my case and build.

Probably going to be best to put the rad in the front with a push pull configuration pulling air into the case. What other fans do you have an in what locations? your going to want to have positive air pressure.

 

[R0GG]

GPU cooler radiator placed at the top panel in puch-exhaust configuration might be more desirable for your set up as not to impede your front overall laminar intake airflow.

 

[cxerphax]

Looking to install a EVGA hybrid 1080 on my Cougar Panzer Max case with three Noctua 140mm intake fans and a NHD15. Where would the best place for the radiator be? As the exhaust fan? On top? Bottom near the PSU? Or connected to one of my fans on the side? Looking for best cooling possible for my case and build.

Probably going to be best to put the rad in the front with a push pull configuration pulling air into the case. What other fans do you have an in what locations? your going to want to have positive air pressure.

In the front I have three 140mm Noctua fans. Do I need to add it to one of them in push/pull config?

 

[jacobweaver800]

Looking to install a EVGA hybrid 1080 on my Cougar Panzer Max case with three Noctua 140mm intake fans and a NHD15. Where would the best place for the radiator be? As the exhaust fan? On top? Bottom near the PSU? Or connected to one of my fans on the side? Looking for best cooling possible for my case and build.

Probably going to be best to put the rad in the front with a push pull configuration pulling air into the case. What other fans do you have an in what locations? your going to want to have positive air pressure.

In the front I have three 140mm Noctua fans. Do I need to add it to one of them in push/pull config?

With a push pull config its fans on both sides of the radiator, all the fans blowing into the case. the fans on both sides of the rads will work together to push air threw the rad. Then you need an exhaust fan in the back and possible one in the top as well.

 

[blanado]

I agree with Jacob - for a radiator, you want the fans pulling cool air into the case through the radiator, not exhausting warm air from the case out through the radiator.
for my setup i have 4x 4'' fans on the Rad (CPU cooler) pulling air in through the top of the case, 2 5'' fans on the front pulling air in (I put filter screens over both of these sections) and one 5'' exhaust fan out the back.
Like jacob said, this keeps a positive air pressure, combined with the filter screens it should keep anything nasty from getting in.

I would say mount your NHD15 as an intake fan at the front of the case, and move one of your Noctua 140mm to the back as an exhaust. Does your front panel have a filter? I would suggest putting a screen filter in front of your intake fans to keep you Rad and case clean.

 

[jacobweaver800]

I agree with Jacob - for a radiator, you want the fans pulling cool air into the case through the radiator, not exhausting warm air from the case out through the radiator.
for my setup i have 4x 4'' fans on the Rad (CPU cooler) pulling air in through the top of the case, 2 5'' fans on the front pulling air in (I put filter screens over both of these sections) and one 5'' exhaust fan out the back.
Like jacob said, this keeps a positive air pressure, combined with the filter screens it should keep anything nasty from getting in.

I would say mount your NHD15 as an intake fan at the front of the case, and move one of your Noctua 140mm to the back as an exhaust. Does your front panel have a filter? I would suggest putting a screen filter in front of your intake fans to keep you Rad and case clean.

Yep, since water cooling is more efficient at carrying away heat than air it's best to have the coldest air possible flowing through the rad to keep lowest possible temps, now since your GPU is liquid cooled and not your CPU your going to have higher CPU temps than before since your exhausting warm air into the case from the GPU which will warm the CPU by a few degrees, not much though. I would consider water cooling the CPU as a possible solution though it may be far from practical depending on the CPU and if your overclocking or not. It is also good to have positive airflow inside of the case since there will essentially be more air to cool the parts and airflow will be forced into the nooks and cranny's of the case to cool everything where as with negative airflow the air is being pushed out as fast as it can be put in which means there is less time for the heatsink to transfer heat away from the CPU to the air to be exhausted.

 

[R0GG]

But that contradicts the rational itself behind water cooling and defeats it's purpose which is to relieve the system more efficiently from excessive heat output coming from most heat producing components like CPU and graphic card !
The perfect scenario would be having the radiator getting fresh air from outside the case and exhausting it's hot air outside the case too (radiator+fans mounted outside the case)
Having the most rapid and efficient cooling part re-injecting it's heat inside towards components with much more latent heat dissipation and lower capability of cooling through case airflow will inflict in the long run on the functionality of the water cooled part itself.
There is definitely a balance to be established and a case by case figure depending on the tower overall air flow capabilities and the prioritized momentary achievement desired like specific components overclocking.

 

[jacobweaver800]

But that contradicts the rational itself behind water cooling and defeats it's purpose which is to relieve the system more efficiently from excessive heat output coming from most heat producing components like CPU and graphic card !
The perfect scenario would be having the radiator getting fresh air from outside the case and exhausting it's hot air outside the case too (radiator+fans mounted outside the case)
Having the most rapid and efficient cooling part re-injecting it's heat inside towards components with much more latent heat dissipation and lower capability of cooling through case airflow will inflict in the long run on the functionality of the water cooled part itself.
There is definitely a balance to be established and a case by case figure depending on the tower overall air flow capabilities and the prioritized momentary achievement desired like specific components overclocking.

Like stated above the only perfect way is to have the radiators outside of the case, preferably in a cooled room separate from the rest of the system, but that is really unnecessary. It really comes down to do you want the GPU to be as cool as possible or the CPU to be as cool as possible, it can't really be both because then you will have negative air pressure which isn't good for cooling. My guess is your going to want the GPU cooler so it can boost higher during gaming which will help more than the CPU boosting more.

 

[jacobweaver800]

But that contradicts the rational itself behind water cooling and defeats it's purpose which is to relieve the system more efficiently from excessive heat output coming from most heat producing components like CPU and graphic card !
The perfect scenario would be having the radiator getting fresh air from outside the case and exhausting it's hot air outside the case too (radiator+fans mounted outside the case)
Having the most rapid and efficient cooling part re-injecting it's heat inside towards components with much more latent heat dissipation and lower capability of cooling through case airflow will inflict in the long run on the functionality of the water cooled part itself.
There is definitely a balance to be established and a case by case figure depending on the tower overall air flow capabilities and the prioritized momentary achievement desired like specific components overclocking.

Like stated above the only perfect way is to have the radiators outside of the case, preferably in a cooled room separate from the rest of the system, but that is really unnecessary. It really comes down to do you want the GPU to be as cool as possible or the CPU to be as cool as possible, it can't really be both because then you will have negative air pressure which isn't good for cooling. My guess is your going to want the GPU cooler so it can boost higher during gaming which will help more than the CPU boosting more.