Just build a new PC and wondering if I set up my cooling properly

[Opex]

As title says I have recently build my second PC ever. My case is Corsair Airflow 4000D, CPU Cooler is Arctic Liquid Freezer II 240mm (Kept the original fans with it), and I have 4 Noctua NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM case fans. The way I have set it up is that I placed the radiator on the top, 3 fans in the front, and one fan in the back. The 4 case fans are set to pull the air in and only the radiator fans push the air up and out of the case. I have even scribbled a quick Paint image to showcase it.

I'm wondering if it's a good setup and I've done it in the best way. I just came up with a new idea of turning the radiator fans around to pull the air in and have the back of the case and fan as exhaust (instead of the top). Would this be a better way to go about it?

My other PC specs:

CPU: Intel i5-13600kf
Motherboard: ASUS Prime Z790-A WIFI
GPU: EVGA FTW3 3070ti
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 2x16gb 5600MHz
PSU: Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 1000W
Storage: 3 ssd nvme, plus one SATA ssd on the back

Any feedback appreciated!

 

[Icon Charlie]

Suggestion.

1. Do a overall check of your computer temperature with HVMonitor and do it for around 10 minutes.

2. Flip your 1, 120mm in the back to push air out instead of pushing air in.

3. Again do a overall check of your computer temperature with HVMonitor and do it for around 10 minutes and see if it makes a difference. If not then you can set it as before.

The Freezer 2 is fine where it is.

In my case the rear fans on any of my cases are always pushing air out so that is why I made my suggestion to you.

 

[Opex]

Suggestion.

1. Do a overall check of your computer temperature with HVMonitor and do it for around 10 minutes.

2. Flip your 1, 120mm in the back to push air out instead of pushing air in.

3. Again do a overall check of your computer temperature with HVMonitor and do it for around 10 minutes and see if it makes a difference. If not then you can set it as before.

The Freezer 2 is fine where it is.

In my case the rear fans on any of my cases are always pushing air out so that is why I made my suggestion to you.

Okay, I will definitely try this when I get the moment too.

I played around with MSIAfterburner and DOOM Eternal + Cyberpunk 2077. On near max settings + raytracing I was getting ~60% CPU use and ~50-60C CPU temps, GPU fluctuated between ~70 to ~95 % use and ~60-70 C temps.

I'll check if rotating the back fan will benefit the temperatures. For the Freezer 2, the fans turned to exhaust air out of the case is good, right?
Thanks for the reply!

 

[Icon Charlie]

Okay, I will definitely try this when I get the moment too.

I played around with MSIAfterburner and DOOM Eternal + Cyberpunk 2077. On near max settings + raytracing I was getting ~60% CPU use and ~50-60C CPU temps, GPU fluctuated between ~70 to ~95 % use and ~60-70 C temps.

I'll check if rotating the back fan will benefit the temperatures. For the Freezer 2, the fans turned to exhaust air out of the case is good, right?
Thanks for the reply!

Yes having the Freezer push air out is the correct way. But again I would suggest as listed above just to make sure.

Also secondly at the end of each test check your room temperature as well. That way if there is a deviation by a degree or so it could be your room temperature has changed during the time of your test.

 

[joemama]

I kind of wonder if the top exhaust helps with the temperature. My thought is that without the 2 fans in the top and the back fan as exhaust, the airflow inside the case would be completely horizontal. With the top fans pulling air out, the air going in the front would be pulled towards the 3 exhaust fans, leaving the bottom left area under the GPU circulating inside the case.

 

[Icon Charlie]

I kind of wonder if the top exhaust helps with the temperature. My thought is that without the 2 fans in the top and the back fan as exhaust, the airflow inside the case would be completely horizontal. With the top fans pulling air out, the air going in the front would be pulled towards the 3 exhaust fans, leaving the bottom left area under the GPU circulating inside the case.
View attachment 271185

This depends on your case.

With my Corsair Carbide 400r/500r. I have very little heat pockets. Again as stated in the past I refuse to buy any of the newer cases. 1. They cost too much money for what you are getting. 2. You are losing flexibility for bling bling.

Because of my case, I flipped my PSU (so I don't break the warranty... yet) and in make the PSU push air out from the bottom of the case.

As Stated before, I have several Carbide cases brand new in storage. They are that good in my eyes.
As stated before, I only run 3 fans to keep my high end rig running. That Data has been posted on this site.
As stated before, the art of Air Flow Management is a lost art. It has been replaced IMHO by expensive bling bling cases, components and RGB crap that is not needed for the intended the true purpose of what a computer is used for.

In your illustration 1 you can leave your rear slot brackets open or buy the slotted/holed vent ones that helps increase the airflow out of your rig.

Gearheads like me will also go open the PSU (I suggest you don't though) and not only flip the fan in there but with their handy dandy clean up tool kit they have made over the years give out a thorough cleaning. Yea this is an anal move but I used to do this in a computer store. I've have PSU's that still run on my vintage computers that are 15+ years old. AGAIN I do not suggest you doing so in opening up any PSU. In the 90's/early 2000 you repaired everything. This includes Motherboards and PSU's so I've had just a weeee bit of training here

Dust is always your enemy to electrical components.

 

[dirtyferret]

Any feedback appreciated!

see Icon's message below

. Flip your 1, 120mm in the back to push air out instead of pushing air in.

this

I kind of wonder if the top exhaust helps with the temperature. My thought is that without the 2 fans in the top and the back fan as exhaust, the airflow inside the case would be completely horizontal. With the top fans pulling air out, the air going in the front would be pulled towards the 3 exhaust fans, leaving the bottom left area under the GPU circulating inside the case.
View attachment 271185

It's hard to make any comments on either setup without knowing what the CPU cooling and GPU fan set up is like. Is it air or liquid cooling for the CPU, is the GPU a dual or triple fan video card or is it a single fan blower? You also don't have the PSU set up that can be used to help control airflow depending on the case.

The one thing I will say is if you look at the former image, in a CPU air cooling setup that top front fan will clearly fight and pull outside air away from the CPU cooler and case which is why it's often best to leave it open (no fan just dust filter) in air cooled systems.

With my Corsair Carbide 400r/500r. I have very little heat pockets.

I had the 400R, great case. the four front 5.25 bays could definitely create heat pockets and the large disk drive cage could block the front fans (most other cases at the time suffered with similar issues). That said, the large side panel openings for both CPU and GPU cooling easily made up for those short comings.

 

[izy]

Ill ninja the topic a bit but ill ask something related , are the exhaust fans on top of the case important? I used my fans to push air from the bottom of the case (so i can cool my GPU a bit) and left the top without fans ( i have exhaust fan for the CPU in the back of the case and front intake fans). Should i get 2 exhaust fans for the top? (or move the GPU intake fans on top). My CPU temps are fine but when i stress test at the same time GPU and CPU i feel like the GPU is heating all the air inside and pushing it to the CPU too. (all air cooled)

 

[dirtyferret]

I used my fans to push air from the bottom of the case (so i can cool my GPU a bit) and left the top without fans ( i have exhaust fan for the CPU in the back of the case and front intake fans). Should i get 2 exhaust fans for the top? (or move the GPU intake fans on top).

I assume you have an air cooler for the CPU? You would place one fan blowing out closest to the back of the case while leaving the other port open for the air cooler to bring in cooler air.

My CPU temps are fine but when i stress test at the same time GPU and CPU i feel like the GPU is heating all the air inside and pushing it to the CPU too. (all air cooled)

Heat spreads from hot areas to cooler ones as the GPU heats up that is what happens so everything is normal. Hot air will rise (slowly) but if you stick a fan next to it, hot air will go in any direction you send it. That said, you stated temps are fine so fiddling with something to maybe drop temps 1-3c probably isn't worth it unless you just enjoy fiddling with stuff.

 

[izy]

I assume you have an air cooler for the CPU? You would place one fan blowing out closest to the back of the case while leaving the other port open for the air cooler to bring in cooler air.


Heat spreads from hot areas to cooler ones as the GPU heats up that is what happens so everything is normal. Hot air will rise (slowly) but if you stick a fan next to it, hot air will go in any direction you send it. That said, you stated temps are fine so fiddling with something to maybe drop temps 1-3c probably isn't worth it unless you just enjoy fiddling with stuff.

Added a pic of this system.
I was thinking to buy 1 or 2 fans for top. (i think that the second fan near the front intake will just blow out the fresh air going to the CPU instead of helping)
Last intake fan i think is pulling air from inside the case (see in the picture) and i was thinking to move it in the top. (second intake fan from the bottom is missing as i need an header adaptor for the USB)
Edit: too bad i cant control/stop the fans RGB as im not a big fan of them , i like it only on the cpu cooler so i can track the CPU temp. (im keeping the plastic on the glass because im renovating around and i want to keep it clean for when im done )

 

[dirtyferret]

(i think that the second fan near the front intake will just blow out the fresh air going to the CPU instead of helping)

that is typically what happens if you look at the test I linked

1. The amount of venting in your case can have a huge impact on cooling, particularly around the CPU area. If you have fan mounts here that are blocked up, unblock them.

2. Generally, all other things being equal, it’s better to get hot air out of your case than to pump cool air in, particularly when it comes to CPU cooling.

3. If you have a roof mount that’s located nearer the front of the case than the CPU cooler, leave it open. Fitting a fan here only causes problems.

4. If you have one, two or three fans in your case, the side panel intake mount is the most important. Fill this first, followed by the rear exhaust mount, followed by the roof exhaust mount.

5. Bear in mind the fact that fans have an effect on each other and use this to your advantage. For this to work though they need to be close enough to interact - a side intake works better with a rear exhaust than a front intake does for this reason.

6. With four or more fans, concentrate on traditional front to back cooling and creating one strong, continuous air flow. Fill the front intakes and the roof and rear exhausts first.

7. More fans does mean more cooling, but expect diminishing returns when going above three or four fans.

 

[izy]

that is typically what happens if you look at the test I linked

1. The amount of venting in your case can have a huge impact on cooling, particularly around the CPU area. If you have fan mounts here that are blocked up, unblock them.

2. Generally, all other things being equal, it’s better to get hot air out of your case than to pump cool air in, particularly when it comes to CPU cooling.

3. If you have a roof mount that’s located nearer the front of the case than the CPU cooler, leave it open. Fitting a fan here only causes problems.

4. If you have one, two or three fans in your case, the side panel intake mount is the most important. Fill this first, followed by the rear exhaust mount, followed by the roof exhaust mount.

5. Bear in mind the fact that fans have an effect on each other and use this to your advantage. For this to work though they need to be close enough to interact - a side intake works better with a rear exhaust than a front intake does for this reason.

6. With four or more fans, concentrate on traditional front to back cooling and creating one strong, continuous air flow. Fill the front intakes and the roof and rear exhausts first.

7. More fans does mean more cooling, but expect diminishing returns when going above three or four fans.

This is the case: https://aerocool.io/product/quantum-mesh/

 

[dirtyferret]

This is the case: https://aerocool.io/product/quantum-mesh/

nice case, do you have the mirage cooler that they use in the video?

 

[izy]

nice case, do you have the mirage cooler that they use in the video?

I think so , i added some picture with the system if you look to my other post. The fans that came with the case have 2 pins (molex) and you cant change the lights (or stop / control them) but i modified and adapter so i can plug them into a motherboard header and i keep them slower at idle / low load (9v vs 12v), i have the 2nd version (V2).

 

[dirtyferret]

I think so , i added some picture with the system if you look to my other post. The fans that came with the case have 2 pins (molex) and you cant change the lights (or stop / control them) but i modified and adapter so i can plug them into a motherboard header and i keep them slower at idle / low load (9v vs 12v), i have the 2nd version (V2).

ah, okay. That looks to be a ID-Cooling SE-224. What is sitting on top of the pc case over the top front port?

 

[izy]

ah, okay. That looks to be a ID-Cooling SE-224. What is sitting on top of the pc case over the top front port?

Ah, an external HDD , i was just cleaning around and i moved it there.

Edit: So do you think i should move the 3rd front intake fan to top exhaust? Or just add one (or two) top exhaust?

 

[dirtyferret]

Edit: So do you think i should move the 3rd front intake fan to top exhaust? Or just add one (or two) top exhaust?

personally I would but I'm also more concerned over CPU temp than GPU temp. I would not expect a major difference in temps, maybe a drop of 2-3c CPU temps while GPU may tick up 1 or 2 while gaming. You can use a stress test to gauge how well your airflow is set up but unless all you do is run stress tests the benefits may not be there for you if you never reach those hardware temps under normal use. Hence why I said, if you think your current temps are fine than you can leave it as is

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

I kind of wonder if the top exhaust helps with the temperature. My thought is that without the 2 fans in the top and the back fan as exhaust, the airflow inside the case would be completely horizontal. With the top fans pulling air out, the air going in the front would be pulled towards the 3 exhaust fans, leaving the bottom left area under the GPU circulating inside the case.
View attachment 271185

The second diagram: airlflow like wo9uld have to have very high cfm fans. Hot air rises so there would be a rise in the airflow, i.e., you will still feel heat rising thru the top even with upper exhaust fans.

 

[izy]

personally I would but I'm also more concerned over CPU temp than GPU temp. I would not expect a major difference in temps, maybe a drop of 2-3c CPU temps while GPU may tick up 1 or 2 while gaming. You can use a stress test to gauge how well your airflow is set up but unless all you do is run stress tests the benefits may not be there for you if you never reach those hardware temps under normal use. Hence why I said, if you think your current temps are fine than you can leave it as is

You are right , i would have just tried it to remove the 3rd fan but i have to open all the case, when im stressing both CPU and GPU the top of the case (the place where i could add a top exahust) gets warm to hot and i dont feel any air going out thru there and i feel like the back fan its not that strong on removing the heat under big load , im thinking that the bottom intake sends the hot air from the GPU in the space near the CPU and the back exhaust cant remove it in time.

 

[DeathtoGnomes]

Ah, an external HDD , i was just cleaning around and i moved it there.

Edit: So do you think i should move the 3rd front intake fan to top exhaust? Or just add one (or two) top exhaust?

add two top exhaust for best balanced airflow.

the back fan its not that strong on removing the heat under big load

the back fan helps direct traffic (airflow) unless its the sole exhaust fan than it does remove the heat.

 

[dirtyferret]

You are right , i would have just tried it to remove the 3rd fan but i have to open all the case, when im stressing both CPU and GPU the top of the case (the place where i could add a top exahust) gets warm to hot and i dont feel any air going out thru there and i feel like the back fan its not that strong on removing the heat under big load , im thinking that the bottom intake sends the hot air from the GPU in the space near the CPU and the back exhaust cant remove it in time.

i've always used a rear and top/back exhaust for my CPU air coolers while keeping the top front open to allow the CPU fans access to cool air as opposed to filling it with a fan and choking the CPU fans as the professional tester found out in the link. If you feel your exhaust is not up to par, the simple addition of another fan can help fix that or perhaps you can increase the fan curve speed of your back exhaust fan.

 

[claes]

Bad thread is bad

@izy needs to create their own thread. At this point the questions @Opex was asking about their unorthodox/complicated setup are lost.

Not all cases are the same, and components matter — outside if some practical observations regarding physics, that bit-tech article is only helpful if you have a very similar setup.

There is no universal answer to “best fan placement,” each situation is different

 

[Opex]

Suggestion.

1. Do a overall check of your computer temperature with HVMonitor and do it for around 10 minutes.

2. Flip your 1, 120mm in the back to push air out instead of pushing air in.

3. Again do a overall check of your computer temperature with HVMonitor and do it for around 10 minutes and see if it makes a difference. If not then you can set it as before.

The Freezer 2 is fine where it is.

In my case the rear fans on any of my cases are always pushing air out so that is why I made my suggestion to you.

Okay, gotta say, thank you for the tip @Icon Charlie! I switched out the back fan to exhaust and temperatures dropped around 5-10C!!

I also just upgraded my monitor to 1440p from 1080p. I can play near max settings + raytracing at stable >60FPS with lower temps than before.

Thank you everyone and I don't mind that @izy hijacked the post, I was inactive for some time anyway...