Need help to choose CPU cooler direction :p

[Krony]

Ok new build will be comming in the next week hopefully and i wanted some opinions on which way to mount my CPU cooler.

New system:

Antec 1200
Asus Sabertooth X58
i7 950 (will be overclocked to around 4Ghz+)
Prolimatech Megahalems Rev.b with 2 120mm fans
Corsair Dominator (3x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C8 1600MHz
Evga GTX 580 SC @ 890/1780/2100
Antec 850 truepower quattro

My paint skills are pretty poor so laugh all u want

All fans are 120mm except the 200mm top fan

First pic is the normal way these are usually mounted and it will probably get cooler air through the CPU cooler and drag some past the ram

Second pic is an option i am looking into as i have a nice top fan and it will push the warm air out top and also drag some away from the GPU, but the air going through the CPU cooler will most certainly be warmer and the ram may get a bit hotter also

Plz post any suggestions and ideas u may have to help me choose

 

[erocker]

Either way will work just fine. You may have to go one way or the other due to RAM clearence. As long as the cooler is pointed at an exhaust you're good to go.

 

[Krony]

Yea i was just thinking of the 'heat goes up' strategy and try let it help drag some heat away from the 580, the card runs pretty cool atm with some bad cable management i am going to address with this upgrade, also have a 120mm side door fan blowing on the card atm but i think thats gonna have to go due to the height of the cooler.

 

[meow1990]

Question: Are you planning to install the extra fan near one of the the drive bays?

Random suggestion, try moving the bottom front fan to the top, will generate a lot more air flow (I have it setup like that. Works great unless you are using a drive)

 

[Krony]

Question: Are you planning to install the extra fan near one of the the drive bays?

Random suggestion, try moving the bottom front fan to the top, will generate a lot more air flow (I have it setup like that. Works great unless you are using a drive)

I have a Zalman fan controller and a dvd drive both in the top, i could maybe swop thoes to the bottom but not sure if this is possible.

I do remember the case comming with another internal mounting for a fan so yea i might consider adding that somewhere, will be using a vertex ssd for os and my samsung f1 1tb with be storage so i can juggle thoes about a bit.

Edit: in face on that pic i downloaded of the case u cna see that additional fan mounting in the middle drive bay.

 

[meow1990]

I do remember the case comming with another internal mounting for a fan so yea i might consider adding that somewhere, will be using a vertex ssd for os and my samsung f1 1tb with be storage so i can juggle thoes about a bit.

well in that case, you can add another bunch bunch of arrows indicating more airflow from front to back of the case, in which case you might wanna consider the 1st diagram setup (provided you mount the extra fan level with the CPU).

Either way, I would wanna test out both for 2-3 days each and settle for the best result, because the airflow inside a case can get quite unpredictable. But thats just cos i have a lot of time on my hands.

About the fan controller and drive, I would mount those at the bottom if that is not an inconvenience.

Also, have you tried looking at enclosed liquid cooling loops? Like these:
CORSAIR CWCH50-1 High Performance CPU Cooler
CoolIT SYSTEMS ECO-R120 Advanced Liquid Cooling (A...

Less bothersome as they blow the heat out if you mount them a certain way.

just a thought.

 

[Frizz]

+1 to Meow1990, as the OP may already know, the Antec 1200 as tall as it is... is still very cramped horizontally, you should consider the Corsair H70. It will free up alot of breathing room for the MB area.

 

[UNDCTIATC]

spend the extra dough and get a water kit. You can find em for roughly $100-120. I have the Antec 1200 as well. If you are going to over clock, you won't get great results with your air cooler. I have my i5 3.33 oc'd to 4.2 at 140F under full load with H20. With air i was pushing 160F at 4.0 Thermaltake makes the bigwater which I have and I love it. Takes up 2 5.5" bays and has a resivoir, radiator, fan, pump, liquid, and tubing. It comes with a CPU block but it didn't fit my i5 so i doubt it will fit an i7. Blocks can be cheap or expensive. That is up to you. Set up is easy and you won't need a rocket fan churning at 6500 rpms to keep your CPU from nuclear meltdown.

While 20F for .2 ghz may seem not worth a ben frank or two, you may change your mind when your cpu halts, or in the case of my first i5 melts.

The choice is up to you, all we offer is IMO's and IMHO's or in other cases stuff pulled right outta our butts.

Here is a link to what i have, Thermaltake Bigwater 760i

 

[Krony]

I was considering the liquid option also but i already have the cooler and if i was gonna go down that road i would probably do the 580 aswell.

 

[Krony]

Went with the top method, have raised the 3 front intake fans one notch and put a blanker in the bottom so i can kept my fan controller and dvd at the top, seems to be running fine atm but still installing everything back on so ill do some benchies and post some pics later.

 

[de.das.dude]

i propose you take a thermometer and measure the temp over your card and memory

if card is cooler,
cooler = blow air bottom to top

if memory cooler,
cooler side ways.

check my siggy for air cooling thread for more help


i'd go for the former, as your gfx is already exhausting its hot air.

 

[francis511]

I orient mine to draw the hot air up to the top of the case = shortest distance to exit but there`s no RIGHT way..

 

[de.das.dude]

I orient mine to draw the hot air up to the top of the case = shortest distance to exit but there`s no RIGHT way..

you're an apple.

but true. each case has its own right way. expereiment and find out

 

[francis511]

you're an apple.

knife !!!

 

[Krony]

Gpu idles a bit cooloer at 36c, was 39c before and i have removed the side door fan due to no space for it so overall better case flow because of better cable management (forgot how much of a pain it is doing it tho ) right side door panel is slightly bulged out now

 

[mlee49]

Doing a vector summation, this picture yields the greatest potential:

Of course, this is a naive assumption that the lengths are all proportional to their magnitudes.

 

[Krony]

The pic is proportional but my added drawing on top of it ain't

Sry for the poor quality pic it's a decent camera so maybe my poor photography skills

 

[mlee49]

Yeah that looks good.

How hot is the 580?

 

[de.das.dude]

The pic is proportional but my added drawing on top of it ain't

Sry for the poor quality pic it's a decent camera so maybe my poor photography skills

http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/4152/sidecase.jpg

looks like cellphone camera without flash.


iphone?????

 

[Krony]

@mlee49 idle is 36c ish, max it hit in Heaven was 66c

First benchmark run:

 

[de.das.dude]

hey, i did some research and its best to keep the heatpipes horizontal. looks like they ARE susceptible to gravitational effects!