Airflow and cooler question

[mooncancook]

My Q9550 mobo just died and I decided to upgrade instead of fixing an old system. I ended up with an i7 6700k with MSI Z170 Gaming Pro Carbon combo from Frys. For cooler I'm debating between Noctua Nh-D15 and Corsair H100i v2. Price difference is about $10. My case is Thermaltake Suppressor F31 so it should have no problem mounting 240mm radiator in front or top. Also I don't have big OC ambition, maybe just try mild OC without raising voltage.

If I go with the H100i and top-mount, is it better to have both fans to exhaust air out the top, or have one fan intake and one fan exhaust thru the top? Currently I have 2 front and 1 bottom intake fans, and 1 rear exhaust fan. All fans are 120mm.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I think that an NH-D15 can come within a couple degrees of an H110i's performance, with beefier exhaust fan and a 140mm+ pusher fan. The NH-D15 S comes with a single "round" fan (probably 140mm) between the towers. Here's a discussion comparing to the H100i :

https://linustechtips.com/main/topic/209147-noctua-nh-d15-vs-the-h100i/

You may also be able to replicate or surpass an NH-D15 performance with a ThermalRight Le Grand Macho or LGM. The LGM RT model comes with a round pusher fan. If you want to buy the duct, you'll order separately for about $8. But either cooler weighs in at 900 grams with no fans attached. The NH-D15 S with its center fan performs to the same temperature and testbed that the LGM does by simply ducting it to the case exhaust.

If you think about the LGM cooler, research your motherboard and ThermalRight's web-page for the "socket 1151 spacer," to determine if you'll need it. ASUS boards provide a plastic frame that functions like the spacer, and I don't know the score with MSI boards. You could use the TR spacer with the Noctua cooler if you can get one for free. The only way to get one for free, though, is to buy the TR LGM.

It's either "heavy metal" air, or bulky push-pull-radiator with more noise. And 900 grams is not such a terrible strain on a decent motherboard, although socket-1151 deserves special attention to assure no damage to the CPU PCB.

If those sorts of little frets worry you, then you can consider the warranty period and MTBF for waterpump etc., the extra moving parts, the possibility of leakage. I think the leakage looms as an over-imagined risk, but you're best to test an AiO cooler hooked up but "outside the box" and maybe in a vinyl tub. I doubt that most AiO buyers/users bother with that. AiO coolers have become better, but air-coolers can match the performance of some fairly good ones.

UPDATE: I didn't answer your question about airflow. It depends on whether you use a dual-fan AiO or a heatpipe cooler. That is, the strategy will change a bit. You're best to mount an AiO at case intake, but exhaust will still work. You would mount the fans on one side of the radiator, either as "push" or "pull." In that top position, follow the recommendations of the AiO instructions. With the heatpipe, want to exhaust as much air as possible through the heatpipe cooler, and use intake fans that exceed the airflow CFM of the exhaust.

 

[mooncancook]

Thanks for the detailed answer @BonzaiDuck . After looking at more installed photos of the NH-D15, I feel like it is too massive for my taste so I am likely going with AiO water. Not interesting in custom water setup because of the efforts, cost, and maintenance required.

One more question though, if I mount a dual fan AiO in the front, would the warmer intake air cause the video card to run hotter and louder, or is it negligible? btw the video card is a MSI dual fan GTX 760, and I will probably upgrade to something newer in the future.

 

[thepriceisright]

You will be raising the temperature of the incoming air, so yes it will make the card run a little hotter. How much is hard to say, but I'd guess it wouldn't be enough to make a noticeable change in noise unless you are already at the cusp.

 

[mooncancook]

Thanks. I guess I can add another intake fan at top or bottom to draw in more fresh air, though in that case I might have too many intake fans vs only 1 rear exhaust fan?

Or maybe I'll just go with top mount exhaust config. Though I read in an article that said having 2 top exhaust fans next to the rear exhaust fan is not the best idea because the fans will be fighting for air, instead it is a better idea to reverse one of the radiator fan into intake mode. Is this true? Would having enough intake fan (3-4) provide enough airflow for them?

 

[nerp]

It's OK to have more intake than outtake, if I understand correctly. Then you're in a positive pressure situation and your exhaust fan works better and is able to move more air with less effort. It will also help force air out of any vents or openings in the rear such as through slotted PCI brackets, for example.

 

[mooncancook]

I finally got the H110i V2. I ended up doing a top mount exhaust pull configuration. I kind of have a second thoughts tho. I don't like how much bend it is on the tubes with top mount, and that I also have to remove all three pieces of sound deadening layer from the top. I kind of prefer front mount, only concern I have is that the case has door, mounting the radiator in front means I have to mount the fans too close to the door and I worry if it will restrict intake air flow.

Edit: H100i v2