Corsair Carbide 500R bottom fan question.

[Fenix Lancer]

Hello, AnandTech.

My PC specs are:

Processor: AMD FX-8150 Black Edition 8-Core @ 3.6 GHz - I am not overclocking it and don't plant to do so either.
Video Card: AMD Radeon HD 6790
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-880GM-USB3 AM3+ HDMI microATX motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit

Currently, I have 2 120mm front fans and the 200mm side fan as intake. I have a Corsair H100i with the fans at the top as exhaust and also the rear 120mm fan as exhaust. I believe this is the most suggested fan setup everywhere I have seen and it's doing me good so far.

There is space at the bottom for another 140/120mm fan.

My questions are:

1) If I get another fan for the bottom, should I use it as intake or exhaust? In addition to your suggestion, please tell me if it will interfere with the airflow or will actually prove to be good for cooling.
2) Should I get a 140mm or 120mm fan for this purpose?
3) Is it really necessary to add a bottom fan or should I just leave it as it is? Will it affect my temperatures at all, given the case I have?

 

[Charlie98]

1) As intake... cool air coming in from the bottom.
2) Bigger is better in most cases... bigger fan running at a lower RPM vs smaller/higher RPM.
3) With your particular rig, probably not.

 

[Fenix Lancer]

Thanks a lot for the quick answer. I think I will leave it as of now because it seems like a waste of money to me right now.

Admins, feel free to close this thread.

 

[Essence_of_War]

2nd'ing everything charlie said.

As an additional reminder, before you throw in a fan, check to be sure you're sufficiently elevated off of things like carpet to prevent choking it!

 

[Charlie98]

2nd'ing everything charlie said.

As an additional reminder, before you throw in a fan, check to be sure you're sufficiently elevated off of things like carpet to prevent choking it!

I put a bottom fan in my HAF922... along with a magnetic filter on the outside of the port (my box sets on a piece of plywood, on the carpet, but it's still pretty darn dusty/linty.) Even just a month later and the screen was yucked up... As an aside, the bottom fan did very little for my case temps.