Question CPU HSF z-clearance

[bhelhokie]

Does anybody has any educated guesses on the minimum clearance above horizontally mounted i3-4350T (35W) stock HSF for it to operate with proper air movement and noise? Assume the upper wall is solid, not mesh, and there will be a lateral airflow by a 120-mm fan.

Relevant answers found on the web are limited to mesh enclosure so people say ok with as little as a 1-mm gap but I suspect it won't work with a solid panel.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Running a 5600x with a stock HSF in a very cramped enclosure with the fan about a cm away from the back of a PSU that gets reasonably warm while gaming and it works just fine, maintains it's clocks and everything.

Not an ideal situation but CPUs are remarkably resilient from a damage perspective and concerns about heat can be a bit overblown.

Most demands for large heatsinks is for noise purposes, not necessarily for cooling or safety concerns.

That said a mm gap might be pushing things a bit, you need a bit more room than that, if for no other reason than to save the fan bearings from burning out from going full bore all the time.

 

[bhelhokie]

a stock HSF in a very cramped enclosure with the fan about a cm away from the back of a PSU

Oh that's good to hear. It's right around what I was aiming for, definitely gives me a piece of mind, especially with a lower-wattage CPU of mine.

a bit more room than that, if for no other reason than to save the fan bearings from burning out from going full bore all the time.

Also, I was concerning about increased noise level due to air being forced through thin opening.

I'll shoot for 1 cm (thinking 1/2"). If my build goes well, I may experiment with different gap sizes and do some measurements.