Question Fan plan for HAF 700 EVO

[Sportsshooter]

Please review my fan layout for a HAF 700 EVO case.

The blue arrows show where I am at which results in 820mm in and 660 exhaust. Fan speed is not taken into account yet.

I can add 120 or 140mm fans on the side for additional exhaust to better balance airflow.

To keep things "simple" I would like to add a single 120mm exhaust on the side if that wouldn't degrade the airflow. This would result in a positive system that would be OK as I do get dust.

It is a huge case and I could have some fun with other configurations which would be OK but not something I have a strong desire to do unless it has a distinct cooling benefit. I have a feeling I have more than enough regardless of how I set it up.

One thought is I could add additional front fans but if I did that it would probably be the radiator and then I would add 6 ea. 120mm exhaust fans to the top.

This gives 1240mm in and 960mm out assuming radiator fans in front of the two 200mm front fans provide the same flow as if they were at different locations. The side is still available for additional exhaust options.

Thanks.

 

[In2Photos]

That should be fine. I think most here would use the same setup. Adding side exhaust would pull some of the fresh air from the front out through the side without cooling anything so I would avoid that.

 

[Sportsshooter]

Thank you In2Photos.

One additional question on positioning the iCUE H170i Elite Capellix XT Liquid CPU Cooler radiator tubes in a top mounted exhaust installation. I would prefer to position the tubes on the radiator close to the front of the case while most of the installation videos show the tubes toward the back of the case.

I can't imagine it makes any difference. For me, at the back has the tubes looking bunched up while the tubes at the front look like a smooth run. It will make a difference on where I run the fan cables so I need to make a decision. Thanks.

 

[In2Photos]

Thank you In2Photos.

One additional question on positioning the iCUE H170i Elite Capellix XT Liquid CPU Cooler radiator tubes in a top mounted exhaust installation. I would prefer to position the tubes on the radiator close to the front of the case while most of the installation videos show the tubes toward the back of the case.

I can't imagine it makes any difference. For me, at the back has the tubes looking bunched up while the tubes at the front look like a smooth run. It will make a difference on where I run the fan cables so I need to make a decision. Thanks.

Nope, shouldn't matter as long as the tubes are long enough for the pump to mount to the CPU. I have mine oriented that way, although it's a different brand.

 

[Sportsshooter]

Nope, shouldn't matter as long as the tubes are long enough for the pump to mount to the CPU. I have mine oriented that way, although it's a different brand.

View attachment 114051

Thanks. With my memory having the LED light bar it might look better if the tubes weren't running over the RAM. I'll need to decide if that will bother me or not.

 

[In2Photos]

Thanks. With my memory having the LED light bar it might look better if the tubes weren't running over the RAM. I'll need to decide if that will bother me or not.

Check out PC Part Picker for your case and see if there are any photos with your AIO.

https://pcpartpicker.com/builds/by_part/nBM48d

 

[mindless1]

What's a ballpark # for total system wattage and the TDP of the video card, if there will be one and if used for demanding gaming? I am wondering for purposes of # of fans actually needed and the convenience of their placement as it pertains to the next paragraph.

To keep things "simple" I would like to add a single 120mm exhaust on the side if that wouldn't degrade the airflow. This would result in a positive system that would be OK as I do get dust.

Unless you have a very difficult to cool video card, I would sooner just block off at least the front-most, case floor fan mount, possibly the middle case floor fan mount, and leave possibly it but at least the 3rd rear floor fan mount empty, zero fans installed in the floor of the case. This is unless you are building a very high wattage system and need all the fans you can get. I was never a fan (pun intended) of putting the maximum # of fans possible in a case and stamping it out like swiss cheese to do so. I get it, more, lower RPM fans can "sometimes" move more air at same noise levels, but often case manufacturers these days, take it too far, and sometimes you reach a point where too many case openings, just let more noise out and make it a real pain to clean dust out if the pressurization and filtration isn't set up well.

Instead, put one intake fan on the side panel, and make it filtered since you mentioned dust. If the video card does not run too hot with just a single side intake fan blowing it, this results in not having to mess with removal and reinstallation of fan filters on the bottom of the system.

I'd set THAT up, and then with it running in what you consider an optimal fan-speed configuration, see what the temps are and check the case pressurization, to determine if you need all the top mount fan positions or even any of them.

[rant]It's annoying to me for cases, even at this price point, to have stamped out sheetmetal fan mounts that block a significant % of airflow and create more noise doing so. I get it, EMI reduction and cheaper to make them like that, but this also creates less effective filter area for bottom mounted filter panels unless they are pleated or otherwise add a spacer away from that stamped out case panel by putting them in a custom add-on filter frame - the fan locations that I suggested not using, then with positive case pressurization, there doesn't need to be a filter panel(s) there to have to flip the case on it's side to get to.

I highly prefer cases with intake filtration where you don't have to flip/spin, or ideally even open the case to swap or remove and clean the filter panels, particularly on a primary use system where you don't want down-time. With some cases I've had to go the extra mile to unscrew the front bezel and epoxy magnets onto the inner sides to attach without screws or friction tabs, but those are usually cheaper cases and it's so much nicer to have tool-less removal of panels holding intake filters.[/rant]

 

[Sportsshooter]

What's a ballpark # for total system wattage and the TDP of the video card, if there will be one and if used for demanding gaming? I am wondering for purposes of # of fans actually needed and the convenience of their placement as it pertains to the next paragraph.



Unless you have a very difficult to cool video card, I would sooner just block off at least the front-most, case floor fan mount, possibly the middle case floor fan mount, and leave possibly it but at least the 3rd rear floor fan mount empty, zero fans installed in the floor of the case. This is unless you are building a very high wattage system and need all the fans you can get. I was never a fan (pun intended) of putting the maximum # of fans possible in a case and stamping it out like swiss cheese to do so. I get it, more, lower RPM fans can "sometimes" move more air at same noise levels, but often case manufacturers these days, take it too far, and sometimes you reach a point where too many case openings, just let more noise out and make it a real pain to clean dust out if the pressurization and filtration isn't set up well.

Instead, put one intake fan on the side panel, and make it filtered since you mentioned dust. If the video card does not run too hot with just a single side intake fan blowing it, this results in not having to mess with removal and reinstallation of fan filters on the bottom of the system.

I'd set THAT up, and then with it running in what you consider an optimal fan-speed configuration, see what the temps are and check the case pressurization, to determine if you need all the top mount fan positions or even any of them.

[rant]It's annoying to me for cases, even at this price point, to have stamped out sheetmetal fan mounts that block a significant % of airflow and create more noise doing so. I get it, EMI reduction and cheaper to make them like that, but this also creates less effective filter area for bottom mounted filter panels unless they are pleated or otherwise add a spacer away from that stamped out case panel by putting them in a custom add-on filter frame - the fan locations that I suggested not using, then with positive case pressurization, there doesn't need to be a filter panel(s) there to have to flip the case on it's side to get to.

I highly prefer cases with intake filtration where you don't have to flip/spin, or ideally even open the case to swap or remove and clean the filter panels, particularly on a primary use system where you don't want down-time. With some cases I've had to go the extra mile to unscrew the front bezel and epoxy magnets onto the inner sides to attach without screws or friction tabs, but those are usually cheaper cases and it's so much nicer to have tool-less removal of panels holding intake filters.[/rant]

I don't game but do extensive photo and 4K video editing. Video card is an ASUS GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER TUF Gaming OC Graphics Card. Amazing how much processing power it takes to perform large batch AI photo editing with very large RAW files. Photoshop, DxO and Topaz to name just three. I use LOTS of internal storage backed up on a NAS.3 ea. 4TB M.2 SSDs, 8TB SSD, 4TB SSD and a 16TB drive. My archived images that people still purchase is extensive. again, I am a photographer and shoot video, not a gamer. I shot professionally for many years.

I have settled on a fan configuration and don't plan on changing it unless the numbers are problematic. I'm leaving the pre-installed pair of 200mm fans in the front (input), the two 120mm fans in the rear (exhaust), the three each 140mm fans in the bottom (input) and the three each 140mm fans on the radiator (exhaust). I have the fans and might as well use them. I have additional fans I could use but will see how this performs. Thanks.