Is this a correct case cooling setup?

[seriouscat]

The PC came pre-assembled when I order one custom build from my local PC shop. Is the airflow setup efficient for this type of rig?

Somehow I dont think its good to have just air going into a case? Shouldnt there be an exhaust?

I'm thinking about flipping the rear fan to exhaust air out. I think the side intake fan might be far away enough not to end up sucking in the hot exhaust from the rear fan.... but then theres all this talk of +/- air pressure so I'm a bit unclear.


Heres my case cooling setup

EDIT: I've just discovered that the side fan should be exhausting air instead of intake. Some replies below were made before this edit.

 

[polarbear6]

yeah i also feel one fan should be flipped u know
cause there are only air inlets but no outlets

but as iam a noob wait till some senior members reply

 

[Zepper]

Yes, the standard arrangement is front intake, rear exhaust else how will the hot air get out, unless the case has a ton of venting like the Tagan/XClio/Aplus/etc. Windtunnel. That side fan is nearly useless with the ultra restrictive "venting" in the rear panel. Need to take some nippers and cut that whole area of small holes out... Usually that side fan bracket is totally enclosed with the only opening (other than the fan hole) at the rear venting - the way this one is, all it would do mainly is circulate in-case air. I really don't know what L-L was thinking when they did that idiocy. I'd guess you could also improve your cooling a lot by getting a stronger fan for the rear exhaust - L-L fans are a bit stronger than your average stock fans, but not by much.

.bh.

 

[rarebear]

I thought that too at one time...

You'er power supply is blowing out and if you get more air going out then in you start sucking dust into items like Floppy Drives and DVDs

Trust me leave it was it is and let the air exhaust through the PS

 

[yh125d]

Originally posted by: rarebear
I thought that too at one time...

You'er power supply is blowing out and if you get more air going out then in you start sucking dust into items like Floppy Drives and DVDs

Trust me leave it was it is and let the air exhaust through the PS

Right, he should have only one exhaust, that one being probably the slowest spinning fan in his case and located at the very bottom of the case, far away from all the hot air



Sarcasm there. Front + side fan = intakes, rear fan + PSU fan = exhaust. Standard setup. However, since your case is the backwards kind, it would make sense to make your rear fan intake, and the side fan exhaust, as the side fan for you is hanging out next to the GPU at the top of the case, where theres likely a bit of hot air sitting there

 

[Zepper]

PSU fans usually are barely strong enough to cool the PSU itself any more (for noise purposes), so the above is not a sound idea. For cooling, you'll want a certain volume of air flowing thru your case. You can arrange it as positive (more CFM in than OUT) or negative (more CFM out than in) pressure, but you still want at least the same minimum volume going thru. Pos. pressure automatically reduces dust (assuming your intake fan(s) are all filtered) as air will be going out thru all extraneous venting and cracks thus keeping dust out - most extraneous or superfluous venting should be plugged so you don't need too large of a fan to achieve a pos. press.. While neg. press. tends to draw dust in thru any available opening. Getting your case up off the floor a bit tends to reduce dust in your case as well.

.bh.

 

[seriouscat]

Originally posted by: Zepper
Yes, the standard arrangement is front intake, rear exhaust else how will the hot air get out, unless the case has a ton of venting like the Tagan/XClio/Aplus/etc. Windtunnel. That side fan is nearly useless with the ultra restrictive "venting" in the rear panel. Need to take some nippers and cut that whole area of small holes out... Usually that side fan bracket is totally enclosed with the only opening (other than the fan hole) at the rear venting - the way this one is, all it would do mainly is circulate in-case air. I really don't know what L-L was thinking when they did that idiocy. I'd guess you could also improve your cooling a lot by getting a stronger fan for the rear exhaust - L-L fans are a bit stronger than your average stock fans, but not by much.

.bh.

Just an FYI, I forgot to mention two things...

...the current rear "intake" fan has a metal ramp/vent/shoot/attachment that directs the flow directly to the top of the CPU HSF. I'm guessing this would improve the cooling? However I'm also looking at aftermarket Cpu HSF so it might not fit in there afterinstallation anyway.
http://www.silentpcreview.com/...ianli-pc101/intake.gif


Also something I've noticed, this review says the side fan comes installed to blow air out?! My PC had gone back for repair once, I think they fitted the fan the wrong way?
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article632-page4.html (4th paragraph down ... also you can visually see it fitted around the opposite way)


So I think I've kinda worked out whats supposed to happen. The rear fan sucks air into the case toward the CPU. The side fan exhausts the air out of the case which is located by the PCI cards which is the hottest area of the mobo (e.g. vid card, etc). The whole "hot air rises up theory".
(at least thats what that review says)

Originally posted by: Zepper
Need to take some nippers and cut that whole area of small holes out

Just thought I'd clarify, the section of the case behind and above the rear fan already has holes through the entire panel. Is that what you meant? You can see it clearer in the animated gif I linked above.


Right.....thoughts?

EDIT: Woah, thanks for the replies guys they all came in while I was still typing this one up. Cheers!

 

[seriouscat]

Originally posted by: yh125d...Front + side fan = intakes, rear fan + PSU fan = exhaust. Standard setup. However, since your case is the backwards kind, it would make sense to make your rear fan intake, and the side fan exhaust, as the side fan for you is hanging out next to the GPU at the top of the case, where theres likely a bit of hot air sitting there

I think you hit the nail on the head there after reading some reviews on my case. Yeah its "inverted ATX" which apparently means most lower fans are intake and higher fans are exhaust. Thank you for your help.

 

[Zepper]

Trouble is is that this side fan housing is not fully enclosed like most L-L side fan housings, and the pin-hole venting is way too restrictive for little if any air to get out. So this one is more of a recirc fan than either exhaust or intake. You'd have to enclose the side fan housing and open up the venting to get any kind of true intake/exhaust function out of it. If you leave that pin-hole venting in place, then I found on my L-L made case that the side fan made a much better intake than exhaust - the pin-hole venting really made the fan struggle to move any air at all in the exhaust direction. At least its side fan housing was fully enclosed...

.bh.

 

[rarebear]

seriouscat,

I sorry for the bad info I gave you about your fan blowing out...

I have been out of the Building Loop for a few years now..
The bottom mounted PS is all new to me, I know heat rises and have a head time believing it keeps the case cooler but they build cases for a living and I just build GPS Satellites

I can say before you buy any new fans start with the slow speed ones unless noise is not an issue at all..

The in and out will work but make sure you check your case every month and keep a few cans of Dust Off handy

I guess if bottom is in the top is for out going air..