PSU Heat Concerns

[latches]

Alright so I own an XFX 550W Enthusiast PSU and have noticed a bit of a heat issue as of late. Here are the main specs:

Antec 300 Case
Intel i5 2500k Overclocked to 4.2GHz
8GB GSkill RipJaw RAM
EVGA GTX 570 Classified
XFX 550W PSU
WD 640 GB HDD

Anyway, so when I play Total War Shogun 2 the bottom of the tower, the metal side panel in particular, gets hot - like hot to the touch. The PSU itself doesnt make contact with the side panel.

I have the stock fans (2 in the front, one in the back, and one in the top) plus one in the side panel (blowing out) all running at the same time. The front ones are either on low or medium speed.

The PSU itself blows into the case - though I didnt know how to deal with that issue. So it essentially blows on the videocard under normal circumstances.

Ive used HWMonitor to watch the temps and neither the videocard or the CPU gets particularly hot. The CPU gets to mid 50s and the GPU gets to the mid 60s. (All while playing Shogun 2).

So is there a possible problem? I also have a Corsair A50 on the CPU. I know it isnt the best thing to have while overclocking but I havent been able to get another cooler just yet and Im deciding between a closed loop water cooler or a Noctua NH-D14 - though Im not sure if that one would fit.

Let me know guys! Thanks.

 

[IGemini]

Shogun 2 is particularly hard on a system, but I think your airflow isn't ideal.

The PSU itself blows into the case - though I didnt know how to deal with that issue. So it essentially blows on the videocard under normal circumstances.

Most large PSU fans are intakes, they don't blow into the case. Since the side case fan is trying to blow out, it's not getting any air circulated in and is trying to circulate out the heat produced by your video card and maybe hard drive, without any cool air to balance it out. This is assuming I'm reading your description right.

Warm air rises a heck of a lot better than it sinks. I'd set up the front and side fans to blow into the case, and the top/rear fans to blow out.

 

[latches]

Ahhh okay. I didnt know if it was a good idea to have it blowing in since the dust intake would increase a fair amount. The Antec 300 I own has a dust filter in the front. I think I will be flipping the side fan to blow in BUT do you have any advice on how to avoid the increased dust intake?

 

[IGemini]

Get another filter for the side fan, easily found on Newegg for $10 or less. Problem solved.

 

[coffeejunkee]

It seems to me you mounted psu the wrong way around, at the bottom of the case with the fan up. Psu fan should be on bottom, so it can suck cool air from below, and its airflow is separate from the case airflow.

 

[CoDLolcopter]

It seems to me you mounted psu the wrong way around, at the bottom of the case with the fan up. Psu fan should be on bottom, so it can suck cool air from below, and its airflow is separate from the case airflow.

The Antec 300 doesn't support that

There's no holes in the bottom for the PSU to draw air in, so he/she had have to make the PSU draw air from the case and exhaust it out the back.