Question on air flow direction...

[CdnAtWork]

So here's a pic of the inside of my case...

Inside my case...

Currently, i have one fan mounted on the top of my case blowing air out. There's room for 1 more fan on the back, just below my power supply. Once i get around to buying another fan, am i right in having the new fan pulling air into the case from the back and keeping the top fan blowing out?

Thanks for any input.
Cdn

 

[Dman877]

Try both ways, exhaust and intake and see what the temps are like. Conventionally, most cases have the rear fan configured to exhaust the hot air generated by the cpu out the back, helping to pull cool air in the front. With one exhaust fan already in the area though, you might see more benefit having the rear fan blow air towards the cpu.

 

[Frintin]

One fan is never enough. Putting an exhaust fan in that back slot will not create a vacuum (or conflict with top fan) around your cpu, and will work with the top fan drawing hot air that gathers around your cpu out of the case and kind of sucking cooler air in the front. Even if you can fit 2 80mm fans in those back slots it is a good idea.

 

[jhites]

Let the second rear fan pull air out of the case. As long as you have enough front ventilation the two fans will pull fresh cooler air from outside.

 

[CdnAtWork]

great! thanks for the advice folks!!

 

[DerwenArtos12]

do you have a fan pulling air in the front? I had no front fan and a top exhaut and a reat exhaust, I addeda 120 to pull air in the front ambient temps dropped 3-4 degrees. I have an 80mm rear, 80mm psu, and 92mm top. I earnestly think I could use more input though. I am thinking of adding a side fan over my video card. there is no such thing as too much cooling but there is such a thing as too much noise.

 

[nageov3t]

I have a pretty similar case. there's not much room in back of the case, so I use the back fan for outtake (I worry that it would just blow the hot air from the PSU right back into the case).

The top fan and the fan(s) in front are used for intake. I went ghetto-stype on the top fan, though, and angled it so that it's blowing air right onto the heatsink.

 

[jhites]

Originally posted by: loki8481
I have a pretty similar case. there's not much room in back of the case, so I use the back fan for outtake (I worry that it would just blow the hot air from the PSU right back into the case).

The top fan and the fan(s) in front are used for intake. I went ghetto-stype on the top fan, though, and angled it so that it's blowing air right onto the heatsink.

I would suggest that you try and test having that top fan pulling air out of the case and not into the case. The air in the top of the case is warmest and even with the blowhole pulling air in it would be mixing with the warmer air. You will get much better air flow using front lower fans intake and rear/top fans output. You should also balance the cfm in with the cfm out as close as possible in order to maximize the airflow.

 

[nageov3t]

temp's have been looking pretty good so far (average is 35 C for cpu, and the system and hdd temps aren't much different than the outside temps, but I'll definitely give it a try the next time I open up the case.

 

[0roo0roo]

rear fans near cpu should exhaust. intake would add turbulance and probably disrupt cpu cooler, and shortcircuit your case cooling. are there any decent holes on that rear mount? doesn't look like there are any holes from that pic, but its a bad angle... if its lousy, cut out the grill.

 

[InlineFive]

I only use rear exhaust fans (currently two in case and one in PSU) and I let those draw air in the front naturally so the airflow isn't really distrupted.

-Por