Question Thermaltake Tower 300 AIO orientation

[sactoking]

Doing some theory crafting and getting up to speed on newer gear and a question came to mind about the Thermaltake Tower 300 case.

All of the reviews and builds I've seen use 420 rads on AIOs since the case will fit one on the right side. In order to do that the radiator is mounted with the tubes at the top. They're higher than the pump/block so I guess it's an acceptable orientation but it can lead to air accumulation in the wrong spot. You can't mount a 420 with the tubes at the bottom because there's not enough clearance with the PSU cage.

Would it be better to use a 280 radiator instead of a 420 in order to mount it properly with the tubes at the bottom and then just throw an extra 140 fan in the bottom slot? I'm theorizing around a 7800x3d, not a super hot Intel, so I'm not sure the full 420 is necessary. I'd feel better trying to get the full 5+ years of AIO longevity by mounting it properly.

 

[Brainonska511]

You could just throw a $35 Peerless Assassin and that 7800x3D would be just fine with air cooling (an air cooler may also have better longevity). But if you wanted an AIO, a 280 would also be fine. A larger radiator for the 7800x3D is just overkill.

 

[sactoking]

Thank you! That essentially confirms what I was pondering.

 

[BoomerD]

As long as the pump is lower than the radiator, it's fine. Ideally, yes, tubes to the bottom, but if you have to mount it tubes up...as long as they're higher than the pump...good to go.