putting fan next to gpu

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David Kravets

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Sep 16, 2014
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I just purchased two gtx 780's for cheap off a craigslist deal. they have reference design coolers on them. The reference designs have no casing on the right edge, just metal fins. Would putting a fan on this side help the cards with cooling and allow me a better overclock? if so what fans do you suggest? I was thinking high airflow noctua but they only come in 120mm and i was looking for 140mm or 160mm. Thanks!

(ps heres a diagram, sorry i can't show actual build, i don't have the cards yet.)
http://s1375.photobucket.com/user/dkrocks17/media/fanwithgpu_zps2c50170a.png.html
 
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In general more airflow is not going to hurt things, but part of the question would be how MUCH it is likely to help. I would expect it would be a minor improvement at best. The opening onto the heatsink is small compared to the full area that the stock fan has to work with. It also is a confined space, so it makes it hard for a fan to push air through it. Without the flow being constricted by casing like it is with the stock fan, most of the air flow will just go to the sides.

That being said, there might be some situations where this will actually hurt you. By pushing more air at the GPU / out the case beside the GPU you might be messing up your inflow/outflow ratio. If you are pushing too much air out, your pressure inside the case...
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bluejayek

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Apr 3, 2013
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In general more airflow is not going to hurt things, but part of the question would be how MUCH it is likely to help. I would expect it would be a minor improvement at best. The opening onto the heatsink is small compared to the full area that the stock fan has to work with. It also is a confined space, so it makes it hard for a fan to push air through it. Without the flow being constricted by casing like it is with the stock fan, most of the air flow will just go to the sides.

That being said, there might be some situations where this will actually hurt you. By pushing more air at the GPU / out the case beside the GPU you might be messing up your inflow/outflow ratio. If you are pushing too much air out, your pressure inside the case will be lower then the pressure outside, causing air to be sucked in from anywhere there are holes in the case. This might include sucking hot air from beside the GPUs right back into the case, causing an increase in the average air temperature inside.

If you don't have a large number of intake fans, it might be best not to do this, or add an intake somewhere away from heat sources when you put this fan in.

An easy way to check whether you have a negative pressure issue is to just put a peice of tissue paper by any grill in your case that has no fan. If its sucked in towards the case, you have negative pressure inside. If its not moved you are at about even, and if it's pushed out you have positive pressure (too many inflow fans).

Edit: Wording
 
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bluejayek

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Apr 3, 2013
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I just took my own advice and tried the tissue paper test on my PC... and I'm at negative pressure with air being sucked in by the GPU, exactly as I told you to avoid. Ooops. I guess there was a reason I had that extra intake fan...

*sigh* This is what happens when you have that beast of a 200mm exhaust fan on the antec nine hundred...
 
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