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How should I set up my case fans?

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  • Systems
Last response: in Systems
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October 15, 2014 12:48:27 AM

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($326.99)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (Purchased For $37.68)
Motherboard: Asus Z97-AR ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($119.89)
Memory: Kingston Fury Black Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory (Purchased For $137.33)
Storage: Toshiba Q Series Pro 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive (Purchased For $117.71)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (Purchased For $0.00)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 Blackout ATX Mid Tower Case (Purchased For $68.66)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $84.44)
Total: $892.70
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-15 03:45 EDT-0400



Not sure which GPU I'm going to buy yet.

I'm planning on using 4 fans. The R4 comes with two so I'll need to buy two more. I'm thinking front-intake, bottom-intake, side-intake and rear-exhaust. Does that sound about right?

For my two extra fans, should I get 120mm or 140mm and I probably want ones with PWM connectors right? Is there any particular brands/models you guys would recommend?

More about : set case fans

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October 15, 2014 9:49:55 AM

Side fan is not a good idea its messes up the airflow but top fan is needed because heat rises up.
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October 15, 2014 2:15:41 PM

prit87 said:
Side fan is not a good idea its messes up the airflow but top fan is needed because heat rises up.


So you're saying the front & bottom should be intake and the back & top should be exhaust?

According to the Bit-Tech article, that results in a few degrees higher temps for the CPU, GPU and mobo. They say a side fan is optimal to keep the GPU cool.

http://i.imgur.com/FjfAZ0a.png
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October 15, 2014 2:54:22 PM

A side intake fan is helpful but you have to keep the balance of the positive and negative pressure so go for a side intake but add a top exhaust.
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October 15, 2014 2:56:02 PM

prit87 said:
A side intake fan is helpful but you have to keep the balance of the positive and negative pressure so go for a side intake but add a top exhaust.


And skip the bottom intake?
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October 15, 2014 3:02:21 PM

Yes in that way you will have 2 intake and 2 exhaust and well balanced air flow you can always add few more fans .
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October 15, 2014 3:03:21 PM

Gotcha...thank you.
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October 15, 2014 3:11:40 PM

No probs.
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October 16, 2014 6:28:06 PM

prit87 said:
No probs.


Sorry to bug you but I have another question if you don't mind.

How do I decide which fans to connect to the R4 case fan controller and which ones to connect to the PWM headers on the mobo?
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October 17, 2014 3:16:29 AM

how many fan can the case fan controller support if it supports 4 fans then plug them all to r4 fan controller.
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October 17, 2014 7:46:16 AM

prit87 said:
how many fan can the case fan controller support if it supports 4 fans then plug them all to r4 fan controller.


The R4 controller supports 3 fans.

Isn't it better to have them automatically controlled by the mobo/BIOS based on temperature/load?
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October 17, 2014 8:47:32 AM

I never connect fans to the motherboard. Pain in the butt. ALWAYS connect as many as you can to the controller. The fan speed does not matter and you do not want them changing every time the CPU spikes a bit. You just need smooth airflow. Connect them all to the fan controller and set them at a speed that is not too loud.
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October 17, 2014 8:50:05 AM

tiny voices said:
I never connect fans to the motherboard. Pain in the butt. ALWAYS connect as many as you can to the controller. The fan speed does not matter and you do not want them changing every time the CPU spikes a bit. You just need smooth airflow. Connect them all to the fan controller and set them at a speed that is not too loud.


So if I have 4 case fans and the R4 controller only accommodates 3 fans, which one should I stick on the mobo?
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October 17, 2014 8:51:20 AM

The rear exhaust, or get a splitter.
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October 17, 2014 8:55:56 AM

tiny voices said:
The rear exhaust, or get a splitter.


Can the 4-pin PWM fans be plugged into the R4 controller?
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October 17, 2014 8:56:49 AM

They should be able to. If not then you are stuck with them running pretty loud on the motherboard and your case fans should not be PWM anyway. PWM is meant for CPU cooler fans.
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October 17, 2014 9:01:52 AM

tiny voices said:
They should be able to. If not then you are stuck with them running pretty loud on the motherboard and your case fans should not be PWM anyway. PWM is meant for CPU cooler fans.


Damnit. Wish I knew that before I bought the Cougar PWM 120's last night.
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