Need help with cooling the nzxt s340 case. Air vs water cooling

sn_191

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Apr 3, 2015
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Hello. So i am starting to purchase some of the items that i need for my build, but im in a toss up of what i should do for cooling. Im not sure if i should go with air or water cooling. I plan to overlock eventually once i understand more about it, and some motherboard let you use a preset that will overlock for you so i might just stick with that.

Anyway, this is the list for my build http://pcpartpicker.com/p/KhGFhM

Im trying to stay under 1200 and close to 1000 as possible, so maybe i should go with a 212 cooler instead to save money if i dont really plan on pushing the system. The only problem is that im not sure how to properly set up the fans to have good airflow with this case. The front 2 spots for fans support the water cooler i want, but i would be spending more . What else would i put in this spot if i were to just use air cooling, should i add any fans there or just leave open for airflow into the case??
 

qwerty987123

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I would recommend air cooling and if you just want a small overlcock a 212 evo should be sufficient although you could go with something a bit bigger and more expensive such as a noctua u12 or be quiet dark rock 3 or even the noctua d14 (reduced cost since d15 release) for better temps. Definitely don't go with a 120/140mm rad if you do chose water cooling as there is no advantage to these over air cooling as they are louder and more expensive to achieve the same temperatures. If considering a 240/280mm rad then some will say they are better than top end air coolers but i still prefer air. For case fan configuration i suggest getting a couple 140mm fans and having these as front intakes with the two stock fans as exhausts.
 

qwerty987123

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Here is how i would tweak your build

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/qXQQnQ
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/qXQQnQ/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($26.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-GAMING 7 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($136.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Kingston Fury Red Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($62.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Crucial MX200 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($109.99 @ Adorama)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.49 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card ($339.99 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($64.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: EVGA 750W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($87.49 @ OutletPC)
Case Fan: Fractal Design FD-FAN-SSR2-140 66.0 CFM 140mm Fan ($13.49 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Fractal Design FD-FAN-SSR2-140 66.0 CFM 140mm Fan ($13.49 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Cooler Master CM Storm Devastator Gaming Bundle Wired Gaming Keyboard w/Optical Mouse ($27.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $1216.86
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-05-15 12:33 EDT-0400
 

sn_191

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Apr 3, 2015
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ok, thanks for the info. Gonna stick with air cooling and get the 2 140mm fans qwerty suggested. Iffy on the 250gb ssd, 120 would be enough for my os, applications and a game or 2 that i play alot, other than that most of my stuff il just put on a hd.