Optimizing Cooling and Air Flow w/ Air Purifier !

Hi all,

I'm looking to optimize my computer setup's cooling efficiency without buying additional hardware. I OC my GTX 780 Ti GPU when playing BF4, and I like to keep my browser up and running simultaneously, along with some other programs like MSI A/B, Speccy, etc. Even when I close all other programs while gaming, the game sometimes gets laggy (I'm only at 20 MHz for the clocks but I'd like to go even higher, and I'm using in-game Medium graphics quality settings).

Given my current setup described below, how should I go about optimizing my computer's airflow? Or, does this current setup that I have described below maximize my PC's overall cooling, as well as the CPU and graphics card's cooling specifically? If not, how do I improve the setup?

Thanks in advance!


1. Location:

I placed my tower case low on the ground, so as to work with physics. Heat rises so the relative temperature will be cooler on the ground than if it were higher in altitude.


2. Positive Pressure:

+ 2 front 120mm intake fans on high
+ 1 side 120mm intake fan on high
+ 1 rear 120mm exhaust fan on high, dedicated to the Corsair H50 liquid cooling for CPU
+ 1 top 240mm exhaust fan on "standard" 1-speed

This should make a positive pressure environment inside the case, thereby reducing dust buildup inside of the case. In effect, dust will not contribute to the heating of the PC's hardware.

The rear fan I left as an exhaust after comparing the CPU temperatures with both exhaust and intake fan setups. The exhaust was a little bit better temperature-wise, and I was told by one computer expert that, given my case's setup, there will be a hot spot created when cool air contacts the Corsair's radiator and becomes heated and trapped in the net positive air flow environment.


3. Air Purifier:

It purifies air and proactively helps to eliminate dust. I have the non-Ozone emitting, Germ Guardian AC4825 and I leave it on low speed. I try to remember to leave it on whenever the computer is on.

I currently have it so that the air purifier is literally on top of the PC tower. The top 240mm exhaust fan feeds air into the air purifier, whereby fresh air is blown out. This clean air then hits the wall about 2-3 feet or so in front of it, then reflects off the wall to feed clean air to the 2 front intake fans.

In theory, the air purifier should cause the room to become dust-free after about an hour, so assuming that dust is not an issue, would it be better to use the air purifier to blow much cooler air to the two front intake fans?

I also don't see the benefit of having heated PC exhaust air enter the air purifier - it should be the other way around, where clean, dust-free air directly blows into the air purifier, but space is limited. I could place the air purifier directly in front of the PC tower... but that means that there's about a foot of space between the wall and the air purifier's intake, so I'm not sure that would remove dust or even intake air as efficiently; but it should have the effect of getting cooler air to enter the PC case faster, so it may increase the case's positive pressure. Thus, there's a trade-off: room dust and create clean air for the entire room, vs. dedicating the air purifier to help keep the PC running cool.

Ok, I'l try that out. I placed the air purifier in front of the PC so that it blows cool, clean air directly into the PC's front intake. That should increase the speed and positive air pressure, as well to decrease the temperature going in.

I'll have to see how that works out. Thanks.