Corsair H60 running very hot with 3570k

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CosmicThing2

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Aug 26, 2014
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Firstly, specifications:

Coolermaster HAF XM
Sapphire R9 290
i5 3570k (not overclocked)
Corsair H60 Water Cooler
Couple of SSDs and HDDs
16GB Corsair Vengeance RAM

I've been running this PC for a while, I actually built it myself 3 or so odd years ago and I've upgraded it a couple of times with new parts, graphics cards in particular. Got a bit concerned the other day when I'd left it on a couple of days and then checked the running temperatures, so the CPU is running around ~55C when idle but went up to mid 80's; 85/86C when at full load. Graphics card was a bit lower at around 75C but it struck me as being pretty high especially when it's most definitely not a stock CPU cooler.

I do have a number of fans on the case but almost all of them are intake fans, I had a bit of an issue when I built it because the H60 works better as an intake, but my case, the HAF prefers the back to be an exhaust fan. So I pretty much went with the idea that intake fans were more important then exhaust ones (i.e. going with the cooler). While the PC has virtually never blue screened (and the only times it has, it definitely wasn't for temperature), I didn't really want to damage it either.

I know that getting more exhaust fans would probably be better, issue is I can't really fit them anywhere, I'd have to remove one of the fans that came with the case... and would the final result make much difference anyway? So... my question would be, is my cooler working alright? Or is there a better one I could get?
 
Solution
Darkbreeze
Change the radiator configuration to exhaust, or move the radiator to an intake location if you want to use it that way. Intake for radiators is probably better, because then you're using cooler air to exhange heat from the radiator fins but isn't an option in some configurations. Front, bottom and side fans should almost always be intake. Top and rear fans should similarly almost always be exhaust.

2reskrc.jpg



If you can, I'd consider removing the lower front drive bays, using one of the upper drive bays, or two, for any HDD or SSD's that are installed, moving your radiator there, moving the front fan to the top with the other 200mm fan and putting the 140mm fan that came with the case in the rear...
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Darkbreeze

Darkbreeze

Retired Mod
Jun 24, 2014
80,411
7,631
176,790
Wrong. Exhaust is always more critical to cooling performance than intake. A balance is what you want to see, but given the choice of going one way or the other, exhaust will keep a system cooler. Having more intake than exhaust results in positive case pressure, which is helpful for suppressing dust buildup inside the case, but is not conducive to good cooling performance and can actually be more stressful on fan motors causing premature failure if they do not have designs intended for high static pressure.

What fans that are currently installed are in which configuration and where is each located?

Also, is the radiator in an intake or exhaust configuration and where is that located?
 
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C

CosmicThing2

Reputable
Aug 26, 2014
4
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4,510


Right okay, didn't realise that. So I have the HAF XM, the radiator (and fan attached to it) is at the back of the case pulling air into the case through the radiator. I have one intake fan at the front and 2 more manually installed intake fans on the side of the case. The PSU has a gap where it can also pull air in through the bottom of the case as it's slightly off the ground standing on four feet. So I'm pulling air into the case through the front, back, bottom and sides.

I do have one exhaust fan which doesn't seem to do all that much in the top of the case (and that came with it). Maybe it's just not very powerful or I don't seem to notice it, not quite sure. I guess I could reverse the fans on the side, the ones I installed manually, would it be a good idea to reverse the cpu cooler though? Would I notice a difference? Or should I buy a new cooler entirely or...?

 
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Darkbreeze

Darkbreeze

Retired Mod
Jun 24, 2014
80,411
7,631
176,790
Change the radiator configuration to exhaust, or move the radiator to an intake location if you want to use it that way. Intake for radiators is probably better, because then you're using cooler air to exhange heat from the radiator fins but isn't an option in some configurations. Front, bottom and side fans should almost always be intake. Top and rear fans should similarly almost always be exhaust.

2reskrc.jpg



If you can, I'd consider removing the lower front drive bays, using one of the upper drive bays, or two, for any HDD or SSD's that are installed, moving your radiator there, moving the front fan to the top with the other 200mm fan and putting the 140mm fan that came with the case in the rear location, back as an exhaust fan. If not, then I'd at least turn the fan on the radiator in the back to an exhaust configuration, and making sure the front is an intake and the top is an exhaust.
 
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Solution
C

CosmicThing2

Reputable
Aug 26, 2014
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0
4,510


Using the location closer to the back.

Thanks for your help by the way
 
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Darkbreeze

Darkbreeze

Retired Mod
Jun 24, 2014
80,411
7,631
176,790
No problem. Ok, that's good. That's the one you want to use first, since it's closer to the CPU and VRMs, and you want airflow in that area rather than only up front where it doesn't do much good. Exchanging air in the case is good no matter how it's done, but there are particular airflow paths that are preferred, and bottom/front to top/back is generally the preferred method.
 
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