H100 in a Haf X case

[Schroeder369]

Hello,

Okay I'm sure this is a stupid question, but before I buy a H100, I wanted to make sure that there is a good way/place to mount the radiator in my HAF X case. I'm really pretty particular about the looks of my computer, and don't want to have to put it in a really obnoxious place (I looked into air cooling but the more I think about it, the less I like the idea of a gigantic weight hanging off my motherboard)

I'm assuming that I can mount it on the top of the case by the 2 200mm fans? Or will that mess up my airflow? I haven't done anything to the case besides adding the extra fan at the top. If anybody has any better ideas about a CPU water cooling system that would be better at about the same price that would be sure be awesome. I'm planning on overclocking as much as I can if that helps any.

Case: HAF X
Motherboard: Sabertooth 990fx
CPU: Phenom II 1100T Black Edition
Video Card: 2x 560 TIs
(any other questions just ask)

Thanks.

 

[Zenthar]

Actually I think the case was made so you could put the radiator where the 2 top fans stand (see image below).

However, you might be able to mount it just under the metal brackets if you find a secure way to attach it (and it would give you a push-pull configuration as well). Just a guess as I don't have the exact H100 dimensions, but I do have the HAF X.

 

[Zenthar]

Otherwise you can also drill mounting holes in the HDD cage in front and mount the radiator the way this guy did if the tubing of the H100 is long enough:

There is also this guy who mounted his radiator under the regular fans:

 

[rubix_1011]

^Yeah...agree with those...the rad should fit most 2x120mm fan mounts, which are common in many mid and full towers these days. You can always get creative...don't forget that.

 

[Schroeder369]

I like the idea of putting it under the top fans, I'm definately not against getting a little creative, and the push pull would be a good idea i think. just out of curiosity, if I mount it under the top fans, I'm assuming that I should have it pull the air from outside of the case instead of inside correct? or would that screw up the airflow for the rest of my case?

 

[Zenthar]

I like the idea of putting it under the top fans, I'm definately not against getting a little creative, and the push pull would be a good idea i think. just out of curiosity, if I mount it under the top fans, I'm assuming that I should have it pull the air from outside of the case instead of inside correct? or would that screw up the airflow for the rest of my case?

No, you must have it pull the air from inside the case toward the outside; the only fans that should be pulling air inside should be the front one and the side one. Optionally, since you will be using a water kit, you might want to have the rear fan push air inside as well (usually pushes air out as it's next to an air cooler).

 

[boiler1990]

Yeah, the H100 should have a standard sized 2x120 rad (or at least the screw holes should match up). The HAF X can fit up to a 3x120 rad on the top, so it should fit...

http://www.coolermaster.com/product.php?product_id=6653

 

[rubix_1011]

No, you must have it pull the air from inside the case toward the outside; the only fans that should be pulling air inside should be the front one and the side one.

Incorrect.

In instances with internally mounted rads, whether they be for an LCS or a real water loop, cooler air is better. The 'warm' air from the rads isn't really very warm, so even if it is blowing in...airflow is airflow. There is this misconception that you MUST always follow what is stated when it comes to fan direction. The reality is, as long as you have good airflow inside a case, it really doesn't matter as much to which direction it flows...as long as its flowing WELL.

You will get slightly warmer loop temps using internal air vs. using external air. Personally, I'd rather my loop be a few degrees cooler than my lukewarm RAM modules...but that's just me.

 

[Zenthar]

My explanation might have been oversimplified.

I know cooler air is better (the heat transfer rate is proportional to the temperature delta), but my rational was that all other components are still air-cooled so pulling more hot air IN the casing might not be ideal. Moreover, if he pulls air IN, he might have to reverse the other fans to prevent positive internal air pressure that would reduce the intake of fresh air (and thus airflow).

 

[rubix_1011]

Yeah, I see your points...and airflow is airflow, regardless. Yes, you'd like to keep with the age-old ATX/BTX airflow designs, but you can alter these as long as you do it correctly.

And just to state...watercooling isn't going to produce 'hot' air coming through a radiator...at most...its lukewarm. Consider how hot your air out of your PSU is...radiator exhaust air is much, much cooler than this...in fact, you might not even recognize a difference in air temps. The water in a loop doesn't get that hot...if it does, you have a very crappy delta-T to begin with.

 

[boiler1990]

Well, once the OP gets the rad mounted, testing the configs is as simple as unscrewing 8 screws and flipping the fans around...

 

[Schroeder369]

I'll try both ways and see which gets me better all around temps.... it should get here next week so i can play around with it then. so in theory, it sounds like if i bring cold air from outside the case through the rad, i should reverse the airflow of the whole case(intake in the back and side, and exhaust in the front)?

 

[rubix_1011]

Not necessarily, it really depends on the rest of your fans. You still want to keep a front-to-back airflow if possible. If you have good air in from the sides/front, you would be fine to run the rad fans as exhaust on your case...either way, the air is going to be cool enough for the rad unless you have poor case airflow to begin with.

 

[boiler1990]

In general, the most efficient cooling set ups cool the best. More efficient airflow = faster air = better cooling. I'd follow rubix on this one.

 

[rubix_1011]

I just want people to understand that if you have poor airflow in a case, upgrading your cooling isn't going to solve anything...improving your airflow or ensuring good/great airflow is key to any cooling solution. This is always a huge misunderstanding for people thinking an expensive cooler is going to solve their CPU temp issues...it's not. Airflow is key...it doesn't really matter which direction, as long as cool air comes in, warm air goes out.

 

[Schroeder369]

I've got everything mounted now, with sucking the air from the inside of the case at the moment. I'm gonna try that out for a few days and see how well its doing. if i dont like the temps, i can always switch the fans around. i mounted the rad underneath the top 2 fans, so it'll be doing a push/pull set up. hopefully it should cool well enough this way so i don't have to change anything again. on a side note, i'm also completely re-doing all my cable management (it wasnt very good before because i was in a hurry) so that might also help bring down the rest of the temps by helping airflow am i right?

 

[Schroeder369]

Best answer selected by schroeder369.