Fan Placement in NZXT Source 220 (First Build)

[ChuckFerrera]

Hello all,

My thanks in advance to any help. It is much appreciated.

As I said in the title, I have an NZXT Source 220 case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146083

Fan Placement Options:
2 x Front (120 mm)
2 x Bottom (120 mm)
2 x Top (120mm or 140 mm)
1 x Back (120 mm)

I have settled on an ASRock Z77 Extreme4 MOBO (had a hard time deciding between that or the Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H. Still time to change, I order tomorrow, so if you have hard evidence why UD3H instead inform me please!!!): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157293

The case came with 1 x 120 mm fan in the back (exhaust I assume) and 1 x 140 mm fan in the top (exhaust as well?). I bought 3 CM SickleFlow 120 mm fans: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103060

I know these fans aren't top of the line, but they ended up $2.99 a pop AR so I'm happy with that.

I am not too picky on noise. I prefer the integrity of my PC over noise level.

My knowledge tells me heat rises so I was thinking two intakes in the front (bought 2 Silverstone magnetic filters) and one intake on the bottom (need to purchase another filter) with the top 140 mm and the back 120 mm as exhaust. This seems most logical to me...

but where would you suggest I put the three CMs?

 

[drums101]

you should leave the two fans it came with where they are (as exhaust).. and put 2 of the ones you bought in the front as intakes and one as an intake on the bottom...this way you have positive case pressure so dust doesnt build up in your system...3 intake > 2 exhaust....as far as your motherboard goes I would stick with the AsRock board...I have really grown to like the boards they produce they are great for the price.

 

[inzone]

It seems to me like you have the spots already picked out and it should work fine where you want to put them. Two in the fron and one in the bottom will work well to go along with the one in the rear and one in the top.
Is there a place to put one on the side panel? If there is then I would take the bottom one and put it in the side panel to blow directly onto the video card.

 

[ChuckFerrera]

you should leave the two fans it came with where they are (as exhaust).. and put 2 of the ones you bought in the front as intakes and one as an intake on the bottom...this way you have positive case pressure so dust doesnt build up in your system...3 intake > 2 exhaust....as far as your motherboard goes I would stick with the AsRock board...I have really grown to like the boards they produce they are great for the price.

Awesome. My engineering classes and intuition haven't failed me! Thank you for the confirmation.

I see. I am just so nervous to buy a faulty piece of hardware. This is my first build so I would like it to be as painless as possible and not scare me away from building my own. I have been torn between the ASUS, ASRock, and Gigabyte Z77 boards (at the $100-$150 range) since I started looking. I buy tomorrow...

Thank you for your input.

 

[drums101]

goodluck...asrock makes good stuff cant guarantee it wont be faulty but they offer good quality products....also as inzone said if you can place a fan on the side window put the fan that was gonna go on the bottom and put it in there...it will suck up less dust and blow more air bc its not sucking from the floor...plus its cool air right on your gpu

btw: you are taking engineering classes? Whats your major and where do you go? I am a computer engineering major at UIC going on my third year fun stuff

 

[ChuckFerrera]

It seems to me like you have the spots already picked out and it should work fine where you want to put them. Two in the fron and one in the bottom will work well to go along with the one in the rear and one in the top.
Is there a place to put one on the side panel? If there is then I would take the bottom one and put it in the side panel to blow directly onto the video card.

Awesome. There is a side panel spot. Forgot about that one. Would it be better to blow on the GPU that way or from the bottom? One of the bottom slots would be positioned directly at the GPU.

 

[drums101]

^check my post I pretty much answered that probably right as you were typing your response lol

 

[ChuckFerrera]

goodluck...asrock makes good stuff cant guarantee it wont be faulty but they offer good quality products....also as inzone said if you can place a fan on the side window put the fan that was gonna go on the bottom and put it in there...it will suck up less dust and blow more air bc its not sucking from the floor...plus its cool air right on your gpu

btw: you are taking engineering classes? Whats your major and where do you go? I am a computer engineering major at UIC going on my third year fun stuff

Sounds good. And yeah, haha. I was typing away!

And Yup. I'm studying Mechanical at Purdue going into my third year. Time is flying by. I feel like I haven't even had a summer! But right on! I love Chicago. I go up there at least twice a year for EDM shows.

 

[inzone]

The side panel spot not only blows directly onto the video card but the motherboard as well , where the bottom spot will blow directly onto the video card and if you end up with two cards then the bottom one will block the top one where on the side panel it gets both. But that's if you end up with two video cards.

 

[drums101]

nice man I had a buddy graduate from Purdue he loved it there....he then went to medschool at UIC haha small world...good luck on your build and if you have any questions just post it onto this topic I will keep an eye on it....building a pc is easy man if you can figure out to plug the square peg in the square hole and the round peg in the round hole you are good to go.

 

[ChuckFerrera]

nice man I had a buddy graduate from Purdue he loved it there....he then went to medschool at UIC haha small world...good luck on your build and if you have any questions just post it onto this topic I will keep an eye on it....building a pc is easy man if you can figure out to plug the square peg in the square hole and the round peg in the round hole you are good to go.

Wow. Very small world! I do like it here. I have just had an internship at Caterpillar all summer and working 40 hour weeks has really blurred everything together. Reality is rapidly approaching. Ha. Not being able to leave campus may have its implications this year though. Summer always gives me a nice break away from the stress, but I haven't escaped it this summer. Shall be interesting.

Thank you for the wishes. I figure for the most part I'll be able to figure that out! haha. I'd hope so as a 3rd year engineering major who just took his Electrical Engineering selective last semester!!!! I appreciate your help. Have a good one and possibly talk to you soon!

 

[ChuckFerrera]

The side panel spot not only blows directly onto the video card but the motherboard as well , where the bottom spot will blow directly onto the video card and if you end up with two cards then the bottom one will block the top one where on the side panel it gets both. But that's if you end up with two video cards.

Sensible. ^_^

What if I bought an aftermarket CPU cooler later to OC, an EVO for instance? Don't those fans blow away from the MOBO? So if you had a fan blowing towards and away... wouldn't it somewhat neutralize your flow? Or do you think the 140 mm up top and 120 mm out back would pick that up?? I also have a spot up top for another 140 mm... I feel like that may be overkill however.

Thank you for your help!

 

[inzone]

The object is to get an air flow that would be going in one direction. By having the rear fan and the top fan as exaust then the air flow has to go towards those two fans ans the front two fans would push what air comes in from the side towards those two fans but some of that air would reach the motherboard and then be swept up and back towards the exaust fans.

 

[ChuckFerrera]

Best answer selected by ChuckFerrera.