Radiator vs Fans... which one is more important?

[idroid]

Hello everyone, i am thinking in buying another PC when Haswell-E (or maybe just haswell) and next gen GPUs come out.... hopefully they will perform a lot better than current gen stuff in 3D with multiple monitors... anyways, that's not what i wanted to discuss here.

My questions is.... well i really don't know how to say it :lol:

what i meant is, does fan pressure (CFM) plays a bigger role in water cooling than the radiators size?? i mean... its obvious that a radiator will perform better with a 80CFM fan than with a 30CFM fan but how big is the difference???

 

[amuffin]

Well, it really depends on the radiator we are talking about! This is where FPI(fins per inch) and static pressure comes in.

A thicker rad with lower FPI will require lower CFM fans, but a thinner rad with higher FPI will require higher CFM with more static pressure.



EX: A fan with 80CFM But low Static pressure will not perform as well as a 50CFM fan with high static pressure.

 

[idroid]

Well, it really depends on the radiator we are talking about! This is where FPI(fins per inch) and static pressure comes in.

A thicker rad with lower FPI will require lower CFM fans, but a thinner rad with higher FPI will require higher CFM with more static pressure.



EX: A fan with 80CFM But low Static pressure will not perform as well as a 50CFM fan with high static pressure.

Ok ok ok.... now you got me confused!! isnt static preassure CFMs?

 

[amuffin]

Nope!
http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=177988

 

[idroid]

Nope!
http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=177988

Wow!! now i get it... but static pressure isn't listed on fan specs.... what fans would you recommend me? preferably quiet and good looking ones

 

[amuffin]

Wow!! now i get it... but static pressure isn't listed on fan specs.... what fans would you recommend me? preferably quiet and good looking ones

Depends on your radiator!

Static pressure is listed on most fans...

 

[idroid]

Depends on your radiator!

Static pressure is listed on most fans...

What's would be a good static preasure for this rad: http://www.frozencpu.com/products/16237/ex-rad-412/Alphacool_NexXxoS_Monsta_Quad_120mm_Radiator_-_80mm_Thick.html?tl=g30c95s570 and this rad: http://www.frozencpu.com/products/13268/ex-rad-258/Coolgate_Quad_140mm_Ultimate_Heat_Exchanger_Radiator_CG560.html?tl=g30c95s1148


and which rad is better?? this one http://www.frozencpu.com/products/13268/ex-rad-258/Coolgate_Quad_140mm_Ultimate_Heat_Exchanger_Radiator_CG560.html?tl=g30c95s1148 or this one:http://www.frozencpu.com/products/13015/ex-rad-245/Phobya_G-Changer_560mm_Radiator_-_Black_35228.html?tl=g30c95s1148

i really apreciate your help

 

[rubix_1011]

You could easily find $10-$12 fans that will work well for those as they are fairly normal FPI rads in the range of 8-12 FPI. Lower FPI means you can generally run slower/cheaper fans and still maintain good performance where fans that run 20+ FPI perform better with higher CFM/static pressure fans. All radiators perform best in push/pull and even high FPI rads can run well with slower speed fans in push/pull.