Fan positioning

[cheti]

My case is a bitfenix merc pro:

http://www.bitfenix.com/global/en/products/chassis/merc-beta#overview

So, atm i have a 120mm fan at the rear top thats taking air out.

Where else should i install fans for the best cooling ?
Should i put 2 on the side as intake so it would blow on gpu and cpu
And 2 on the front as intake aswell
And 1 on the bottom taking air out ?

Or whats the best optimal solution for placing fans ?

 

[alvine]

i would suggest one or two on the front and one or two at the top
hot air rises up

 

[WR2]

Hello cheti;

I like alvine's suggestion.

Intake down low - exhaust up high.

 

[cheti]

i dont have top mountin fan possibility, i can have:
2 at side, 2 at front, 1 at bottom, 1 at rear

 

[WR2]

Whoops. I think we thought you did.

You don't need fans at every fan position. What are you cooling?
I'd add one front fan down low and test your system temps. That might be all you need.

 

[cheti]

amd fx8120 and gtx560 OC

 

[WR2]

I'd say get 1 fan for the lower front position and do some testing.
Let the system temps guide you on getting an extra fan.

 

[cheti]

i only have 1 outtake atm, should i just put 2 on the side ? my gpu gets 60C when playing bf3 and my cpu gets 50

 

[WR2]

Hello cheti;

Nothing wrong with those temps at all! They're actually good.
Try the adding 1 fan first and measure again.

 

[cheti]

1 fan at the front then ?

 

[WR2]

Yes. That's my suggestion. Nice smooth flow in and out.

Although you can test with on the side and in the front.
If you can notice an overall difference in temps - go with the one that's lowest.

 

[cheti]

alright, what CPU cooler would you suggest for amd fx8120 when i want to OC it ?

 

[WR2]

You have a favorite online store?
I'll look at your case again and see what will fit.

 

[cheti]

http://arvutikeskus.ee is the only store i can get stuff from in estonia.
If you have google chrome or can speak estonian/finnish/russian, then check it out

 

[WR2]

Cooler Master Hyper 212+ Evo would be a good choice. Very popular around here.


BitFenix Merc Alpha Mid Tower Chassis Review It's an Alpha case but gives you a good idea about the Beta too.

 

[Rugger]

Great article on fan placement and the effect on cooling: http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2012/02/10/the-big-cooling-investigation/1

With 2 fans, I would place one on the side as intake (directly over the GPU) and one at the rear as an exhaust. 3 fans: add one on the bottom as intake. 4 fans: add one in the front as an intake.

2-3 fans should be able to provide sufficient cooling without becoming overly loud...as long as you're using good quality fans with good CFM at lower fan speeds.