[CPUs] Push/Pull fans

[stevowns]

So I'm planning on getting the noctua D14 or phanteks cooler and had a question about the "push and pull" concept of cooling. in this picture: http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg697/scaled.php?server=697&filename=d14a.jpg&res=landing is that 3rd fan thats mounted on the case or the "exhaust" fan sucking air in from outside into the case, or vise versa? Sorry for the dumb question since I'm new to building rigs like this (I have a rig from high school that I just randomly put together without any of this consideration for air flow) I'm confused because people call it the "exhaust" fan where air should be blown out, not sucked in right? But it seems like it would be counter productive to pull air from inside the case and exhaust it out via that exhaust fan in the back.

 

[marshal11]

http://www.coolermaster-usa.com/upload/product/2912/gallery/full/17.jpg?63610850
this should be enough to understand it. if you only had intake fans you would understand. if all fans were intake the hot air inside your case would turn the fresh air being pushed inside would just turn into warm air too. the idea of the fans is to not have as many fans blowing on/near your cpu, but to have air coming in from one end to push the hot air out the other, and that cool air pushing the hot air out will also cool everything in your case. also, for a tip, if you have 2 fan mountings on the top of your case, have the one closest to the front of your case blowing inside your case, right onto the ram, and it will be exhausted out threw the top and rear exhaust fans. it will keep your ram very cool and make it last just that tiny bit longer.

 

[marshal11]

i just re read everything i posted, i had awful grammer :lol: sorry, i am VERY tired. i hope it's clear enough to understand because i know when you are confused about something, having confusing grammar doesn't help. il rephrase everything in a much shorter way; the front fans take fresh air from the front to push out all the hot air in the case, and the exhaust fans help take it out. trust me, they make the biggest different in the world taking out the hot air, even if you don't have any front fans. my 7 year old rig only had an intel stock fan cooler for a pentium 4. i would idle at around 40-50C because the heat would build up in my case so bad that the top of my case would always be VERY hot. i got an exhaust fan at the back, dropped the temps 10-15C, with no front fans at all, just 1 exhaust made that much difference.

 

[stevowns]

So pretty much, assuming I can flip flop fans (as in, direct the direction of the air flow I want) on the cooler and on the case, I would need to route fresh cool air from the front and up towards the top, as well as the cooler fans exhausting it as well? and have the top fan nearest to the front of the case blow air in to provide fresh air for the CPU heatsink fans to route air out the exhaust fan too? I have the nzxt phantom full tower case so I do have two fans on top, front, side panel and the exhaust fan in the back near the CPU. Thanks for reply btw marshall11, no need to apologize for grammar, I understood it