NoctuaNH-d14 HELP needed gw

[Ransome]

Hello,
I am just about to finish my build, all I'm waiting for is the RAM to arrive at the shop.
This is my build:
1)Asus 670GTX DC2T

2) CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K Box

3) Motherboard: Asus Sabertooth Z77

4) Case: Corsair CC600TWM-WHT Graphite Special Edition

5) PSU: Corsair AX 850W Gold Active PFC 12cm Fan Modular

6) RAM: 2X8GB G.Skill Ripjaw-X DDR3 1600Mhz

7) CPU cooler: Noctua NH-D14

8)SSD: Crucial Solid Series 256GB CT256M4SSD2 SSD

9)DVD drive: Sony Optiarc AD-7280S DVD±RW x24 Black Sata

My questions are:
A) Which orientation of the Noctua should I use? please note my case cooling and airflow direction - for those who aren't familiar with the case it got one 200 mm fan up front that take air in, one 200 on the ceiling that takes air out and another 120 mm fan that take air out. Also please not my graphic card location etc..
B) The Noctua comes with bundled Ultra Silent cables, that supposdly makes it even more silent on the expanse of some cooling. Please can anyone tell me, should I use those cables? is it worth it? or maybe the overall noise of the case (which I don't think is very loud) will make the Noctua un-hearable even with regular full power cables?
C) The Noctua NH-d14 got 2 fans attached to the heatsink, 1 140 mm and 1 120 mm. Where do I connect them? I know at the top of the mobo you got one "CPU_FAN" connector, but I don't know if there is another.

Thank you all, please try explaining as best as you could.

 

[Ransome]

btw, if anyone can tell me how to post pictures here in Tom's Forums, I would post my build case pictures so it will help you guys figure out my setting.

 

[geofelt]

A) Either will work. I would think that exhausting out the rear would be better.

B) It is easy enough to change the cables after you build. The Noctua fans are very good, so I might initially try the slightly slower speed instead of the max.

C) I think you will be supplied with a splitter to use. Connect it to the CPU fan header. It will have speed sensing for only one of the fans, but power for two.

 

[Ransome]

A) So you say using the East to West Orientation would actually make it exhuast the heat to the rear (back) 120 mm fan of the case? I thought that using the right-to-left orentation would mean it would exhaust the heat into the right to the DVD player, but I guess what you say makes good sense.
C) So I glug the two fan cable into the spitter double side, and then the other sing side plug directly into the CPU_FAN input?
B) wouldn't pluging the two fan cables - into 2 ultra silent cables - into a spitter - into the CPU_FAN : hut the performance of the fans?

Thanks for helping, I am hoping to install the Noctua today.

 

[Ransome]

I am thinking that using the maxium power will be better, if there isn't much difference in the noise it makes, cooler CPU is safer and better.
Any opinions?

 

[sarinaide]

google the DH14 specs with the 600D specs to ensure you have the space, the DH14 is HUGE!

 

[Ransome]

It does suppose to fit. I hope. Case is quite wide. Well, what about the Ultra quiet cable? should I go for it ?

 

[geofelt]

A) So you say using the East to West Orientation would actually make it exhuast the heat to the rear (back) 120 mm fan of the case? I thought that using the right-to-left orentation would mean it would exhaust the heat into the right to the DVD player, but I guess what you say makes good sense.
C) So I glug the two fan cable into the spitter double side, and then the other sing side plug directly into the CPU_FAN input?
B) wouldn't pluging the two fan cables - into 2 ultra silent cables - into a spitter - into the CPU_FAN : hut the performance of the fans?

Thanks for helping, I am hoping to install the Noctua today.

a) I prefer front to back airflow, but bottom to top works also.
b) correct.
c) That is the trade-off. the quiet cables undervolt the fans, making them spin slower and be more quiet. For maximum cooling, do not use the low speed adapters. But, it is likely that you will get satisfactory cooling if you do use them, so it is up to you to determine the trade-off.

 

[Ransome]

I see. I guess I can try it out. I just don't want to mess much with my build onces is ready. I thought that if the noise won't be hearable over the rest of the case, then why not put it on maximum cooling so the CPU would be extra cold.

Also, do you know if I should add any extra cooling for the case? many say that the case cooling won't be an issue. please take a look at this airflow chart, page 3 and 4:
http://www.corsair.com/media/cms/applicationnote/600T_Features_and_Testing_Guide.pdf
And see if you think the cooling, together with the Noctua which is 2 fans by itself, and the Asus GPU which is the coolest of its type, will be enough as it is.

Thanks.

 

[geofelt]

The 200mm front intake fan has more than enough cool air intake capability for all your parts.

All you really need in addition, is sufficient outflow area to let the intake air get out after it has done it's cooling job.

Unless you will oc the 3570K very aggressively, say past 4.4, then the noctua will keep it plenty cool enough even with one of the low noise adapters.

I suggest, as always, that you bench test your parts outside of the case first. You will then hear how loud, or quiet all your parts are, and can decise if you want to switch in/out some low noise adapters. Even at full speed, the noctua fans are relatively quiet.

 

[Ransome]

Have you seen the airflow chart? it has another 200 mm blowing air out the ceiling and a smaller 120 mm fan out the back.
You think it's ok?

Again, I can try placing a fan under the dvd drives, but that wont be fixed by screws, it would need some improvising and cleaning it up would be a pain..
---
How do I bench test everything again without connecting to case?

 

[geofelt]

Airflow is what is important. Once you have sufficient intake, fans added to the output side do help, but are not really necessary.
All you really need is an equivalent unobstructed output area to match the input area. But 200mm fans spin slowly and move a lot of air. At standard, it looks like a well cooled case to me.

And... What happens if your parts do get a bit hot? A cpu chip still keeps running, slowing down only when it nears TJMAX which is in the 100c range.

Ditto for the graphics card. They do run hot, particularly when overclocked, but they are built to tolerate it.

That is why I prefer not to use fan speed controls to adjust fan speed according to component temperatures. I find constantly changing speeeds to be annoying. I set fans at a constant speed, and if the parts get a bit hot, so be it.

The reason to bench test first is to verify that all parts are working before putting them into the case. It is easier to diagnose a problem outside of the case, and you eliminate any shorting problems that might happen when installed in a case.

To do this, just put the motherboard on top of the antistatic sleeve that it came in. Attach all of your components.
Some motherboards have a start button which makes things easy. For the others, just momentarily touch the two PWR pins on the motherboard to start up. Just getting into the bios, or running memtest86+ is enough testing.

You might find it useful, while you are waiting for delivery, to download and read, cover to cover, the case and motherboard manuals.

 

[Ransome]

Ok thanks alot for the detailed replies here, you have been a great help.
I think I will start the case as it is, the good thing about it is that cable mangement is superior, not a single cable inside the case + there is plenty of room.
The large 200 mm fan is not really obstructed, I have removed the middle drive bar, and left the bottom where it is (didn't want to move it to side near PSU so things wont be too tight there). The top fan is somewhat obstructed by the Noctua (the Noctua is in its path) BUT, since the noctua has 2 large heatsink bodies and 2 great fans (140 + 120 mm) it provides extra cooling, and I believe will actually cool any extra hot air frombelow.

Also, the case output 120 fan at the back is the direct continuation of the Nuctua wind tunnel, so all the hot air that passes through the Noctua is expelled out from there directly.

I hope its good enough. and yeah I will keep it on a steady flow too, once I find the appropriate balance of noise and cooling (if its not that noisy I keep it strong).

And finally, most my build is already assembelled, bundled and tidy. I only wait for the RAM before I can put the CPU and Noctua.

Thanks for all the help and information.