Corsair 800D top fans config

[rjp85]

Hi guys,
I'm kind of a newbie here, and I'm building my first system. I've gone with the Corsair Obsidian 800D case.

As you probably know, at the top of the case there are three mounts for 120mm fans. I'd like to take advantage of this and install some fans, but I'm not sure which ones to get, and whether they should be pushing air into the system, or exhausting air out of the case.

I know there are mixed opinions on this. I'm wondering about the difference between Corsair AF120 and SP120 fans, or perhaps I should go with Noctua, or another brand?

Here's my main components:

Asus Sabertooth x79
3930K i7 (not really sure I'm going to overclock)
Noctua NH-D14 SE2011 CPU Cooler
EVGA Geforce GTX 680 4GB
32GB Corsair memory (low profile)
Corsair 1200i power supply
Plextor 256GB M5P SSD

In the future I'll probably add a bunch of mechanical drives, one for backup, and two or more for RAID.

Thanks for your help!

 

[clutchc]

I won't be much help on recommending particular brand names of fans, but I may be able to give you some pointers. Try to set up your fan selection to provide positive air flow. That means you want your intake CFM to be greater than your exhaust CFM. That will provide good air flow while keeping dust out. Another point to remember, is that all else being equal... larger low RPM fans move air much quieter than smaller, high RPM fans. As for the top fan location, unless you have dust filters, I would recommend the fans only be installed for exhausting rather than intaking. Both the fans you reference are excellent examples of quality products.