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HAF X top mount radiator but keeping the top 200mm fans in place?

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  • Water Cooling
  • Corsair
  • Overclocking
Last response: in Overclocking
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March 11, 2013 9:38:30 PM

I currently own a Corsair H80 water cooling setup, I noticed in this video that the dude mounts his radiator with fans, under the 230mm top fans? Is this alright to do? Because currently i have my radiator set to exhaust on the back, but if his way is alright i would gladly go through his method. Im just asking as i have heard stacking fans often has a negative performance impact.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&...

More about : haf top mount radiator keeping top 200mm fans place

a c 139 K Overclocking
March 11, 2013 10:24:15 PM

If you mount the radiator underneath the top 230mm fan like in the video then you will have the push/pull effect with the top fan and the bottom fan and add cooling power to the radiator. It is perfectly fine to do that and I also have the HAF-X case and while I removed the 230mm fan I do have the radiator with a push/pull fan confiiguration mounted at the top of the case. Stacking fans does not have a negative effect and it actualy has the opposite effect and adds cooling power to the radiator.
a c 178 K Overclocking
March 11, 2013 10:35:25 PM

Also a HAF-X owner here, it is possible to mount a dual rad underneath the dual 200mm fans, though you will require very short screws to do so.
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a c 78 K Overclocking
March 12, 2013 3:17:28 AM

Not to be a party-pooper but I would strongly disagree about ghetto fitting a smaller rad on a larger fan. From experience, I've noticed that the air needs to be directed through the fins in a radiator. We may assume that the air will simply travel through the rad as long long as you have the fan pointed towards it - in reality both the fans need to be mounted to the rad and you may even find some people using gaskets to seal the fan from loss of air pressure while some go a step further and add a shroud before the rad but between the fan(s). The latter helps eliminate the dead spot found at the back of the fan motor(if its in push).

You may want to head down to the watercooling sticky(located in my sig) and head down to the closed loop cooler section for details on getting the absolute best out of your unit.

Hope this helps.
March 12, 2013 10:09:08 AM

Im not saying removing rad fans and putting it under, notice the dude in this video still has fans on both sides of his ran left on. So he has 120mm fans almost touching the top 230mm fans.
a c 139 K Overclocking
March 12, 2013 12:04:13 PM

The best option would be to attach the fans to the radiator on one side so that air is directed through the radiator and the top 200mm fans will aid in removing the heated air. I don't think I would put fans on both sides and then mount it under the 200mm fans because as you can see in the video the radiator ends up having to be a very thin one so by attaching fans to only one side it would allow you to get a thicker radiator in there and still have the top 200mm fans helping with the push/pull.
March 12, 2013 4:42:35 PM

Yeah, i have enough room to fit the rad the corsair comes with, what im just wondering about is if its more or less beneficial to have the top 120mm fan and the 200mm fan that close together? I ask this because if all those people talking about how bad it is to stack fans.
a c 190 K Overclocking
March 13, 2013 1:56:12 PM

I'd go for a thicker rad with pushpull and remove the 200Mm altogether
Moto
a c 78 K Overclocking
March 14, 2013 8:12:04 AM

Air turbulence is something that needs to be covered in the fans roundup. Usually the cfm of two identical fans aren't the same even though they come from the same factory and are of the same model. Ontop of that the cfm and airflow off a 200mm fan isn't going to be the same as a 120mm fan - so instead of granting the 120mm fan positive effects - it may very well produce a negative effect - so this effort would be all for waste.

Would also go 1 up with modo's comment!
March 14, 2013 1:53:29 PM

Lutfij said:
Air turbulence is something that needs to be covered in the fans roundup. Usually the cfm of two identical fans aren't the same even though they come from the same factory and are of the same model. Ontop of that the cfm and airflow off a 200mm fan isn't going to be the same as a 120mm fan - so instead of granting the 120mm fan positive effects - it may very well produce a negative effect - so this effort would be all for waste.

Would also go 1 up with modo's comment!

Thats what i was trying to get at, im wondering whether or not having those fans so close together could create negative effects.
a c 78 K Overclocking
March 14, 2013 2:00:22 PM

Entirely upto you.
a c 178 K Overclocking
March 14, 2013 2:09:18 PM

Why not just try it with the 200mm fans and without? Compare temps on both and make the decision.
Not like the air turbulence is going to break the radiator :p .
March 14, 2013 7:52:46 PM

Indeed, i just rear-mounted as usual, no point with all the hassle
a c 103 K Overclocking
March 23, 2013 10:36:46 AM

Stealthycactus said:
Indeed, i just rear-mounted as usual, no point with all the hassle

Don't be so fatalistic! LOL - I am currently building a HAF-X system and have done a ton of reading and digging on this and a few related topics. Though I may not have the perfect answer, hopefully I can share some findings that will help your system be more efficient and encourage you to have fun with it! (after all isn't that why we mod in the first place?)

The top config does work in a push/pull or push basis - but with a few caveats depending on how it is setup. I personally chose to replace the top fans with larger CFM fans (side and front as well, and improved 140) at 125 compared to the 110 stock for the same decibel level (and added blue UV led :)  )being that there is not a way to seal the top unless you install everything below the case metal, there is no cause for matching size. The RS/RX360 is a low FPI rad. in other words, lower speed works better. the stock fans with Raystorm kits actually show best match to TDP with that rad. Given a lower rpm, mid CFM, mid static pressure is best, slight modification using a fan controller provides excellent result in a push config. (approx 16-1800rpm on stock fans - 2k and up show loss of TDP) The 200mm fans above, being in a non sealed config, simply aid in air movement and exhaust. Minimal improvement is seen using them and no hinderence. However, they do function in case airflow still, so serve dual purpose, and therefore are in fact an aid to the system as a whole. Curious still? Go to frozencpu.com - they sell a HAF-X with this exact config predesigned with an RS360 kit. I have chatted a bit with them and their design shows the same results i researched on the net.

I would still encourage and airbox or shrouds and gaskets on the lower 120's in a push config to maximize flow. The RX especially with it's thicker design, double the tubes and low FPI benefits from this type of config.

Hope this helps a bit - *DISCLAIMER* yes I am a regular guy who just reads a lot before a make a decision- no expert by any means. This is not the BEST way as a few prior have pointed out - but it is still very effective, and in many ways more so than your current rear exhaust setup

edit* Incidentally THE MOST EFFECTIVE is taking a dremel/shear to the top of the case, removing the 200's, creating a hole for a true 360 push/pull with shroud/airbox - much noisier but higher TDP value. Above solution is mid ground for noise and effective TDP and works well for regular OC'ers
a c 139 K Overclocking
March 23, 2013 12:54:34 PM

Incidentally THE MOST EFFECTIVE is taking a dremel/shear to the top of the case, removing the 200's, creating a hole for a true 360 push/pull with shroud/airbox - much noisier but higher TDP value. Above solution is mid ground for noise and effective TDP and works well for regular OC'ers

This is exactly what I did and once the hole was made (be very careful with the hole size as you get one shot) I then bought this shroud;

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/7619/ex-rad-132/Koola...

And radiator cover grill;

http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_p...

And these fans , 6 in push pull;

http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_p...

With this radiator;

http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_p...

It all fits and looks like the case came with this setup, it was a lot of work and the cutting had to be precise or there would be spaces but as long as the space is very small there are ways to hide it.
Also there is no need to stack the fans just have the top fans remain and add the fans to the radiator on the one side and you get the same effect as with the fans attached in push/pull. I made my decision to remove the 200mm fans and use strictley high static pressure fans.

But since you have decided to mount the radiator on the rear of the case this suggestion can be used if you decide later on to readjust things and you will know that you do have options.

!