Case Cooling questions for new i7 4770k build in Fractal Design Define Mini

[danytancou]

Hello all,

I've done a lot of reading on these topics, understand negative and positive pressure and all that, but wanted to run my ideas by you before I started the build. My Fractal Design Define Mini will house an i7 4770K CPU, an ASUS GRYPHON motherboard (without the armour kit) and eventually an EVGA GTX 770 video card with the ACX cooler (not fully decided on which model to get yet). I am planning on mild overclocking, but not to begin with, so I am sticking to the stock Intel cooler for now. My case fans configuration will be as follows:

- Noctua NF-P12 PWM at the bottom front (INTAKE)
- Noctua NF-P12 PWM at the top front (INTAKE)
- Noctua NF-A14 PWM at the top (EXHAUST)
- Noctua NF-A14 PWM at the side (INTAKE or EXHAUST -- see my first question below)
- Noctua NF-S12A at the back (EXHAUST)
- Noctua NF-S12A at the bottom (INTAKE or EXHAUST -- see my second question below)

My questions:

- I know that traditionally, the side fan is used for intake, to help cool the video card, but does it not stand to reason that whatever cool air it pushes into the case, it will simply be sucked out by the rear and top fans before it has a chance to do anything to the video card? If so, would it not make more sense to set it up for exhaust? There will be plenty of cool air coming in from the top front fan, as I am removing the top hard drive cage from the case. Another reason for this would be that the cool air coming in from the side would simply mix with the hot air coming off the stock Intel processor cooler, likely negating any of its potential/questionable benefits.

- I know that the bottom fan is also, traditionally, used for intake, but since the fans on the video card are blowing down, and the front bottom fan is pushing air into the same area of the case (i.e. below the video card), doesn't it make more sense to have the bottom fan set up for exhaust? (Yes, the bottom front intake is also responsible for cooling the SSD and hard drive that will be mounted in the bottom drive cage, but I don't think that's a HUGE concern, no?)


All this said, I am planning to upgrade to a Noctua NH-U12S processor cooler in the near future. What is the optimal mounting position for such a cooler--with the fan blowing towards the back or the top of the case? And should the fan be on the side of the cooler closer to the top or back of the case (depending on best orientation), or on the side of the cooler closer to the bottom or front of the case (again, depending on best orientation)?


Your thoughts on any or all these matters would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!

Dany

 

[Transmaniacon]

I would go with intake at the front, bottom, and side, and exhaust at the top and rear. You want cool air to move from front to back and bottom to top. I wouldn't stress over it too much, with only a single 770 and a noctua cooler, everything will stay cool. Generally you want the cooler to blow from front to back. I would put the fan on the right side of the cooler closest to the front. This will push cold air through the heatsink, and then it will be exhausted out the top and back.

 

[danytancou]

I would go with intake at the front, bottom, and side, and exhaust at the top and rear. You want cool air to move from front to back and bottom to top. I wouldn't stress over it too much, with only a single 770 and a noctua cooler, everything will stay cool. Generally you want the cooler to blow from front to back. I would put the fan on the right side of the cooler closest to the front. This will push cold air through the heatsink, and then it will be exhausted out the top and back.

Thanks man! All sounds good excepttttt... yesterday I happened to find a Corsair H80i cooler for a price that was just too good to pass up (CAD$50!!! the little store MUST have made a mistake) so I grabbed it, of course. I guess there's nothing wrong with using the thing even if I don't overclock to start with, right? I've never used a water cooler of any kind before, but it seems more reasonable to install the rad at the top of the case instead of the (more traditional) rear position, no? This way, the cool air from the top front and side intakes (yes, now the side is definitely going to be an intake ) is all going to be sucked out through the rad at the top, while NF-S12A at the back will exhaust everything else, including heat coming off the top of the video card. Does this make sense?

Thanks again,

D.

 

[Transmaniacon]

Good deal on that! That is sound reasoning, heat rises and that would make a good location for the radiator. I would put the fan on the inside and the rad against the case though so you are pushing the air through rather than pulling. I do not know if the Define Mini can accommodate push/pull without hitting the motherboard.

 

[danytancou]

Good deal on that! That is sound reasoning, heat rises and that would make a good location for the radiator. I would put the fan on the inside and the rad against the case though so you are pushing the air through rather than pulling. I do not know if the Define Mini can accommodate push/pull without hitting the motherboard.

I know! Funny thing is that I walked into the store out-of-the-blue, looking for an Ethernet cable for work. hehehe

Thanks for the advice! (And glad to see that I'm not crazy or something.. Given the size of the case, according to http://forum.corsair.com/forums/showthread.php?t=118689, I can also bottom-mount the rad, and I may even be able to mount it in the top front fan position (I have no need for the upper drive cage at all). Two more questions come to mind:

- Will having the rad at the top or bottom put any extra strain on the pump, as it may have to work harder to move the coolant up and down instead of from side to side?

- If I do end up putting it at the bottom, intake makes sense, but isn't that going to mean a lot of heat blowing onto the video card?

Hmmm..I think the ideal place for it would be the top front, as I can easily drop a NF-S12A PWM in the bottom of the case to push all the hot air coming off the rad straight up towards the top exhaust.

Thoughts on all this?

Thanks once more!

D.

 

[Transmaniacon]

I am no water cooling expert, but I have seen a few people on OCN recommend the pump be below the radiator. I would try and put it at one of the top fan locations, with the rear being the alternative. You ideally want to push cool air from inside the case out through the radiator.