Airflow dilemma

Hardware Hub Cooling
1

Hi.

Currently having a dilemma regarding adequate airflow in my case for planned changes/upgrades...and I can't quite figure out what to do.


Currently, in my Fractal Design Define R4 i have 2x140mm 1000rpm intake fans (where the lower fan blows onto the HDD cage and the upper fan directly into the case as the upper cage is removed), the same as a top exhaust and push/pull noctua NF-F12's (120mm PWM) on the rear as intakes on a Corsair H80 radiator.


For reasons i won't go into i plan to swap out the H80 for an air cooler (be quiet Dark Rock Pro 3), switch the exhaust to the rear and blank off the top...and planning to replace current lynnfield based system with a haswell-E, GTX980 (when it's for sale) and also run my current 750Ti...


I have a feeling the 2 front intake and 1 exhaust won't be enough airflow, especially intake to keep the system cool when using an aircooler and having GPU heat dumped into the case too (especially low RPM quiet fans...because i have an obsession with quiet).


I was thinking I'd fit my spare 140mm fan as a bottom intake...except my PSU (be quiet dark power pro 10, yes i like their gear!) is 180mm long and a 140mm won't fit and a 120mm is also out of the question due to where the CPU 8 pin power connector plugs into the PSU...


So i'm completely out of ideas of what to do and would happily look at any suggestions anybody might have (apart from staying with an AIO WC and not getting an air cooler)...or if my 2 intakes and 1 exhaust might be adequate? (in the summer small room with a lot of electronics = oven).


Thanks in advance for any comments or suggestions. :)


*edit* a crazy solution would be to get a seasonic gold or platinum psu or a corsair AXi which are all 160mm long and have modular connectors in more sensibly positions...but that'd be a bit of a drastic solution and a rather expensive one, too!

2

Am I to understand you are using one of the top or rear fans as an intake?

3

At the moment i'm using top as exhaust and rear as push/pull intake on an H80 radiator...

looking at blanking the top off again, making rear the exhaust and switching to air cooling but dont think 2x140mm intake @ 1000rpm and a combined (rated) total of 120.8 CFM would be enough with the hardware i plan...hoping to be able to leave the top 2 vents blocked off with covers because of dust (even with filters!) and noise...although i get the feeling that's trying to have my cake and eat it

4

Get a fan filter for your rear fan mount and use it as a intake.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811999249&cm_re=120mm_fan_filter-_-11-999-249-_-Product

Put a air flow fan on the top of the case for exhaust. If you can use Static Pressure fans for behind the HDD cage. SP fans will push the air past that choke point as that's what there designed to do. If you get two for the front you can leave the upper cage in and not worry about it.

With that set up you will keep positive pressure in your case. And the heat will rise as it does and be pulled out the top.  

5

You can try something like i am using, 2x FD 140mm fans as intakes, bottom 120mm intake - here i would suggest trying to mount that fan through the fan grill using some washers, not directly into 120mm fan position, but further away. Then rear and one top fan as an outtake (I use 120mm fans, because i had them from older system).

See my profile for pic, with those fans all run from fan controller at 5V GPUs(2xGTX660) are about 45-50°C and CPU(i5-2500K @ 4.5GHz) is 55°C. With this setup i dont have any problems with dust at all, but some dust may get in through the top, when the pc is off.