Right now I have 955 BE with a h50 inside a source 210 window. I plan to get a 8320 and a Asus 999fxa pro r.2. I need a good CPU cooler that I can overclock the 8320 as high as possible probably around 4.3-4.6. The problem with h50 is it barely/doesn't fit in my case. The side of it hits the window where it is installed in the back. It also doesn't correlate with the air flow. It is installed as push and intakes fresh air from the back into the case. My case airflow consists of a bottom mounted upside down PSU so that's isolated. A 120mm fan on the bottom as intake, 2x120mm front intake. 140mm top exhaust 120mm top exhaust not actually running. And the rad intake at the back. I have a 5850 (blower styler) currently installed. Also I only have <155m to work with the CPU cooler, so the classic 212 evo unfortunately doesn't fit. Also I mounted the h50 as intake to avoid the top exhaust stealing air from it.
Fans: top 140 antec tricool, top nzxt stock 120 [not on], stock h50 fan, rest are antec tricool 120's.
So my questions are:
What CPU cooler is less than 155mm and will cool the 8320 enough to be able to OC to 4.3-4.6?
Also does my case airflow make sense?
Should I keep the h50?
I plan to upgrade to a 770/760 should I get a blower style card or the better overclocking cooler cards?
I understand noctua is my best bet probably, but they are very expensive and I prefer something that matches with my blur/black/white/silver color scheme rather than brown :/
My personal opinion is that MOST 120mm AIO watercoolers don't really compete with the highest quality air coolers. It seems like the AIO watercoolers need at least a 240mm radiator (or a thick 120mm rad) in order to outperform the top air coolers. Corsair lists your maximum CPU cooler height at 160mm and a Noctua NH-D14 comes in at 158mm. Is it possible that your measurements are off?
As for your current setup, I would probably put the H50 in one of the top fan mounts and setup with its fan as an exhaust. This will smooth your case airflow and move the radiator so it isn't interfering with the side panel. I would also use the fan that isn't currently running as the rear exhaust.
For the GPU, every test that I have seen shows that the internal case temp only changes a couple degrees if you use a card with a custom cooler versus a stock blower cooler. No big deal there.
GUYS PLEASE. I have a NZXT Source 210 Window. A CM 212 EVO will not fit. Trust me that was my first idea. I need something under 155mm, due to the window clearance. An the h50 doesn't fit in the top only where it is installed. That is my issue.
yes but according to pc partpicker, the kraken x60 will fit a 210, replace the stock fans on it with some noctuas of your choice and you should be set. if it will cool an overclocked haswell, you should not see a problem.
if i read your post right, you have a problem with your radiator, and the top exhaust fan ?
I know you could buy some low profile (slim) fans. you could grab one of those to install in the top as an exhaust. You could swap the H50, for the H80i and i think then you basicly done.
Anyway the cpu cooler hight of the source 210 elite, is 160mm. for the non windowed version. but the windowed version is the same, there is not fan in the site panel which could get in the way. so i personaly dont see any reason, why a standard aircooler upto 158mm would not fit.
the windowed version adds about 5mm to the side thickness and I didn't want to have the cpu cooler scratch the plastic as I was putting it in. I might have to look into the slim fans though.
