Hi! I currently have this build using the GT502 case.
I just recently got 3 more case fans. Previously it was set up like this:
I think that for some reason the temps got worse and the PC much louder. It might just be buyer’s remorse but I got more fans so that they could use less RPM and be quieter, but I feel like the complete opposite has happened.
Can I change anything about this layout to optimise airflow? I was thinking of maybe switching the side panel fans to exhaust? That might starve the CPU cooler, though…
Maybe I’m just imagining things and I just need to perform exact tests to figure it out. What do you use for testing airflow effectiveness?
UPDATE:
The issue was weirder than I would’ve thought. The bottom 3 fans are controlled by one motherboard channel using a PWM splitter cable. The rear and side panel fans are the same - one channel for all 3. Previously I had just the rear exhaust plugged in to a single channel but now it’s plugged into the splitter.
Apparently the order of the fans in the splitter is VERY important. I changed it so that the rear fan is the first in the splitter and that instantly fixed the issue. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The top is mesh. That’s why I did so many intake fans - to let the pressure naturally out of the top.
I still might experiment with switching the side panel to exhaust. That’s what I wanted to do in the first place but every build I saw used it as an intake and I was scared that would starve the CPU fan.
I did seem to get the noise down a bit by modifying the curves and making the ramp up smoother.
Yeah, less speed always better… Generally mesh should be a near-zero backpressure flow thru but with this number of fans its still a lot. even with mesh though I think you might get better performance by changing the two side fans to exhaust. It’s worth trying and costs $0.
Most builds use those as intakes because they don’t run bottom fans, either for aesthetics or because GPU clearance is a problem.
That side panel is also the most popular spot for AIO/custom water radiators l, which should also be an intake as to feed the rads cool air. But in your case you don’t need those so running them as exhaust is fine.
Generally computers are way less sensitive to airflow than you think. Air kinda just goes where it needs to based on the changes in pressure. Keep trying configuration and fan curves, run a stress test each time for 10min or more and monitor your cpu temps, you’ll likely see they only changes 2-3c at most across all sorts of different fan flow patterns.