140mm case fans...

[Munster]

Hi, I have a new CM 690 II Advanced B&W case. I currently have 3x 140mm Akasa Viper fans, all connected to a Bitfenix Recon fan controller.

Which would be the best for noise and air movement, for cases. My HSF is a Noctua D14.

My default configuration is:

Or, I could have this:

Or this other configuration:

Which would be better?

 

[jamesriley94]

We cant answer that. Put a rig in, and test temps. Chances are it's gunna make no difference at all.

Btw - in the second picture, the fans on the wrong way round in the rear.

I have the same case myself, and I have the front an 2 bottom slots intaking air, then the top 2 and the rear exhausting it out the back.

You dont really need the top fan sucking air in to 'feed' the D14, especially as the air it sucks in will be partly made up of the warm air you've just exhausted out of the top.

You're over thinking this too much though

 

[Munster]

Btw - in the second picture, the fans on the wrong way round in the rear.

I know, I just photoshopped it. Copy and paste, then reshape the selection. Its just a reference

I have the same case myself, and I have the front an 2 bottom slots intaking air, then the top 2 and the rear exhausting it out the back.

I might give this a go. What are good fans to use. Are the vipers decent enough?

 

[jamesriley94]

They'll be good enough for case fans yes.

And you dont need to copy my set up, and I try to avoid using 140mm fans.

I personally use Silverstone Air Penetrators with Blue led's, a 140mm bitfenix spectre in the front and a bequiet silent wings 2 to direct the air onto the graphics card, I'll take a picture, give me 2 mins.

 

[PetrolHead247]

With the fans you've got i'd have 1 in the front as intake and 1 in the roof and rear as exhaust. Simple and effective.

 

[jamesriley94]

With the fans you've got i'd have 1 in the front as intake and 1 in the roof and rear as exhaust. Simple and effective.

^^ this - if you aren't gunna buy anymore.

What happened to the fans that came with the case? Please dont say they made weird clicking sounds...

 

[airdeano]

what CM 690 (and off-spring) have benefitted as an air-cooled case is:
front intake, add fan to ODD bays, no roof fans (explain later), unnecessary to have rear
exhaust fan, unless CPU cooler fan system is weak.

explaination of no roof fans is the supply of air coming into the CPU cooler (noted NH-D14)
can be reduced from the high-power air-path from the roof fan (intake or exhaust) hence
the ODD fan. this will feed fitered air to the CPU cooler, cooler then cools and exhausts
through the rear port (for best results, remove fan mesh on rear exhaust outlet) so a fan
here is pointless. the natual case venting from the air-pressure doesn't need to be helped.

depending on GPU an interior fan fan be installed on HDD rack to push air accross the card.
removing all unused pci slot covers aids in natual exhaust (solid or vented remove them).

aren't your viper 140mm fans PWM? if so, use a Akasa PWM fan splitter and control
from motherboard fan header. no need for a fan control. they are a great 140 flow fan.

this could be a good try for what you have now..

airdeano

 

[jamesriley94]

what CM 690 (and off-spring) have benefitted as an air-cooled case is:
front intake, add fan to ODD bays, no roof fans (explain later), unnecessary to have rear
exhaust fan, unless CPU cooler fan system is weak.

explaination of no roof fans is the supply of air coming into the CPU cooler (noted NH-D14)
can be reduced from the high-power air-path from the roof fan (intake or exhaust) hence
the ODD fan. this will feed fitered air to the CPU cooler, cooler then cools and exhausts
through the rear port (for best results, remove fan mesh on rear exhaust outlet) so a fan
here is pointless. the natual case venting from the air-pressure doesn't need to be helped.

depending on GPU an interior fan fan be installed on HDD rack to push air accross the card.
removing all unused pci slot covers aids in natual exhaust (solid or vented remove them).

aren't your viper 140mm fans PWM? if so, use a Akasa PWM fan splitter and control
from motherboard fan header. no need for a fan control. they are a great 140 flow fan.

this could be a good try for what you have now..

airdeano

Do you have data to show that roof fans actually cause the D14 to perform worse? As for the rear fan, there s still a point of it as it will still guide air out the back of the case. The cooler will only push it in the general direction, whereas the read case fan will exhaust it out fully. Especially as there's a good 6 inches between the NF-P14 of the noctua to the back of the case. I agree that the roof fans probably dont improve performance much - if at all - but I wouldnt go as far to say they make it worse.

Also - so you know, you cant put a 140mm fan in the back of the CM 690

 

[Munster]

depending on GPU an interior fan fan be installed on HDD rack to push air accross the card.
removing all unused pci slot covers aids in natual exhaust (solid or vented remove them).

I have a GB gtx 580 soc. I already removed the unused PCI slot covers.

aren't your viper 140mm fans PWM? if so, use a Akasa PWM fan splitter and control
from motherboard fan header. no need for a fan control. they are a great 140 flow fan.

I already had the Bitfenix recon controller. So I just stuck it in.

What happened to the fans that came with the case? Please dont say they made weird clicking sounds...

Nothing happened to them. I just replaced them with the vipers, that I had hanging around.

 

[jamesriley94]

Nothing happened to them. I just replaced them with the vipers, that I had hanging around.

Why didnt you add the vipers to it? you have enough channels on the fan controller for them

 

[Munster]

Why didnt you add the vipers to it? you have enough channels on the fan controller for them

I don't know. I guess i just wanted all the fans to look the same. No idea why, cos they're all tucked inside

I guess I cud add them back in. Maybe I was thinking they had rubbish air flows, due to them being factory fitted.

 

[jamesriley94]

I don't know. I guess i just wanted all the fans to look the same. No idea why, cos they're all tucked inside

I guess I cud add them back in. Maybe I was thinking they had rubbish air flows, due to them being factory fitted.

No, the coolermaster fans are pretty good actually. Can get a bit screwy while running through a fan controller though

 

[airdeano]

Do you have data to show that roof fans actually cause the D14 to perform worse?

yes, as a 4 year owner of cooler master cm690 and 690 II and other users in other forums using
the roof fans will disturb the air-path to the CPU cooler. especially if you use high static or cfm
fan specs in the roof. also, with the roof so close to the NH-D14 this kinda makes the case
of what has been said. the cross-draft on the inlet fan is very important and can also be a
quiet issue due to the air feed is straighter. hense the ODD fan install.
i and others have found in strictly air-cooled case useage 2°-4° better CPU temperatures, simply
by using a direct air-path, rather than indirect. and lowering fan noise by reducing the amount of
fans used. using proper fans, in stratigic positions makes for low noise and better efficiency.

15 years of air-flow dynamics, using the sf-110 and sf-1020 flow bench porting cylinder
heads, intake manifolds, carbutetors and throttle bodies. i think i have a grasp on air-flow,
air-paths and flow dynamics.

minimalize defects capitalize on gains!

airdeano