4 in, 1 out OR 2 in, 3 out?

[RadeonHDx]

Today I'm due to be getting my motherboard tray back from... well nothing has actually happened to it . Anyway I'm getting my mobo tray back and I am hoping to get all my components back in my rig tonight and was just wondering what you guys would recommend.

My case is build in such a way that it was intended for 2 in 2 out with a big 200mm fan on the side panel (which I replaced with a plexi window). I have since added a completely custom roof panel to accommodate for a 360 rad which will come at some point...

This means that at the moment I only have 2 options for airflow really which are 4 in (from 3 roof and 1 front) and 1 out (rear) or I can have 2 in (rear and front) and 3 out (roof).

I will have my H60 on the rear 120mm fan mount and be using pretty much whatever fans I can find for the next few days while I get my please do not swear together as I would like my rig out of my current case as soon as possible.

Thanks guys,
Joe

 

[Darkwood Systems]

3 in through the roof to blow cold air over components and 2 out so it draws cold air in through the top and pushes hot air out the front and back. This will give you a smooth air flow and stop dust build up.

 

[remember300]

I'd have the 2 in the top exhaust and rest exhaust ad if you suck air in from the top your fighting the physics of warm air rising and will create vortexs around most places that will generate heat, what case do you have.

 

[jimma47]

The thread title made me lol. Juvenile I know

I've tried similar setups - using the rear exhaust as an intake...

Consensus at the moment seems to be set up for positive pressure.

Option 1. - My favourite.
Considering the side window has closed off one of your fans I'd go with bringing all your fans as input and the air will still go out the vents and keep dust out. There seems to be quite a bit of mesh on the InWin however you say you've modded it so I can only go by the stock images.

Option 2.
Ok so if one of your potential intakes at the rear is the H60 then it will already be relatively warm air coming in. You could mount that on the roof as an exhaust and keep the front and rear as intakes.

Option 3
if you're going 360 rad down the track, hence the top panel mod then I'd have that as intake and front as intake and exhaust through the back. There won't be *too* much heat coming off your GPU's if they are waterblocked and you get nice cool air through the rad.

If the GPU's are on air and you have a 360 AIO then I would go exhaust top and intake front and rear as the cooler air is going over the GPU's, motherboard and then exhausting out the top. Heat rises and all that.

I run a front/side intake, rear and Top exhaust - I have a 240mm AIO so plenty of heat off my GPUs cause the insides to warm up. I exhaust thru the AIO and cop a couple of degrees penalty on the CPU to save a ton of heat inside the case.

I know this is the third conflicting answer on one question but I've found it best to just muck around and see what works best. For example I have so many vents and grills and gaps that positive pressure doesn't actually happen even if everything is on intake - I still get a dustbowl.

I now have the rear back as an exhaust because it looks better with my fans. That's the only reason.

Anyways. Good luck with whichever way you choose to go!

 

[Davva2004]

Front and rear in, top out. Always better to work with convection, not against it.