fan suction question

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rylenol

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Jul 25, 2006
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I have one 120mm fan on the rear of my case blowing air out, one 80 mm fan on the front of my case sucking air in, and an 80mm fan on the top of my case sucking air in. Is that configuration ideal for cooling? I guess what I am asking is, If I only have one fan blowing air out is that enough?
 
pretty sure that top fan should be blowing out, what case is it?
 
okay, just a quick question, what is a good program for monitoring system temps?
 
Okay great, so the suction issue, are the function of case fans to suck in air or blow air out? I reversed the top case fan to blow air out. I am really paranoid about this, I just want to make sure my system is getting the cooling it needs
 
rylenol said:
Okay great, so the suction issue, are the function of case fans to suck in air or blow air out? I reversed the top case fan to blow air out. I am really paranoid about this, I just want to make sure my system is getting the cooling it needs
Click to expand...

Both. In fact you want equal amounts going in as out.
Generally, you want your front bottom fans going in and your top back fans blowing out.

If you need some fresh air going in over your videocard/cpu/ram, have one installed going in on the side of your case.
 
Not to thread-jack, but how about for the Antec P180? I have a Scythe Ninja cooler on my CPU, a fan to the right (pointed toward the front of the case) pushing air through the fins and an exhaust fan in the back.

I was thinking about putting another fan on the top vent to blow air IN, directly across the Scythe. Therefore, I would have two blowing across the fins and one sucking air out (the rear exhaust). Do you recommend this?
 
Okay, so what about a fan on the top of my case? should I have that blowing in or out?
 
yup. out, hot air rises, therefore you should be venting the hot air out of the top of the case.
 
Here's science:

Cool air, falls, hot air rises. In your house, the basement is going to be colder then your second level. Just like in your rooms it's going to be cooler near the floor and warmer near the ceiling. So in your case it is the same way, your hot air goes to the top, and cool air comes in from the bottom.
 
rylenol said:
Okay great, so the suction issue, are the function of case fans to suck in air or blow air out? I reversed the top case fan to blow air out. I am really paranoid about this, I just want to make sure my system is getting the cooling it needs
Click to expand...
First of all, don't worry too much about getting everything perfect. Think of all those Dells and HPs out there that only have one fan besides the PSU, and run for years without overheating. Unless you're overclocking to the point where a single degree makes a big difference, you'll be fine.

In general, yes, you want the fan on the top of the case to blow out. That way, the fan and convection cooperate to move the air out. Keep in mind, however, that convection has a very small effect on the airflow inside your case. The space is too small, the forced airflow too large, and the temperature differences too narrow to create large amounts of convection.
 
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