280 vs 240 Radiators

[AP2]

So I'm thinking about switching my current system to a slightly larger case that can accommodate a 280 mm. Is a 280mm better than a 240mm? just wondering since I already have a 240 rad and fans.

Thanks!

 

[pendragon1]

So I'm thinking about switching my current system to a slightly larger case that can accommodate a 280 mm. Is a 280mm better than a 240mm? just wondering since I already have a 240 rad and fans.

Thanks!

yes, by a fair bit. if you keep fans at comparable speeds youll get lower temps or you can have the same temps but way quiter.

 

[SticKx911]

In case no one has actual experience or numbers to share; I would suspect just going from 240 to 280 will have very little performance gains. Maybe going to a higher fpi count and a better sp fan in addition to the new radiator might make it a solid upgrade though.

 

[pendragon1]

In case no one has actual experience or numbers to share; I would suspect just going from 240 to 280 will have very little performance gains. Maybe going to a higher fpi count and a better sp fan in addition to the new radiator might make it a solid upgrade though.

you can do the math. a 280 is much closer to a 360 in performance than a 240 is to a 280. yes a higher fpi, thicker or dual pass/x-flow rads will add to cooling.

 

[SticKx911]

you can do the math. a 280 is much closer to a 360 in performance than a 240 is to a 280. yes a higher fpi, thicker or dual pass/x-flow rads will add to cooling.

Fwiw, my reply wasn’t intended as a direct response to yours, you just got to the post button before me. I had no intention to troll.

I’ve been running a gpu and cpu pair on the same 280mm radiator for over 10 years. Intel, amd, nvidia, didn’t matter much what I went with that particular build, temps have always been good. My current ryzen gets warmish at 70c, but the 980ti never gets above 50c. I have never used a 240, but I know the 280 has treated me well.

 

[Tsumi]

The 280 surface area is almost equivalent to a 360. It won't perform quite as well as a 360 due to 140 fans generally having lower static pressure at the same speeds, but it should be a noticeable improvement.

That said, I wouldn't replace what you already have unless you want your temps to be lower or you want things to be quieter.

 

[AP2]

thanks Tsumi , I was just going to ask that about fans. I noticed a lot of 140mm rads have lower static pressure than their 120mm counterpart. Maybe I will just stick with my 240 setup for now and upgrade down the road if needed. currently im running a 3090/5900x on a 360 surface area and the temps are fine but it's a little noisy. new setup with be 600 surface area (2 240 + 1 120).

 

[pendragon1]

youre welcome...
you can buy sp140 fans but if your happy stick with what ya got.

 

[AP2]

youre welcome...
you can buy sp140 fans but if your happy stick with what ya got.

pendragon1 thanks for the reply too! sorry didnt mean to neglect you

 

[Nasgul]

you can do the math. a 280 is much closer to a 360 in performance than a 240 is to a 280. yes a higher fpi, thicker or dual pass/x-flow rads will add to cooling.

140x140 = 19,600 x 2 = 39,200
120x120 = 14,400 x 3 = 43,200

140x140 = 19,600 x 2 = 39,200
120x120 = 14,400 x 2 = 28,800

280mm vs 360mm and 280mm vs 240mm difference is 4,000 vs 10,400 (thanks pendragon1)

So, moral of the story? never go with 240 RADs. 280 or 360 is the way to go. e-penis? 420 RAD!!

 

[AP2]

I’ve decided - going with 280s.

 

[NightReaver]

Now if you reeeeally need some high pressure 140s, I always had luck with those 38mm thick silverstone fans. They're a little weird with having 120mm mounting holes, but I'm pretty sure they come with adapter feet nowadays.