Made a fairly big goof in my build - looking for advice

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OhForPetesSake

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Nov 5, 2018
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So I recently completed my build (thread here: https://hardforum.com/threads/out-of-the-pc-building-game-for-a-while-looking-for-advice.1971038/ and pic here: https://hardforum.com/data/attachment-files/2018/12/177093_IMG_20181201_194552.jpg ). My initial plan was to have the radiator exhausting on the top, and the bottom/side fans to be intake. I just today realized that I made a pretty significant goof. I somehow didn't realize this when I was ordering the parts, but the NZXT AER RBG2 fans pull from the LED side to the non-LED side. This, of course, means that all of my RGB fans are exhaust fans and NOT intake fans like I had intended them to be. Given that I have created some very suboptimal airflow with exhaust fans on the bottom, side and top, my temps actually aren't that bad. While gaming my CPU usually doesn't get out of the 60s (Prime95 pushes it into the 70s) and my GPU tops out at ~75. The GPU is overclocked, I haven't tried to overclock the CPU yet. I feel like I have a few options here, and would love people's opinions.

1.) I can leave everything as it is. It's not limiting me, it looks fun, so why bother changing it?
2.) I can reverse the radiator fans, making them intake and leaving the front and bottom as exhaust.
3.) I can move the radiator to the side panel as intake and have the top and bottom be exhaust.
4.) Say, "screw it" with the pretty colors and just set up for optimal airflow.
5.) Buy new fans that will allow the RGB LEDs on both sides.

Thoughts?
 
It does look good, but those bottom fans sucking out are going to create all kinds of issues with the thermal dynamics of that case, lots of hot spots. It looks like you only have fans pulling out. That will create negative pressure and pull in dust from every other hole in the case. You'll be cleaning that case out on a weekly basis setup like that. Personally, I'm an air flow nazi. I can't stand the idea of not having proper airflow in my machines. I always pull air in from the lower half and front of the case while pulling out of the top half and rear. I think a machine is better off not having a fan than the fans not working in that fashion. You are otherwise asking the fans to work against physics instead of augmenting it. Heat rises, the front, back and even side airflow are more of a preference but top and bottom isn't negotiable. Just my two cents...
 
Zareek said:
It does look good, but those bottom fans sucking out are going to create all kinds of issues with the thermal dynamics of that case, lots of hot spots. It looks like you only have fans pulling out. That will create negative pressure and pull in dust from every other hole in the case. You'll be cleaning that case out on a weekly basis setup like that. Personally, I'm an air flow nazi. I can't stand the idea of not having proper airflow in my machines. I always pull air in from the lower half and front of the case while pulling out of the top half and rear. I think a machine is better off not having a fan than the fans not working in that fashion. You are otherwise asking the fans to work against physics instead of augmenting it. Heat rises, the front, back and even side airflow are more of a preference but top and bottom isn't negotiable. Just my two cents...
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Yeah, that airflow was my original intent. Bottom and side intake, top exhaust, but I goofed with believing the fans blew/pulled in the opposite direction than they do. It seems like I'm gonna have to either just reverse these fans and lose the LEDs, or buy new fans. Which is a bummer.
 
OhForPetesSake said:
Yeah, that airflow was my original intent. Bottom and side intake, top exhaust, but I goofed with believing the fans blew/pulled in the opposite direction than they do. It seems like I'm gonna have to either just reverse these fans and lose the LEDs, or buy new fans. Which is a bummer.
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Definitely a bummer, I bet they weren't cheap! In the long run setting it up properly will yield a better machine. I like my PC to look nice but reliability is number one on my PC wish list. Performance and bang for buck follow closely behind.
 
Keep those fans as stand ins for when you have a fan failure, good peace of mind.
Get the correct fans.
 
Nenu said:
Keep those fans as stand ins for when you have a fan failure, good peace of mind.
Get the correct fans.
Click to expand...

Yep. Am going to replace them with the corsair LL120 fans (which are semi-diectional, but not as much so). /sigh. Feeling dumb.
 
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