NCASE M1 picture and build general log

  • Thread starter Deleted member 222586
  • Start date
craftyhack said:
(I *really* wanted to use the new Swiftech MCP50X)
Click to expand...

I am putting together my migration to an M1 as well and had hoped to include the MCP50x after I saw the very positive reviews. I'm thinking now that I'll just cut back and use a 35x with a pump top so that I can get both of the ports on the side of the pump. That should let me mount it below the GPU.

My only thought was that I might be able to set the 50x out past the end of the GPU until after-market pump tops are available. Unfortunately with the warranty seal on the pump I'm not sure how soon that will happen.

Keep us posted on how your build turns out!

-Ben
 
bmyton said:
I am putting together my migration to an M1 as well and had hoped to include the MCP50x after I saw the very positive reviews. I'm thinking now that I'll just cut back and use a 35x with a pump top so that I can get both of the ports on the side of the pump. That should let me mount it below the GPU.

My only thought was that I might be able to set the 50x out past the end of the GPU until after-market pump tops are available. Unfortunately with the warranty seal on the pump I'm not sure how soon that will happen.

Keep us posted on how your build turns out!

-Ben
Click to expand...
My orders from Performance PCS and Koolance have just shipped today, so will hopefully be able to start this weekend? If so, will post pics once I finish, as my first custom loop which also happens to be in a tiny case, it may take me a while :D.

I looked at locating the 50x as forward as possible too, but with the length of the 980 + the height of the 50x(1.8") + height of the fitting (no matter whether 90 degree or straight up), I couldn't fit the 50x in there, it wasn't even close :(. For $70 and given the features, the 50x seems to be an awesome pump.

I think it may fit with the new Gigabyte mITX 970? But if one wanted to water-cool the 970 would need to wait for a water-block for it I suppose. http://www.techpowerup.com/206524/gigabyte-launches-geforce-gtx-970-mini-itx-graphics-card.html

Your pump top alternative is the most likely, but I couldn't find anything about plans to release one yet :/.

The 35x is a great option too which is what I ended up with as second option (D5 way too big), and when I found that the Apogee Drive II has a 35x, it was ideal :). I save on having to figure out how to run two lines to the pump in the bottom front, saved on two fittings, etc.

I figure that the 50x would be perfect for the Apogee Drive as well given how cool it runs (no need for heat sink), etc. so maybe they will refresh the now couple of year old Apogee with the 50x?
 
craftyhack said:
The 35x is a great option too which is what I ended up with as second option (D5 way too big), and when I found that the Apogee Drive II has a 35x, it was ideal :). I save on having to figure out how to run two lines to the pump in the bottom front, saved on two fittings, etc.
Click to expand...

I'm migrating from a Bitfenix Prodigy and am feeling a bit cheap about it right now. I know the Apogee Drive is probably my best option, but I'm trying to re-use as many parts from my EK-L240 Kit as I can.

My M1 order should arrive this Friday so I can start sizing things up, but initially I think I'm going to mount the DCP-2.2 pump/radiator outside of the case on the back fan port, then route the tubing in through the grommets.

Have you heard of anyone using the little Alphacool DC-LT pumps with just the top? It's been a long time since I've heard them discussed, but the size is sure appealing...
 
Last edited:
Just stress tested my build and played aroud with a few fan configs.

My setup:
MB: Asus Z97I-plus
CPU: 4690K @ stock
GPU: MSI 580 Twin Frozr II
RAM: 8GB Old Corsair
SSD: Samsung 840 EVO 500GB
PSU: SX-600G
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-C14

I was worried about the open air cooler on the GPU so i figured I'd try to find the optimal airflow setup. My theory was that two bottom fans forcing air into the GPU had to help GPU temps. Can't say I am overly confident that there is ONE best solution here.
So this config is what i started out with:
1 x Corsair SP120 Quiet Edition mounted on side bracket blowing on NH-C14
2 x Corsair AF120 Quiet Edition mounted under the GPU with stock M1 fan filters sandwiched under.
The CPU fan idles at minimum up to 40 0C. The GPU fans were originally set to off until 45 C CPU temp and then stay at 60% for as long as it would let me but I also went all in with 100% all the time as well as off but still there.

Lets see if i can get this fancy spoiler thing to work:
Room temperature = 21 C

I tested GPU Load using Valley:
-API: DX9
-AA: x2
-Resolution: 1920x1080
-VSync: On

I tested CPU load using Prime95, Blend test

I also decided to do a real world test. I am currently due to long gaming backlog doing an AC3 run. AC3 hates 5-series nvidia Cards so i have to overvolt the core to 1100mV to make it run at all. When i do it runs really well though. I decided a 30min run @ 1080p and High settings would do it.
Idle Temps (Bottom fans in but off): GPU 44 C; CPU 36 C
Idle Temps: (Bottom fans @60%): GPU 41 C; CPU 34 C
Idle Temps: (Bottom fans @100%): GPU 39 C; CPU 35 C
Valley (Bottom Fans in but off): GPU 102 C and rising @99%; CPU 51 C @ 68,8% (Chickened out and aborted)
Valley (Bottom Fans @60%): GPU 90 C @99%; CPU 53 C @ 97%
Valley (Bottom Fans @100%): GPU 88 C @99%; CPU 50 C @ 92,2%
AC3 GPU Vcore @ 1100mV (bottom fans @60%): GPU 78 C @93%; CPU 56 C @ 85,9%
Prime 95 Temps: GPU 47 C @ 12%; CPU 70 C @ 100% (temperatures stabilized after about 15min)
First off that NH-C14 is AWESOME. The 120mm fan on the side bracket is about 6mm from the heatsink and does a great job cooling the CPU. If i wanted more headroom i could always add a 120mm fan under it or og with the original 140mm fan (though that is annoyingly not PWM).
In my original setup, Idle is more than fine, stress test yelded 90 0C GPU temps which is not fine and my real world AC3 test was OK.
I proceeded to remove the bottom fans to see what happened.
Idle Temps: GPU 40 C; CPU 32 C (better)
Valley: GPU 98 C @99%; CPU 48 C @ 84,1% (GPU worse)
AC3 GPU Vcore @ 1100mV: GPU 86 C @93%; CPU 54 C @ 81,1% (GPU worse, CPU better)
Prime 95 Temps: GPU 46 C @ 11,1%; CPU 67 C @ 100% (better)
First the obvious. No bottom fans are better than leaving them in but turned off. Go figure:cool:
None of this came as a surprise, but I was kind of hoping that the temp difference on the GPU was less significant when removing the fans. The noise signature without them is far better under non-gaming conditions, and almost exactly the same while gaming. I know I should probably put them back in, at least while the GPU is overvolted, but I won’t. I would if i could run them from a PWM header by GPU temp, but i couldn’t be bothered to start modding it. Don’t even know for sure that the fan control on the card is PWM. The noise characteristics are so much better without te two extra fans and the sound of air being forced around in there. While gaming it's pretty much equally bad either way, but in any other scenario, due to the fact that i have to use CPU temps to start them, its much better to leave them off. While writing this I can't hear the computer 1m from my head at all.
Conclusion:
-Bottom fans help GPU temps. I would go with SP fans though. I think they can do the same job at lower RPM, which would help with noise … I think.
-CPU temps are negatively impacted, but at least for me, not by much. I would have tested with a stock Intel cooler to see how a bad cooler changed things … for sience, but I dont have one.
-I need a new GPU.

Edit: Spoilers worked:D I feel like such a professional.
 
Last edited:
Alakan said:
You know, I don't mind leaving the side panel off entirely just to get this to fit.

If it kept the temps in a 4770K in check, should cool even the highest end desktop Broadwell just fine.

http://www.play3r.net/reviews/cooling/thermalright-macho-zero-review/6/

Maybe low TDP processors will make manufacturers want to make even lower profile passive coolers next year. Who knows.
Click to expand...

Thing is. Even if it was lower profile to fit inside the case, I dont think you would have sufficient airflow in the case with the PSU and GPU blocking off most of the MB area to get proper temps. Maybe if you added a 92mm fan in the back, but in that case you would be better off with a good top down cooler with a bigger and slower fan on the side bracket.
 
Urelure said:
Just stress tested my build and played aroud with a few fan configs.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the tests ! Now I have one more test I'd suggest, and that is using ducting on the GPU's own fans, so without extra fans but funnels between the GPU's fans and the bottom of the case to make sure it is not recycling hot air that the GPU exhausts. My suspicion is that in your setup it would lower the GPU temps a little (towards the 60% SP fans results) without increasing your CPU temps.
 
Phuncz said:
Thanks for the tests ! Now I have one more test I'd suggest, and that is using ducting on the GPU's own fans, so without extra fans but funnels between the GPU's fans and the bottom of the case to make sure it is not recycling hot air that the GPU exhausts. My suspicion is that in your setup it would lower the GPU temps a little (towards the 60% SP fans results) without increasing your CPU temps.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll make something out of cardboard or something for proof of concept and then try to find a more elegant solution if it works.
whenever i upgrade the GPU I'll probably invest in a better cooling solution. I'm really liking the accelero cooler, which is far cheaper and less complicated than WC.

Edit: I also made a mistake when doing the gaming (AC3) test. It was late, I was tired. Prior to doing the test with no fans i did some fps test with different graphics settings in AC3. The test with fans had low details and the second had high. I'm going away for the weekend but will update the numbers when i get back. Might not be as bad as it looks.
 
Last edited:
Depending on the GPU's fan size, you could also make fan ducts out of plastic bottles or use ducting from the hardware store. Someone used those aluminium foil colapsible ducts to test using a fan duct for the PSU's fan.
 
Just a quick summary of my build:

  • CPU: Intel i7 4770K
  • GPU: EVGA reference 780ti
  • board: Asus Z87I-Deluxe
  • RAM: Crucial Ballistix (very low profile)
  • PSU: Silverstone SX600-G
  • drives: 2 SSDs mounted on case front, 1 HDD mounted in case floor

For cooling, I went for a loop:
  • Swiftech Apogee Drive ii
  • FrozenQ/Adamantium reservoir
  • Alphacool ST30
  • EK-FC780TI
  • 2x Noctua NF-F12 fans in push (intake)
  • 1x Noctua NF-B9 mounted in case floor (trying to provide air to the HDD area)
  • 8x Swiftech compression fittings
  • 6x XSPC 90 degree adaptors
  • ~1 foot of Tygon S3 (3/8" ID, 1/2" OD)
 
Phuncz said:
Depending on the GPU's fan size, you could also make fan ducts out of plastic bottles or use ducting from the hardware store. Someone used those aluminium foil colapsible ducts to test using a fan duct for the PSU's fan.
Click to expand...

It's a Twin Frozr II. I think the fans are 80mm. Should work well with 1,5L bottles i think.
I saw the alu-foil duct thing. I think on the bottom some sort of hacked up Plastic bottle solution would actually be better if executed properly. I'll start off with cardboard and masking tape, since it will take minutes do get the results and then go from there.
 
Urelere,which accelero do you think you'd go with? I'm considering the Xtreme IV but I'm not sure it would fit. Can't find the Xtreme III over here.
 
rawrr said:
Urelere,which accelero do you think you'd go with? I'm considering the Xtreme IV but I'm not sure it would fit. Can't find the Xtreme III over here.
Click to expand...

I was thinking the same as you, but i haven't researched it closely yet. We know accelero II fits, so i was planning on simply contacting them to ask if there are outer dimensional differences between II and IV relative to position in case. If I get it, it won't be until I replace the GPU, which at least won't be this year, so havent really given it much thought yet. Sure hope it will fit. There is no reason to assume it will be larger, but I'm not prepared to bet on it.

I think big slow fans and big heatsinks are a very good alternative to WC both performace wise and visually. No science in that statement though. And you end up with the same amount of noise sources. 3x fans vs 2x fans + 1x pump.
 
Not only that, but the IV has this weird smaller heatsink thing that goes on the back of the card, which might conflict with the C14, depending on how tall it is. You might be able to replace that with standard heatsinks on the front of the card though (like the III)

Also it has some kind of bracket that holds it together, which I'm not sure is necessary.
 
rawrr said:
Urelere,which accelero do you think you'd go with? I'm considering the Xtreme IV but I'm not sure it would fit. Can't find the Xtreme III over here.
Click to expand...

Urelure said:
I was thinking the same as you, but i haven't researched it closely yet. We know accelero II fits, so i was planning on simply contacting them to ask if there are outer dimensional differences between II and IV relative to position in case.
Click to expand...
I believe the Accelero Xtreme II-IV are all based off the same heatsink, the difference being down to different secondary heatsinks for the VRM and memory for different series of cards. The Xtreme IV replaces the mini-sinks with a fairly substantial finned backplate, which will compete for space with the CPU cooler, 3.5" HDD cage, and PSU cables, so IMO it's probably better to go with the Xtreme III if it's an option.
 
Xtreme III isn't available here, so I guess I'll go with the IV and get some mini-sinks to replace the backplate.
 
rawrr said:
Not only that, but the IV has this weird smaller heatsink thing that goes on the back of the card, which might conflict with the C14, depending on how tall it is. You might be able to replace that with standard heatsinks on the front of the card though (like the III)

Also it has some kind of bracket that holds it together, which I'm not sure is necessary.
Click to expand...

Necere said:
I believe the Accelero Xtreme II-IV are all based off the same heatsink, the difference being down to different secondary heatsinks for the VRM and memory for different series of cards. The Xtreme IV replaces the mini-sinks with a fairly substantial finned backplate, which will compete for space with the CPU cooler, 3.5" HDD cage, and PSU cables, so IMO it's probably better to go with the Xtreme III if it's an option.
Click to expand...

Can't believe I didn't catch that:rolleyes: I see the III is avalable directly from arctics homepage so that would probably be it then. I don't think IV and c14 goes together Without taking a dremel to the secondary heatsink in question. I actually think that heatsink could interfere with the usb 3.0 header on my z97i-plus as well.
 
rawrr said:
Can you actually buy it? On their site it just says it's unavailable :(
Click to expand...

Ah now I see. No I can't. this entire thing has been a series of half ass research and misunderstanding from my part. If IV ends up the only alternative I'm sure we can get it to work, but it's a shame if they discontinue the one with the most compatibility.
Aside from the previosly mentioned conflict with the c14 and connectors close to the pcie slot (in my case usb 3.0) it will also conflict with ram modules on all mitx boards.
 
Is the red LED on the power button of the v2 supposed to be power or HDD activity. I ask because mines flashing inconsistently.
 
aaronator said:
Is the red LED on the power button of the v2 supposed to be power or HDD activity. I ask because mines flashing inconsistently.
Click to expand...
The connector marked 'power' corresponds to the blue LED, while 'HDD' corresponds to red. Whichever cable is connected to the HDD header on the motherboard will flicker during HDD access, and you can switch them to switch the colors.
 
@Phuncz, You're a f... Genius!

So here's what i did. Excuse the poor quality. It was a 15min effort straight after work for proof of concept.

fyYqnokl.jpg

LxaztsVl.jpg


I used electrician tape and som thin plastic sheet from a document folder.
...Yes i know my cable management is awful. I'm cleaning it back up once I decide on a permanent solution and don't expect to open it for a while.

I'll re-post some of the temps from my previous test for comparison together with the new data. I'll also exclude the CPU as it seems to be more or less oblivious to what goes on in the basement.
Still a 580 Twin Frozr II GPU:

Valley:
Bottom Fans in but off: GPU 102 C and rising(Chickened out and aborted)
Bottom Fans @60%: GPU 90 C
Bottom Fans @100%: GPU 88 C
No Bottom Fans: GPU 98 C
MacGyver Ducting: GPU 90 C

AC3 (@1080p), Vcore @1100mV:
Bottom Fans @60%: GPU 78 C (In-game details: Low)
No Bottom Fans: GPU 86 C (In-game details: Medium)
MacGyver Ducting: GPU 81 C (In-game details: Medium)
- As I mentioned in a previous post I screwed up the AC3 test first tihe around. I considered doing another "low-test" but I think the results speak for themselves, no?

Bottom line. Ducting i ABSOLUTELY the best solution. In Valley I get same average temps as with fans at 60%. And those are max temps. When the fans were in the temperature held pretty stable around max, but today with ducting temps varied between 72 and 85 most of the time but spiked to 88-90 every now and then, so average temps should be lower. Didn't measure those. Max temps were lower with fans at 100%, but that is a no-go due to noise, and its only 2 degrees.
In AC3 I think we can conclude that ducting is at least as good as fans at 60%. Yes temps were lower with the fans, but only 3 degrees, and the load on the GPU was lower when i did the test with fans.

Now I just need to come up with a less embarassing design for the ducting. Those abomminations in the M1 are pure blasphemy.

EDIT: Pictures deleted. They were huge. Can i resize them with code, or do I need to edit them in software?
EDIT2: Thank you Necere:)
 
Last edited:
Urelure said:
EDIT: Pictures deleted. They were huge. Can i resize them with code, or do I need to edit them in software.
Click to expand...
For images hosted on imgur, you can add an "l" to the filename (before the extension), and it gives you a "large" sized version (not really that large). "m" and "s" give you medium and postage-stamp size, respectively. So for example LxaztsV.jpg becomes LxaztsVl.jpg.
 
Necere said:
For images hosted on imgur, you can add an "l" to the filename (before the extension), and it gives you a "large" sized version (not really that large). "m" and "s" give you medium and postage-stamp size, respectively. So for example LxaztsV.jpg becomes LxaztsVl.jpg.
Click to expand...

Great. Thanks. I searched for this, and AFD had an instruction in the main M1 thread a while back, but i didn't catch the "l, m, s". I just copied his code and replaced the filenam with mine. Didn't work of course.
 
Thanks for the compliments but I am no genius and ducting is not my invention :)
But it does confirm half of my suspicions, namely that open-air GPU coolers in the Ncase recycle the warm air they exhaust. This still happens in a small degree with the ducting I'd reckon, not much can be done about this except closing off all ventilation holes in the bottom and lower rear of the case.
How are your CPU temps now with the ducts ?
 
Phuncz said:
Thanks for the compliments but I am no genius and ducting is not my invention :)
But it does confirm half of my suspicions, namely that open-air GPU coolers in the Ncase recycle the warm air they exhaust. This still happens in a small degree with the ducting I'd reckon, not much can be done about this except closing off all ventilation holes in the bottom and lower rear of the case.
How are your CPU temps now with the ducts ?
Click to expand...

CPU temps are axactly the same as before (this test 47 C in valley and 53 in AC3) . They do rise a few degrees once the case gets really toasty, but I haven't seen any real difference in the various configs except for fans at full steam seemed to move more hot air up instead of out.
I think you're right about the recycling. The ducts aren't perfect. I haven't sealed the gaps between GPU and case floor. My logic was that it won't matter as long as the GPU shroud itself is open anyway.
It is probably possible to improve the temps maginally by making the ducts as good as possible, but I don't think it matters too much. The most important thing i take away from this is that I now know for a fact that I don't need fans in the bottom of my case, which makes the overall noise profile a lot more comfortable.
 
Yeah that was my mindset too, no need for extra fans but better channeling of the hot/cold air. I personally like a minimum of fans and your tests show it is also possible with open GPU coolers.
 
Phuncz said:
Yeah that was my mindset too, no need for extra fans but better channeling of the hot/cold air. I personally like a minimum of fans and your tests show it is also possible with open GPU coolers.
Click to expand...

The issue now is coming up with a ducting design that doesn't ruin the visual appeal of the build. I'm toying with the idea of modding the GPU shroud itself, but that's going to involve quite a bit of work to look nice.
One thing I realized while testing that i haven't mentioned yet is the effect the case temperature seemed to have on the PSU. As you can see from the pictures the fan is facing inward. It's a SX-600G. When the case heats up the PSU heats up signifficantly as well. The fan ramps up a lot and it takes a very long time for it to slow down again. I could probably put a fan over it, but thats an extra fan again, so when I feel content with whatever result I come up with and fix the cable management, I think I'll turn it around so that it takes in air from the outside. A simple gasket of some kind between the PSU and the side-panel should help avoid taking in GPU air. This is also one of those things that has been discussed extensively without arriving at a conclusion. It's more difficult to get hard data though, as the temp sensor isn't connected to the system in any way.
 
Have you considered adding a duct to the PSU at its existing orientation?

As for making it nicer, maybe try transparency film (the kind for overhead projectors) and a boxy design?
 
vipz said:
Have you considered adding a duct to the PSU at its existing orientation?

As for making it nicer, maybe try transparency film (the kind for overhead projectors) and a boxy design?
Click to expand...

I did consider a duct at it's current orientation, but it think it's a more elegant solution to turn it around. I've seen people doing it the way you suggest, and if you want a fan on it it makes sense, but without one you get away with a lot less work with it facing the other way. As long as it ducted all the way to the side panel it shouldn't matter what side it takse the air from anyway.

As for using transparency film, my biggest issue is fastening everything. The need for tape makes it look really bad. The shape of my GPU shroud makes the box shape a bit difficult to get air-tight-ish around the fans. I think my best bet is to find some sort of plastic bottle with the right diameter to get a proper circular shape and then glue it to the shroud. That means glue research and having to paint it to make it look nice. But from experience, painting something yourself rarely improves it:)
 
The Gordian option would be to duct the GPU fans, and flip their direction (taking in cool case air, and directly exhausting hot air).
As for sealing the duct to the shroud cleanly, Sugru may give a nicer finish than tape.
 
EdZ said:
The Gordian option would be to duct the GPU fans, and flip their direction (taking in cool case air, and directly exhausting hot air).
As for sealing the duct to the shroud cleanly, Sugru may give a nicer finish than tape.
Click to expand...

The GPU is the only component that is struggling right now, so if any component should have fresh cold air intake its that.
Hadn't heard about Sugure before. That might actually be an option. Thanks for the tip. Its probably a less permanent option than thermally resistent glue.
 
Well I've said this before and I'll say it again: I wish there's some side ventilation holes at the GPU area to allow air to move in and out to cater to non-reference GPUs.
 
EdZ said:
The Gordian option would be to duct the GPU fans, and flip their direction (taking in cool case air, and directly exhausting hot air).
As for sealing the duct to the shroud cleanly, Sugru may give a nicer finish than tape.
Click to expand...

The GPU is the only component that is struggling right now, so if any component should have fresh cold air intake its that.
Hadn't heard about Sugru before. That might actually be an option. Thanks for the tip. Its probably a less permanent option than thermally resistent glue.
 
cowsgomoo said:
Well I've said this before and I'll say it again: I wish there's some side ventilation holes at the GPU area to allow air to move in and out to cater to non-reference GPUs.
Click to expand...

I bet you could talk Necere or W360 into sending you a left side panel to play with. A few minutes with a drill press and a ruler and you would be able to tell us how much of a difference some secondary vents makes.

-Ben
 
so just for the record, I've installed one 140mm AP141 fan I had laying around underneath the center of my 980 twin frozr and was able to achieve about the same cooling effect as Urelure's ducting/dual fan setups (i.e. ~10'c drop). This is in addition to having drilled some holes into the plate to the side of the pci slot openings for more hot air exhaust. There aren't any mounting holes that line up perfectly for a 140mm but I was able to ziptie the 4 corners down. Also, I had to remove the plastic clip on the bottom center on the motherboards side of the case for my particular fan to fit. In my opinion, this beats having to shell out another $40-60 for 2 more noctuas. The AP141 is attached to a noise adapter so things didn't get any louder
 
Yanger said:
so just for the record, I've installed one 140mm AP141 fan I had laying around underneath the center of my 980 twin frozr and was able to achieve about the same cooling effect as Urelure's ducting/dual fan setups (i.e. ~10'c drop). This is in addition to having drilled some holes into the plate to the side of the pci slot openings for more hot air exhaust. There aren't any mounting holes that line up perfectly for a 140mm but I was able to ziptie the 4 corners down. Also, I had to remove the plastic clip on the bottom center on the motherboards side of the case for my particular fan to fit. In my opinion, this beats having to shell out another $40-60 for 2 more noctuas. The AP141 is attached to a noise adapter so things didn't get any louder
Click to expand...

Interesting. the single 140 sounds like a better solution than the dual 120's. I'm going to open my case again this weekend to test one final thing. Since a lot of hot air air is obviously trapped "downstairs" finding good ways of motivating the air out of there should be a big priority. Removing the plate over the PCI fastening screws were mentioned in the main thread as very effective. Fans in the bottom help push it to some degree, but i was thinking it might be a better idea to try to lower the air pressure up top. I have one 120mm pwm fan blowing in over the C14 with a pretty decent sond profile. If i add another one over the PSU area sucking air out again, and flip the PSU around to take air from the other side then I will have neutral air pressure there. In total that gets me a negative air pressure case, which is bad for dust, but now that my PC for the first time is off the grond, I'm not too worried. I don't have any dust filters on the GPU anyway, and that is by far the most hassle to clean. I have no idea if this will work though. I know very little about the mechanics of air pressure in these kinds os scenarios. There might be enough holes in the case to completely mitigate my efforts. Since the top compartment is so open it might just equal itself out indepandantly of the bottom comparment anyway.

I am starting to think that the optimal solution for open air cooled graphics cards is to have a 240 aio sucking air out of the case from the top. That will impact the CPU temps when the GPU is under load, but it seems like it's the GPU that struggles anyway, and in gaming condition the CPU is rarely put on any significant load. An expanded Fractal Design Kelvin loop seems more and more attractive.

Is there anyone out there with the combination of an open air GPU and an AIO CPU loop that are willing to go through the trouble of flipping their fans around and see if it helps? It would be very interesting to see what that does to the GPU temps.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top