New build/case with (very) old case fans, will it be enough?

[StraightDown]

Hello,
so I've got all the new parts for a futur build (listed in the spoiler below), and I was wondering if those old Zalman fans would be enough? I will use it for music production and some video games, nothing too demanding though.

Here is the config for more details:

Spoiler

- The case will be a Be Quiet Pure Base 600 (the black edition without the side panel window). It has a pre-installed 140mm Pure Wings 2 at the front, and a 120mm Pure Wings 2 at the rear. I also bought a 120mm Pure Wings 3.

- My old/current case is a Zalman Z3 Plus. It has a 120mm Zalman ZMF3SF at the rear, two 120mm Zalman ZA1225ASL at the top, and one 120mm (same reference) at the front.

To summarize all the fans I have:

• 140mm: One Pure Wings 2.
• 120mm: One Pure Wings 3. One Zalman ZMF3SF and three Zalman ZA1225ASL.

My question is, should I use the Zalman fans at all? Meaning, would it be enough? Would it make a difference if I replaced them with two or three Pure Wings 2?
Also, since it's not explained in the manual, can I add a 120mm fan at the front (in addition to the 140mm one that is already pre-installed) of the Pure Base 600?

 

[Fritzz]

I think you will be fine, but the thing I would be cautious of is how they are going to be controlled. Depending on what's included with the case, the Pure Wings could be PWM(4 pin) and the Zalmans are Voltage(3 pin). It's not to say that you cannot control both types of fans, I for one would go with all PWM for simplicity sake. I would also get all my fans to match for OCD reasons, but that's a whole other issue.

Overall your rig isn't going to pump out a ton of heat and you'll likely be able to keep the fans at low speeds resulting in low noise. If it were me I would go with all Pure Wings to keep the rig as quiet as possible.

 

[StraightDown]

What I found regarding the fans:

I'm kind of lost to be quite honest, will I able able to plug them? The Pure Wings 3 is PWM (4-pins), the Pure Wings 2 is 3-pins.
Also, I've been told that my PSU is super bad and should be replaced asap, any thoughts about that?

 

[Nobu]

Unless it's one of those 3-pin connectors with the shell around the outside that's just big enough for a matching 3-pin connector, you should be able to connect all the fans just fine. However, I would connect the pwm fan to the motherboard if it has a pwm header, because some pwm fans don't like voltage control (they either have limited speed control or can be damaged with reduced voltage).

Since you have more than two 3-pin fans, you'll need a splitter to connect them all to the case's fan controller (assuming that the person you screenshotted isn't wrong). Depending on how much power the controller can put out, you may want a powered splitter. Unfortunately, the manual is 12MB and the datasheet doesn't specify, so I can't say for certain whether you'll need one or not.

Of course, you could just connect a couple to the motherboard if there is a convenient header or two nearby.

 

[StraightDown]

Let's assume I won't be able to plug them without using a splitter, if I were to buy new fans, that means I should by ones that have 4-pin connectors, right?

 

[Fritzz]

PWM is a 4th wire that allows the speed of the fan to be controlled by it. 3pin is just controlled by voltage. You can control PWM using a 3pin header, but like Nobu said some PWM fans don't like to be controlled by voltage.

Found a review on Tweaktown
"The second and last fan shipped inside of the Pure Base 600 is seen here hanging as an exhaust fan. This is a 3-pin powered fan just like that of the one in the front, but rather than using a 140mm fan, the Pure Base 600 only has room for a 120mm fan here. The expansion slots are all ventilated, and they are held into place with thumbscrews, accessed via the removed section in the frame to the left of them.'

As for the fan controller:
"There is a SATA power lead for the fan controller and a pair of female 3-pin connection to power fans from it."
"To top it all off, we still haven't gotten to the fan controller which is built in, and while it is intended for the stock fans, you could use splitters and power groups of fans on it as well."

So the integrated fan controller only has two connections, but like the review said you can probably split those connections and have one be intake and the other be exhaust. Probably the most basic way to control your fans, but it's going to manual vs. allowing the motherboard and some software to regulate the speed based on temp.

 

[Nobu]

Let's assume I won't be able to plug them without using a splitter, if I were to buy new fans, that means I should by ones that have 4-pin connectors, right?

That's mostly personal preference, tbh. Voltage controlled fans are just fine, especially if you plan to run them at a constant speed (reduced or not). PWM fans can be controlled a bit more precisely, if you get good ones, and most motherboards have plenty of pwm headers nowadays (which support voltage control as well, on some at least), so it's more down to what you want to do.

 

[StraightDown]

I don't really mind controlling the fans manually, that's already what I'm doing with my current case, so nothing new. I'm more concerned about not being able to plug them without using a splitter than how I would control them.

 

[Nobu]

In that case I would check the motherboard manual to see if it supports voltage control from the PWM headers. If so, you will be able to use either type of fan just fine. If not, then non-pwm fans will run full speed when connected to the pwm (4-pin) headers.

After that, it's simply a matter of how many headers you have. There isn't much difference between PWM and voltage controlled fans if they are connected to the correct controller.

 

[StraightDown]

I just realized that I actually bought the High Speed version of the Pure Wings 3, which means it's a 3-pin connector. Doesn't seem to make a difference if I understood correctly what you said.
As for the manual, it doesn't provide more than what's in the picture below:

Spoiler

 

[Tamlin_WSGF]

What I found regarding the fans:
View attachment 508242
I'm kind of lost to be quite honest, will I able able to plug them? The Pure Wings 3 is PWM (4-pins), the Pure Wings 2 is 3-pins.
Also, I've been told that my PSU is super bad and should be replaced asap, any thoughts about that?

Yes, your motherboard support both DC and PWM on the fan headers, so you can connect them to the motherboard as long as the cables are long enough on the fans. Just avoid using the pump header.
On the fan controller, its regulating with voltage though the fan controller. Thats why only two pin is active on the fan side, power and ground. Personally, I would avoid the fan controller and use the motherboard fan headers instead.

650W is overkill for the system and the PSU isnt a very good one. Corsair VS650 (2018) model is something I would avoid. Corsair is a good brand, but this model is not doing their brand name any favor other then being cheap and having good Corsair RMA and warranty. Cheap caps, poor overvoltage protection on +12V rail going close to 11V (lowest acceptable ATX spec is 11.4) and not to mention sleeve bearing fans which is both noisy and have lower lifespan (You would want fluid dynamic bearings for low noise and long lifespan, or at least ball bearing which have higher noise levels, but also have long lifespan).

Edit:
As for the fans themselves, I would use only the Purewings. Your case can have either two 120mm fans or two 140mm fans in front. But there are mounting points for both and you can use a 120mm+140mm fan in front instead. The hottest part would be the CPU, but the noisiest part would be the GPU in your build. I would use the 120mm on top and the 140mm on bottom to make sure the GPU gets enough fresh air. Might push more air to the bottom for the GPU then, past the hard drive bays. If the CPU gets too hot, I would rather then get a second PWM fan for that (you have two headers for CPU on your motherboard for this).

 

[StraightDown]

Yes, your motherboard support both DC and PWM on the fan headers, so you can connect them to the motherboard as long as the cables are long enough on the fans. Just avoid using the pump header.
On the fan controller, its regulating with voltage though the fan controller. Thats why only two pin is active on the fan side, power and ground. Personally, I would avoid the fan controller and use the motherboard fan headers instead.

I will do that then, thanks.

650W is overkill for the system and the PSU isnt a very good one. Corsair VS650 (2018) model is something I would avoid. Corsair is a good brand, but this model is not doing their brand name any favor other then being cheap and having good Corsair RMA and warranty. Cheap caps, poor overvoltage protection on +12V rail going close to 11V (lowest acceptable ATX spec is 11.4) and not to mention sleeve bearing fans which is both noisy and have lower lifespan (You would want fluid dynamic bearings for low noise and long lifespan, or at least ball bearing which have higher noise levels, but also have long lifespan).

I kind of knew it and someone on Overclock.net told me the same thing. I just bought the MSI MPG A650GF - 650W 80+ Gold. I'm aware that 650W is overkill, but it's a special offer for €80. Plus I might upgrade the GPU in the future, so why not.

As for the fans themselves, I would use only the Purewings. Your case can have either two 120mm fans or two 140mm fans in front. But there are mounting points for both and you can use a 120mm+140mm fan in front instead. The hottest part would be the CPU, but the noisiest part would be the GPU in your build. I would use the 120mm on top and the 140mm on bottom to make sure the GPU gets enough fresh air. Might push more air to the bottom for the GPU then, past the hard drive bays. If the CPU gets too hot, I would rather then get a second PWM fan for that (you have two headers for CPU on your motherboard for this).

That means you'd only use one fan on top? Is it enough? In theory I'd assume that two fans on top would be better?

 

[Tamlin_WSGF]

The MPG A650GF is leaps and bounds better then the VS650! Noise levels are decent up to 400W, so in your current build you wont hear it much if at all. Above that, it becomes more noisy. Fan is ball bearing, so it should last longer as well.

I wouldnt use ANY fans on top. Two in front (140mm bottom, 120mm top) and the 120mm in back. You want to control the airflow direction and avoid hot air pockets, while maintaining lower noise. The hard drive cages obstruct the lower fan and hot air goes out in the back. By putting the 140mm in the bottom, you increase airflow there. The top front 120mm fan is unobstructed.

The hot air goes out with the 120mm fan in the back. Your total system watt isnt so much that you need more to expel the hot air. The GPU will dump most of the hot air inside the case. You would want it to get some fresh air instead of recycling the air inside of the case, so makes sense to have the 140mm placed in bottom front.

 

[StraightDown]

I wouldnt use ANY fans on top. Two in front (140mm bottom, 120mm top) and the 120mm in back. You want to control the airflow direction and avoid hot air pockets, while maintaining lower noise. The hard drive cages obstruct the lower fan and hot air goes out in the back. By putting the 140mm in the bottom, you increase airflow there. The top front 120mm fan is unobstructed.

The hot air goes out with the 120mm fan in the back. Your total system watt isnt so much that you need more to expel the hot air. The GPU will dump most of the hot air inside the case. You would want it to get some fresh air instead of recycling the air inside of the case, so makes sense to have the 140mm placed in bottom front.

I see, I wouldn't have thought about not putting a single fan on top. By the way, I should mention that I won't use the hard drive cages, since it's possible to place two SSDs behind the motherboard. I will also remove the top cover and put a dust filter instead.

 

[Tamlin_WSGF]

I would avoid for now to remove the top cover. The GPU in your build is pretty noisy and your total system power will probably be under 300w while gaming. It wont give you anything worthwhile thermally to remove it and only increase noise and perhaps some dust. Better to have it on and dampen some noise in my opinion, considering you do music production.

https://www.techpowerup.com/review/zotac-geforce-gtx-1650-super/32.html

 

[StraightDown]

It wont give you anything worthwhile thermally to remove it and only increase noise and perhaps some dust. Better to have it on and dampen some noise in my opinion, considering you do music production.

All the reviews I've seen or read expressly said that the top cover should be removed. The gain is around 15-20°C.
And yeah, the 1650 Super is indeed super loud while gaming, I've been told to check MSI Afterburner to create a curve to make it less noisy in some situations.

 

[Tamlin_WSGF]

All the reviews I've seen or read expressly said that the top cover should be removed. The gain is around 15-20°C.
And yeah, the 1650 Super is indeed super loud while gaming, I've been told to check MSI Afterburner to create a curve to make it less noisy in some situations.

The gains that have been reported, have been with fans on low on stock configuration. On Gamers Nexus, it was only a couple of degrees with fans on max;

GPU cooling isn’t much better, with the minimum RPM suffocating our GTX 1080 Gaming X (dual-axial cooler) for air, landing it at 66.3C delta T, well into thermal throttle range on the clock. With the fans re-configured to their max RPM and with the top open, the GPU is having trouble dumping heat out of the case, with hot air collecting around the back-side of the card. Max RPM and top closed seems best for this particular configuration, but keep in mind that the cooling design on each GPU and CPU cooler is different; your mileage will vary, depending on components used. The difference is small, anyway, and the only real take-away is “use max RPM if doing any sort of workload.”

https://www.gamersnexus.net/hwreviews/2800-be-quiet-pure-base-600-review-quietest-case

This case is build to be quiet, not to have great airflow with very hot components. Air intake is restricted on it, compared to the more airflow oriented cases with mesh fronts without filter. Your hottest component is the CPU. With a decent cooler, it should be ok, but your main problem is the GPU, even though the GPU is sub 100W on max load.
To maintain lower noise levels and especially not getting to much direct sound from your case to your ears, I would keep the top cover on as sugggested also by gamers nexus. Rather put an extra fan on the CPU cooler if its working too hard.
You dont have those heat producing components often used to benchmark a case, so you should tailor it to your parts.

In that Be quiet case, getting fresh air to the GPU is the hardest part and also shield yourself a bit from the noise coming from the GPU.
Removing the top, it would be better to get a higher airflow case like one from Phantecs Eclipse series, Fractal design meshify 2 series or torrent, or any of the other with open mesh in front. Much easier to have an high airflow.

If you remove the top completely, it defeats the purpose of buying a quiet case like the Be Quiet.

 

[StraightDown]

GN didn't remove the top cover in their test, they only tried the 3 different positions. I get what you're saying, don't get me wrong, I will first try without removing the top cover to see how it goes, but I've read benchmarks with a 20°C gain when it's completely removed.
To be quite honest though, I bought it for €40 so I won't complain too much overall, I wanted a case with a 5.2 slot, which is super rare nowadays it seems.
You're definitely right though, I will first test the temperatures without removing the top part and see if it's a problem or not.

 

[Tamlin_WSGF]

GN didn't remove the top cover in their test, they only tried the 3 different positions. I get what you're saying, don't get me wrong, I will first try without removing the top cover to see how it goes, but I've read benchmarks with a 20°C gain when it's completely removed.
To be quite honest though, I bought it for €40 so I won't complain too much overall, I wanted a case with a 5.2 slot, which is super rare nowadays it seems.
You're definitely right though, I will first test the temperatures without removing the top part and see if it's a problem or not.

Sounds like a good idea Benchmarks are often full synthetic loads with hotter components, so results might not be the same in your case with less hot components. Taking top completely off allows the CPU fan to pull some air from the top when its on full, but at the expense of more noise. CPU life is not reduced as long as its within operating temperatures and it can idle pretty high without that having any meaning thermal wise (no throttling up to a certain degree).

When the time comes to put in a more powerful GPU or similar (preferably a less noisy one), I would put some masking tape on the sidedoor, drill a hole underneath the GPU, put a fan there for intake (preferably 140mm, but 120mm on pictures below), drill some holes for fan filter and screws (if you use rubber/silicone, you can decouple the fan from the sidedoor for less noise and vibrations). Attatch the fan on the inside for estetics and the fan filter on the outside. Then remove the top completely and put some exhaust fans there. You should be able to stretch the lifetime of the Be Quiet case even longer then!