Suck or blow?

W

WCES Ryan

Gawd
Joined
Mar 28, 2005
Messages
723
As far as radiator fans go, would having fans blowing onto the rad from the outside result in lower temperatures than having fans suck air into it from the inside?

Reason I ask is that the new case I am getting has an intake fan on the front with an air filter, but I need to have the fans on the back helping the radiator get as cool as possible.

I would imagine that it would be close, but it seems to me that having the rear fans acting as exhaust fans, blowing air out of the case and onto the rad might make it run a bit hotter because it would be blowing the ambient air from the case (which I am guessing would be hotter than the outside air)... but what do you guys think?
 
It's going to be close.

Either way, pick what's best for your case airflow. Getting cool air from outside the case could net you a little bit, but sometimes convenience of installation wins.
 
Here's a test.

Lick your finger. Make sure its clean first :p
Now put it to your lips. Make sure you dont have any food on them :rolleyes:
Now in normal breathing, suck air through your mouth and you will feel how fast it chills your finger.
Now re-lick the same finger
Now blow over it, You will find it cools a lot better when you blow over it.

So for me, I have best of both worlds. Blow and Sucking on my rads. :D
 
But if your fan is mounted to the case with the radiator stuck to the fans, you want the fans sucking the radiator, so you don't have warm case air flowing through your radiator fins.
 
hey i tried ur test good advice! lol

i use both blow and suk as well :p
 
mmmmm......blow........

*snort*

*sneeze*

*nosebleed*

i mean....ahh.......nevermind that. :D

on a more serious note, licking you finger and moving air past is is phase change cooling, as is sitting in front of a fan on a hot day. in phase change situations, turbulence is goo because it helps to pick up and carry away vapour from the evap surface.

moving air past a rad is not phase change cooling. fans blowing generates more turbulence, which results in increased back-pressure, which slows down your fans, which reduces the amount of air moving through your rad, which reduces cooling.

the difference is usually small enough that it doesn't matter.
 
Man I was expecting pictures :(

Blowing works better than sucking IMHO. I think simply because it's got more of a fixed direction.
 
Shave

I guess I'll go with my first instinct, mount the rad on the case, fans on the rad, and take out the front filter and have that fan blow out. To hell with dust.
 
the title is the only reason i looked and i will say this hee hee hee hee hee hee hee :D
 
sucking and blowing is not a good idea unless you like to increase your sound levels

sucking will always result in better performance as long as the air is from a fresh air source, also it will be queiter.
 
warpath said:
sucking and blowing is not a good idea unless you like to increase your sound levels

sucking will always result in better performance as long as the air is from a fresh air source, also it will be queiter.
Click to expand...

I just switched my fans around so they are sucking air in from the outside and it has made a big difference. My temps dont gup up as they did when I was blowing the air from inside out.
 
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