Hi! I currently have this build using the GT502 case.
I just recently got 3 more case fans. Previously it was set up like this:
I think that for some reason the temps got worse and the PC much louder. It might just be buyer’s remorse but I got more fans so that they could use less RPM and be quieter, but I feel like the complete opposite has happened.
Can I change anything about this layout to optimise airflow? I was thinking of maybe switching the side panel fans to exhaust? That might starve the CPU cooler, though…
Maybe I’m just imagining things and I just need to perform exact tests to figure it out. What do you use for testing airflow effectiveness?
UPDATE:
The issue was weirder than I would’ve thought. The bottom 3 fans are controlled by one motherboard channel using a PWM splitter cable. The rear and side panel fans are the same - one channel for all 3. Previously I had just the rear exhaust plugged in to a single channel but now it’s plugged into the splitter.
Apparently the order of the fans in the splitter is VERY important. I changed it so that the rear fan is the first in the splitter and that instantly fixed the issue. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Wow, thank you for such a great explanation!
I will probably first try switching the side panel fans to exhaust, just because it’s much easier and might help level out the pressure. If that doesn’t work, I’ll definitely try your proposed layout!
Happy to help! I don’t recommend you do that, though. You need cool intake air to reach your motherboard and CPU. If you switch those three side fans to exhaust, there is no more cool air reaching your CPU and motherboard. The only air that will reach the CPU is the hot air from the GPU.
Late to the party, but if you do turn your bottom fans around, remember to keep the desk/floor/whatever your PC is on clean. We can all pretend to actually clean the bottom filters regularly, but we know that’s not true and the filter will turn into a wall in a few weeks. Also why my only intakes are on the front where the filter is just magnetic.