Rad Fan Question

[joelkyr]

Hi guys! Im getting ready to set up my WC, but I got a few question. What is the standard orientation of a RAD fan? and do I need a higher cfm fan or low ones? THANKS :)

[Gongo56]

what size rad do you have?
the higher the cfm, the more cooling you're going to get. however it probably tops out around 90-100 cfm so you dont need a tornadeo.. also the higher the cfm the more noise.

as to orientation, there are 3.
1. push
2. pull
3. push/pull

3 requires 2 fans obviously pushing and pulling.
1 and 2 i think yields no noticable differenct, although the coolness of the air has a great impact on temps... such as you want to be pushing or pulling air from the top or the front of the case. I tend to like pushing but thats me

[joelkyr]

I bought a 120mm RAD and 1x 120mm FAN with a 72+ cfm, Im planning to get 1 more 80mm RAD, coz I read that It will decrease you temp. more compared to just 1, how true is that.

[NovaShine]

Typically, it's been shown through experimentation that the pull config is very, very slightly better than the push config in terms of temps.

As for rad size, the more the merrier, though you gotta make sure your pump can take it.

The larger the overall radiator fin area, the better the cooling efficiency, unless your flow starts to drop below acceptable due to the increased resistance.

[SnowRider]

.....is very, very slightly better.....
Very, very slightly better? So that means that a "very" is cancelled out by the "slightly" and you're left with "above average? :D lol, jk man

I think the main thing you want to keep in mind, is to get the best performance you'll need a shroud that spaces the fans from the rad/heatercore at least 1inch. The temp decrease in a push/pull configuration is so small in most cases that it isn't worth the extra fan noise. I'd suggest a pull configuration with a shroud but some people have reported they got better temps with a push.

So it all depends on your setup. You should try either setup and see if one works better than the other. If you don't want to go through the hassle of testing both I'd suggest using a pull with at least a 1" shroud.

As for the cfm ratings, basically you'll want as high of a cfm rating as possible but the higher the cfm the higher the noise. So you'll need to decide how loud is to loud. Besides the cfm rating you'll also want a fan with a high pressure rating. Your 70cfm fan will probably work just fine.

Hope this helps :D

[NovaShine]

awww man, all kinds of weird crap crops up when you're typing at 4am in the morning...

[Gongo56]

i would not suggest a 120 and an 80 rad. you probably wont need the 80 rad and unless you have a really good pump, that 80 rad is going to kill your flow.

[joelkyr]

Thanks Guys, For Sure Id Be Back With More Question If Im Unsure Of What Im Doing. Nice To Hear Different Suggestion So I Can Sort It Out Which One Would Be Best For My Set-up.