Help with Fan Configuration

My parts have started to arrive and the build is in progress! I have researched the best case and water cooler fan config and seems like everyone has a different opinion. Based on my build below what would be the best configuration?
The case has a front 200x200x30 intake, a 200x200x30 top exhaust (the cooler rad sits right below it) and a rear 120x120x25 exhaust. Should I mount the cooler fans as exhaust or switch any of the fans to another config?

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
Motherboard: Asus Sabertooth Z87 ATX LGA1150
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card
Case: Thermaltake Overseer RX-I Snow Edition ATX Full Tower Case
Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 750W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX

If your rad already sits below the top exhaust fan, you pretty much have no option but to mount the other rad fans as exhaust.
If you switch the top fan to intake and use the other 2 rad fans as pull (intake), then you have not enough exhaust for the rest of the system. Tough configuration to call. You'll have to experiment.

Front intake, top exhaust and use the rad to exhaust. The last thing you want is to pull hot air trough radiator inside the case from top. If you can, add 120 or 140 on bottom or side panel(or both) as intake that would be pretty ideal. Keeps most of the dust away if you manage to filter the intakes. Consider cooling the VRM of the motherboard with direct flow.

I took a look at your case ..... is there even a place where you can mount it. The specs say .... no where in there is an option for a 240 rad for the H100

Front (intake) : 200 x 200 x 30 mm Blue LED fan (600rpm, 13dBA)
Rear (exhaust) : 120 x 120 x 25 mm Turbo Fan (1000rpm,16dBA)
Top (exhaust) : 200 x 200 x 30 mm Blue LED fan (600rpm, 13dBA) & 200 x 200 x 30 mm fan (Optional)
Side (intake) : Optional
200 x 200 x 30 mm fan
Bottom (intake) : Optional
120 x 120 x 25 mm fan

Waza said:

Front intake, top exhaust and use the rad to exhaust. The last thing you want is to pull hot air trough radiator inside the case from top. If you can, add 120 or 140 on bottom or side panel(or both) as intake that would be pretty ideal. Keeps most of the dust away if you manage to filter the intakes. Consider cooling the VRM of the motherboard with direct flow.

Click to expand...

+10

Add a bottom/side intake to have positive pressure. If you can push enough outside air into the case then the case air temp shouldn't be to high for exhaust through the top rad.

This is similar to my setup and case ambient air is only 1C or less above room ambient. Top (3X120mm), and back (120mm) exhaust works for me with front (200mm), side (200mm) and bottom (120mm) filtered intake.

One drawback of push fans on the rad is possible dust buildup over time, plus hair if you have pets.

bassnut said:

I took a look at your case ..... is there even a place where you can mount it. The specs say .... no where in there is an option for a 240 rad for the H100

Front (intake) : 200 x 200 x 30 mm Blue LED fan (600rpm, 13dBA)
Rear (exhaust) : 120 x 120 x 25 mm Turbo Fan (1000rpm,16dBA)
Top (exhaust) : 200 x 200 x 30 mm Blue LED fan (600rpm, 13dBA) & 200 x 200 x 30 mm fan (Optional)
Side (intake) : Optional
200 x 200 x 30 mm fan
Bottom (intake) : Optional
120 x 120 x 25 mm fan

Click to expand...

This is a very big case. It has all the mounting holes already pre-drilled. I have it mounted with the fans and there is still plenty of room!

Welcome to OCFs!

A few pictures would be great. I would look to add as much positive pressure to the rig as already stated by the members. Use the top 200mm fan as exhaust and setup the fans on the radiator hanging underneath in push configuration is your best bet.

GTXJackBauer said:

Welcome to OCFs!

A few pictures would be great. I would look to add as much positive pressure to the rig as already stated by the members. Use the top 200mm fan as exhaust and setup the fans on the radiator hanging underneath in push configuration is your best bet.

Click to expand...

I ordered another 200mm fan for the side intake. Hopefully this will give me enough air movement. I have attached some pics of what I have so far. I am still waiting on the PSU and the SSD.

The complete case.

That's going to move plenty of air and the 100i shouldn't have any problem with the cpu temps. When you get it up and running you can setup a custom rad fan profile with the Link2 software to keep those Corsair fans at around 1000 rpm until you need the extra airflow thru the rad. The fans start getting load around 1200-1400 rpm.

I would look at some Demciflex filters for the intake fans. They do a excellent job at keeps dust and hair out of the case. They are on the spendy side but work better than anything I've tried in the past 20 years. They are non restrictive and easy to clean.

You have push/pull on the rad and you may see some dust/hair buildup between the push fans and rad, adding filters to the push fans helps.

Ok... I'm up and running!!! On POST I get a cpu fan error so I changed the cpu monitor fan setting to ignore. Is this correct since I have a h2o cooler instead of a fan?

You'll need to 'disable' any fans in BIOS that aren't populated on the MB.

What OS are you using? I run Win7 Pro 64bit and have no issues with the Corsair Link software. But I've been in threads here that indicate that using Win8/8.1 with it is a headache, incompatibility issues.

Any OS you use the link is garbage. I have it and still have it and just dealing with hits crashes. I can't accurately change anything on it.

There should be a 3-pin connector on the H100i with only one wire coming from it. It's a tach wire that tells the PC how fast the pump is going in RPM. Also make sure you have it installed on the CPU fan header on the MB.

What GTXJack said, 100i tach wire to cpu fan header.

There are different firmware versions for the link, 1 for W8/8.1. I've always had good luck with Lick2 but know that many don't. It must be the combination of hardware or usb drivers, IDK

or.. you could dumpt the H100 on ebay and put some real watercoolign in that case.
like

http://www.aquatuning.de/product_in...cool-NexXxoS-XT45-Full-Copper-180mm-Dual.html
http://www.aquatuning.de/product_in...PC-RayStorm-CPU-Intel-1oe-1156-1155-2011.html
http://www.xs-pc.com/water-pumps/d5-photon-170-reservoirpump-combo
+ some fittings & hoses

Providing there is enough clearance for a 2x 180mm rad at the top... 4.5mm needed between MB and roof