Mount Powersupply fanside up or down?

lubedkoala · 03-27-09, 11:19 AM

I have the antec 1200 case. 3 front intake fans, 2 rear exhaust fans, and 1 large exhaust fan at the top. Here's a link:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...k=antec%201200

The power supply sits at the bottom. Should I be facing the fan on it up towards the top of my case, or down towards the bottom for better cooling?

mxthunder · 03-27-09, 11:34 AM

If there is room between the floor and the bottom of your case, I would make the fan face down, that way it will have its own supply of fresh air, allowing for cooler temps. Also, I dont think its the best idea to have an exhaust fan at the bottom of your case, because you want the hot air to rise.

BeHappy · 03-27-09, 11:46 AM

I wouldn't suggest facing it up either. The hot air will be exhausted out of the back of the case regardless of which way you mount it. The cooler air from the lowest point in your case will give slightly better performance.

muddocktor · 03-27-09, 12:28 PM

I'll go with the fan facing down too, but for a different reason. If you have the fan facing up, then anything you drop inside the case has a decent chance of falling through the fan blades into the psu while you are working inside the case, giving you a chance of a short inside it next time you start your computer. Also, I would think that the dust issue might be a little worse with the fan facing up too. Personally I don't think it will make much difference in temps in the psu either way. And this also depends if the case will let you mount the psu in either orientation too.

CGR · 03-27-09, 12:35 PM

Probably doesnt matter which way it is. Try it both ways and see if GPU/Case temps change at all.

trents · 03-27-09, 03:45 PM

I think mudd makes a valid point. No matter how careful you are working inside your case, sooner or later a screw will fall. If your case doesn't have a fresh air intake hole in the bottom below the psu fan I would be tempted to take my saber saw and make one. On the other hand if there is some space below the underside of the PSU and the bottom of the case and there is a fan blowing fresh air in that direction from the bottom of the case front then it may be getting enough fresh air already. I would not mount it with fan up because of the interruption in bottom to top air flow it would create.

lubedkoala · 03-27-09, 07:47 PM

I have opted to face it downward since many of you brought up good reasons.

As for the screw possibly breaking and my powersupply falls, the antec case has little rubber pads that the power supply sits on, keeping it permanantly up off the floor. It then screws in to secure it.

I have no fan on the bottom of my case, not sure how that point came up. The fan I was refering to in my first post was the power supply's fan.

lubedkoala · 03-27-09, 07:47 PM

Thanks everyone!

trents · 03-28-09, 12:00 AM

I don't think mud was talking about the screws holding your psu, he was talking about other screws that you might be putting in or taking out that might fall into the pus fan if it was facing up with the psu being at the bottom of your case. Screws like the ones that hold a hard drive or a cdrom in a bay or a video card in a slot. Maybe you can't picture this because you might have a screwless case where everything is held in place by clips. My mention of a fan at the bottom of the case was referring to the ones you typically see in the front behind the bezel in the area where the power switch is. Maybe you don't have one.

dealmaster · 03-28-09, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mxthunder

If there is room between the floor and the bottom of your case, I would make the fan face down, that way it will have its own supply of fresh air, allowing for cooler temps. Also, I dont think its the best idea to have an exhaust fan at the bottom of your case, because you want the hot air to rise.

While your advice about PSU mounting was right, holding to the "hot air rises" rule in a computer case is very inaccurate. Convection causes hot air to rise and cooler air to sink in a static environment, but when you've got big 120mm fans blowing, that rule no longer is in force. The fans direct the air where to go, as the force they impart is MUCH stronger than convection. Anyways, just wanted to point that out. You can have intakes/exhausts wherever you like, they'll work just fine.

rainless · 03-28-09, 10:15 AM

I've seen a lot of people with their PSUs upside down in those antec cases. That's the way I would do it. It really doesn't make any sense pointing a fan at the bottom of the case.

Furthermore... I don't even know why they design cases like that. I prefer the traditional method of having them at the top.

curlysir · 03-28-09, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rainless

I've seen a lot of people with their PSUs upside down in those antec cases. That's the way I would do it. It really doesn't make any sense pointing a fan at the bottom of the case.

Furthermore... I don't even know why they design cases like that. I prefer the traditional method of having them at the top.

Most of the cases with PSUs at the bottom have a hole in the bottom to draw cool air from outside.

I have both types (top & bottom mount PSU) and the bottom mount PSU will be the only type case I will buy in the future.

03-27-09, 11:19 AM	Thread Starter #1
lubedkoala Registered Join Date: Sep 2008	Mount Powersupply fanside up or down? I have the antec 1200 case. 3 front intake fans, 2 rear exhaust fans, and 1 large exhaust fan at the top. Here's a link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...k=antec%201200 The power supply sits at the bottom. Should I be facing the fan on it up towards the top of my case, or down towards the bottom for better cooling?
	QUOTE Thanks

03-27-09, 11:34 AM	#2
mxthunder Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Northeast Ohio	If there is room between the floor and the bottom of your case, I would make the fan face down, that way it will have its own supply of fresh air, allowing for cooler temps. Also, I dont think its the best idea to have an exhaust fan at the bottom of your case, because you want the hot air to rise. __________________ i5 2500K @ 4.8GHz Asrock Z68 Extreme 7 Gen3 2x4GB Ripjaws @ 1600 7-8-7-24-34 - 1T XSPC res + D5, RS360 + EK 120mm rad GeForce GTX580 SLI @ 900 HC2 blocks Corsair TX950 WD Velociraptor 450GB/Hitachi 7k1000/Intel 330 SSD cache drive Dell 2209WA @ 75hz Corsair Obsidian 700D
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03-27-09, 11:46 AM	#3
BeHappy Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Gainesville, Fl	I wouldn't suggest facing it up either. The hot air will be exhausted out of the back of the case regardless of which way you mount it. The cooler air from the lowest point in your case will give slightly better performance. __________________ C2Q 6700 @ 3.6 / 4gb @ - 1080 CPU+GPU Single Loop w/ Dual Rads GTX-275 - Folding On! SGS3 - 2.1Ghz PA ROM / Lean Kernel Aspire 5349 running 7 Ultimate x64 / Windows 8 i7 - 2720QM 8mb ES 128gb M4 Heat for BeHappy X360~> xYeastNfectioNx
	QUOTE Thanks

03-27-09, 12:28 PM	#4
muddocktor Retired Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: New Iberia, LA	I'll go with the fan facing down too, but for a different reason. If you have the fan facing up, then anything you drop inside the case has a decent chance of falling through the fan blades into the psu while you are working inside the case, giving you a chance of a short inside it next time you start your computer. Also, I would think that the dust issue might be a little worse with the fan facing up too. Personally I don't think it will make much difference in temps in the psu either way. And this also depends if the case will let you mount the psu in either orientation too.
	QUOTE Thanks

03-27-09, 12:35 PM	#5
CGR Member Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Lower NY	Probably doesnt matter which way it is. Try it both ways and see if GPU/Case temps change at all. __________________ Main System:.................................................. ......................Second System: DFI BloodIron P35-T2RL w/ Q6600 GO@ 3.2 (9x360), 1.4v....DFI Ultra-D w/Opteron 170 @ 2.7 G.skill 4GB (2x2gb).................................................. ..............G.Skill Extreme 2GB (2x1gb) HIS 4850 680/1108.................................................. .............Nvidia 7600GT WD VRaptor 300gb/Seagate 1TB..........................................Raptor 74gb/Seagate 200gb OCZ GameXtreme 600SLI
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Mount Powersupply fanside up or down?

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03-27-09, 03:45 PM	#6
trents Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Centralia, WA	I think mudd makes a valid point. No matter how careful you are working inside your case, sooner or later a screw will fall. If your case doesn't have a fresh air intake hole in the bottom below the psu fan I would be tempted to take my saber saw and make one. On the other hand if there is some space below the underside of the PSU and the bottom of the case and there is a fan blowing fresh air in that direction from the bottom of the case front then it may be getting enough fresh air already. I would not mount it with fan up because of the interruption in bottom to top air flow it would create. __________________ Custom built desktop #1: Phenom II X4 960T Zosma unlocked to 6 cores/4.0 ghz/Noctua D14 CPU cooler/GSkill Ripjaws 1600 2x4gb/Asus M5A97 motherboard/Coolermaster HAF 912/case/OCZ 750W PSU/Nvidia 8800 GTS 640mb GPU/WD Caviar Black 500 GB hard drive Custom built desktop #2: PII X4 955 4.1 ghz, Asus M5A97 motherboard, Coolermaster Hyper 212 plus, Nvidia Geforce 220 video card, Enermax 465W PSU, 2x2gb PNY 1600 ram. Toshiba SatelliteL775 laptop/17.3" display, AMD 3400M APU, 8 gb of 1333 Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me". John 14:6
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03-27-09, 07:47 PM	Thread Starter #7
lubedkoala Registered Join Date: Sep 2008	I have opted to face it downward since many of you brought up good reasons. As for the screw possibly breaking and my powersupply falls, the antec case has little rubber pads that the power supply sits on, keeping it permanantly up off the floor. It then screws in to secure it. I have no fan on the bottom of my case, not sure how that point came up. The fan I was refering to in my first post was the power supply's fan.
	QUOTE Thanks

03-27-09, 07:47 PM	Thread Starter #8
lubedkoala Registered Join Date: Sep 2008	Thanks everyone!
	QUOTE Thanks

03-28-09, 12:00 AM	#9
trents Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Centralia, WA	I don't think mud was talking about the screws holding your psu, he was talking about other screws that you might be putting in or taking out that might fall into the pus fan if it was facing up with the psu being at the bottom of your case. Screws like the ones that hold a hard drive or a cdrom in a bay or a video card in a slot. Maybe you can't picture this because you might have a screwless case where everything is held in place by clips. My mention of a fan at the bottom of the case was referring to the ones you typically see in the front behind the bezel in the area where the power switch is. Maybe you don't have one. __________________ Custom built desktop #1: Phenom II X4 960T Zosma unlocked to 6 cores/4.0 ghz/Noctua D14 CPU cooler/GSkill Ripjaws 1600 2x4gb/Asus M5A97 motherboard/Coolermaster HAF 912/case/OCZ 750W PSU/Nvidia 8800 GTS 640mb GPU/WD Caviar Black 500 GB hard drive Custom built desktop #2: PII X4 955 4.1 ghz, Asus M5A97 motherboard, Coolermaster Hyper 212 plus, Nvidia Geforce 220 video card, Enermax 465W PSU, 2x2gb PNY 1600 ram. Toshiba SatelliteL775 laptop/17.3" display, AMD 3400M APU, 8 gb of 1333 Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me". John 14:6
	QUOTE Thanks

03-28-09, 10:15 AM	#11
rainless The Dong of OCF Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: CHI-Town Love is alive in Spain	I've seen a lot of people with their PSUs upside down in those antec cases. That's the way I would do it. It really doesn't make any sense pointing a fan at the bottom of the case. Furthermore... I don't even know why they design cases like that. I prefer the traditional method of having them at the top. __________________ Core 4 Q9550 @4003mhz 1.30v Core 2 Duo e8400 @ 4.6ghz 1.328v (E0 Stepping) Core 2 Duo E6400 @ 3.8ghz 1.525v Asus P5Q Pro 2002m @ 515x9 .63x 1.52 OCZ Fatal1ty Edition 4GB DDR2 5-4-4-18 @ 2.18v w/OCZ XTC Ram Cooler Corsair 750TX PSU Sparkle 260 GTX (65nm, 216) 696c 1512s 999mem BLOCK: Swiftech Apogee GTZ RAD: BIXII REZ: MCRES-Micro rev2 PUMP: Pondmaster 750 FAN: 2 HS Yates CONTROLLER: Modified Evercool WC-202
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