Could I use 92mm instead of 120mm?

[NiTrO bOiE]

I have 2 deltas (92mm) and I have them hooked up to my nexus so they are quiet. I was wondering if it would be a good idea to just keep these and run push/pull config, and if I feel the need for extra cooling I could just crank them up to the full 12 volts since I'm pretty used to the noise by now. I was also thinking of finding a 92mm to 120mm adaptor and that would be my shroud.

 

[johan851]

For what radiator? 92mm's will have a higher static pressure than a 120mm fan, so in a push/pull config you should do alright. Not as good as a 120mm's airflow, but as long as you have decent amount of air moving through the radiator it'll be fine.

 

[NiTrO bOiE]

It's for the Pro-core radiator from dtek. I want to keep them so I won't have to re-cut the front intake for my case. And I was going the use a spare 80mm for an exaust fan.

 

[FIZZ3]

Well I would think the 92mm's would do a worse job of covering the fin area of the core than 120's would. If they put out less CFM than 120's would as well, then you're facing a decided decrease in cooling potential. How much is hard to say, but it's going to be a trade-off for sure. Airflow of the core is one of the biggest factors in watercooling efficiency.

 

[sandman001]

If you make a shroud you'll be fine.

If you don't, you'll be hurting performance some.

 

[johan851]

Exactly, maybe I wasn't specific. As long as you're using a shroud, there shouldn't be much of a performance tradeoff. If you don't...it's definitely a bad idea.

 

[FIZZ3]

If you make a shroud you'll be fine.

If you don't, you'll be hurting performance some.

A shroud may indeed help, but the main thrust of the smaller fan will still not hit the outer edges of the fin area very well- I think a larger fan would do better.
If you make the angle of a shroud too steep, performance isn't enhanced much anymore.