this post was submitted on 12 Apr 2024
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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)_/¯

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[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

The top is mesh. That's why I did so many intake fans - to let the pressure naturally out of the top.

I still might experiment with switching the side panel to exhaust. That's what I wanted to do in the first place but every build I saw used it as an intake and I was scared that would starve the CPU fan.

I did seem to get the noise down a bit by modifying the curves and making the ramp up smoother.