Case airflow help for a Cooler Master HAF 912

[solitaryeon]

I'm in the process of building a new PC. I have all the parts on order and they should arrive today. I was looking at the case and a few other parts and got to thinking exactly how I should setup the airflow in the case. Normally I would just do top / back exhaust and side / front intake. The problem is I'm using Corsair liquid cooling so that will take my back exhaust. My question is, with the case I have, what type of fans should I use and where? Also, which fans should be exhaust and intake?

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The case I'm getting is a Cooler Master HAF 912.

The Liquid Cooling I'm using is Corsair H50.

(I'd link them for you but I currently cant link urls ).

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The case has the following slots in it for fans:

Cooling System:
-Front: 120 mm fan x 2 or 200mm fan x1
-Top: 120 mm fan x 2 or 200mm fan x 1
-Rear: 120 mm fan x 1
-Side:120mm or 140 mm fan x 1

It comes with two 120's obviously and I'm putting the liquid cooling fan / radiator in the back fan slot. The problem with that is the radiator blocks one of the top 120 slots so I can either go 1x 120mm on top or a 200mm on top. I'm putting a 120mm on the side of the case as well. The case also comes with a 120mm in front and has room for another, or you can swap the two 120mm's for a 200mm.

Here are my current thoughts on air layout:
-Rear: Has to be intake for the liquid cooling radiator.
-Top: Exhaust with a 200mm.
-Side: Exhaust with a 120mm.
-Front: Two intakes with two 120mm.

Oh, I'm also getting a RAM cooler:

G.Skill Turbulence II FTB-3500C5-D

I dont know if that will affect how I'm supposed to cool the case with the fans either, hence the question here.


Any input as to what I should do with the fan slots I have left to fill and which ones should be intake / exhaust would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Tmagic650]

The stock fans should be enough, but I have a feeling you are going to do a massive over-clock, so every piece of hardware will be affected. The rule is:
front fans blowing in
top fan blowing out
side fan blowing in

 

[solitaryeon]

Thanks for the input, only thing I'm concerned about is that there will only be one exhaust throughout the whole system since the back fan is turned into an intake for the liquid cooling. Thats why I wanted to turn the side into an exhaust as well. I purchased a 200mm fan for the top of the case and another 120 for the front. That would leave 2 intakes in the front being 120mm and the intake in the back for the liquid cooling. The two exhaust would be the top and side.

 

[Leeky]

I use a Coolermaster HAF912 case, with a Corsair H50 water cooler setup.

Running the H50 in push/pull configuration leaves little room for a large fan on the top of the case. I can only fit a 120mm fan in the top.

I also run a 140mm fan in the side casing. It provides ample cooling mounted with the massive front fan. If you plan to seriously overclock you might want to consider higher than a H50 though. All but the front fan are set to exhaust.

 

[solitaryeon]

I dont really plan on doing a lot if any overclocking. Is that the stock case fan behind the radiator for the H50?

 

[Tmagic650]

Sounds good to me Leeky.... Expensive way to go for no over-clocking solitaryeon

 

[Leeky]

I dont really plan on doing a lot if any overclocking. Is that the stock case fan behind the radiator for the H50?

Yeah, the H50 fan comes with one fan, but you can add an additional fan and run in push/pull configuration for maximum cooling. Basically you use two fans, one each side, both set to exhaust out of the case.

 

[solitaryeon]

Sounds good to me Leeky.... Expensive way to go for no over-clocking solitaryeon

I'll probably do some OCing on the CPU, but thats probably the extent of it. I'm very nervous / overally careful about overheating. The last two PCs I had died due to overheating (I live in South Louisiana where it gets excessively hot), even though I clean the case out monthly.

Yeah, the H50 fan comes with one fan, but you can add an additional fan and run in push/pull configuration for maximum cooling. Basically you use two fans, one each side, both set to exhaust out of the case.

So what do you recommend as a setup for my fans if I'm not doing a Push / Pull config? The stock H50 comes as an intake, right?

 

[Leeky]

.....I live in South Louisiana where it gets excessively hot...

So what do you recommend as a setup for my fans if I'm not doing a Push / Pull config? The stock H50 comes as an intake, right?

You need the H50 in push/pull configuration if your going to overclock the CPU. Its even more crucial given the sentence in your reply to Tmagic650.

I would recommend (if you haven't already commited to purchase) that you seriously consider a Corsair HX70/80 or equivalent, given those hot ambient temperatures.

It makes a huge difference in temps, even for me, in the UK, where we rarely see above 30'C temperatures even in the summer months.

 

[solitaryeon]

I already purchased the H50, I should get it in the mail today. I think I'm going to put my 200mm fan in the front of the case and swap the two 120mms in the front (one on top of the case, the other for push / pull). Thanks for the insight / help, I'll let you know how it works out .

 

[Tmagic650]

Is the HAF case going to be on the floor or on a desk?

 

[solitaryeon]

Is the HAF case going to be on the floor or on a desk?

Top of a desk.


I got everything installed today. I couldnt fit the 200mm fan on the top of my case like i wanted due to the radiator on the liquid cooling. I ended up putting it in the front of the case. I used the extra 120mm fan I had to do a push / pull setup like recommended earlier. Its keeping my CPU VERY cool. Idle temps were 25C earlier when I checked.

Thanks everyone for the input, its helped tremendously.