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Thread: Radiator placement question

  1. #1
    Fresh Paint
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    Default Radiator placement question

    I will be building a new computer in the near future and thinking about building a case for it from scratch. I’m new to water cooling and my question is will there be a problem if I wanted to install a triple 120mm radiator at the bottom of the case and mount it horizontally with the with the fans sucking in air from the side panel.

  2. #2
    If it isn't stock, it's modded! slaveofconvention's Avatar
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    Default Re: Radiator placement question

    One problem springs to mind - you'll want the fans on the radiator blowing straight out of the case, not sucking in - otherwise all the heat from the radiator gets pumped into the case. Watercooling does help do away with the "heat rises" problem by carrying the heat wherever the watercooling loops go - but you might still want to consider an exhaust fan higher up the case to expel the "other" heat not taken care of by the watercooling (things like backs of Video cards, RAM, southbridge (if you have one) etc all generate heat so the air inside the case will still get warm.

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  3. #3
    Fresh Paint
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    Default Re: Radiator placement question

    I should have explained the layout of the case I will be building a little better.

    I plan on making a case with 2 triple 120mm radiators on the bottom of the case. One on the left side and one on the right side both sucking in air from the side panel, the radiators will be about 85 mm apart from each other. On the front and back of the case will be a 80mm fans. The front fan will be sucking air in and the back blowing air out, I figure this would make a sort of wind tunnel forcing all the hot air out.

  4. #4
    If it isn't stock, it's modded! slaveofconvention's Avatar
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    Default Re: Radiator placement question

    Maybe I'm misunderstanding but - thats a total of 6 120mm and 1 80mm fan pulling in air and a single 80mm exhaust?

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  5. #5
    Will YOU be ready when the zombies rise? x88x's Avatar
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    Default Re: Radiator placement question

    Quote Originally Posted by slaveofconvention View Post
    Maybe I'm misunderstanding but - thats a total of 6 120mm and 1 80mm fan pulling in air and a single 80mm exhaust?
    That's what it sounds like to me too...also, do you have an extension on the bottom of the case? or using a mATX MBB in an ATX case? basically, how are you fitting a 3x120 on each side at the bottom? (Maybe do something up in sketchup?)

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Radiator placement question

    Sorry about that I really need to do a better job of explaining, been brain dead lately, lets see if I can explain better.

    I am building a case from scratch, right now I am just trying to figure out if placing the radiators horizontally would be a problem.

    And the fan set up I explained was just for the bottom part of the case where the radiators will be housed. I am still working on the design and trying to get some input before I do anything, but there will be more fans blowing air away from the mobo.

    When I get home from work I will make a sketch and post it.

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Radiator placement question

    So would it be, like, the two rads, one on either side, at the bottom of the case, with fans pulling air in one side and out the other? like so, looking from one end:

    CASECASEC
    ASECASECA
    SECASECAS
    ECASECASE
    --> *||| > |||* -->
    --> *||| > |||* -->
    --> *||| > |||* -->
    --> *||| > |||* -->
    BOTTOMOFCASE

    (--> == air, * == fans, ||| == rads)

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