Ventilation for Water Cooling?

[foodfightr]

I'm currently modding a case that only has an 80mm fan on the front and the standard power supply fan in the back. I've also installed a plexiglass window. I'll be using a dangerden water cooling system installed inside the case. The dangerden system has two 120mm fans mounted on top of the radiator. If additional ventilation is neccesary what do you reccomend that I add as far as a fan or a vent?

EDIT: The case is fairly sealed. The door panels don't have any venting (besides maybe heat escaping through the plexi glass window) but there is some venting in the front and back of the case.

 

[HardWarrior]

Well, conventional wisdom indicates that you should balance intake with exhaust to avoid dust accumulation in the seams of the case. This holds true even more so with an internally mounted rad. If the flow of air across the rads surface isn't sufficient, you loose a great deal of performance and stress your fans at the same time. I would suggest that you port your plexi window to mount at least one high-speed fan, preferably a 120x38. A fan of this type will help balance the 2x120x25 fans mounted on your rad. IMO, finding a way to add another 120 wouldn't be a bad idea either.

 

[mindwreck]

got any pics of the case?
how exactly are you going to mount that 2x120 rad? Your case doesn't sound too big...

its recommended to have positive or equal pressure like hard warrior said to do.

 

[doinmybestatlast]

You should clear up your post a bit since it seems that you have your radiator inside the case (or is it outside?). If it is inside then you are definitely recirculating hot air back through the radiator which defeats the purpose. Ideally, you will want fresh air through the radiator. If the radiator is outside then the heat you need to get rid of is considerably smaller - the GPU, Northbridge, HD etc. Another 80 mm outtake fan is preferable, not for balance, but for turbulance.

 

[HardWarrior]

Originally posted by: doinmybestatlast
If it is inside then you are definitely recirculating hot air back through the radiator which defeats the purpose. Ideally, you will want fresh air through the radiator.

As long as there's adequate intake this isn't true, and even if there isn't the worst that can happen is your exhaust fans will be starved and noisy. Air pulled through an internally mounted rad MAY be slightly warmer, but it definitely isn't "recirculated" warm air. As long as your rad is mounted high in the case and ported outwards, exhausted air, being warmer, will move up and away from your intakes. Yup, ideally a rad should be mounted externally, but considering the fact that people WILL mount their rads in ways that are both convenient and aesthetically pleasing to them, there in no truly ideal way of getting the job done.

If the radiator is outside then the heat you need to get rid of is considerably smaller - the GPU, Northbridge, HD etc.

Heat exchange as it exists in water-cooling doesn't work this way. As long as there's a Delta-T (temp difference between the coolant and the air passing through the rad) the actual amount of thermal energy being removed per second is quite small under ALL circumstances. Also, when you consider the wide variety of components that can be water-cooled, along with the fact that most people don't immediately get rid of all their other ventilation fans when they switch to water, general statements like this simply don't apply.

 

[doinmybestatlast]

Heat Warrior read the orignal post! He has one 80mm intake fan. Where is the two 120 mm fans getting air from? From the single 80? Alright, I guess my thinking is screwed. I guess if my 120 mm fans are ported out then air is coming from all the open areas of the case. I guess the OP told you in his crystal ball the fans are ported out. I don't read it anywhere. Yes, then you are right.

Secondly, this is about the OP's questions. I don't understand what you are talking about. I always thought that taking the heat out by water cooling the CPU the case is always cooler inside. You can watercool anything - GPU, Hard Drive, Ram and my mouth.

 

[HardWarrior]

Originally posted by: doinmybestatlast
Heat Warrior read the orignal post! ...

This place just gets better and better.

Careful - loud, brash and neglectful. My ramblings.....

Indeed.