F5F Stay Refreshed Hardware Desktop Consider adjustments for thermal throttling in Torrent Nano

Consider adjustments for thermal throttling in Torrent Nano

Consider adjustments for thermal throttling in Torrent Nano

R
RadBount
Member
59
11-01-2022, 05:10 AM
#1
I assembled my most recent PC using a [Torrent Nano](https://www.fractal-design.com/products/...ight-tint/). It looks well-made, everything fits together nicely and I’m not complaining much. Still, I’m missing the skills to tackle some cooling problems. Clearly, the Torrent is built for air cooling. I’m using the standard large 180mm x 38mm fan at the front, which covers nothing but pushes air backward across the motherboard. I’ve paired it with a [Noctua NHD9L](https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/FANNOC4...mm-Clearan), the biggest air cooler I could fit with an Aorus Z690i Plus socket (it just fits snugly between RAM and SSD heatsink). It includes a single 92mm central fan. Overall, game performance is solid with a Sapphire Pulse 7900XTX and 13600K. Yet the CPU has little room for expansion. Base temperatures sit in the 40s or high 30s, but under load (like compiling or encoding) they jump to 98-100. Noticeable throttling starts around 5.1 GHz and drops to mid-to-low 4s or below as time passes. I’ve tried adjusting fan curves as much as possible, am confident the thermal paste is good, and I’m sure both fans are running when stress increases. I even experimented with a light overclock, but it quickly overheated. My concern is what should I do next? Swap the front fan for two smaller ones to improve GPU coverage? I don’t have space under the GPU (at the bottom of the case), but maybe a rear exhaust would work. Any suggestions are welcome. Edit: Arch Linux, BIOS updated to latest.
R
RadBount
11-01-2022, 05:10 AM #1

I assembled my most recent PC using a [Torrent Nano](https://www.fractal-design.com/products/...ight-tint/). It looks well-made, everything fits together nicely and I’m not complaining much. Still, I’m missing the skills to tackle some cooling problems. Clearly, the Torrent is built for air cooling. I’m using the standard large 180mm x 38mm fan at the front, which covers nothing but pushes air backward across the motherboard. I’ve paired it with a [Noctua NHD9L](https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/FANNOC4...mm-Clearan), the biggest air cooler I could fit with an Aorus Z690i Plus socket (it just fits snugly between RAM and SSD heatsink). It includes a single 92mm central fan. Overall, game performance is solid with a Sapphire Pulse 7900XTX and 13600K. Yet the CPU has little room for expansion. Base temperatures sit in the 40s or high 30s, but under load (like compiling or encoding) they jump to 98-100. Noticeable throttling starts around 5.1 GHz and drops to mid-to-low 4s or below as time passes. I’ve tried adjusting fan curves as much as possible, am confident the thermal paste is good, and I’m sure both fans are running when stress increases. I even experimented with a light overclock, but it quickly overheated. My concern is what should I do next? Swap the front fan for two smaller ones to improve GPU coverage? I don’t have space under the GPU (at the bottom of the case), but maybe a rear exhaust would work. Any suggestions are welcome. Edit: Arch Linux, BIOS updated to latest.

P
PersieO
Posting Freak
786
11-02-2022, 03:34 PM
#2
Setting up a rear exhaust with a Noctua 120mm fan provided some improvement. We're still reaching high temperatures, but the throttle response has eased slightly—from 5.1 to about 4.8 at the worst point, mostly around 5.0. I'll keep an eye on whether adjusting the fan curves helps further.
P
PersieO
11-02-2022, 03:34 PM #2

Setting up a rear exhaust with a Noctua 120mm fan provided some improvement. We're still reaching high temperatures, but the throttle response has eased slightly—from 5.1 to about 4.8 at the worst point, mostly around 5.0. I'll keep an eye on whether adjusting the fan curves helps further.

J
J0NNY_B0Y
Member
50
11-04-2022, 12:47 PM
#3
Starting with the fundamentals makes a difference. Removed all the cables from the main fan’s route—successfully routed the GPU power wires under the 180mm fan case—and achieved slightly better stability. We’re still a bit off the ideal 90-degree temperature range at full load, but that’s acceptable for now. The next step would be replacing the motherboard with one that fits an NH-D15, though DDR4 mITX boards are becoming harder to find.
J
J0NNY_B0Y
11-04-2022, 12:47 PM #3

Starting with the fundamentals makes a difference. Removed all the cables from the main fan’s route—successfully routed the GPU power wires under the 180mm fan case—and achieved slightly better stability. We’re still a bit off the ideal 90-degree temperature range at full load, but that’s acceptable for now. The next step would be replacing the motherboard with one that fits an NH-D15, though DDR4 mITX boards are becoming harder to find.