Using Exaust and Intake fans together on the same radiator
Using Exaust and Intake fans together on the same radiator
I'm thinking about building a compact system with the core 500 and a kraken x61 cooler. I want to check if putting one exhaust and one intake fan on the same radiator would affect performance.
I am considering a compact form factor build using the core 500. I plan to install a kraken x61 cooler and wanted to check if running one exhaust and one intake fan together on the same radiator would negatively affect performance. It’s puzzling how you fit a 280 mm radiator in SFF, perhaps with a hard mod. The same radiator might not work well as both exhaust and intake at once—you can test this by using one 140 mm fan for pushing and another for pulling. I tried thermaltake water 3.0 ultimate.
I am considering a compact form factor build using the core 500. I plan to install a kraken x61 cooler and wanted to check if using one exhaust fan and one intake fan on the same radiator would negatively affect performance. It’s a bit puzzling, though—I’m curious about how you manage to fit a 280 mm radiator in SFF, perhaps with a hard mod. The same radiator wouldn’t work well as an exhaust alone; it would struggle to draw air in and push it out at the same time. You mentioned testing with a Thermaltake water 3.0 ultimate.
There are several configurations you’ve tried:
- Push-push: three fans pushing air through the radiator (intake or exhaust)
- Pull-pull: three fans pulling air through the radiator (intake or exhaust)
- Push-pull: three fans pushing, three fans pulling (tried this too)
- Pull-pull: six fans pulling air through the radiator
The idea is to use front panel mounting for cooler air from a room temperature of 5 to 10°C. If you prefer exhaust, set it up for rooms above 20°C, and add an extra bottom or front intake fan, placing it on the top side.
The theory behind it is that the temperature difference between the blown air and the radiator core (which has copper tubes and aluminum fins) affects how effectively the coolant absorbs heat. The cooler air absorbs more from the warm aluminum, while the hotter coolant absorbs less from the cold aluminum.
You can estimate your water cooling performance using online calculators for metal materials. For internal cases, keep in mind that each temperature rise makes the air drawn by the radiator fans warmer, which reduces its ability to cool the system further.