Front Mounted Radiator

[adamsonm]

A question to the audience,

I'd like to install an AIO, positioning the 360mm radiator on the front of the chassis. The chassis already has 3 140mm intake fans on the front which I'd like to remain, ideally (rgb fans/tempered front).

The radiator allows for 3 120mm fans to be installed.

Would it be acceptable to leave the 3 140mm intake fans where they are, installing the radiator on the front with the 3 120mm fans, on the inside of the case, with a pull configuration? Essentially creating a push-pull configuration with a set of 120mm fans and 140mm fans.

[Terbinator]

Yes is the short answer, yes/no is the long answer.

Unless your radiator comes with 120 & 140mm holes, you're going to need some converter brackets.

The other thing I'd note is that if you are going to go Push/Pull, you should really match the fans up as all the effort of creating that air pressure is going to be lost to some degree with mixed sizes - sort of defeats the point.

[Hoonigan]

You'll need some 140->120mm adaptors but it should be fine. The rest of your case will suffer though, due to your intakes pulling in pre-warmed air. You'd probably be better served with a 240/280 radaitor in the roof of the case as an exhaust.

[Jonj1611]

Must admit I have never understood having the radiator at the front. Yes its bringing colder air from the outside but then thats going over the rad and warming up the air entering the case. As has been mentioned your better off putting it on the roof and leaving the front fans as they are.

What case is it?

[adamsonm]

The case is a Fractal Design Define S2 Vision RGB.

I have to say, i’m not keen on the idea of a front mounted radiator, combining 3 120mm and 3 140mm fans together. The negative air pressure is a fabulous point actually.

There is absolutely no reason why a can’t have a top mounted radiator however. Just thought the setup would look cleaner placing it on the front.

Personally I do prefer having the radiator connected to intake fans over exhaust but this debate has in part proven that there is very little difference on what works best.


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[Terbinator]

The case is a Fractal Design Define S2 Vision RGB.

I have to say, i’m not keen on the idea of a front mounted radiator, combining 3 120mm and 3 140mm fans together. The negative air pressure is a fabulous point actually.

There is absolutely no reason why a can’t have a top mounted radiator however. Just thought the setup would look cleaner placing it on the front.

Personally I do prefer having the radiator connected to intake fans over exhaust but this debate has in part proven that there is very little difference on what works best.


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I'd suggest rad top, reservoir bottom near the front out of the way.

[Ttaskmaster]

Must admit I have never understood having the radiator at the front. Yes its bringing colder air from the outside but then thats going over the rad and warming up the air entering the case.

Most people forget, this is not about applying cold air to radiators to cool the liquid coolant. It's about transferring the heat from the liquid via the rads to the airflow, which then carries it away and out of the case.
Unless you're using LN2, it's not actually PC cooling, but more PC heat disposal.

[Jonj1611]

Yes but in this case that heat is been carried into the case, not out of it

[aidanjt]

Unless you're using LN2, it's not actually PC cooling, but more PC heat disposal.

All cooling is, physically speaking, heat disposal. Phase changing from a cryo-liquid to a frigid gas is just a much more radical heat disposal method.

[Ttaskmaster]

Yes but in this case that heat is been carried into the case, not out of it

No different to heat building up inside the case and then exhausting out the top rad as is commonly done, though some still argue that said heat renders the top rad ineffective.
The point is that so long as the hot air is exhausted, it works. I have a 240 intake on my rig right now, as it happens.

[Jonj1611]

I think everyone has their own views on rad position, mine has always been at the top as during testing found it cooler than at the front. Each to their own

[Ttaskmaster]

I think everyone has their own views on rad position, mine has always been at the top as during testing found it cooler than at the front. Each to their own

Oh, I have a 360 up top as well! Don't get me wrong on that... but since I had the option and some cash, I've added a front intake rad too.

If there's only a choice of one and the design allows it, I'll put it up top as an exhaust to shed the heat. Plenty of SFF cases only have room for a front intake though and some of them still cope admirably....

Generally the heat generated inside the case is more of a priority than any rad heat you're displacing, especially if you had my old ASRock motherboard (Z97 Extreme 4 I think) where the heatsinks got so hot they'd burn your fingers!!

[Jonj1611]

Must admit thankfully never had a mainboard that has got that hot before!