Question Corsair 7000X Case - Best fan placement

[Be0bsessed]

Yo! So, I am doing a new build. It will be my 2nd. My first I did I didn't put a lot of thought into it. Threw some fans in there and a Cooler Master CPU fan. This time I am doing a deep dive into the best way to keep my system as cool as possible. I can give more details about the system if necessary but the main things I want to keep cool and the case they will be in will be (listed so you can know there will prolly be some significant heat)


- GPU: RTX 4090
- CPU: AMD 7950X
- Case: Corsair 7000X

Cooling solutions I will be using:
- iCUE H170i ELITE AIO 420mm. I could also use a 360mm one if that would be better. Currently have the 360mm but plan on exchanging it for the 420mm model.
- 4 SP140 RGB Elite fans. The Corsair 7000X comes with these.


My questions:
With the 3 140MM fans contained in the AIO 420mm and the 4 additional one's it looks like that will occupy all available spots. However, if I put the AIO on the top instead of on the front section, I could use 8 120mm fans instead of the 3x 140mm fans which are included with the case. Pics below for reference. Which setup would
1a.) Make the most sense for cooling potential and
1b.) Be the least noisy?

View: https://imgur.com/GjHZIZA

View: https://imgur.com/ccmcsWr



2. What would be the best placement of the AIO and fans to cool off the system the best? I mean fan location and also orientation. Since this is the first build I've had to worry about this I admit that I am new to push-pull and the best way to go about it.

3. Any reason to put fans on both sides of my AIO's rad or do anything differently?

Your answers will make the difference between my needing to buy a bunch of 120mm fans or just educating me on how to best use what I'll already have. Thank you to everyone for your consideration and time!

 

[Brian Boru]

Welcome to the forum

I seem to only be allowed to post URL of pics versus captured screens

Upload the pics to somewhere like Imgur and post the links here.

 

[Be0bsessed]

Welcome to the forum


Upload the pics to somewhere like Imgur and post the links here.

Done. Thanks!

 

[Colif]

1a.) Make the most sense for cooling potential and
1b.) Be the least noisy?

3 x 140mm is better as it has more cooling and is quieter as fans don't have to run as fast

I see putting an AIO above a 4090 as a great way to cook your CPU. All the heat from case gets exhausted through the cooler for the CPU... people seem to just think its good place to exhaust hot air, but they forget what radiator is there for... its not just more fans.

I know all the videos show AIO above CPU as it looks cool, but really... its not ideal. I have seen people on Tom's Hardware with just 3090 cooking CPU, hate to imagine temps 4090 push out.

Putting AIO on front and letting CPU get fresh air makes more sense to me. The GPU doesn't care where the radiator is. where you put it doesn't make GPU that much cooler. Putting rad on top just makes CPU's life harder.

 

[Be0bsessed]

@Colif Awesome man. Thank you for that info. Okay, so it makes sense for me to have the 420mm (3 140mm fans) AIO mounted to the front. Got it. What about ALL of those other fans. This is partly because I'm going unicorn throw up overblown with RGB and also because I want to keep it cool in the case... but referencing the fan placement pic in this post, I'll have 4 other (come with the 7000X case) 140MM fans. I will also have 3 other 120mm fans in there as well. Overkill? Yeah. But still, how should I have the fans oriented for optimal cooling?

To help better identify the fans I marked them as A, B, and C locations.

A.)?

B.) Will be intake.

C.) ?

Thank you very much for your help!

View: https://imgur.com/a7a1DJO

 

[JarlBSoD]

3 x 140mm is better as it has more cooling and is quieter as fans don't have to run as fast

I see putting an AIO above a 4090 as a great way to cook your CPU. All the heat from case gets exhausted through the cooler for the CPU... people seem to just think its good place to exhaust hot air, but they forget what radiator is there for... its not just more fans.

I know all the videos show AIO above CPU as it looks cool, but really... its not ideal. I have seen people on Tom's Hardware with just 3090 cooking CPU, hate to imagine temps 4090 push out.

Putting AIO on front and letting CPU get fresh air makes more sense to me. The GPU doesn't care where the radiator is. where you put it doesn't make GPU that much cooler. Putting rad on top just makes CPU's life harder.

He is not taking permeation over time in to acount though, unless you mount the aio radiator at the fromt with the tubes down. Is it a big issue? Dunno but it can be an issue and if the aio is mounted in front with the tubes on top, one should atleast be aware of if. Stop Doing It Wrong: How to Kill Your CPU Cooler (AIO Mounting Orientation) - YouTube

TLDR, try to avoid frontmounted tubes top if you can, not the end of the world if you don't.

 

[Colif]

One day everyone who saw that video from Steve might see the second one from Jayz2cents explaining its fine to mount radiator at front with the tubes up provided the pump is below the top of the radiator. And with a 420mm radiator its impossible to have the pump above it in almost all cases.. Down is best if you can do it but many of us don't have cables long enough to go down past a GPU.

@Be0bsessed since you have an aio as intake it doesn't matter where you put all the other fans, put in as many as you like.
I would make A exhausts obviously, c is in an odd location and might as well be intakes as if they were exhausts, they would suck all the air out from intakes - I have an exhaust a little too close to my intakes, literally right above one

but i run reverse pressure so it doesn't matter. I have 3 x 140mm exhausts but only 2 x 120mm intakes

 

[JarlBSoD]

One day everyone who saw that video from Steve might see the second one from Jayz2cents explaining its fine to mount radiator at front with the tubes up provided the pump is below the top of the radiator. And with a 420mm radiator its impossible to have the pump above it in almost all cases.. Down is best if you can do it but many of us don't have cables long enough to go down past a GPU.

@Be0bsessed since you have an aio as intake it doesn't matter where you put all the other fans, put in as many as you like.
I would make A exhausts obviously, c is in an odd location and might as well be intakes as if they were exhausts, they would suck all the air out from intakes - I have an exhaust a little too close to my intakes, literally right above one

but i run reverse pressure so it doesn't matter. I have 3 x 140mm exhausts but only 2 x 120mm intakes

Was sorta the point of Steves video aswell, but you have to be aware of permiation since it can lead to to much air at the top of the radiator over time. How long it takes is anyones guess depending on how it is used, the material in the tubes, how hot the coolant gets etc. A poorly filled rad from Factory can have problems day one (usually never a problem on quallity AIOs), So if the aio starts making slurping bubbling sounds after a year or 5 or 10, it might be worth looking at. It will slurp and gulp in the beginning though usually

EDIT, most people going bananas over the Gamers Nexus vid didn't, A see the whole vid or, B not understand the conclusions

 

[Colif]

I probably start looking for it about 5 years. I was half expecting to have to replace it at some stage, and most of my PC are replaced themselves about that time. Once my CPU temps change and its not due to it being summer outside, I will look at it. Been same temp range for the last 2 years now. Warmest thing in my PC normally is my nvme drive.

 

[JarlBSoD]

I probably start looking for it about 5 years. I was half expecting to have to replace it at some stage, and most of my PC are replaced themselves about that time. Once my CPU temps change and its not due to it being summer outside, I will look at it. Been same temp range for the last 2 years now. Warmest thing in my PC normally is my nvme drive.

I ran my aio front mounted top tubes for 2 years with no problem, i moved it to top mounted but that was because my GPU was starting to get warmer so i wanted better airflow, now that i have solved that issue i am considering mounting my rad in the front again, the difference in my CPU temps have not been that noticable though, i run a 9900k and the only significant diference i notices was that my coolant temp went up on average 4c when i topmounted it, but i blast a ton of air from the front so.

 

[Colif]

Mine has ranged between 32c lowest to about 45c in summer at idle. Only hit 32c if I change the fan plan and its cold outside. Normally run fans slowest possible as then I really can't hear them over my case fans. I can hear them in the other 2 plans

Have 3 plans - Quiet, balanced and Extreme. Never used extreme as I don't need to be deaf. Best I can do right now on balanced is 37c but its 15c outside still. Summer approaches (I am in Southern Hemisphere)
There is a 4th plan - zero fans. Only used it once to see if I could hear a difference between fans on quiet and off... I couldn't

I wonder how loud the case in ops post will be. the 140's aren't so bad but 120's are noticeable if running fast.

 

[JarlBSoD]

Mine has ranged between 32c lowest to about 45c in summer at idle. Only hit 32c if I change the fan plan and its cold outside. Normally run fans slowest possible as then I really can't hear them over my case fans. I can hear them in the other 2 plans

Have 3 plans - Quiet, balanced and Extreme. Never used extreme as I don't need to be deaf. Best I can do right now on balanced is 37c but its 15c outside still. Summer approaches (I am in Southern Hemisphere)
There is a 4th plan - zero fans. Only used it once to see if I could hear a difference between fans on quiet and off... I couldn't

I wonder how loud the case in ops post will be. the 140's aren't so bad but 120's are noticeable if running fast.

I'm at 28c coolat temp atm in "idle" (i am surfing heh) but i have a corsair 360 rad you run 240?

 

[Colif]

I'm at 28c coolat temp atm in "idle" (i am surfing heh) but i have a corsair 360 rad you run 240?

Guess I should have specified that I was talking about CPU temps, not coolant.

Yes, 240... also probably different CPU. (click picture in sig to see specs)
coolant at 30.4. It only moves a few degrees all year. Or has, the last 3 summers here have not been normal. I haven't missed normal but I didn't expect 3 wet summers in a row when I made PC. I still haven't needed to replace the fractal design case fans with Noctuas yet... I will next year when I get a new GPU. If anything they will be quieter.

 

[JarlBSoD]

Guess I should have specified that I was talking about CPU temps, not coolant.

Yes, 240... also probably different CPU. (click picture in sig to see specs)
coolant at 30.4. It only moves a few degrees all year. Or has, the last 3 summers here have not been normal. I haven't missed normal but I didn't expect 3 wet summers in a row when I made PC. I still haven't needed to replace the fractal design case fans with Noctuas yet... I will next year when I get a new GPU. If anything they will be quieter.

I replaced my fractal fans with silent wings because i wanted to be able to controll mine since the fractal ones ar static, but i am considering replacing them with noctuas because the silent wings are not that silent imo.

I havn't realy compared summer to winter temps on my CPU, but i think it is usually quite stable though it takes maybe a bit longer to hit max temp durring cold seson.

 

[Colif]

my fractal fans aren't pwm so I can't control speeds. 2 top ones run off hub, other one attached to mb near vrm
who would have guessed these people suggest Noctua A12 - https://www.quietpc.com/casefans
I intend to get A14 - https://noctua.at/en/nf-a14-pwm-chromax-black-swap

Only thing I normally hear are the exhausts

sick of talking about things I am going to buy... fans seem pointless by selves so I get with PSU or GPU, but thats another story.