Tom's Hardware > Forum > Overclocking > Water Cooling > [Solved] Corsair Radiator Fan Direction? Intake vs Exhaust?

[Solved] Corsair Radiator Fan Direction? Intake vs Exhaust?

Forum Overclocking : Water Cooling [Solved] Corsair Radiator Fan Direction? Intake vs Exhaust?

Hey guys. I am thinking of picking up a Corsair H50. I realize this is an older system but I like the circular pump as opposed to square (trivial I know), and I also really like the low profile radiator. I hate those massive 2in thick radiators that look like a brick sticking out of the fan grill. I'm only running a 2500k at 4.2 so I don't need some insane $100 cooler and I wanted to stay fairly cheap. Anyways.... I don't agree with the fan placement that Corsair recommends. They recommend the fan blowing air thru the radiator into the case. Can someone please explain this to me? Maybe I'm old school but I like air flowing in one direction front to back of the case, so I REALLY don't like the sound of this. Yeah it may cool the CPU better but won't it throw the whole air system out of whack? What if your case only has 1 exhaust fan, and you have to mount this thing? Then you have no exhaust (as in my case.) I have a Silverstone Raven Rv01 (2intake/1exhaust). If I mounted this thing as recommended, I would have no exhaust and 3 intakes.

Any help or understanding is greatly appreciated guys! Thanks!

Reply to jta98z

Best answer

just ignore what Corsair says. if you only have one fan exhausting you dont want but one fan taking in air at a lower rate to keep a negative air pressure inside the case (more air output then input). this will make sure that all the air in the case is leaving and not putting hot spots in your case. if you only have one fan by all means make it an exhaust fan.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to nagol567

nagol567 wrote :

Ok great. Thanks!

Reply to jta98z

Best answer selected by jta98z.

Reply to jta98z

You actually want the coolest air possible for a radiator.

This 'air pressure' in your case stuff is more smoke than anything...your case isn't under pressure...there are far too many holes for this to be the case. Good case airflow is the key and if you have to choose, more exhaust is better than more intake. Flip your fans on your rad around to take in the coolest air and adjust the rest of your case fans to work accordingly.

Again, I stress that good case airflow is the key regardless of which fans blow which direction. Most cases offer top fans to exhaust which would be fine if you use a back 120 to use as intake for your radiator.

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Reply to rubix_1011

The warm air that's coming from the fan blowing air into the radiator should be going in outside direction. But I agree with Rubix on the matter that the air pressure in your case is more smoke than anything. Unless your case is so restrictive in term of ventilation, it's not really a big of a concern.

I actually have front radiator fans in my set up blowing air going in the inside in a push & pull configuration. I did this hence I want to show the LED lightning effect of the fan. If I do the other way around, the LED lightning effect doesn't show. The reservoir can heat up quiet a bet (you can feel it if you touch it) but the warm air coming from the radiator is not really that warm to cause a concern even at high overclocks.

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