I read some on heatpipe design &, if built properly, I would expect extra airflow on the mating CPU heatsink to be less relevant. No doubt it's hard to imagine it not helping in most cases. Finally had time to do more searching & found many other interesting options. I had no idea how many CPU coole...

Yes the duct would have to be constructed to allow air to enter from the very bottom. I agree it may still not cool as proficiently but much much closer. The issue is that the CPU is designed to dissipate heat on the side facing up. That side always has a heatsink contacting it so direct flow onto t...

Just about heat transfer, given that forced convection is more effective than natural convection, blowing air towards an hot object move more fluid (air) around it, opening a broader pathway to heat, due to the higher supplied kinetic energy (with the same effort, i.e. rotational speed): that's why...

I think your test would yield different results with a tight fitting duct from the fan surrounding the heatsink down to the CPU. I understand this would not be a simple task but probably necessary to optimize air flow with a reversed fan. Thank you for taking the time to do your basic test & sharing...

Looks like this thread is old & dead but I'll try to revive it.

I'm interested in any cool (ing) GD02 stories...

It doesn't surprise me that flipping the fan can make a difference. The magnitude of the temperature difference is surprising though. Acoustics are another issue & one that I do have some experience with professionally. I suspect it is often easier blowing than sucking simply because the components ...

Well, no, I'm pretty sure the correct assumption is that they mean "no fans on the cpu fins", but case fans running nearby. That's probably true since the NT01-PRO appears to have been designed specifically for these Silverstone cases but I still have my doubts. I suppose the only way to know for s...

I have a related question but will start a new topic if that's better (or mods feel free to move this). How does something like a Big Shuriken 2 compare to the stock cooler in terms of noise & thermal performance? I haven't been able to find much info on the stock cooler.

I should add that I fully intend to keep (2) 80 mm case fans, stock Silverstone for now but will replace with something better (about the same or better CFM, but hopefully lower RPM & more quiet). I'm still undecided on exactly which fans as it may depend somewhat on how I wire them & whatever other...

ASUS Maximus VI Gene uATX motherboard, Intel i7 4470K CPU, & AMD FirePro W5000 graphics. So far I've found the Silverstone NT01-PRO, Scythe Big Shuriken, & Gelid SlimHero as likely best options. No real over clocking intentions (K CPU was on sale) but system will be used to potential, not a HTPC. NT...