[250D vs Node 304] airflow in a small, quiet workstation

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plundh
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[250D vs Node 304] airflow in a small, quiet workstation

Post by plundh » Wed Apr 06, 2016 1:14 am

I'm building a workstation for my girlfriend. Priorities are size (just so she can pick it up), noise and style, so I've narrowed it down to these two cases. It will essentially only be used for Photoshop and other design software, so I'm skipping the GPU. Also no optical drive, and only a M.2 hd to keep it as neat as possible. I'm sticking a i7-6700 in there, along with a quiet Seasonic PSU.

We find the 250D a lot more handsome than the Node, so we're a bit attached to it from the get-go. We also like that the legs make it suitable for sitting on a carpet if necessary.

1. From reading SPCR I gather that AIO coolers are generally not desirable, and the big question is whether the 250D can be properly air cooled with this setup. The Node can fit a Kotetsu with a very straight forward airflow situation, but the 250D can't fit anything better than a TrueSpirit 120. Is the difference between these coolers big enough to be of concern?

2. The 250D has a 140mm inntake in the front. Will a 120mm on the side be fine for exhaust, or should I use the dual 80mm fans in the back instead? That way it would move front to back in a straight line through the heat sink.

Would love to hear your thoughts on this! Thanks.
Last edited by plundh on Wed Apr 06, 2016 2:59 am, edited 1 time in total.

quest_for_silence
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Re: [250D vs Node 204] airflow in a small, quiet workstation

Post by quest_for_silence » Wed Apr 06, 2016 2:21 am

plundh wrote:so I've narrowed it down to these two cases

It's not that clear whether you meant either the Node 304 or the Node 202 (the SPCR test of 202 does not seem that favourable), but the Obsidian 250D looks way too big for a tiny & cute IGP setup (noise wise YMMV).
What about a Raijintek Metis? Our co-forumer edh built a nice setup with that case, recently.

plundh wrote:Is the difference between these coolers big enough to be of concern?

No: but there are other beefier options, like the Noctua NH-C14, which may fit inside a 145mm clearance. Take note a 6700 may likely run 10°C warmer than a 6600.

plundh wrote:Will a 120mm on the side be fine for exhaust, or should I use the dual 80mm fans in the back instead?

Even if I don't like that much the 250D airflow scheme, I think that's not decisive for a quiet IGP system. Even better: more probably that not, you might go either with just 1 intake, or with just 1 (2) exhaust, with no decisive thermal penalties.

plundh
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Re: [250D vs Node 204] airflow in a small, quiet workstation

Post by plundh » Wed Apr 06, 2016 3:13 am

quest_for_silence wrote: It's not that clear whether you meant either the Node 304 or the Node 202 (the SPCR test of 202 does not seem that favourable), but the Obsidian 250D looks way too big for a tiny & cute IGP setup (noise wise YMMV).
What about a Raijintek Metis? Our co-forumer edh built a nice setup with that case, recently.
Whoops, typo. I meant the 304 and I've corrected the title. Also that's a really interesting build, I'll definitely look into it. Looks real handsome too.
quest_for_silence wrote:No: but there are other beefier options, like the Noctua NH-C14, which may fit inside a 145mm clearance. Take note a 6700 may likely run 10°C warmer than a 6600.
I was looking at that, but since it blows downwards, won't that mess up the airflow in this case? Not sure how much that matters...

I chose the 6700 cause I want the fastest single core possible, so I'd rather change the case instead of the CPU if it's too hot.

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Re: [250D vs Node 304] airflow in a small, quiet workstation

Post by Deer87 » Wed Apr 06, 2016 5:04 am

I did a Node 304 build this summer, and my personal experience with it is very good.

Mine is a gaming build, and if im playing GTA V or such the GPU (GTX 960 Strix) becomes noticable.
The other hearable component is my HDD, which has become much quieter since i suspended it in elastic bands.

Since you are not planning to use an HDD or GPU the Node 304 should be a solid choice.

And my girlfriend even tolerates its presence in the living room ;)

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Re: [250D vs Node 204] airflow in a small, quiet workstation

Post by quest_for_silence » Wed Apr 06, 2016 7:02 am

plundh wrote:I was looking at that, but since it blows downwards, won't that mess up the airflow in this case?

Absolutely no: the downdraft/topflow approach is perfectly neutral with reference to that case airflow scheme.

plundh wrote:I chose the 6700 cause I want the fastest single core possible, so I'd rather change the case instead of the CPU if it's too hot.

The 6700 may like beefier coolers than the Kotetsu/True Spirit i/M, nonetheless those ones are not either unsuitable or unsatisfactory: the CPU would just run safe and quiet (I mean, well within "specs"), but it might do that a tad warmer (I mean, within a bit more restricted boundary conditions, with less... "headroom").

plundh
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Re: [250D vs Node 304] airflow in a small, quiet workstation

Post by plundh » Wed Apr 06, 2016 2:40 pm

That's very encouraging. I'll have to consider I go with the tiny Mets, or with a 250D that's a bit easier to work with and has more potential to add stuff later on. The 304 has sadly been vetoed for looking too much like a microwave. Thanks for the input!

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Re: [250D vs Node 304] airflow in a small, quiet workstation

Post by merlyn » Thu Apr 07, 2016 1:30 pm

My main system is built around a 250D
i7-4770S IGP which also has 65W TDP
Seasonic 400FL
Noctua NH-L9I with a Noctua NF-B9 as the CPU HSF
an mSATA and a couple of SSDs
slimline optical

I think it's a good case. There's absolutely tons of space. The CPU is easy to cool. I've used a kind of clear vinyl to cover up the vents down each side and underneath and only run the front case fan. dust filter works well, it's my first positive pressure build for a very long time.
The cooler could have been bigger tbh, I ordered it before I knew what the case was going to be, hence the deeper CPU fan. Both fans run minimum rpm most of the time and are effectively inaudible. Only time they really stretch their legs are if i fire up some Windows vm's or play around with LINPACK.

plundh
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Re: [250D vs Node 304] airflow in a small, quiet workstation

Post by plundh » Mon May 02, 2016 3:49 pm

I've been doing some more thinking, and I'll probably be going with the Ncase M1 instead! The 250D feels unnecessarily big for this purpose, and the Node 304 doesn't seem to have any advantages, plus it doesn't look as good as the M1. So it will most likely be the following:

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K
Cooler: Noctua NH-C14
Motherboard: Asus Z170I PRO GAMING
Memory: G.Skill Aegis 32GB (2 x 16GB)
Storage: Samsung 950 PRO 512GB
Case: NCASE M1
PSU: be quiet! DARK POWER PRO 11 550W
Case fans: none!
  • I picked the PSU cause it seems like just about the quietest you can get. At 180mm it should barely fit. Here's a picture of a 170mm one.
  • Using an ATX PSU should let me use both fans on the C14
  • Since the C14 will be right at the inntake, I'm hoping those fans will be enough. The M1 is well ventilated on the top and back, so the positive pressure should be sufficient to vent the air.
  • If she wishes to get a GPU later, she can get a short one. This is not super likely, and she won't need a beefy one, so I picked this compromise.
Is this a rational build? I would love a second opinon before I pull the trigger on this case.

lodestar
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Re: [250D vs Node 304] airflow in a small, quiet workstation

Post by lodestar » Mon May 02, 2016 4:49 pm

You could consider the Corsair RM550x PSU. It is semi-passive so the fan won't even spin at low to moderate loads. And it is only 160mm long. The NH-C14S cooler with PWM fan would be a better match for the motherboard. The older NH-C14 with its 3-pin fans would be more of a challenge noise-wise.

NCASEdesign
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Re: [250D vs Node 304] airflow in a small, quiet workstation

Post by NCASEdesign » Mon May 02, 2016 6:30 pm

lodestar wrote:The NH-C14S cooler with PWM fan would be a better match for the motherboard. The older NH-C14 with its 3-pin fans would be more of a challenge noise-wise.
Do note that the NH-C14S is taller than the NH-C14, and because of that it won't fit in the M1 with its top-mounted fan.

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Re: [250D vs Node 304] airflow in a small, quiet workstation

Post by lodestar » Mon May 02, 2016 7:17 pm

It will fit if the fan is placed underneath the cooler rather than on top.

quest_for_silence
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Re: [250D vs Node 304] airflow in a small, quiet workstation

Post by quest_for_silence » Mon May 02, 2016 9:58 pm

lodestar wrote:It will fit if the fan is placed underneath the cooler rather than on top.

Though that way it won't blow the mobo.

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Re: [250D vs Node 304] airflow in a small, quiet workstation

Post by quest_for_silence » Mon May 02, 2016 10:06 pm

plundh wrote:Is this a rational build? I would love a second opinon before I pull the trigger on this case.

From a rational stand point, it would seem to me that:
  • the three internal fans would need at the very least one exhaust case fan;
  • if you won't have an external graphics, and you likely can't have with the 180mm P11, that P11 is a huge waste of space and money.

plundh
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Re: [250D vs Node 304] airflow in a small, quiet workstation

Post by plundh » Tue May 03, 2016 12:46 am

lodestar wrote:The NH-C14S cooler with PWM fan would be a better match for the motherboard. The older NH-C14 with its 3-pin fans would be more of a challenge noise-wise.
According to the SCPR review, the fans spin up at 600 rpm, which they said was pretty quiet. With the C14S it'd lose the opportunity to put a fan right at the intake vent, and to use two fans. Would that really be worth the tradeoff?
quest_for_silence wrote:if you won't have an external graphics, and you likely can't have with the 180mm P11, that P11 is a huge waste of space and money.
In this case, any PSU bigger than a non-modular 140mm will forfeit a big GPU. Here is a 140mm model. But since I'm likely to be exceeding that size anyways, I just picked the big one that seemed the quietest judging from reviews and comments I've read. If there is one that's both cheaper and as quiet, I'll certainly look into that instead.

And If there exists a real quiet one at 140mm, I could certainly use that one and try to be OK with the cable management. Any suggestions for either of the possibilities? The landscape of PSU's is still very unclear to me, and few reviews seem to put much emphasis on noise levels.
lodestar wrote:You could consider the Corsair RM550x PSU. It is semi-passive so the fan won't even spin at low to moderate loads. And it is only 160mm long.
Thanks, I'll look into that one. I 'd read that some semi-fanless units make a ruckus when they constantly start and stop, so I initially shied away from that.
quest_for_silence wrote: the three internal fans would need at the very least one exhaust case fan;
OK. I should be able to fit a 120mm next to the noctua for exhaust. Though I'm having trouble understanding why this setup, with vents on top and in the back, would need an extra exhaust where other positive pressure setups do not. For example, you suggested running the 250D with just one intake earlier as a possibility. Could you please clarify?

Really appreciate the input. Having fun learning about this stuff :D

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Re: [250D vs Node 304] airflow in a small, quiet workstation

Post by Wild Penguin » Tue May 03, 2016 10:28 am

quest_for_silence wrote:
lodestar wrote:It will fit if the fan is placed underneath the cooler rather than on top.

Though that way it won't blow the mobo.
Maybe I'm missing something, but I believe it does, unless the installer does not change the orientation (it can be changed in any case)!

I own the NH-C14 and per default the fan(s) will blow top-down (towards the MB). EDIT: I just realized you might have meant NH-C14S, which may differ in this regards, but from the looks of the pictures, there is nothing preventing from turning the fan around.

(another question is, does it matter if a fan is sucking or blowing trough a heatsink - if it does, I guess the effect will be minimal...).

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Re: [250D vs Node 304] airflow in a small, quiet workstation

Post by Wild Penguin » Tue May 03, 2016 10:43 am

plundh wrote:
lodestar wrote:The NH-C14S cooler with PWM fan would be a better match for the motherboard. The older NH-C14 with its 3-pin fans would be more of a challenge noise-wise.
According to the SCPR review, the fans spin up at 600 rpm, which they said was pretty quiet. With the C14S it'd lose the opportunity to put a fan right at the intake vent, and to use two fans. Would that really be worth the tradeoff?
In my opinion, many decent (or ... not-so-decent) fans can be silent even in voltage-controlled mode with their lowest voltage settings (or near it). This is definitely the case on the NH-C14, or it's 140mm fan(s), which I own. But this is not the case for all fans.

The whole idea of PWM if that you will get more adjustable range because the response is more linear (than with voltage controlled) and there is no minimum value (but with voltage-control, each fan will have a min voltage for starting and another one when the fan will stop). OTOH, some users/reviews report some PWM fans emitting clicking and other noises from the circuit - even though the same fans will not make the noises in voltage controlled mode! So it is a bit of a mixed up issue, with some users vowing for voltage fan control only. Personally, I have never had any PWM-circuit related noise issues.

In case there is an alternative that is exactly similar in every other regard, except the other having PWM, and you plan on using FAN control (BIOS or software), choose PWM. For most use cases, either one will be fine.
plundh wrote:
quest_for_silence wrote: the three internal fans would need at the very least one exhaust case fan;
OK. I should be able to fit a 120mm next to the noctua for exhaust. Though I'm having trouble understanding why this setup, with vents on top and in the back, would need an extra exhaust where other positive pressure setups do not. For example, you suggested running the 250D with just one intake earlier as a possibility. Could you please clarify?
I think the rationale here behind what quest_for_silence said is the fact that without any exhaust or intake fans, you are still relying only on passive conduction of generated heat (mostly). Air (moved by the fans inside case) will stop quite fast in the PC case - especially if they hit a grill while only moving at a low speed. So you will be mostly circulating the same air trought the fans. You really need a large(ish) pressure gradient at some point in the case wall, which can be achieved with a single exhaust (or intake) fan (at low RPM).

EDIT: some nitbits

EDIT2: I took a look at pictures of the NCASE M1... with your config you might do fine with just the CPU cooler. But an exhaust fan at low RPM won't add much noise in any case .... and usually, more fans will equal more cooling efficiency per generated noise in most situations. From the quick look at the case, I think an exhaust at the back or top would make most sense in this configuration.

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Re: [250D vs Node 304] airflow in a small, quiet workstation

Post by quest_for_silence » Tue May 03, 2016 1:30 pm

plundh wrote:
quest_for_silence wrote:if you won't have an external graphics, and you likely can't have with the 180mm P11, that P11 is a huge waste of space and money.
In this case, any PSU bigger than a non-modular 140mm will forfeit a big GPU. Here is a 140mm model. But since I'm likely to be exceeding that size anyways, I just picked the big one that seemed the quietest judging from reviews and comments I've read. If there is one that's both cheaper and as quiet, I'll certainly look into that instead.

And If there exists a real quiet one at 140mm, I could certainly use that one and try to be OK with the cable management. Any suggestions for either of the possibilities? The landscape of PSU's is still very unclear to me, and few reviews seem to put much emphasis on noise levels.

The P11 is definitely the ultimate 550W power supply (particularly for the silent crowd), so nothing wrong with it, I like it.

On the other hand you won't need a 550W power supply, while, if you should ever need a 550W power supply, you wouldn't be able to fit a P11 (at least, without compromising the whole rig low noise signature). Given it's probably the most expensive 550W PSU, but the Enermax Digifanless, I tend to see it as a waste in your specific case: if you don't care, no questions.

Said that, if you think she won't ever need anything more power-hungry than a discrete 60-80W TDP GPU, personally I'd give a chance to a cheap and modest SFX power supply like the Silverstone SST-ST30SF, or maybe like the new Corsair SF450. At most I'd look at a 400W be quiet E10.
I'm expecting the relevant noise levels as satisfactory, but that's just a somewhat educated guess.

plundh wrote:
quest_for_silence wrote:the three internal fans would need at the very least one exhaust case fan;
OK. I should be able to fit a 120mm next to the noctua for exhaust. Though I'm having trouble understanding why this setup, with vents on top and in the back, would need an extra exhaust where other positive pressure setups do not.

Any forced-air cooling system requires some (forced) airflow. This depends mostly on the internal fans A.T.R. (air-through-radiator) flow, the total amount of heat generated within the enclosure and on the maximum temperature rise (over the inlet/ambient one) permitted.
Otherwise your internal fans will recirculate hot air, which will become hotter and hotter over time.

Said that, with such a modest heat, I guess it won't be a serious problem to provide a tiny airflow with a very slow fan, which you won't notice over the Noctua P14 fans.


EDIT: very lately I noted that I somehow forgot to address the below quoted point: I beg your pardon (and I apologize to NCASEdesign too, who already commented my answer).
plundh wrote:For example, you suggested running the 250D with just one intake earlier as a possibility. Could you please clarify?

As far as I can see the 250D is differently laid down and with a separate PSU intake: in that case (pun not intended) either a front intake or some rear exhaust seem enough. In your scenario my guess was that a single rear exhaust could have been the less noticeable option, noise-wise (though different schemes, like either a bottom or side intake fan, would seem other viable options).
Last edited by quest_for_silence on Tue May 03, 2016 11:12 pm, edited 3 times in total.

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Re: [250D vs Node 304] airflow in a small, quiet workstation

Post by quest_for_silence » Tue May 03, 2016 1:35 pm

Wild Penguin wrote:you might have meant NH-C14S, which may differ in this regards

Yes, I was referring to a NH-C14S and to a fan push setup.

Wild Penguin wrote:(another question is, does it matter if a fan is sucking or blowing trough a heatsink - if it does, I guess the effect will be minimal...).

Somewhat differently from your guess, usually it's always preferable a push (through the radiator) setup, as the effect isn't that negligible, and particularly with hot CPUs like an 8-threads Core i7.

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Re: [250D vs Node 304] airflow in a small, quiet workstation

Post by lodestar » Tue May 03, 2016 2:51 pm

plundh wrote:According to the SCPR review, the fans spin up at 600 rpm, which they said was pretty quiet. With the C14S it'd lose the opportunity to put a fan right at the intake vent, and to use two fans. Would that really be worth the tradeoff?
The original C14 must date back at least five to six years and like all Noctua coolers of that era was fitted with 3 pin fans. Getting them down to speeds like 600 rpm was not easy. Under Asus BIOS motherboard the lowest you could go at that time was the equivalent of about 7V giving minimum speeds of more like 750 rpm. So 600 rpm must have been at something like 6V or 5V. The C14S is fitted with the Noctua NF-A14 140mm PWM fan and under BIOS control (Silent mode) you could expect to see idle speeds in the 350 to 450 rpm range, depending on ambient temperature. Using Noctua's Fan Xpert software would lead to a reduction of around 100 rpm. As already mentioned the best way to use this cooler would be to have the fan in the underneath position blowing upwards through the cooler and outwards through the external grill. The clearance of 15mm between the cooler and grill is OK for this purpose.

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Re: [250D vs Node 304] airflow in a small, quiet workstation

Post by quest_for_silence » Tue May 03, 2016 2:56 pm

lodestar wrote:Getting them down to speeds like 600 rpm was not easy.

Now it's easier: I run mines at around 200rpm at idle with Speedfan (Fan Xpert 3 should work too).

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Re: [250D vs Node 304] airflow in a small, quiet workstation

Post by Wild Penguin » Tue May 03, 2016 3:20 pm

lodestar wrote:
plundh wrote:According to the SCPR review, the fans spin up at 600 rpm, which they said was pretty quiet. With the C14S it'd lose the opportunity to put a fan right at the intake vent, and to use two fans. Would that really be worth the tradeoff?
The original C14 must date back at least five to six years and like all Noctua coolers of that era was fitted with 3 pin fans. Getting them down to speeds like 600 rpm was not easy. Under Asus BIOS motherboard the lowest you could go at that time was the equivalent of about 7V giving minimum speeds of more like 750 rpm. So 600 rpm must have been at something like 6V or 5V. The C14S is fitted with the Noctua NF-A14 140mm PWM fan and under BIOS control (Silent mode) you could expect to see idle speeds in the 350 to 450 rpm range, depending on ambient temperature. Using Noctua's Fan Xpert software would lead to a reduction of around 100 rpm. As already mentioned the best way to use this cooler would be to have the fan in the underneath position blowing upwards through the cooler and outwards through the external grill. The clearance of 15mm between the cooler and grill is OK for this purpose.
I mostly use software fan control in Linux. With that is is also quite easy to get to ~220rpm with the aforementioned non-PWM 140mm fans that came with the NH-C14 (that is the minimum the fans will work at, lowering the voltage more may stop it). Also my current ASUS BIOS can not get that low, but much lower still what you say. But BIOS fan controls do differ between manucaturers, model and age - the 140mm fan is by no means silent at 7v! So overall, PWM control is a safer bet.

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Re: [250D vs Node 304] airflow in a small, quiet workstation

Post by quest_for_silence » Tue May 03, 2016 3:58 pm

Wild Penguin wrote:I mostly use software fan control in Linux.

OT: I guess I already asked you, which one do you use?

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Re: [250D vs Node 304] airflow in a small, quiet workstation

Post by NCASEdesign » Tue May 03, 2016 7:07 pm

quest_for_silence wrote: Any forced-air cooling system requires some (forced) airflow. This depends mostly on the internal fans A.T.R. (air-through-radiator) flow, the total amount of heat generated within the enclosure and on the maximum temperature rise (over the inlet/ambient one) permitted.
Otherwise your internal fans will recirculate hot air, which will become hotter and hotter over time.
it helps to understand how the M1 is laid out and why you might not necessarily need exhaust fans. See this pic for example:

Image

This shows an NH-C14 and two 120mm fans on the side bracket configured as intakes, and a rear 92mm fan as exhaust (the maximum size supported; this is also a slim model to clear the cooler's heatpipes). Because the side fans draw air directly from outside, there's no recirculation. The rear 92mm fan isn't strictly necessary, since the having both fans as intakes produces slight overpressure inside the case and air will exhaust passively through the (fully ventilated) top panel and rear. Note that there's no space for a top exhaust fan anyway.

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Re: [250D vs Node 304] airflow in a small, quiet workstation

Post by quest_for_silence » Tue May 03, 2016 10:52 pm

NCASEdesign wrote:Because the side fans draw air directly from outside, there's no recirculation. The rear 92mm fan isn't strictly necessary, since the having both fans as intakes produces slight overpressure inside the case and air will exhaust passively through the (fully ventilated) top panel and rear.

Thanks for your comment. As far as you can say, would an M1 system work as well, thermal-wise, whether such a systems didn't sport both the rear A9x14 and the farthest (from the cooler) iPPC fans?

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Re: [250D vs Node 304] airflow in a small, quiet workstation

Post by NCASEdesign » Tue May 03, 2016 11:50 pm

quest_for_silence wrote:Thanks for your comment. As far as you can say, would an M1 system work as well, thermal-wise, whether such a systems didn't sport both the rear A9x14 and the farthest (from the cooler) iPPC fans?
It's unlikely to make much difference to CPU temperatures, but the additional fans may have some impact on overall case temperature and temperature of secondary components (HDD, motherboard, etc.).

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Re: [250D vs Node 304] airflow in a small, quiet workstation

Post by plundh » Wed May 04, 2016 12:55 am

Thanks for the insightful comments everyone, really appreciate it! I guess the obvious solution for me is just trying it out without an extra fan first, and adding one in later if I feel the need to :)

I'll also see if I can find a more simple PSU model, though I'd really like a modular one since I'll hardly be using any cables anyways.

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Re: [250D vs Node 304] airflow in a small, quiet workstation

Post by NCASEdesign » Wed May 04, 2016 5:55 am

If you'll be using an ATX power supply, I should point out that you'll only be able to use one fan on the side anyway, since the PSU is mounted across the case (using a different bracket for ATX PSUs):

Image

The previous image showed an SFX PSU installed, which leaves the front-side free.

Also, the PSU you've selected, the Dark Power Pro 11 550W, is relatively long for the case (180mm); while it will technically fit, the modular power connectors will have little room at the bottom. I recommend a PSU no longer than 160mm.

One more thing to be aware of with regard to PSU selection is the orientation of the AC socket, which can prevent the left-angle power cable from being inserted due to the proximity of the chassis frame. See this image for clarification. The Dark Power Pro appears to run afoul here, as well, so another reason to look for a different power supply.

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Re: [250D vs Node 304] airflow in a small, quiet workstation

Post by ntavlas » Wed May 04, 2016 8:58 am

At top exhaust fan could be helpful, especially if a gpu is added later. I wonder if it would be worth it going for a more compact cpu heatsink (like in the second picture posted) to make room for a case fan. Working with a huge cooler in a small case can be a pain which is also something to consider (though it can also be very rewarding).

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Re: [250D vs Node 304] airflow in a small, quiet workstation

Post by plundh » Wed May 04, 2016 9:52 am

NCASEdesign wrote:If you'll be using an ATX power supply, I should point out that you'll only be able to use one fan on the side anyway, since the PSU is mounted across the case (using a different bracket for ATX PSUs):

image

The previous image showed an SFX PSU installed, which leaves the front-side free.

Also, the PSU you've selected, the Dark Power Pro 11 550W, is relatively long for the case (180mm); while it will technically fit, the modular power connectors will have little room at the bottom. I recommend a PSU no longer than 160mm.

One more thing to be aware of with regard to PSU selection is the orientation of the AC socket, which can prevent the left-angle power cable from being inserted due to the proximity of the chassis frame. See this image for clarification. The Dark Power Pro appears to run afoul here, as well, so another reason to look for a different power supply.
Thanks for pointing that out. I'll probably be going for a RM500x instead (160mm), or perhaps an SFX sized one to leave more space (I'd have to sacrifice one of the CPU fans, but it would also free up the other 120mm spot for outtake).
ntavlas wrote:At top exhaust fan could be helpful, especially if a gpu is added later. I wonder if it would be worth it going for a more compact cpu heatsink (like in the second picture posted) to make room for a case fan. Working with a huge cooler in a small case can be a pain which is also something to consider (though it can also be very rewarding).
The C14 seems to fit so perfectly it's hard to resist :)

Wild Penguin
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Joined: Mon Jul 01, 2013 3:30 pm

Re: [250D vs Node 304] airflow in a small, quiet workstation

Post by Wild Penguin » Fri Jun 03, 2016 8:01 am

quest_for_silence wrote:
Wild Penguin wrote:I mostly use software fan control in Linux.

OT: I guess I already asked you, which one do you use?
Sorry for a let reply (I got preoccupied by something else and then forgot). But I use a program I've modified for my personal use from this project: http://fan-ctrl.sourceforge.net/. I've also tried the script that comes with lm_sensors, but that didn't quite suite my needs. fan-ctrl was close, but I added some features for my personal use (the code is a mess so I will probably not release it, unless I get the code into a sensible state, which it is not currently - and even then I'd contact the author if he'd like to incorporate the changes).

Las time I did some googling, I found a plethora of abandoned / inactive fan controlling projects for Linux (which I did no try). I think there is a need for "speedfan killer app" for Linux :lol:

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