oh hallo pimprig, i would like to ask a question.

numerous tech sites insist that it's better to pull air off of your radiator than push it. do you agree or disagree or is the difference negligible?

P.S. i am looking forward to sharing pictures of my system with everyone. i cannot wait to get a digital camera. i do not want to include webcam pictures (ew). i have an old enlight case and i have watercooled my CPU from 1667 MHz to 2 GHz. I also have a 400 MHz FSB *grin*.

THANK YOU EVERYONE.

I've got 2 fans in a push pull config on my radiator which can be controlled independently from a rheobus. If there is a difference in performance my temp monitor is not sensitive enough to detect it.

Assuming your rad is in the case, it would prolly be better to pull in fresh air from outside of the case and pass it through the rad, rather then push the slightly warmer air inside the case through it.

Quote: Originally posted by putwig You will fight to remove heat from your CPU, yet turn around and dump all that heat back into the system. If you are purely trying to cool the CPU, you are absolutely correct ...... but I think we all agree that no-one is out to cool the CPU alone! Most of us have very good case airflow, and would seldom have case temps greater than 4-5 degrees Celsius above ambient, so the slightly increased temp of using case air to cool the rad would be minimal. The ideal situation would be rad and fan external to the case. The next best would be rad and fan ducted with air flow isolated from case air flow (my preferred choice, and the one I currently use). The next best, rad and fan as exhaust. Slightly warmer case air is used to cool the rad, but heat permanently leaves the system. Dead last, the rad and fan as intake. Cool air hits the rad, but all the heat is dumped back into the case.

Courtesy of putwig in the Crossover WS-5 Mission II Water Cooling Kit Review thread

well said putwig...c/o jcarkeys
My vote would have to be external with a push-pull fan setup

I have had my rad set up if both configurations & I was reading the same temps for pulling outside air thru the rad, or pushing outside air thru the rad.

edit: it is true that I am dumping warmed air into my case, but then I have 5 80mm fans also blowing into my case with one 120mm exausting from the top. My case temps are (right now) 33.5C, and the CPU is at 35.5C

External w/ push-pull
25.5C case32.0C.cpu f@a 100%

Um guys. The question was just push vs. pull. Not exhaust vs. intake. The answer to your question is "negligable". Just mount using what works best for you case and system.

Intake vs. exhaust is matter of some debate. External is always the best option as you avoid the problem completely. Mounted internally exhaust gives better case temps. Intake gives better cpu temps. In my case I don't mind giving up less than 1 degree increase in case temps to gain 2 or 3 degree better cpu temps by going intake. But like Rokk I have plenty of additional case cooling. And my radiator is mounted low, not high. That's something you'd have to experiment with to see what's best for you.

Not all systems are equal and one solution does not fit all. I've flipped every fan in my case to see what difference it makes if any. And stuck with the one that works out best. Simply reversing the rear case fans can make a huge difference in case temps when a top blow hole is present. Contrary to popular belief, a smooth air flow from front to back does not cool as well as a turbulent air flow. And positive pressure is always more efficient than negative airflow. Experiment.

Quickey jack, anti what is positive pressure again, more in than out?

yes, more in than going out in a case is possitive pressure.

With negative pressure your exuahst fans are scavenging for air.

regarding putwig's c/ped comment, i agree that logically that's the correct hierarchy for what kind of fan/radiator configuration is best, owing to the rules that were given.

but i still get better temps with the radiator and fan as intake (weird) oh well...

i theorize that it's just because the radiator/fan combo is my only intake, and i have two high cfm exhausts, one rear, one blowie.

and some other factors, such as exhaust for some reason has a wider diameter airflow than 120 mm which is incidentally the size of the my front intake, and therefore airflow is impeded.

yet pulling air in has perfect matching diameter, therefore better airflow...

omg, there's a 5 degree celsius difference btw. exhaust and intake...pretty significant.

......

BEN WAS RIGHT^^^

I agree with AnitM I have tried both. Just do what works best for your caswe setup. I have not had any difference on my temp. Push vs. Pull??????????

Push or pull... doesn't really matter. As long as you have a fresh supply of ambient air flowing across the radiator.

JallieCakez, please dont just post another time if you need to add something else to say, just use the edit button at the bottom right of your post, that would be much appreciated.

Gadget01,
Welcome to Pimprig,
It's always good to hear from the boys in Europe.
Hopefully you can help me with the writings on the Innovatech site.

Well, with the pull and push question, it all comes down to what makes sense. The more "air to surface contact " you have, the more efficient the cooling will be.

Now, if the air is pushed around the surface, the air will only hit the front and sides of the surface then disapate.

Now if the air is pulled, it generally gets pulled in a strait line. Which means, the air has to go totally around any surface it comes in contact with.

Which means air being pulled has more " surface to air contact " = higher efficiency

Xphobe,
I have tried both ways in real world applications.
This is just not true.
There is an inmeasurable amount of difference between push or pull in actual coolant temperatures.
Air is going to be ''blown'' in a more direct route on the outlet, than scavenged on the intake side, from anywhere it can get it
Proof is to hold a piece of smoldering cotton, in front of the fan intake. You will see alot of turbulence before it gets up to speed and moves to the pressure side of the fan blades, I belive this is called the vortex and that is also where fan noise is created.
The only thing, I could find to reach within one degree C. of ambient, on my actual coolant temp was to use 4 x 120mm hi-perfomance fans in a push-pull configuration.
Irregaurdless of ambient, this set-up affords between one half and 1 degree C. difference in coolant to ambient temps, measured with identical twinn LianLi themometers.
By the way...Welcome to Pimprig, enjoy!