I've got five Arctic P12 fans set up in my PC—three for intake at the bottom and one each for exhaust at the rear and top. As I've been tweaking my fan curves, I'm wondering whether I should prioritize increasing the power of my exhaust fans, intake fans, or keep them all running at the same speed. I'm using a dual tower cooler, and my GPU only has one fan, which doesn't impede the airflow from the bottom fans. What's the best setup?
4 Answers
If your intake fans are properly filtered, I’d suggest running more intake. A positive pressure setup helps reduce dust buildup inside your case, which is pretty handy.
In my opinion, your setup should focus on getting enough air blowing in to ensure good exhaust flow, even without any dedicated exhaust fans. However, having an exhaust fan really helps speed up air exchange. Just keep in mind that if you emphasize exhaust too much, it might stall airflow through your PSU, or even draw heat back into the case.
What you're really looking for is a smooth airflow from front to back in your case. If your fans aren't placed in a balanced arrangement, no matter how much power you give your intake or exhaust, they'll be ineffective.
Unfortunately, my case doesn’t support front fans because that’s where the PSU is.
It's pretty common for setups to have more intake fans than exhaust. Unless you’re only using one fan, then it makes sense for that to be an exhaust fan instead.
Got it, thanks!