I'm building my first desktop PC and want to make sure the clearance between my MSI RTX 5070 Ti Gaming Trio OC and the rear of the front intake fans in my Fractal Meshify 3 case won't cause problems. There's only about 11 mm of space between the GPU and the fans. Could this restrict airflow or create any other issues, or is that amount of clearance generally safe?
2 Answers
I wouldn’t be too concerned. The important thing is that the front fans can still push air toward and underneath the GPU rather than being completely blocked by it. A GPU sitting roughly level with one of the front fans is common, and having additional fans above and below it should still provide useful airflow.
That gap should be fine, and similar setups usually work without problems. Once the build is finished, check your GPU temperatures under load to confirm the airflow is adequate.
Three 120 mm front fans should be fine in that arrangement; one may line up with the GPU while the others sit above and below it. Just verify the temperatures after installation.