I'm helping a friend build a PC using some leftover parts I have. He's going with the Cougar CFV235 case and I'm donating a 240mm AIO cooler. I'm planning to mount the AIO on the side with the tubes facing down for aesthetics, while using 3 intake fans at the bottom, 3 exhaust fans on top, and 1 exhaust at the rear. I think having the side-mounted AIO as an intake makes sense, even if it pulls warmer air through the radiator, but I'm looking for advice on whether that's the best orientation or if there are better options out there. The build will include a Ryzen 7700X and an MSI Gaming Slim 4070 Super.
1 Answer
There's always a bit of compromise with these setups. If you place the AIO on top, it might not look as great, but it gives you the best performance. Mounting it on the side as an intake with the top and back as exhaust is solid for cooling, even if the air coming through the rad is slightly warmer. Just keep in mind that if you have the fans facing the inside of the case, it could be louder due to the radiator and struts affecting acoustics. If you do choose to set it as an exhaust on the side, just be prepared for a potential dust issue if your intake fans aren't up to par. You could also consider having the side-mounted AIO as exhaust with top intake fans to balance it out, but that might increase noise a bit.
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