Hey everyone! I consider myself a bit of a beginner in PC building, but I've made some good upgrades so far. Recently, after upgrading my CPU and motherboard, I noticed that my CPU temperatures are climbing too high. I'm thinking about switching to a liquid CPU cooler but I'm not sure if there's enough space in my case. Is it okay to mount the liquid cooler fans directly on top of my existing case fans? Or should I consider removing some of the case fans to make room? Any advice would be appreciated!
5 Answers
What's your current hardware setup and temperatures? Most AIOs should have you attach the fans first, then mount the radiator to the case. Double stacking fans (fan/rad/fan) can work, but usually, it’s not necessary and your case needs to support it. Be cautious with top mounting, as you might run into space issues with the motherboard or RAM.
From what I've observed, front mounting the radiator and fans typically gives you cooler CPU temps but can raise the GPU temps, while top mounting may warm up the CPU a bit but keeps the GPU cooler. I opted for a top mount myself due to space issues, and it’s been working just fine.
You can actually use the fans from your AIO (All-in-One) cooler just like case fans. If you take out your case fans, you can mount the AIO's radiator in the same spot and attach its fans to it, or you could even keep the case fans and just use the AIO fans instead. It's pretty flexible!
Thanks for the info!
What do you consider "too hot"? A good cooler like the PA120 can fix most overheating problems for around $30. You might not even need an AIO cooler, just sharing what I've learned from my own experience.
I've been hitting around 85 to 90 at full load, using my old Hyper 212 cooler. I didn't feel the need for an upgrade, but I've noticed it getting quite hot.
If you're top mounting your AIO, it’s best to have the fans exhausting hot air out of the case. This helps maintain good airflow and keeps your components cool.
I've seen my temps hit around 90 degrees under full load.