I'm finding my graphics card is always the hottest component in my pc, granted it doesn't have a pa120.2 cooling it, and with a non reffrence design card it never will do. With the level of all in ones though, it seems the gpu should be the target of the cooling. I've thought about the best way to cool a gpu, but come up blank. So, I ask you, what would the definitive arrangement be to keep a gpu as cool and as quite as possible? Open air? Fans channeling air over it? Forcing air into its intake fan?
Aside from all the general stuff for good temps; a side fan can do a lot for GPU temps. However, it's possibly adding a bit of noise, too. Since it's one more source of noise by it's own and the side panel needs to be opened up, allowing more "noise to leak out". The best way to cool a GPU is to get one with a good cooler in the first place, replace it with an aftermarket VGA cooler ... or watercool it.
adding an extra fan aimed at the fan already on the card works very well if in conjunction with a fan controller, but the side panel does not nescesarily need to stay open. just glue a few bolts to it to raise it off the floor of the case , install msi afterburner or similair, hook up fan and you should be good. i have my current case set up leke this, and its proved to be a life saver when in somewhat heavy gaming. but make sure that psu can handle the xtra fan and the stock cooler on max. you dont need to remove side panel, as you are simply redirecting normally unused air to the card. if you have more than one card, do the same, but add one mounted to side panel blowing air btween cards, or at front of case from in front of cards. if you mount it on the panel you need to drill a few holes. nothing to serious. sorry if i ranted a tad. and MAKE SURE its blowing AT the CARDS. had to remount mine due to this mistake if done with a good fan it should keep them nice and frosty if not on something like jc2 on max settings with 3 high res monitor or a tv screen. my grandfather pulled a dunce and forgot how many more pixels a tv can hold. already toasted three ovclocked 560s because of it till i learned this setup.
Ghetto rig a larger fan to shove some clean air into it, sometimes removing some of the plastic shrouding can help as well.
The above three clearly have never studied fluid or thermal dynamics or convection... In an ideal setting for a vapor chamber cooler (Think high-end EVGA), you'll want to rear of the card on the top of the case. Heat rises, remember? Now, for bringing fresh air in, you'll want a side-intake fan, as well as front, back and bottom intake. Top would be exhaust, likely a single 140mm fan since the motherboard and everything would be facing up. Basically, if you want optimal cooling, remember that heat rises and arrange everything to follow this law. Same rule applies for things like the Gigabyte Windforce coolers. So to recap... OPTIMAL cooling without buying a new heatsink, rotate the case so the "rear" is on top. Front: Intake Rear: Intake Bottom: Intake Side: Intake Top (WHERE THE BACK OF THE MOTHERBOARD IS): Exhaust This set up pulls cool air to all components, and allows hot air's natural flow to aid in exhaust.
au contrare... i have studied this, and will be doing so even more in college... merely said it was redirecting air floiwing along the bottom of the case(nothin being cooled there...) to the fan at the bottom of the card... and yes, i know cards at top is better, but not everyone can just switch the panel around as they dang well please because the case is not made for it. if you do, then by all means they should be on top, but if not... i cant switch around the tray so i have to settle with redirecting unused air to cards... sorry if i seemed a bit on the defensive side there.
Sorry, I could have been clearer. I was asking in an anything goes scenario, so new case design or tweaked existing case.
I pretty much stopped reading when you mentioned leaving the side panel open, but upon rereading it, it seemed you said not to do so. Disregard. You aren't wrong, albeit a little vague. Anyways, OP, I just assumed this was research for a case mod. Is it? I'd love to see the finished product if it is.
Mine too. xD I've collaborated with the fabrication team at my high school in the past. And this community college I'm in (IT Professionals. Getting my CompTIA A+ and Net+) has an industrial welding class, as well as an HVac (Heating and air) class. Once I buy my 7970, I'm definitely going to start up a design for a scratch build and I'll see about making it as a joint class project. I have no real use for it, as I really like my Tempest 410, but my class's server might like it. :3
I didn't mention a 90° mounted mobo, because the OP didn't make clear what case he has and/or if he wants the ideal theoretical cooling or one that fits 99% of the cases you can buy. AFAIK, only a very few number of standard cases have a rotated mobo. So I gave a standard advice for a standard case, since this scenario was most likely to match. Counting in the available (and not available) info that was given. The case I'm working on for a while now has a rotated mobo, too.
