I was thinking about a future build and I know most cases can usually handle a 280 rad and because of this can also do 2 x 120 rads. So I was wondering if there would be an advantage to doing the 2 x 120 over a sing 280? My thought is that you would be able to cool the liquid at least a little bit between water blocks, but also it seems like it would be moot because the system will end up in thermal equilibrium regardless and you would be sacrificing surface area. Any thoughts would be great.
Discussion 2 x 120 or 1 x 280 rad
- Thread starter rbrinson2
- Start date
My brief thoughts:
1. Most SFF cases do not usually handle a 280. Many (not most) can handle a 240.
2. 2x120 is better compared to 1x240. A 280 is more like 2x140.
3. It is right that using two 120 rads (eg rad->cpu->rad->gpu) can feed each component with cooler liquid than using a single large rad. But the thermal benefit is small to moderate, not huge. The entire system will be in thermal equilibrium but if each component is considered, there is still some advantage individually. Whether the benefit is big enough to justify, it is subjective.
4. I would say, there are other factors that might outweigh this 2x120 vs 1x240 consideration. For instance, ease of building or loop complexity. Using two rads means more fittings, tubings...etc and might increase leakage risk and consume more space (critical in a SFF case).
5. In conclusion, if you go for 'extreme/ultimate' cooling for each component, I would go for 2x120. For all else, just go for a 1x240 (or 1x280), for simplicity sake.
1. Most SFF cases do not usually handle a 280. Many (not most) can handle a 240.
2. 2x120 is better compared to 1x240. A 280 is more like 2x140.
3. It is right that using two 120 rads (eg rad->cpu->rad->gpu) can feed each component with cooler liquid than using a single large rad. But the thermal benefit is small to moderate, not huge. The entire system will be in thermal equilibrium but if each component is considered, there is still some advantage individually. Whether the benefit is big enough to justify, it is subjective.
4. I would say, there are other factors that might outweigh this 2x120 vs 1x240 consideration. For instance, ease of building or loop complexity. Using two rads means more fittings, tubings...etc and might increase leakage risk and consume more space (critical in a SFF case).
5. In conclusion, if you go for 'extreme/ultimate' cooling for each component, I would go for 2x120. For all else, just go for a 1x240 (or 1x280), for simplicity sake.
Awesome! That about sums it up. That makes a lot of sense about the fitting issue. It was something I thought about, but only kind of in passing and not that it could be an actual problem. It would probably be fun from a "huh, that was kind of cool and different" perspective, but I get what you're saying in that the benefits, if any, would be too slight to make practical. Also considering my skill level with water loops and SFF build being almost non-existent, simplicity is for the best.
