Fan setup in Silverstone ML06-E

locojoco

Minimal Tinkerer
Original poster
Feb 20, 2018
3
0
First time poster here. Many thanks to everyone providing such great discussion and inspiration around SFF projects on this site! I figure there must be someone out there with a similar build (or just general experience), but can't seem to find the right existing post.

I just put together a pretty plain jane HTPC. Everything running stock - and so far, so good.

I built in a Silverstone ML06-E, which came with a Silverstone slim 120 mm fan on top. I started to swap it out with a Noctua NF-A12x15 thinking I would quietly blow more air over the whole setup and out the side. But then realized that it just touches the stock Wraith Stealth cooler that came with the Ryzen 3 2200G. I'm switching to the NH-L9a-AM4 cooler in a couple of days, but even then there will only be ~ 13 mm of clearance.

My general question is -> does it even make sense to have two fans that close to each other (i.e., 13 mm clearance)? It just doesn't seem right for some reason. Should I just give up on the idea of a big fan on top altogether?

There is an option to have 2 x 80 mm fans on the side, and I have seen one build like that - set up for exhaust. Is that a better option? Would it make more sense for them to be intake? Or maybe this is all just overkill?

My main goal is to minimize noise and cat fur getting in the box with an active fan setup.

Any constructive advice on this highly controversial subject greatly appreciated.

Specs:

Case: Silverstone ML06-E
Mobo: ASRock Fatality AB350 Gaming-ITX/ac (running 4.43 BIOS)
CPU: Ryzen 3 2200G
Cooler: Stock Wraith Stealth, but moving to Noctua L9a-AM4
RAM: Kingston HyperX Fury 2666 2x4
PSU: Silverstone 300W SFX
Primary drive: Samsung 960 EVO M.2

 

AleksandarK

/dev/null
May 14, 2017
703
774
If you have a 120mm on top, drawing the cool air in, you can put one 80mm fan as an exaust, but considering that there is a PSU fan too, than you can put two 80mm fans as exaust. That way, you are balancing the air going in and air going out.

If it doesnt help with temperatures much, it will at least keep the hot air mostly out and wont allow your PC to heat up over time.