CPU NR200 optimal air cooling setup?

aabbcc

Minimal Tinkerer
Original poster
New User
Jul 24, 2020
4
2
So I'm transplanting my desktop from a define mini c case to the NR200. Since since I currently have 2x 140mm noctua fans as intake I have to sell these and buy 120mm fans anyway. I'm running a ryzen 3600 and a shappire nitro rx 5700xt.

So heres what I'm thinking:
  • 2x top mounted 120mm fans as intake to give fresh air to cpu cooler
  • Add additional NF-F12 fan to the NH-U12S cooler, both fans as exhaust
  • 2x bottom mounted 120mm fans as additional intake to GPU (maybe these are overkill since the nitro 5700xt already has 3x fans?
I was considering having the top mounted fans as exhaust but then I'm afraid the cpu cooler will only get very warm as rising up from the gpu.
So what do yall think? Should I maybe considering orienting the cpu cooler in a different way all togheter?

 

tinyitx

Shrink Ray Wielder
Jan 25, 2018
2,279
2,338
NH-U12S is 158mm tall while NR200 allows 155mm CPU cooler clearance (according to product spec but Optimum Tech says 158mm). So, better double check this.

Having the 2 top fans intaking might not be a good idea as the PSU is exhausting upward and so the 2 airflow paths contradict each other. Maybe you can deploy the side bracket to mount one of your 140mm fans as intake to bring in more fresh ambient air? You probably wont be able to mount two as the other one will likely have conflict with a tall CPU cooler.
 

Odd_Fox

Trash Compacter
Feb 8, 2020
40
24
NH-U12S is 158mm tall while NR200 allows 155mm CPU cooler clearance (according to product spec but Optimum Tech says 158mm). So, better double check this.

Having the 2 top fans intaking might not be a good idea as the PSU is exhausting upward and so the 2 airflow paths contradict each other. Maybe you can deploy the side bracket to mount one of your 140mm fans as intake to bring in more fresh ambient air? You probably wont be able to mount two as the other one will likely have conflict with a tall CPU cooler.
Optimum Tech’s most recent nr200 vid shows the nh-u12a installed, which has the same 158mm height as the nh-u12s. The listed spec may refer the restriction imposed by the side bracket, which Ali notes conflicts with the cooler in the aforementioned vid.

The psu orientation is a good point. If the top fans must run in exhaust, maybe set the cpu cooler to intake as opposed to exhaust. This would prevent cycling warm air from inside the case through the nh-u12s, and its exhaust would conveniently be evacuated by the top fans.

All that being said, NCase M1 guru @M1AF is a major proponent of negative pressure builds centered around a deshrouded/accelero gpu with the fans bellow it set to exhaust. This prevents heat buildup within the case and relies on negative pressure for fresh air intake.
 

ermac318

King of Cable Management
Mar 10, 2019
655
510
Are you getting the mesh panel or the glass one?

Someone recently posted results where if you aren't deshrouding your card, adding a duct with weather stripping, gaffer tape, or 3d printed duct between your GPU's fans and the bottom of the case will reduce temperatures just as much as adding extra bottom fans while creating less noise and costing less. Give something like that a try before adding bottom fans. Just make sure your duct doesn't cover up the top and bottom exhaust areas of the card, and only directs airflow from the bottom of the case into the fan intakes.

I would set the top fans to exhaust and then reverse the CPU cooler fan direction. Have the CPU fan pull air directly from the rear of the case (again, with ducts or an extra case fan on the back if necessary), and then setup your top fans to pull hot air out. If you're using a mesh panel, you could then also add one 140mm exhaust fan to end up with a negative pressure setup, although between the two top exhaust fans and your PSU exhaust, you might be closed to pressure equilibrium if you just have the GPU and CPU fans pulling air in.
 
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aabbcc

Minimal Tinkerer
Original poster
New User
Jul 24, 2020
4
2
Thanks for the advices everyone! After reading through and also getting some feedback on reddit I'm thinking of something like this:

  • 2x top mounted 120mm fans as exhaus
  • Add additional NF-A12x25 fan to the NH-U12S cooler, both fans as intake or skip the Extra NF-A12x25 mounted to the CPU cooler and add a 92mm fan as intakt mounted to the case
  • 2x bottom mounted 120mm fans as additional intake to GPU
  • Potentioanllly an extra Arctic P12 mounted straight to the vented side panel as intake


 

scatterforce

Master of Cramming
May 21, 2018
408
325
The Scythe Fuma 2 is another great cooler that would work with the class on (on par with the Noctua). The NH-U12S has some restrictions in this case.
 

Neophyte

Trash Compacter
Aug 1, 2020
35
10
Thanks for the advices everyone! After reading through and also getting some feedback on reddit I'm thinking of something like this:

  • 2x top mounted 120mm fans as exhaus
  • Add additional NF-A12x25 fan to the NH-U12S cooler, both fans as intake or skip the Extra NF-A12x25 mounted to the CPU cooler and add a 92mm fan as intakt mounted to the case
  • 2x bottom mounted 120mm fans as additional intake to GPU
  • Potentioanllly an extra Arctic P12 mounted straight to the vented side panel as intake



Looking forward to your results, as this is how I plan to run my NR200 build as well. Cool air to the CPU, cool air to the GPU, and enough exhaust to clear the case. Good luck. Thanks for posting this.
 

life_waster

Case Bender
New User
Oct 15, 2020
2
1
How did this build end up? Looking to do something very similar. Did you follow through and if so how are the thermals/acoustics?
 

iqmalputra

What's an ITX?
New User
Oct 23, 2020
1
0
Thanks for the advices everyone! After reading through and also getting some feedback on reddit I'm thinking of something like this:

  • 2x top mounted 120mm fans as exhaus
  • Add additional NF-A12x25 fan to the NH-U12S cooler, both fans as intake or skip the Extra NF-A12x25 mounted to the CPU cooler and add a 92mm fan as intakt mounted to the case
  • 2x bottom mounted 120mm fans as additional intake to GPU
  • Potentioanllly an extra Arctic P12 mounted straight to the vented side panel as intake


Hey guys, any update for this setup? Looking forward for it
 

life_waster

Case Bender
New User
Oct 15, 2020
2
1
Hey guys, any update for this setup? Looking forward for it

I got mine all setup now, 2x bottom intake, u12s setup as intake, 2x exhaust on top, put a 140mm on side mesh as exhaust. Tried u12s as exhaust and 140mm as intake but was not as good. Haven't had time to update that thread as I originally posted with 140mm as exhaust, numbers weren't too different though. No dB meter but running all fans static around 8-900 rpm. Pretty quiet.
 
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bmacc

Trash Compacter
Apr 23, 2019
41
47
I got mine all setup now, 2x bottom intake, u12s setup as intake, 2x exhaust on top, put a 140mm on side mesh as exhaust. Tried u12s as exhaust and 140mm as intake but was not as good. Haven't had time to update that thread as I originally posted with 140mm as exhaust, numbers weren't too different though. No dB meter but running all fans static around 8-900 rpm. Pretty quiet.

I’m running a similar setup to you. 3090 FE with the U12A on a 10900K as intake, top 120mm x 2 and a side 120mm as exhaust. Works really well and the temps/noise are great.
 
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Quaddragon

Chassis Packer
Nov 11, 2020
20
3
If you haven't already seen it there is a Youtube channel called Machines and More that has some really extensive and exhaustive info regarding the CM NR200 and cooling.
 
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Ameubius

Average Stuffer
Feb 18, 2021
78
93
Are you getting the mesh panel or the glass one?

Someone recently posted results where if you aren't deshrouding your card, adding a duct with weather stripping, gaffer tape, or 3d printed duct between your GPU's fans and the bottom of the case will reduce temperatures just as much as adding extra bottom fans while creating less noise and costing less. Give something like that a try before adding bottom fans. Just make sure your duct doesn't cover up the top and bottom exhaust areas of the card, and only directs airflow from the bottom of the case into the fan intakes.

I would set the top fans to exhaust and then reverse the CPU cooler fan direction. Have the CPU fan pull air directly from the rear of the case (again, with ducts or an extra case fan on the back if necessary), and then setup your top fans to pull hot air out. If you're using a mesh panel, you could then also add one 140mm exhaust fan to end up with a negative pressure setup, although between the two top exhaust fans and your PSU exhaust, you might be closed to pressure equilibrium if you just have the GPU and CPU fans pulling air in.
This is exactly what I see in my NR200, I made a shallow duct out of a piece of wood floor. Just padded it with 5mm adhesive foam on both sides so the GPU can rest gently on it. Works like a charm, and keeps the ASUS rog strix OC 2080 ti cool and quiet. I've tried placing two noctua fans in the bottom of another build, but the temps I get now is at least comaprable with that, and the noise is lower. I'll post some pictures of my NR200 later, as I also use the Alpenfön black ridge where I made a separate duct system to giude fresh air in from the side, using a 140mm intake fan mounted to the side bracket.