Optimum Tech Tests Custom Baffles for Air Cooling

Image Credit – Optimum Tech
 
Ali of Optimum Tech, seen above in daylight finally dispelling the myth that he was a vampire, has used his 3D printing skills to make custom fan ducts or baffles with excellent results.
Air baffles (fan ducts) used to be more commonplace. OEMs such as Dell and Compaq would often use them to guide airflow over components instead of using direct fans, and many older cases used baffles to allow cold air to directly contact a specific component. However, the use of baffles has all but disappeared in the last decade. Ali has resurrected the the practice by designing, printing, and installing custom fan ducts to the CPU and GPU in his NZXT H5 case.
While absolutely not a SFF case, the proof of concept shows that there is...

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[Phuncz]

Who needs ducts on SFF builds right ?
Awesome video about the "problem" with non-SFF cases.

 

[b3rdm4n]

I am a massive fan of ducting, I've created a minor amount of duct to my A2000 (check my build log) to the bottom of it's case, and I 3d printed ducts to successfully de-shroud my RTX3080. Without the ducts the fans could not sit flush with the heatsink and the whole idea was unsuccessful (heat increases till thermal throttle), with the ducts it's cool and quiet.

This builds aesthetics are on a whole other level.

 

[Elaman]

I am happy with my airflow too, but I can't be the only one that came here just to check @Revenant 's comment on the photo. Right?

Ali of Optimum Tech, seen above in daylight finally dispelling the myth that he was a vampire

 

[Clientele Services]

In larger volume cases. Ducting makes perfect sense. I am into CAD/3D and have considered options like this in the past. This works great for air-flowing cases. My question for everyone - do the same rules apply to complete water-cooled machines? Right now, I will have a complete deep rad at the top of the case, but do I duct the air from the front of the case to the top radiator?