Cooling What's better? thin rad + regular fan or regular rad + slim fan?

[zk2004mb]

I'm planning to do a triple rad loop in the CoolerMaster nr200. Now the question focused to the bottom rad.
In the given space, I should be able to achieve the following 3 configurations(possibly?)

1. tx240 + a12x25. That would be 20mm in rad and 25mm in fan, total 45mm
2. black ice 240gts + a12x15. That would be 30mm in rad and 15mm slim fan, same thickness to 45mm.
3. Possible to squeeze a small 280 rad like black ice L series. So I might be able to get a 280 rad of 30mm thick and a12x15 slim fan. Same 45mm total thickness.

So the question really is, with the same thickness, ignore the noise level, will the bigger fans perform better or the slim fans will do the job with thicker radiator. What happens if we increase rad surface but keep the weaker fans?

Did anyone have experience with this? Just want to get a rough idea before I jump into testings. Still waiting for the 280 rad to be delivered.

 

[zk2004mb]

Or maybe just go with thin rad + slim fan to get more room to breath(35mm total)?
There is roughly about 55mm total space below the GPU waterblock.

 

[evadne]

IMO surface area is important. A 280mm radiator has 36% more surface area than a 240 radiator.

Main issue with slim 140mm fans is that most of them have 120mm mounting holes.

Also, it is worth considering what sort of components will be used and what level of noise are you prepared to tolerate.

 

[zk2004mb]

IMO surface area is important. A 280mm radiator has 36% more surface area than a 240 radiator.

Main issue with slim 140mm fans is that most of them have 120mm mounting holes.

Also, it is worth considering what sort of components will be used and what level of noise are you prepared to tolerate.

AFAIK none of the 140mm 15mm slim fans can beat a12x15. So I would just stick with noctua. I just don't know if it makes sense to do so. Even though I have a bigger surface, the fan is still pushing air through the 120x120 square.
I can stand full load noise with both a12x15 and a12x25. Right now I'm using a dual 240 rad loop in Ncase m1 with two a12x15 and two a12x25. At full load the dual a12x15 is a little bit louder than the dual a12x25 but still okay. I'm fine with 4 fans all working at full load when I'm gaming. So I'm talking about the maximum cooling performance regardless of the noise because both two fans are exceptionally quiet.

 

[nightshift]

One has to consider that the TX240 might have a better fin density making it's performance on par to that of 30mm rads according to comparison articles. Not all of them, but even then, the difference is so little, that it just doesn't worth to go for a lot of 30mm rads - especially if this would allow you to use thicker fans and have the most gainz overall.

 

[scatterforce]

@nightshift I'll second that. Thin rad + standard fan > thick rad + thin fans

With a thin rad and a dense fin array, you can crank up your fans for performance or turn them down for silence. With the thick rad and thin fans, options are more limited. The fans have to work near peak output, meaning you have less control with regards to noise vs performance. I know you said noise isn't a concern, but running fans at maximum output 24/7 isn't a good set up IMO. You should also know that typically, the thicker the rad, the fewer FPI (fins per inch).

I would say the only time you want a really thick rad is if you only have 1 of them. If you are really space constrained, then you want the thicker rad that has more heat-soak potential.

 

[zk2004mb]

Yeah I got the idea. A12x25 is much quieter than A12x15 at the same speed. The regular fan + thin rad should be great but how about a larger surface?
If I compare:
1. 280 thick rad + 120mm thin fan
2. 240 thin rad + 120mm regular fan Both configurations have the same total thickness.
Would a bigger surface give me some margin even though I'm still using 120mm thin fan?

 

[scatterforce]

Yeah I got the idea. A12x25 is much quieter than A12x15 at the same speed. The regular fan + thin rad should be great but how about a larger surface?
If I compare:
1. 280 thick rad + 120mm thin fan
2. 240 thin rad + 120mm regular fan Both configurations have the same total thickness.
Would a bigger surface give me some margin even though I'm still using 120mm thin fan?

280 will get you more cooling. The 140mm fans are typically quiet, even the thin ones, so you should be good in that regards.

Black Ice: 312 x 153 x 29.6 with 16 FPI ~22607769.6
TX240: 125 x 20.5 x 278 mm with 22 FPI ~15672250

The above figures are just for comparison, the volume of each rad * FPI. This IS NOT surface area, but it does compare them numerically. Personally, I would go with the TX240 since it would be paired with a higher air-flow fan with better static pressure at lower noise levels. If it was the only radiator I was using, then I would go with the 280.... but that's not the case here.

 

[zk2004mb]

280 will get you more cooling. The 140mm fans are typically quiet, even the thin ones, so you should be good in that regards.

Black Ice: 312 x 153 x 29.6 with 16 FPI ~22607769.6
TX240: 125 x 20.5 x 278 mm with 22 FPI ~15672250

The above figures are just for comparison, the volume of each rad * FPI. This IS NOT surface area, but it does compare them numerically. Personally, I would go with the TX240 since it would be paired with a higher air-flow fan with better static pressure at lower noise levels. If it was the only radiator I was using, then I would go with the 280.... but that's not the case here.

Thank you! I ended up with TX240 as my gpu block is thicker than I expected. A 30mm rad would completely choke the fan