New build - unable to install fans due to clearance. Cables in the way - needing advice

[stillmat1k]

Hello all,

I’m finally upgrading to a new build. I’ve started but ran into some issues with the fans not fitting. My plan was to have the AIO at the top as exhaust, 3 of the Noctua’s at the bottom as intake and the 3 Corsair’s will be on the side as intake as well. The ramaining Noctua fan was supposed to go in the back as exhaust too but I now realize that it will not fit there so now I have an extra fan… will probably return it unless someone has recommendations on where to relocate it. I ran into some issues along the way and hoping you guys have some advice.

1. After mounting the AIO I noticed that the bottom section of the heat sync doesn’t fully align with the CPU. It’s touching it, but not covering the entire CPU. Is this normal? About a quarter of it is uncovered. See images below.
2. I can’t attach 1 of the 3 the Noctua fans at the bottom in the middle because the USB 3.0 cable for the front of the case is way too big and the cable comes out so much that it’s too low to fit the fan underneath it. I tried to get it through and honestly feel like I may have damaged the motherboards slot for the USB from extending it so much :cry: I hope this isn’t the case but we’ll see when I get it running. I find it hard to believe I’m not able to clear it with this case. I’ve seen many setups with radiators with 3 fans at the bottom and feel my setup is pretty basic comparatively. Am I doing something wrong? I thought about maybe getting L shaped adapter for the USB but I don’t think that will do much. There are heat syncs on the motherboard that would be in the way. Any advise would be appreciated. See images below.
3. I haven’t received the Corsair fans yet but will soon and hopefully they’ll fit on the side. My concern is that the motherboard I got as far as I can see only has 2 system fan slots. There are 2 CPU fan slots and I’ll only be using 1 for AIO so I think the other can be used to plug in another system fan. Can someone confirm? Main issue here is that I have 8 fans and with 2 or 3 fan slots I don’t have enough. I saw that there are hubs you can buy and then plug in all of the fans to that hub. I imagine this is the solution? Hoping to resolve this as cheap as possible so if someone has some recommendations on a good hub I’d appreciate it. Or if there’s something else I should be doing let me know. I was hoping I could daisy chain the Noctuas and just plug 1 in basically then same thing with the corsair.
4. If I leave out the last fan in the rear that I was planning on using for exhaust, will the cooling still be sufficient without this?

My build: https://pcpartpicker.com/user/stillm...d/#view=xpzZcf

Pictures for reference: PC AM4 mid build with Noctua fans – Google Drive

Thanks in advance!

[veeg]

Hello

Does seem to be a little cramped inside with all of the hardware..

@PeterOz

[PeterOz]

@veeg I tried to look at this the other day
I can’t access the pics

[veeg]

[HEADING=3]stillmat1k [/HEADING]
Can you use another method to post those pics?

[stillmat1k]

[HEADING=3]stillmat1k[/HEADING]
Can you use another method to post those pics?

@PeterOz Try the same link again. Should work fine… 3 images are in there broken out

[PeterOz]

Way too many fans
2 on the bottom
1 as exhaust

Is the cpu fan latched in ? The heatsink has to cover the entire cpu
Do you have room at the front for a fan - behind front bezel
@Bruce

[PeterOz]

Hard to tell by the pic
Will the AIO fit on the back panel

[stillmat1k]

Way too many fans
2 on the bottom
1 as exhaust

Is the cpu fan latched in ? The heatsink has to cover the entire cpu
Do you have room at the front for a fan - behind front bezel
@Bruce

Yeah definitely overkill with the fans. I mostly did it for aesthetics purposes. Looks better with 3 at the bottom imo. I might upgrade to some RGB ones instead. Currently bottom and side fans (6 total) are intake and the top two attached to the AIO are exhaust. There’s no room in the front for any fans. It’s a full window. Hence the side fans.

When you say CPU fan you mean the AIO to the CPU? If so it’s fully attached. It’s just not covering the entire CPU.

So I double checked and everything is put on correctly. Check out the preparation guide for the AM4 here ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 280 Rev 4 - User Manual you’ll see that I went with the #2: AM4 Ryzen 3000/5000 offset mounting. “AMD Ryzen 3000/5000 series processor has a chiplet-based CPU construction. It shifts the hot spots from center of the package to bottom side. To provide better cooling to the hot chiplets, Liquid Freezer II provides an offset mounting, so that the cooler is in the optimal position.” I think this literally makes it so that it’s not fully mounted and in turn is not covering the entire CPU. Unless I’m misunderstanding this whole thing… I tried to research to find info or images to confirm but haven’t found anything yet.

[PeterOz]

Ok the offset seem to be correct (I just learnt something)
Will the radiator fit on the back panel - tubes at the bottom

[stillmat1k]

Ok the offset seem to be correct (I just learnt something)
Will the radiator fit on the back panel - tubes at the bottom

You sent me into panic mode there for a sec, which goes against your rule #1 lol :LOL:

It won’t fit on the back panel. Too thick. I was hoping to 180 the radiator though so that the tubes are in the back but the tubes felt like they were being forced so I just kept it as is.

[PeterOz]

Yeah becareful of the tubes

[PeterOz]

I will ask @Bruce for his Idea

[Bruce]

with fans, you either are in the neutral, negative or positive camp.
that is, the cubic cm’s of air being sucked in matches that being sucked out, or is less than, or is greater than.

I like to setup a positive pressure case - more intake fans than there are exhaust fans, that way heat has only one way to go - out.

but you do have way too many; 2 on the PSU, 2 on the AiO, 2 bottom case fans, with maybe more to come.

and that processor heatsink, sitting off centre over the CPU looks just wrong.
sounds like it is suppose to sit like that, chiplets and all, but to me there is still a bit of silicon not being cooled and part of the heatsink extending into thin air - just looks weird.

I have my water pump twisted 90 degrees due to the tube length and where I fit the radiator, so whatever works.

can the water pump be rotated, and still fit into the mobo anchor points, and then cover the processor better?

[PeterOz]

any ideas @phillpower2

[phillpower2]

Pull/push method, two fans in the front to draw in cool clean air and one big exhaust fan at the real to expel the hot air, any other fans are either a bonus or cosmetic, equally as important are good internal cable management, adequate clear air space around the PC and a low ambient room temperature.