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

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stillmat1k

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Apr 22, 2022
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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 :'( 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/stillmat1k/saved/#view=xpzZcf

Pictures for reference: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1WGOsHJcLKp4iKz7tO9vt9VeRuQsXvLAO

Thanks in advance!
 
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 said:
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
Click to expand...
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 https://support.arctic.de/lf2-280r4 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 said:
Ok the offset seem to be correct (I just learnt something)
Will the radiator fit on the back panel - tubes at the bottom
Click to expand...
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.
 
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?
 
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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.
 
Bruce said:
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?
Click to expand...
Yeah currently 3 fans on the side and 3 fans at the bottom are working as intake and the two on the AIO at the top are exhaust. There's a small gap on the case at the top that's empty since my AIO only has 2 fans. Not sure how much this is affecting airflow if any.

Also is it bad that I don't have anything in the back? i can order a smaller fan that will fit but at this point I think it would be overkill.

Regarding the heatsink sitting off center... I made a post above, not sure if you saw it, but it's actually meant to sit off center. Pasting the original post below for reference. I agree that it looks strange, but apparently, it's more efficient this way.
So I double checked and everything is put on correctly. Check out the preparation guide for the AM4 here https://support.arctic.de/lf2-280r4 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.

So a little force is okay for the tubes? There was a decent amount of pressure I had to apply to get it how I wanted it so I just left it as is but would prefer changing it so it looks cleaner and isn't blocking the side fans.

Rotating the fan won't cover anymore of the CPU. The only thing that would happen is the upper part of the CPU wouldn't be covered fully rather than the lower part. Apparently the part that's currently covered with this layout is the part that runs hot which is why it's supposed to be mounted this way.
 
phillpower2 said:
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.
Click to expand...
My case doesn't have a front and is replaced by the side fans. But yeah shouldn't be an issue here as far as air flow. 3 on the side and 3 on the bottom intaking and 2 on the aio at the top as exhaust. I can get one more for the rear but I think it's unnecessary. Again definitely overkill as it sits now but it's mostly for aesthetics. Cable management was done right so should be okay there as well. Thanks for the input!
 
with the AiO acting as exhaust fans, you are pushing already heated air over the radiator vanes.
I'd change it to act as an intake system, getting clean, cool air from the get-go.

and I don't like the fans on the bottom, how their grill holes are not very substantial.
almost as if that bottom plate wasn't really meant for fans, more likely a PSU?
where does the PSU go in that case?
 
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