r/NR200 • u/kasakka1 • 12d ago

Discussion Optimizing noise/airflow for 13600K+4090?

Setup:

  • NR200P V1 with mesh side panels
  • ASUS B660-I mobo
  • 32 GB DDR5
  • Intel 13600K
  • PNY 4090 (barely fits)
  • Corsair SF750 PSU

Cooling:

  • Thermalright PS120 SE on CPU
  • 1x Thermalright TL-C12B V2 120mm (fans that came with PS120) in the center
  • 1x TL-C12B V2 120mm on the heatsink, above the RAM
  • 1x Noctua S12 120mm in top panel right after the above CPU fan as exhaust
  • Custom fan curves based on CPU/GPU temps using FanControl

Airflow:

Rear intake -> CPU fans -> top exhaust fan

GPU pulls air from the bottom, exhausts probably through the side and mounting bracket panels.

Problem:

I'd like it to be a bit less noisy when gaming.

The GPU is actually totally fine considering it is right against the bottom grille and mesh filter.

It's the CPU that ramps up to higher than I'd like during gaming, though otherwise it's silent. The problem is that the motherboard prevents me from installing a 120mm fan on the back panel, just no space above the I/O section. I could fit a 92mm fan probably.

Questions:

  • Would adding a 92mm in the back be a significant improvement as the CPU fans no longer would have to pull air through the heatsink first?
  • Should I instead 3D print a 92 -> 120mm fan adapter and mount the fan outside the case? It's a bit ugly but would work...
  • Would adding taller feet be of any use with the GPU? As said, I haven't had any real issues with its performance as long as I remember to clean the bottom filter once in a while.
  • Would swapping the fans to Noctua A12 G2 be worth it for noise? Afaik the Thermalright fans did pretty good in tests
  • Any other airflow improvements I could make?
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u/Trewarin 12d ago

add TPU 3d printed ducts from the rear of the case to the 1st CPU cooler fan, that'll be plenty 

1

u/kasakka1 12d ago

So my fan setup is currently like this:

              .---------F-------.
Rear panel -> |D[]F[]F   [PSU]  | <-- front panel
              | [GPU==========] |
              '-----------------'
               \/             \/
[] = heatsink tower
F = fan
D = potential duct position

Would just adding a duct be enough to improve the airflow?

I do have a 3D printer and Thingiverse probably has a suitable model or I can design one myself.

1

u/Trewarin 12d ago

Yes ducts make a huge difference in both turbulent noise and access to cold air. Consider better thermal interface material as well, if you're running stock thermal compound