Corsair Memory Cooler and CPU Cooler - conflict?

[howardb]

Just got myself a Corsair memory cooler with 2x 60mm x 60mm fans, as I found the modules were getting rather hot on my Asus board!

The stock AMD Phenom X4 CPU heatsink has the cooling fins running horizontally, so the warm air passes out the left and right side of the heaksink fins, as you look at the CPU.
The Corsair memory cooler sits just to the right of the CPU heatsink (about 1mm clearance), and blows cool air onto the memory modules.

Question: will this have a negative effect on the efficiency of the CPU heatsink/fan, as the warm air will not be passed out the right side of the CPU heatsink fins any more, as the memory cooler is effectively cancelling the airflow?

 

[Kuga]

Do you have any other intake/exhaust fans?

Ideally you would want a side intake fan and a front intake fan. Exhaust fans would be at the back and the top. Additionally you would want a slightly positive pressure in your case.

 

[howardb]

I have the following intake/exhaust case fans on my Codegen S201 Jumbo case that has two chambers - left chamber is for motherboard, etc. The right chamber is for the PSU's and all the HDD's:

Left Chamber:
- no side intake or top exhaust fan (full panels)
- 3x 80mm front intake
- 1x 80mm rear exhaust
- 1x 60mm rear exhaust

Right Chamber:
- no side intake or top exhaust fan (full panels)
- 4x 80mm front intake
- 2x 90mm rear exhaust

(Pics taken from internet without components installed yet)
Back Panel:

Front Panel:

 

[ponder]

Biggest bunch of measurebators effa...

 

[Kuga]

Wow that's a lot of fans.. You shouldn't be having any problems with air flow. Just make sure the CFM going in is slightly more than the CFM going out. That way you get a slightly positive pressure inside the case.

What might be happening as well is you've created a dead spot inside your case with all those fans. If you can, get hold of a smoke machine and spray the smoke and see how it circulates inside your PC. Alternatively, hook an oka and blow into the fans

 

[Conradl]

Question: will this have a negative effect on the efficiency of the CPU heatsink/fan, as the warm air will not be passed out the right side of the CPU heatsink fins any more, as the memory cooler is effectively cancelling the airflow?

Not at all. Air will still be passed out the right side, but not as efficiently as before; but the rate at which air is forced out the left side will increase. The air has to go somewhere, so the your fan should work as efficiently as before....

Also remember that rack mounted servers have CPU fans that blow across the heatsink, from front to back (not top down like a PC), which is effectively what will be happening in your situation.

 

[howardb]

Thanks for the replies chaps - I'll see how it goes...