Hello guys,

I have a simple question: if i take the exact same components, including the same fans, and move them form a bigger case (cooler master 550) into a smaller case (cooler master 352), how will that affect my temperatures?

The components are as fallows :I5 6400, MSI b150 ECO, HyperX Fury Black 8GB DDR4 2133MHz @ CL 13, Super Flower Golden King Pro 600W PSU, 2 nexus 12cm (intake),1 Antec True Quiet 12 (exhaust), Gigabyte GTX 1060 3gb mini, Samsung 850 EVO 120GB SSD, WD 1tb EARS, Scythe Kotetsu with standard fan.

On one side, the same fans, at the same rpm, will exchange the internal air in the case more (the smaller case has a smaller internal volume), but on the other side, I think that the inside temp will be higher....

please keep in mind that I will not use the extra fan placement in the new case.

Any feedback is welcome.

Greetings,

It is hard to say precisely. Air flow through the case is the key factor. A larger case has more air to buffer temps by dispersing heat within the case, and is more likely to have better air flow inside the case.

On the other hand, a smaller case could have quicker air changes. If the smaller case has lower restriction intake and exhaust grills, it could be fine.

If they have the same capacity to have air enter and exit the case, then the larger case still has an advantage. I think a smaller case must have better air flow, in order to be better.

What specific cases are you working with?

the cases that I inquire are cooler master 550 (the one that I already have) and cooler master 352.

@ If the smaller case has lower restriction intake and exhaust grills, it could be fine.
Answer: both cases have the same kind of intake restriction and the same exhaust.

basically the only difference would be the internal volume of air (same components, same fans, same rpm, etc...)

If you set up your airflow so that it is managed in and out of the case, flowing across all of the components correctly then the case volume will have no significance at all. Air is lazy and it is arguable each way that if you have a larger or smaller case that airflow will be worse, it just depends on how you lay it out.

Given the fairly low power components you have I would stick with MicroATX to save a bit of space and money. The extra outlay for the 550 I don't think could be justified. I have the same CPU as you and perhaps a little lower overall TDP in terms of other components but this fits comfortably into a 13.1 litre case.

At the moment, I have the CM silencio 550 case, with additional Nexus Damptek foam on the ceiling, floor and back panel. I also modded the fan grill for both intake and exhaust (cut them out completely). What I'm trying to find out is if it's worth it to change the case for the smaller one.

I don't have any problem with the current case, I am just bored with it. And I'm thinking that the extra fan mount in the ceiling of the new case might aid in cooling. Again, not that I have a problem with the temps: after 3+ hours of gaming, CPU 42, GPU 62, case 45.

If I can get those temps to drop enough so that the GPU will be under 60 (it becomes passive under that), that would be amazing.

All else being equal, the smaller case will have more constricted air flow inside the case. Especially around the video card, which are typically oriented exactly the opposite of what makes good cooling.

The Cool Master 550:



The Cool Master 352:



Do they both have top fans? Actually, seeing them, the space at the back of the video card in the 352 looks to be wider - this is where the air from the video heatsink has to loop around, to then get out of the case. And the front intake fan looks better positioned to push the air up and out of the case.

So, if you cut out the grills in the 352, it could be slightly better, or it might be the same as your current modded 550.

My reflection is the exact opposite:
In my view on good cooling (assuming the graphics cooler is a typical 3rd party side venting type) the intake fan should blow as much of the air as possible towards the graphics cooler. Then all air will have to pass by the graphics card, some/most of it via the graphics cooler, before reaching the CPU heatsink.
If most of the intake air pass above the graphics card much more of the air cooling the graphics will be re-used for that purpose over and over again, heating it and the graphics card more than necessary (resulting in higher fan speed and more noise).

In my case I even used to have a home made baffle to direct the incoming air towards the graphics card (and motherboard).

If it's the case that you already have that case, then definitely not. No point in changing case for that unless you have some desperate pressure on size.

Thanks all of you for the great input.

Olle, I agree with you. I think that if I am able to get as much air over the GPU, as directly as possible, it will be cooler (and thus run more silently).

Further more, I think that the extra ceiling fan location may actually aid in getting hot air faster out of the case, hopefully with no extra noise increase.

I was thinking of splitting the airflow of the 2 intake fans with a baffle of some sort, so that the bottom one blows on the GPU, and the top one on the CPU.

In theory, sure - air flow over the video card is what you want. But air has to flow in a direction - the video card is blowing down, and the front fan is blowing toward the back. The only way the air can get out from under the card - is up and around the video card. So, the front fan would likely trap a pocket of air under the video card.

You are absolutely right Neil. The only thing I would like to add is that the GPU fan blows air from under the GPU, upward. But I think that doesn't change what you said.

There was a case a lot of time ago (I think it was from Thermalright, but i'm not 100% sure) that had a duct made of plastic that was specifically designed to enclose the GPU. It had a 120 mm fan at the front, and the possibility to install a 80 mm fan at the back above the extension slots (they were vented).

Micro ATX cases are probably the best middle-ground. A case like the Raijintek Metis Plus is a very small form factor for a desktop PC, but parts may be too densely packed together to allow for air flow.

My assumption is that as long as parts have a majority of their surface area exposed to air, temperatures shouldn't be a problem.

just yesterday I was actually looking at a Raijintek case. One of the things I was considering is that the MB is on the left side of the case (I keep my pc under my desk, on the left side).
the main reason why I abandoned the case was that, due to the inverted atx position, the GPU will get hotter than normal.

regarding the case I am still considering, the Silencio 352, I have read a review that states that the bottom hdd cage is detachable, and that means the airflow from the front fans will be unrestricted. And additionally, the fact that it has a ceiling fan placement, makes me think that the heat will be easier to get out of the case.

besides the case that you mentioned, I am taking into consideration is the Fractal design core 1500.