Building in the Havn HS 420 - Am I crazy to use a side-radiator intake?
Posted by Glittering-Support49@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 10 comments
Hey everyone,
I'm finalizing a high-end build in the Havn HS 420 and I'm planning a cooling setup that goes against the standard advice. I want to run it by you all before I start buying parts.
I'm considering using the side mount for my AIO as an intake. The goal is to give the CPU the coolest air possible, while relying on the case's famous bottom air-guide to feed the vertically-mounted GPU.
Here's the full planned layout:
- Side: 360mm/420mm AIO as INTAKE (Fresh air for CPU)
- Bottom & Rear-Bottom: 4 x 140mm Fans as INTAKE (Feeds the GPU air-guide)
- Top & Rear-Top: 4 x 140mm Fans as EXHAUST
The Logic:
My thinking is that the bottom air-guide isolates the GPU's air supply, so it shouldn't care about the warmer air from the CPU radiator filling the main chamber. The CPU, however, gets a massive cooling advantage.
My Components:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
- GPU: Gigabyte RTX 3070 Ti (placeholder for a 5080)
- Case: Phanteks Havn HS 420
- AIO: 360mm/420mm with fans in a pull configuration
My Questions for You:
- Thermal Prediction: How much of a GPU temp penalty (Δ) do you think I'll actually see? Is +3°C realistic, or am I looking at +10°C?
- The Compromise: Is sacrificing a few degrees on the GPU worth a potential gain on the CPU for gaming and content creation?
- Feasibility: I know tubes-down is ideal for a side AIO. With a vertical GPU in the way, is this even remotely feasible, or will tube routing be a nightmare?
I'll be building this soon and will post a full update with thermal benchmarks to see how our predictions hold up. Wish me luck!
So, what's the verdict—am I onto something, or completely off my rocker?
johng_jg@reddit
Hi, I'm building the same setup and I have exactly the same thoughts about the AIO.
Did you put the radiator on the side? If so, how was the result? Did you manage to place it with the tubes down?
xAshenLightx@reddit
Hey, have you tried it, I'm getting the parts but still stinking about the case. Were you able to mount it on the side with tubes down? :)
johng_jg@reddit
Hi, I've tried it but the tubes are not long enough, maybe the 360 version would work because you can place it a bit higher but I can't promise anything. My AIO is the Arctic LF3 420mm
Also keep in mind that if you get the VGPU version you'll have to mount the pump upside down if you get an Arctic AIO.
deleted_by_reddit@reddit
[removed]
AutoModerator@reddit
Hi there! Thanks for the comment.
We ask that posts and comments be in English so they can be understood by as many people as possible. Translations on Reddit are client-side, and not all apps or browsers support auto-translate. Currently many users (and moderators) aren’t able to read your comment.
Could you please submit a new comment in English?
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
Duncandoit21@reddit
Hey, first of all, HAVN is the name of the company and HS420 is the case model. This case has nothing to do with Phanteks :)
As for your questions, the setup you are planning is definitely not unconventional but I wouldn’t recommend it in this case.
Thermal prediction wise, you would maybe trade 2 degrees between the CPU vs internal components. The compromise between the components get higher the more compact the case is. HAVN HS 420 is a huge case with lots of 140mm fans, so overall cooling will be more than sufficient in either setup.
The reason I recommend against it is feasibility. If you have a beefy gpu cooler, installing AIO in this case can get tricky (especially VGPU version). So, I would look at tube length, gpu clearance etc to make sure it fits. The setup you are planning would make more sense in a compact case with a 14900K or something.
For reference, I have a 9950x3d and and Astral 5090, vertical gpu and top mounted NZXT Kraken 420mm AIO.
Stock settings:
PBO -15 CO with MB power limits + GPU slight Undervolt:
Glittering-Support49@reddit (OP)
Hey thanks for catching that brand mix-up! And really appreciate you sharing your temps – that's super helpful to see.
Noted on the clearance issues. I'm also cautious about next-gen cards - I'm planning a Gigabyte 5080 but waiting to see how the thermal putty situation plays out. Seeing a Astral 5090 fit okay in your VGPU setup is good to know though.
Will test the AIO fitment first. If it doesn't work cleanly, top mount is the backup plan.
Duncandoit21@reddit
Have fun building mate, this case is fire and I am pretty sure you will have zero thermal issues as long as you fill it with 11 fans.
isppsthsscrfrhlp@reddit
I feel like you're overthinking it a bit, with that many fans and that much airflow, I don't think it's really going to matter where you put the AIO. 9800X3D isn't exactly a watt-hungry monster either, it's not going to pull all that much power while gaming, so the air being pulled through the rad shouldn't warm up the gpu too much.
Glittering-Support49@reddit (OP)
Totally get that! Honestly, you're probably right that it'll be fine either way. I'm just a bit obsessed with optimizing for the absolute best case scenario for this CPU. Wanna see if that cool outside air gives me that extra little boost!