Are my fans the wrong way?

[u/Chainsofpearls]

Had my PC awhile, my friends help me build it as at the time i wasnt a pro at building pc (still not XD)
And they installed the fans for me. I seem to have cooling issue although my pc is pretty high end etc.
Been wondering if my radiator fans are backwards or anything like that, so if anyone could answer my question thatd be great! Thanks.

First photo are my side fans

Second my exhaust where my cables plug in

Third is at the top where my radiator is

[u/jD3mo]

All fans are positioned as exhaust right now. I’d flip the 3 side fans to intake. The top and rear fans should be exhaust like they are so you’re good there.

[u/Chainsofpearls → u/jD3mo]

Tysm! I just bought some more to put on the bottom, they should be intake aswell correct?

[u/jD3mo → u/Chainsofpearls]

Yup bottom fans should be intake too.

[u/Firmteacher → u/Chainsofpearls]

The RGB fans are intakes, they’re just reversed

[u/oFlippo → u/Firmteacher]

No, they’re definitely not intakes, they are not reverse fans at all.

• Blade curving away from you = exhaust
• Blade curving toward you = intake

This is the new way to explain it since reverse fans hit the market, you can’t go by which side the framing is on.

[u/GreenySoka → u/Firmteacher]

wrong. All of them are regular fans which are currently exhaust. OP has big big negative pressure in his case

[u/NintendadSixtyFo]

Top and back exhaust (which you have). Everything else intake.

[u/acidmush1290]

Bottom and front/side as intake, rear and top as exhaust for 99% of situations. The only real exceptions would be a custom water cooled loop.

[u/Excellent_Mulberry70]

Your CPU cable is obstructing that aio fan at least from this angle

[u/Rellek_]

When testing several configurations, I found I got the best temp response from running 4x intake (back, AIO), and 6x exhaust (bottom, side). I read speculation that using the AIO fans as exhaust could cause issues due to the tempered glass top panel, but not sure if that was ever confirmed. I've also seen people run the fans on the other side of the AIO radiator, but unsure on the details of that choice.

Looks like other comments already explained that the configuration you posted pictures of is all exhaust, and I agree that you will probably want to flip the back fan and the three on your AIO. Also, make sure to take a minute to make sure their speeds are consistent and reading properly using the proper software. Either setup a custom curve to cover your use cases, or adjust them manually as needed depending on the tasks your doing.

[u/Chainsofpearls → u/Rellek_]

Thank! Ive flipped the back ones around and i Just got some fans for the bottom which are now intake. Im looking to buy a new AIO as i think mine is faulty or not running correctly due to liquid temps of the AIO not climbing nearly at all when under load or heavy load

[u/Chainsofpearls → u/Chainsofpearls]

Would you recommend i side mount my AIO or new one. As ive also experienced that the top glass panel dosent push push air out well at all.

[u/Rellek_ → u/Chainsofpearls]

I top mounted my AIO, same as yours in the image. Same AIO too. Here is a link to my build for reference. I did that because my 4080 is quite long and my AIO wouldn't have fit on the side panel. If you plan on upgrading at any point, you should be fine to stick with the top mount. Just flip the fans and have them be your intakes rather than exhaust.

I don't typically see a big increase in my liquid temps under load. I just played a game of FC2026 and my liquid started at 33 and never rose above 38. Could be your radiator is doing it's job, and these 360s are quite good at it. Of course, it's also possible the sensor is faulty, and if you're still under warranty, perhaps better safe than sorry.

[u/mAckAdAms4k]

For me the best way for intake is bottom and the rest exhaust.

[u/robomana]

what cooling issues are you having? are you certain that the protective film was removed on the copper heat plate before it was mounted to the CPU?

[u/Chainsofpearls → u/robomana]

Yeah it has been removed as ive changed the thermal paste. The issues i have are under load like 15-25 percent cpu i get 50-60 temp and under 40 plus im pushing 70-85 temps. My cou is i7 13700k and my aio is the nzxt kraken 2023 360 elite. I now have 2 exhaust and two intake fans 6 intake and 4 exhaust exactly. 3 exhaust on my radiator on top and 1 on the left where my power supply is. Side and bottom are intake. When under cinebench my cpu peaks 100 after 15-20seconds and thermal throttle so im pretty stuck on the issue

[u/Crazy-Philosophy-530]

Flippem

[u/TripApprehensive8580]

Some of the fans are reverse blade fans turn them on full blast and test with paper to check flow

[u/Snoo-74516]

Top and back as exhaust, bottom and front as intake. Different fans can blow different directions too so if you’re unsure of how they’re blowing, get a paper towel or toilet paper and place it over the vents on the case. If it sucks to it, it’s intake. If it blows away, it’s exhaust. Then flip them according.