PSA: Check your radiator fin density before buying fans

Just spent 2 hours swapping fans on my new build because I didn't look at the fin spacing on my 30mm rad from Alphacool. Tight fins need static pressure fans like the Noctua A12x25, not the high airflow ones I grabbed. Figured this out after my temps stayed at 78c no matter what curve I set. Anyone else made this mistake or do I just buy parts without reading specs like a rookie?

2 comments

2 Comments

mila_mitchell21d ago

The rad I would say isn't the whole story there. Static pressure fans matter more with denser fins, but 78c at load on a 30mm rad also depends on your coolant flow and ambient room temp. Tight fins just mean you need more pressure, not that airflow fans can't work at all, they just need higher RPM to push through.

fisher.diana20d ago

So we're just measuring rads with a yardstick now?