Cooler Master NR200: Optimizing Air Cooling Thermals

What's the best configuration for case fans in the NR200? Which way should I orient the cooler fans? Do I need to get another case fan?
In this video, I discuss and present the Cooler Master NR200 CPU thermals data, along with some GPU data. Surprise, surprise...
*** As a PSA/FYI, I was testing the Noctua U12S for some future content- I noted that the U12S heat pipes prevent the case from clipping in willingly- the plastic clips will not retain the side panel without slight protrusion. So... if you want a fully closing side panel, you will want the U12A. Both are 158mm in theory but I observed that there was one heat pipe tip that really pushed the case out the wrong way. The heatpipe tips on the U12A do touch the panel but, at least in mine, did not interfere enough to make the panel protrude.
TL;DR Get the U12A and not the U12S for this case.
Links for products mentioned- as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases:
CoolerMaster NR200: amzn.to/2FxMqSU
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X CPU: amzn.to/34fUp1a
Gigabyte Aorus X570 ITX Motherboard: amzn.to/2Qe9yYB
Noctua U12A CPU Cooler: amzn.to/34e2Gmo
Noctua Nf-f12 Fan: amzn.to/2QlDemP

[@MachinesMore]

Just a quick update- I did get around to testing bottom fans with a rear intaking tower cooler (U12A)- those results are in the Large Air Cooler Round-up here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIS4fGqmbtaEpLc They do help more if you run a tower as a rear intake. Before bottom fans; 40.2 CPU/42.4 GPU. After bottom fans, 40.8 CPU/38.9 GPU. However, just two exhausts and a rear exhausting U12A gets you to 40.2 CPU/39.7 GPU with less noise and less cost. So, while bottom fans with rear intake is an option, I wouldn't consider that orientation unless you are running a very hot GPU compared to a relatively cooler CPU, ie 3080 with a Ryzen 5.

[@AweSamAlways]

For all air cooling: If using only the stock amd cpu air cooler, does having fan/s on the side as intake or exhaust have any significant bearing on the thermals?

[@j4ckcalico]

what about the 4 case fans setup (bottom exhaust, top exhaust)? sounds strange, but bottom exhaust works great for deshrouded mods with some cases

[@copypaste3526]

So with the aorus mb and the u12a I can fit two nf-s12a pwn on the top? Or do I need flatter fans?

[@cairoterrence654]

A tip: you can watch movies at Flixzone. I've been using it for watching lots of of movies these days.

[@jeffersonmatthew7942]

@Cairo Terrence yup, I have been using flixzone} for since december myself :)

[@Julz2k]

This NR200 series is like a Netflix show, I can't stop watching!

[@halidramzan2803]

Riiiiight?

[@SKotekar]

Great video, thanks. It would really help if you can throw in a small graphic with arrows indicating the airflow direction. Sometimes it is easier to see it visually. I do appreciate the time and effort you put into making these videos.

[@Spendrik]

6:17 case fan on left or right 14:49 recommendation

[@breadtoucher]

I am always happy when I find cool indie tech channels like yours. I hope more content will be coming, since I found this style and type of content really entertaining.

[@bronstet]

I just subscribed to the channel. Excellent work. So it looks like a negative pressure setup is the way to go. Funny thing is, I like a gazillion other enthusiasts would have assumed 2 bottom intake fans would have been totally beneficial and didn't even consider the effect it would have on the hot GPU air circulation. They would only be beneficial with blower style coolers. For this insight alone, this video is worth 1,000,000 views and likes for SFF PC builders because this undoubtedly applies to all similar case styles. Well done.

[@nathanjaker]

Great video, I'm glad I found your channel! I think it would be helpful to see some form of graphic for the fan layouts that you talk about, even if it's just a sketched rectangle for the case and some small boxes representing the fans. Was a bit hard for me to visualize what the layouts you were constantly switching between actually looked like, I think even a simple graphic would help

[@MachinesMore]

Thanks for the idea!

[@TubeSilva]

I agree. That was my only complaint for the video.

[@GallDeveloper]

It would be nice to have more pictures of the layout of the computer case with the directions marked and best to show the next performance. It would also be useful to have some kind of benchmark, how many percentages a given configuration is better than the basic one. A lot of talking, sometimes it's hard to get a summary. Therefore, additional information would be useful.

[@arnodolisandro]

Amazing thanks for the analysis. I will put two intake bottom two exhaust top and the cpu air cooler exhaust. I am a person who do not overclock. So it will be perfect.

[@ghosts12333]

I can't wait for the AIO review in this case. Thank you for the hard work and your content are well organized.

[@MachinesMore]

You're very welcome. I have to say... I'm still testing but the wrong AIO fan/case fan match up has a really heavy penalty, much more than air cooling. See you in the next one!

[@TheRidell]

most videos that cover this case do thermal testing on AIO configurations, which is why I loved this video for testing air cooling and how much we actually need which isn't the same with other content creators who seem to test with like 8 fans or dual AIOs

[@realduox]

to bad installing aio's in the bottom greatly increases your chance of having issues

[@xalmak]

Very underrated channel, literally the best coverage of the NR200

[@billowytrots8366]

having a good amount of exhaust/negative pressure, probably brings in enough cool air through all the sides and bottom. Adding those bottom fans would cancel out the negative pressure, meaning no more cool air coming in through the side panels for the CPU to feed from

[@raze0099]

i have been considering building my first PC for about 7/8 years now... It's kind of a hobby, just imagining what i might build one day. I'm closer than ever to actually pulling the trigger. Looking at NR200 with 5600x and 3070/6800. Use case is for 3440x1440p 144hz gaming. At one point i wanted to water cool, then TG side panel, then RGB bling. Now 7 years older im looking at reliable/cost effective air cooled/mesh side panel/SFF... feels like my imagination has matured. Just have to wait for stocks for literally everything to replenish so i can finally build it! ANYWAYS great content from someone that has never even owned a PC!

[@MegaBiscanin]

Nothing is clear to me anymore, what is the best combination now, how and where to place the coolers?!

[@nicduch]

Alpha Cool Eisbear LT 92 with 2x Noctua NF-A9x14 PWM

[@zippy8517]

i was clumsy enough to mount the top fans in the wrong direction, blowing air in, so i had an "All in" fan config (2 Top, 2 Bottom, 2CPU). Thermals were looking pretty good especially vrm and M.2 runs about 5 degrees cooler compared to top fans pushing air out. If you running a board with hot vrms it might be worth trying this All in config.

[@AlexShostak314]

Thank you very much for detailed videos! Funny, that all fans combinations seem very similar, I definitely will choose 2 intake + 2 exhaust case fans with cpu cooler to exhaust too. Additionally would be interesting to add side intake fan on the right side to add more fresh air for cpu cooler. :)

[@MachinesMore]

With the vented panel it's very tolerant, to the point where almost anything goes- you do want to make sure that if you run bottom fans for a hot GPU that you intake from the rear.

[@AlexShostak314]

@@MachinesMore yeah, to figure this out we need the same amount of test, you've already done :) I plan next year to build a pc with this case - I will test all possible builds with my components. So, I will keep you in touch :) If you are interested, I found interesting russian channel with airflow modeling in SolidWorks (kzbin.info/door/IGSeb72lRj7Jxlwt63OmMQ) could ne useful

[@aslanbarsk]

Going to follow this channel, you are doing a great job. With some lighting, sound and other KZbinr-stuff you will become a force to recon with :) Keep it up! Peace

[@LikWeiLee]

I was about to say that, better lighting would make your video look a lot better.

[@MachinesMore]

Why thank you, and will continue to work on improving the quality of the video, while improving the quality of the content as a priority. And hope you continue to enjoy it.

[@LikWeiLee]

@@MachinesMore Great content BTW! Can't wait for the AIO part.

[@gismo3564]

Good video, nice methodical breakdown. One thing I would have liked to see, specefically for this case, would be to take of the GPU shroud and fans, then run the 2 extra 120mm fans in bottom. In either exhaust/intake configuration. Now this GPU isn't to big, not thick so with bigger GPU this can have huge benefit both in terms of thermals but also noise. 3ven more so with GPU's, where the heatsink funnels oriented the other way.

[@tricast1637]

One alternative is to mount a 140mm exhaust fan to the top right corner on the vented panel. No bracket needed, screw holes aligns perfectly. This fan is controlled by GPU temp and redirects much of GPU heat away from CPU. I also have 1 fan as rear intake on my Noctua U12A and 1 fan directly above it as top right exhuast. Those are controlled by CPU temp. This setup for me gives better temps than 1 rear intake and 2 top exhaust.

[@ventsiboy]

I love your passion for details, but please try to simplify the info graphics, they are quite confusing to me, at least. Love the content!

[@sfai05]

Awesome video! Looking forward to see the thermal performance difference between side mounted radiator vs bottom mounted

[@MachinesMore]

Coming soon- although might not test bottom mounted extensively- as Gamers Nexus noted that's not a great position for an AIO rad.

[@panasonikkuho]

thanks for the super detailed and broad coverage of test cases, love it! subbed~

[@chrisnotyourbusines7739]

great video thanks. I much appreciate your calm, collected and fact focused ways. I personally would prefer no background music.

[@HaveFunLosingBro]

I gotta say you have made some really fantastic videos on the NR200 case.

[@MachinesMore]

Glad you like them!

[@PinkFZeppelin]

This video is super well done. You're the perfect amount of technical for me. Makes me wonder if youre a SWE. I love how you explain your methods. It means I can trust your conclusions without much thought beyond that. I hope your channel blows up because this is better than gamers nexus. To satisfy the normies I'd work on your lighting and balancing the sound a bit more. The music is great though.

[@eddyhaze8239]

had this case sitting on shelf and just now building in it and will be running glass on both sides and yeah I will have to mod case a little to keep cool , I wish the case was just a little wider to put a bigger cooler on it and this is why it's been on shelf for awhile .

[@franciscokloganb]

So for those who are interested (confirmation would be appreciated): - 1x Noctua S12A (CPU) as exhaust. - 1x or 2x 120mm fans at the top, as exhaust. (one of them comes with the case) - 1x 92mm set to intake at the front or side panel (comes with the case) (?) Assuming we are not overclocking.

[@grantwu407]

According to the spec sheet, there is no front fan support, nor can you put 92mm fans in the side...

[@l.i.archer5379]

The one fan configuration you didn't perform was taking the exhaust (pull) fan off the CPU cooler and mounting it directly to the back panel exhaust vent. The way that fan is blowing hot CPU air out the back of the case only gets reflected back inside, providing maybe 30% of the total air exhausted out the back with 50% recirculated back into the CPU cooler, and 20% exhausted out the top. If you had the fan mounted directly to the back panel, I'd say 95% of the hot CPU air (including some GPU-heated air will get exhausted, keeping the internal area of the case cooler by drawing in more cooler air from the intake vents. I am running a SilverStone SG05BB-Lite mini-ITX case (slightly modified by me), using a 120mm AIO mounted to the front panel (with the lower 3.5" drive bay removed the remaining 2.5" SSD drive bay modified to accommodate a 25mm thick fan plus the radiator thickness). With a Ryzen 7 3700X overclocked to 4275 MHz, and an ASUS Phoenix RTX 3060 OC (single fan) GPU, temperatures while playing Halo Infinite, averages 58*C on the CPU, and 79*C on the GPU (a little bit too toasty for my liking). Even with a recently added 70mm x 10mm case fan exhausting out the top above the GPU. Current ambient room temperature is 27*C (81*F). The problem with the GPU is that it's a 2.5 slot wide card, so the fan is right up next to the side panel vent grill. This causes poor air intake when the fan is right up against it. I'll be getting a 2-slot RTX 3060 card tomorrow so that I'll have at least a 10mm gap between the panel vent grill and the GPU fans, creating a Venturi effect through the case panel vent holes. This should provide more cool air to the GPU. However, doing anything else besides playing Halo Infinite, CPU temperatures drop all the way down to 39*C avg, and GPU temperatures drop all the way down to 33*C avg. Halo Infinite is a GPU hog!!!

[@harrykout]

Is it possible to rotate the U12A by 90 degrees to pull air from the bottom and exhaust at the top? Also do you happen to have the Noctua C14, to feed cold air from the side panel? Thank you

[@10OchrisO01]

tag me in, i want to know the answer to this lol

[@MachinesMore]

I believe so- although the issue here is the U12A doesn't come with the short brackets to rotate it 90 degrees, going to get the hardware to test... I have an idea for a fully semi passive build. ;)

[@laggmonstret]

I also wanna know the answer to this! Lost many hours of sleep thanks to Nvidia's new cooler solution for their RTX 3080 Founders Edition that I want to put into this case ;) I've come down to two solutions that looks the most promising. An water cooled AIB with intake from the side panel or - what I would like the most - the NH-C14s. This is due to the new GPU cooler design would push up hot air and dump it straight into the intake of your "normal" CPU Air cooler. It might be doable with a rotated CPU Air cooler though.

[@kcdub04]

Very thorough analysis. Fantastic job bud. I can't wait to build mine!

[@MarkVersion1]

Thanks for that detailed review. I now know how to configure my fans on nr200

[@Mr.DJones]

So much fun to see how your videos have developed throughout the months. This one the sound is a bit wanky and lighting a bit dark. Great job on continually developing and improving your channel.

[@LDROak]

i tried to listen to all your video's but i didnt fully get your final sugestion for the nr200, from what i remember the most recommanded nr200p set-up is : 2 botom fan intake 2 top fan exaust 1 cpu tower intake (gota watch out for dust) what is your recommended for the nr200 ? 1 top fan intake cpu tower exaust (back or side ?) no botom fan ?

[@-iIIiiiiiIiiiiIIIiiIi-]

This dude should work for PCWorld. His attention to detail is insane.

[@michaelleppan9960]

I would love to see a low profile cooler tested in this case. Purely for aesthetics I want to use a low profile cooler with the tempered glass panel.

[@michaelleppan9960]

@@JamieR Thanks man for your reply. I did end up making a decision and built my PC shortly after this comment. Appreciate the time you took to respond🤙

[@brinkshows2720]

Hey man, I just stumbled upon your chanel. It has a good foundation and i think you can come quite far in the YT space if you really want to. I would only strongly advice you to do some acoustics work in the room you are recording, getting a nice mic (doesn't have to be expensive) and invest in some good lighting. If you do that little extra your video's would come over really professional and it would atract allot more people to your channel if it looks professional. Keep up the good work. 👍👍👍👍

[@MachinesMore]

Thanks for the tips and words of encouragement! I am working on getting the entire setup dialed in. Hope you come back and enjoy the content.

[@aam77]

Just the information I was looking for. Got the NH-U12A chromax.black along with the rest of the hardware. Only waiting for the NR200P to arrive. Won't be able to use the TG side panel but at least would know the CPU is going to be happy.

[@oldschoolbluesplayer5319]

How about trying a CPU Cooler like the Noctua NH-L12S or NH-L9x65 SE-AM4 with the metal perforated side panel and the side fan holder and add 2 120mm x 15mm side fans intake and 2 120mm top fans outtake ?

[@duytranuc4025]

NH-C14S?

[@Kathdath]

@@duytranuc4025 Works very well in my Cougar QBX case. I did need to mod a new power cable extension (>$15 total including buying tools), but that let me solve a potential PSU compatibility issue.

[@duytranuc4025]

@@Kathdath nr200 is bigger than QBX, so it will fit i guess

[@mrsarcasm4874]

@@duytranuc4025 it's smaller in volume

[@duytranuc4025]

@@mrsarcasm4874 managed to fit a fs140 in nr200, and swap noctua fan in it

[@SeelBees]

I would like to understand if I'm wrong, but let's say ~90% of all shown graphs are in margin of error difference range and are not very informative. No difference is a valid result, but then is it really a good idea to do conclusion which clearly prioritize one configuration over the other? There is one bad configuration, which dumps hot CPU air into the case for GPU to recycle but other than that it looks pretty non-distinct.

[@MachinesMore]

You're right- for the most part, no, as long as case fans are exhausting, the actual direction isn't a huge issue for CPU temps. However, out of the box the case is setup to exhaust out the back, and that is at least meaningful from a dust management perspective, and also from a GPU thermals perspective. The intake orientation does have a meaningful impact to GPU thermals, whereas exhausting (or semi exhausting as the fan is not sealed to the case) gets that hot air out as soon as possible.

[@DavidSiebert]

For the best possible cooling I would suggest an AIO mounted on the side as an intake. Two intake fans at the bottom and two exhaust in fans on the top. The bottom fans feed the GPU cool air the AIO gets cool air from the outside, and the top and back exhaust the hot air.

[@MachinesMore]

And that is an excellent suggestion indeed. I'm sure you will love Liquid AIO cooling part 2 then!

[@TheSanchezzTV]

good review and tutorial series ! is it possible to turn the CPU cooler by 90° ?

[@rayanrodrigues5688]

Idk if this is true for other coolers, but the 212 from coolermaster can be only mounted vertically in amd cpus, but it can be installed horizontally or vertically in intel ones :)

[@lukeselbeck7595]

Thank you so much for doing this research, this helped a ton

[@mrgndx]

Thank you very much for detailed AIR cooled testing! Can you please comment on how much dust in going inside the case in the configuration of top exhaust(s) and cooler exhaust? Because, in this configuration you essentially create negative pressure. Thank you!

[@MachinesMore]

You’re welcome. To be fair- “pressure” is a byword in a case this well ventilated. I think what we’re trying to describe is that air is inordinately being taken in from other sides. (Tempered glass version will be very, very different results). My rationale for not intaking from the rear I/O end of the case is partially related to dust- there isn’t a dust filter. For exhausting out the top and exhausting out the rear I/O end it’s going to be the best in terms of dust. The bottom is covered with dust filters and so is the side panel. Even so, dust typically is not a big deal unless you’re the type to just forget that the computer is there- I would just blow it out with compressed air every now and then, since it’s so easy to open. Even with filters one still has to clean them.

[@Andrew-cp7mc]

Thanks for sharing this. The preconfigured fans (both exhaust) as delivered is about creating an internal negative pressure so there is air intake from the ventilated sides and bottom. In your configuration with 4 case fans, I wonder if you actually have a neutral/positive pressure as CPU fans pushing air towards the back is not quite true exhaust without the stock 92 mm fan. I would be interested to know the CPU temp when you remove the pull CPU fan and putting back the stock 92mm fan as exhaust to create a true negative pressure case (3 exhaust, 2 intake), which would pull air from the sides for the CPU.

[@MachinesMore]

My opinion after testing the NR200 is that while the positive/negative pressure type of discussion applies when talking about cases with glass panels or super limited ventilation, this case has so many holes in it, it's practically like open air. That is why the results are so close. You could do everything in the wrong direction, and as I noted, even then it's still pretty good. The way GPUs exhaust hot air is what will affect the optimal configs in real world scenarios. From a cost to benefit perspective for air cooling, I really think you can't do much better than sticking to the one exhaust fan provided, and if your tower allows it, put that 92mm fan to match whatever CPU cooler fan direction you choose.

[@Andrew-cp7mc]

@@MachinesMore What I intend to do when my case is delivered (Sept?) is to use incense smoke to see whether the air is going in or out from the side panel as I will try to achieve side intake in my fan configuration.

[@brownishblue]

Got the same cooler so this was very helpful! Guess I personally will go with above-psu intake - cooler exhaust because there's a lot of dust where I'm at and using the cooler as intake would render the dust filters almost useless, as you mentioned. The fact my gpu is blower style probably helps temperatures too, and noise is irrelevant to me. :D

[@MachinesMore]

Sure! Well blower cards, when you don't care about noise, are fantastic for limiting system thermal interaction.

[@DavidFrycSaber]

Very thorough testing, but you did not actually clarify in your conclusion what the most optimal set up was, nor use any video edits for emphasis on what it would look like.

[@steve-yt8lj]

great vid bro. Nice scientific process

[@shinjari]

Love how thorough and methodical you are. Are you planning to redo this and the AIO tests with a NR200P?

[@MachinesMore]

Yup, totally on the schedule for the near future. Although it will most likely be on a more limited basis (ie a taller tower, a lower profile top down- L12S, one 240 AIO) just to get an idea on where the cards fall.

[@shinjari]

@@MachinesMore right on! I'm still waiting for my case to ship from Amazon...preordered a Nr200p on day 1...hopefully soon. Going to thru my Cryorig H7 in there. Seems to be one of the tallest and cleanest looking that fits. Keep up the stellar work.

[@potatoman1302]

Thanks for all the videos!

[@edward3185]

Thanks for the review. What do you think is better, mid-air cooler like Scythe Big Shuriken 3/NH u12s with 2 side fans or just straight-up big air cooler like scythe fuma 2/Noctua NH U12A/D15?

[@shinjari]

Man this is a great video about air configurations. I wish you had the tempered glass panel to do testing on that! Maybe you can block the mesh panel to see how having a more 'chimney' or directional air flow would affect thermals. I'm going to have to mess with the Fan orientations with the TG panel when mine arrives as I wonder if running the bottom AND the CPU as intake with the top as exhaust would work well. Or maybe the top and bottom as intake with the CPU as exhaust. IIRC Ncase M1 users have the CPU as intake and it improved their thermals overall My reasoning behind this is that the GPU blocks a lot of the cool air and the CPU (in exhaust orientation) would be 1) getting warm GPU air and 2) with the top as exhaust the CPU might be getting even less air than desirable. With the Top as intake then the CPU would get cool(er) air (since it'll be a mix of cool + warm GPU) and the CPU should be able to exhaust it just fine. Or with the CPU as intake it is getting direct cool air and the top will exhaust it easily.

[@MachinesMore]

Thanks! I have no doubt that the TG panel can shift the optimal orientation. I will test when I get mine in. I did think about simulating the test by attaching a thin piece of plywood to make it a solid panel, but there was one reason why I won’t test it yet... I can’t confirm that the U12A will fit anyway. My gut feeling is no. The U12A is marginally fitting as it is, the heat pipe tip presses up against the panel. Essentially it flexes the mobo mount just enough that the case clips can “strongarm” the panel in place. If that’s the case with the thinner panel- the 2mm less clearance from the TG just might be the proverbial last straw. As another data point, the U12S does not fit properly- the case panel will not stay latched perfectly. All the same, I’m testing it for completeness. In the final air cooling roundup, I’m adding in the Scythe Fuma 2 to see which tower cooler wins.

[@shinjari]

@@MachinesMore Yeah good point. I do not expect the U12S/U12A to fit with the TG panel. Fuma 2 is a good opportunity and I'm just going to use my Cryorig H7 which easily fits with both panels.

[@guayaba209]

Yeah I own this case and it runs perfect with the standard mesh panels. I runs well with the tempered glass, but man does my GPU heats up after about 30 minutes. I might need to undervolt in order to get it to stay at an appropriate heat.

[@Bledoston]

This was so helpful, thank you!

[@morbentfel]

wish i knew this before i bought extra case fans...

[@Shin-jk2nx]

thank you! your video help me a lot!

[@alexpitt4583]

Great video thanks for all the hard work 😓

[@MachinesMore]

Thanks for watching!

[@AutodidactEngineer]

2 AIOs would make that PC a beast!

[@nippuckz]

Excellent video

[@Alexismyname2]

Great testing work!

[@stefan-D]

Thank you for the Video! Is it possible to rotate the NH 12 in 90 degrees, if i dont use a graphic card? Or will the NH12 Hit the RAM?

[@ZioComposite]

Not with AM4/Ryzen platform.

[@cookie7993]

I think it's amazing. 5900x 4.5ghz @ 1.196v and only 67c in r23 for 20 minutes. not too shabby.

[@ozzstars_cars]

Always keep your cool!

[@wizsc]

Hey. Great video. I’m about to build my first ssf pc using nr200 and I wondered how about maintaining possitive pressure in the case and preventing dust buildup? I mean, from what I understood the thermals are good overall bo matter what fan configuration are used, so wouldnt it make sense to make use of the bottom filter and putting fans at the bottom in intake position?

[@chmromano]

Hey, great video! Finally someone doing air cooling in the NR200! A question: how well does the NH-U12A fit in the NR200 (non TG)? I have a NH-U12S and they're supposed to be the same height, and I can see that it does fit, but in another comment you said that the NH-U12S weirdly doesn't. Another question is, can you fit standard width 25mm fans at the bottom of the case while you have the Strix 5700 XT installed? Anyways, keep on keeping on!

[@MachinesMore]

Glad you found it helpful. My guess is... manufacturing tolerances. I tried the U12S in the case to get some thermals and was surprised it pushed the case panel out just a few mm (it probably wouldn't bother some people), just enough to not close fully. U12A fits fully- and with the dust filter installed on the panel. I didn't try taking off the dust filter for the U12s to see if that would change things. No go on 25mm fans with a "3-slot" cards (it's a 2-slot card but functionally takes up 3 slots of space. Even with the Zotac mini, 25mm fans are right up against it, almost to the point where I think they would interfere with the airflow from how the fans are working on the GPU itself.

[@Andrew-cp7mc]

@@MachinesMore Looks like I will be selling my U12S and getting Scythe Fuma 2 for this case!

[@frankywaffles7815]

Im a Little Late but waiting on my nr200 I’m still trying figuring out what’s the perfect air cooling combo. At first I would move the psu to the front, the cpu cooler should get a better access to more air volume. And two 120 artic at top as exhaust should work fine imo

[@lucasvieira1805]

Your reviews are the best!!! I dont know if I buy Lian Li Tu150A that it is a little more cheap, or if I go with the NR200p. Im concerned with GPU temps

[@xtrash1ove]

CPU exhaust + top exhaust = full negative pressure. Sure, air coming from bottom and side is filtered, but I'm pretty sure there will be air sucked in through PCI expansion slot holes, and build dust in the PC. Also, sadly, no vertical GPU arrangement. When I'm thinking about it, if you set 2x120mm intake + 2x120mm exhaust in the case, you get a nice traditional "bottom-up" air circulation. Now, with the GPU arranged vertically, it should not block this airflow as is the case with horizontal orientation: fresh air moving upwards will theoretically reach both GPU and CPU.

[@JPazer]

15:14 I have a 1 fan with my CPU cooler, what does he mean with running it as an exhaust? I have the fan on the right side pushing air through the heatsink, does he mean that changing the fan to the rear (left side) of the heatsink is better? Please can someone clarify

[@iumplt]

Now Coolermaster has provided official support bracket for ATX PSU. How would that affect the thermals? Do you think the optimal configurations of air cooling need to be changed if I am going to use an ATX PSU? It would be great to know your opinion (test results would be even better). Thank you very much.

[@nicoag98]

Thanks for this video, i think it will be nice if you can add yo the final graph the two botton fans in exhaust, in my opinion it will decrease thermals

[@MachinesMore]

That’s an interesting point. I will say, I didn’t test it because that config would adversely affect the GPU’s airflow. The GPU will be trying to intake while the case fans will be fighting it. Normally if it’s far away it’s less of an issue but here we are talking fans practically right up on the cooler.

[@masterdftw4983]

I have huge respect for you and the work you do with the NR200. It has helped me in purchase of this case. I do have a question, is the Nh-u12a better than C14s? which one should I go with?

[@MachinesMore]

I think the U12A is best for straight CPU performance, but for combined gpu and cpu usage the C14S (with vented panel and fan on panel) can really mitigate the effect of the GPU exhaust.

[@masterdftw4983]

@@MachinesMore my man! Thank you for the reply, I will go with this since GPU thermals are important to me.

[@CknSalad]

Thanks a lot for the video. I posted this on the reddit sffpc forum (I can take it down if you want me to). Of course, I named the KZbin Channel and made it clear this wasn't my own video. I'm curious about how well the FUMA 2 compares to the U12A cooler.

[@MachinesMore]

Sure thing! Thanks and yes... the Fuma 2 is on my test plan since there's an overwhelming amount of interest with that one in this case.

[@TSUNAMI17]

Good job! Thanks for the video.

[@-brian--]

Have you tested these configurations using the tempered glass panel? I was planning to do this set up as well; cpu cooler exhaust, top exhaust, bottom intake (if needed) with a TG panel. Anything helps! Thanks

[@Usernamehere263]

I have nr200 only with stock fans installed as exhaust (1 120mm on top mobo, 1 92mm rear). Temps have been great with cpu (i5 12400 + deepcool ak400) averaging around 55c and gpu (rtx 3070ti trinity) averaging around 60c on a 2k ultra gaming load. How would an extra top exhaust 120mm fan (placed on top of PSU) have an impact in reducing the temps even more? Im honestly satisfied with my current setup in terms of noise and temps, im just wondering if im missing out on extra noise or temps performance by skimping out an extra 1 top fan.

[@lukasslovakia]

Thanks for the video. Currently I have 2x TOP exhaust and side intake with stock AMD cooler (3500x). The GPU is ASUS DUAL-GTX1660S-O6G-EVO. I am planning to switch to tower cooler with 2x TOP exhaust and cooler exhaust (single fan). Is it better to run the CPU cooler in push or pull (no additional 92mm fan as exhaust) configuration?

[@yl4134]

Can you do the same test for Silverstone SUGO 14 case? Thanks.

[@eeromarine]

Thank you for the great video on NR200, I have a question on 8:40 as you using those push pin install the fans, where can I get them? What are the specifications on those push pins? Thank you and keep those video coming.

[@Amogh-Dongre]

They come as standard with nr200 and the nr200p

[@dbombers3632]

Hello Machines, I Really hope you see this! I am planning a build in this case with an i7-11700 and a Gigabyte GTX 3070, I plan to use a Scythe FUMA 2 cooler. I watched this video over twice and wanted to ask if I am understanding correctly - most likely the best configuration would be 1 or 2 top exhaust fans and the cooler set to exhaust - with no major benefit of adding two additional intake fans on the bottom? If I did want to add intakes on the bottom I would have to look into slim profile fans that would fit down there, it would be great if I could just go no fans on the bottom! Did I get this right? Thank you so much!

[@MachinesMore]

I’m guessing your card is a 3 slot card, in that scenario you may have the option to run slim fans to help the card out. If you do that I would flip the cooler to intake. However what you are describing is fine too without bottom fans, as long as you don’t have a flow through cooler. One or two exhausts with the vented panel are fine.

[@dbombers3632]

@@MachinesMore Thank you very much for taking the time to reply! I will probably pass on the Bottom intakes at first and look into adding them and playing with the exhaust/PC cooler direction as per your advice :)

[@JayzBeerz]

You should try the Core 500 case out and do a review on it as far as cooling.

[@pegazuss5]

my configuration : case lean on the side , cpu intake bottom intake , top intake => all t° drop

[@ktkrap]

Hope u take into account the AIO water pump placement as per GN findings. Although there aren’t many options it would seem.

[@MachinesMore]

Cheers- yes, I did see that and do agree generally with Steve's recommendation. It doesn't really affect the testing at the moment since I am currently testing with the rad on the side anyway, and I don't think that the bottom rad will have a significant impact on CPU thermals. The main thing I am curious to know is top fans as exhaust/intake with intake/exhaust for the rad fans. I may not test bottom rad at all, but may just do a run or two for reference.

[@japoscommunity]

Thank you sire for another great video! Subbed!

[@MachinesMore]

Thanks for the sub!

[@TheDeadManSwitch]

Thanks for all the NR200P content. I am compelled to be a jerk here though. Hot air rises and cool air falls. Intake fans in the top would be a horrific idea. Hope now one ever does this again. Lol.

[@ekek9950]

That's a consideration for passively cooled designs or designs with weak fans. It makes little difference here.

[@abc56735]

I'm a bit of a PC noob, but I just bought this case. As I understand both fans on the cooler should runs as exhaust to drag heat out to the exhaust fans above, right? Or should it run push/pull to get the heat out in the back?

[@FUBAR733]

What about a noctua NH-C14S with a fan on top rather than underneath? That would pretty much be up against the side grill pulling in fresh air. Then add two top exhaust fans. If it fits. Not sure if the cooler will get in the way of the exhaust fans.

[@FUBAR733]

Sorry. Only just saw your other video including this cooler. Thanks.

[@cagencagen473]

In the ncase m1 exhaust set ups were better.. I wonder if with the AIO would aide exhaust and top exhaust be best

[@oversober]

This channel is sick!!

[@Warmalin]

This Noctua is height 158mm but the nr200 support (on official website) 155mm cpu cooler. I'm confused.

[@rmangaoa]

Awesome review. Thanks!

[@MachinesMore]

Thanks for watching!

[@chieftain20]

Just bought a 5 pack of Arctic P12's I'll just run two intake at bottom, two exhaust at top. Pretty good deal for the 5 pack.

[@MrMartyTHEman]

i acctually had better temps without the bottom fans, just 2 at the top and a 90mm at the back (the 90mm doesnt change much). Only upside of bottom fans was that the gpu stayed at 0rpm longer

[@cinemapigeon4898]

@@MrMartyTHEman Seems like a lot of standard thinking about PC case cooling doesn't apply for the nr200 (or at least not fully needed). Like normal sized PC cases are fairly air tight, not a lot of free airflow, so that's why intake and exhaust fans are pretty important, to manufacture air flow. The nr200 however is small but fully vented chassis, so every component is immediately within inches of outside air, so the fans apart of the cpu/gpu do everything without much problem.

[@hoangphi1457]

What about mountaing the Noctua cooler horizontally? Intaking from the bottom, exhaust out the top

[@b6s4shelter]

Cool. I’m waiting on my Nr200 non p. So two bottom case fans in intake don’t add much... that’s surprising. I figured cpu exhaust, and top two exhaust. Can you run 2 top and 2 bottom fans at lower speeds to reduce noise and still get an edge over just 2 top exhaust fans?

[@MachinesMore]

You could- running the bottom fans doesn’t help anything too much for a tower cooler in rear exhaust mode. It exacerbates the circulation of warm GPU air which makes things a little worse. Your GPU is being helped by the tower and air is already being drawn in through the side panel. Primarily the function of the top exhausts is to help that cool air to pull in from the side, as well as vent out the hotter air. Bottom fans don’t hurt too much, especially if you lock them to a lower level, but my take was it wasn’t an immediate need for building this case, if ever. The top exhaust, for sure, they’re key.

[@ChrisCroft77]

It seems air cooled is way to go for the NR200, what about the NR200P with glass side panel?

[@copypaste3526]

Which MB gives me the largest space for the topfans if I use the biggest possible Noctua as cpu cooler.

[@MachinesMore]

Asus ITX boards typically have the lowest socket position for that consideration.

[@copypaste3526]

@@MachinesMore the AORUS B550I AORUS PRO AX would be way cheaper for me. Do you think I can still put 25mm fans on top with that mb and the noctua u12A?

[@galen__]

When using an AIO, is there a way to swap the feet side of the case, with the top? That way the CPU sits at the bottom, and the 3 slot GPU area is at the top. But then you’re limited to using a 240mm radiator at the top, but at least it’s mounted above the pump. Anyways, awesome job and thanks for all the work you’re putting into and sharing about this case.

[@MachinesMore]

Thanks for checking in! Nope, you can’t swap the top panel with the bottom. They are quite uniquely designed to mate to the top/bottom frame. I think your concern is on where to mount the AIO rad... is that right? You can mount it on the side, or on the bottom (if you are running an APU or vertical GPU).

[@galen__]

Machines & More That’s right, where to mount the AIO rad. The recent Gamers Nexus videos on AIO pump placement got me thinking about what other options were viable in this case, without going down the custom loop path. Looking forward to seeing your next video with the AIO!

[@wehttamchua]

Sorry i dont understand. What is meant by 'case fan exhaust right'? Are you talking about the case fan at the top of the case, on the right side, exhausting? Or a case fan on the top and an exhaust fan on the right of the cpu cooler?

[@MachinesMore]

Top, right side (when looking at the motherboard).

[@HOANGNGUYEN-yj4bz]

so this case does support 158mm cooler like u12A noctua right, and we can't have side fan bracket? what if I use slim 120mm fan? is it possible

[@daemon3spade]

Can you sqeeze in the front panel a 3rd or 4th SSD? maybe double side tape in?

[@god-lightbulb]

Is it true that your noise dBA values in your tables were for load testing conditions? If so, what are the dBA noise levels for non-load normal conditions? I'd like to know the noise levels when not using the computer under load. Also, how do these dBA noise levels compare to a full ATX case? I am primarily wanting a quiet PC when fans are around 1000 rpm, so I'd be interested to hear your comparison between AIO and air cooling when fans are around 1000 rpm. I don't do overclocking, so the extreme load tests are not of so much interest.

[@MachinesMore]

Yes, those are all load noise levels. The noise floor was slightly less than 40dBA and idle noise was about 41.5dBA. Pretty typical increases for most systems. Everybody’s use case and position will be different- which panel you have facing your ears, and how you orient the case relative to the user, will have a big difference. A lot of ATX cases are “quiet” because there is usually a fat glass panel that insulates noise. I will also be wrapping up the TU150 which will also include noise levels. For sure, my ears prefer the muffled noise through the TG panel.