Push vs Pull vs Push Pull for Radiators and Heatsinks Linus Tech Tips

[@Doctor_Zee]

Hi Linus! You are simply my nr 1 source on youtube for video tips, tricks and reviews. Loved every single thing you've done from the start, a lot of things I know about computer components, I have you to thank you for! Thx man, please never stop using that burning desire and energy for sharing what you know with others :)

[@LinusTechTips]

thanks :)

[@beaneriser466]

No TY you have very clear and entertaining ways of explaining EVERTHING....great channel bruh!

[@billyboy8888]

+LinusTechTips wow, linus replies directly to comments? mind blown

[@phlopalopagus]

+LinusTechTips This was very helpful. I don't think I would have thought about not being able to get to the dust to clean it and push is how my water cooler is coming by default. I have two dogs and already have to clean my pc with a mini blower every two months. BTW I've been using a hand held blower (looks like a tiny leaf blower) for about two years and while it has never failed to do a great job can you foresee any reason not to do this? I always hold the pc fans still as sometime in my life I think I was told not to over wined a electric motor. Can anyone confirm this?

[@zangashtu5786]

I see what you did there...

[@WeAreMovieMakers]

I miss videos like this.

[@klean_upguyza6461]

me too

[@ThatMiddleEastern]

levelfap Matthew Dennis WeAreMovieMakers : Me four.

[@flipdry]

ThatMiddleEastern Me Five

[@kevinye1104]

WeAreMovieMakers Matthew Dennis levelfap ThatMiddleEastern h3ll0m3ll0 Me Six!

[@Hazan12345]

Kevin Ye Me seven :/

[@LinusTechTips]

Air Penetrators are EXCELLENT fans, and don't get enough credit. They undervolt extremely gracefully with no extra motor noise. The same can't be said of the majority of "good" fans out there.

[@doorknob3167]

I’m from 2020, and I have never seen fans that look like a grill.

[@PizzaPowerXYZ]

They hella ugly but I've seen a few PSU's that look like that

[@spinning7236]

You do can buy those finger guards separately. I had to buy one for my side 200mm fan because the case was so tight that my GPU cable sometime touched the fan and stopped it from spinning. The guard kept it from blocking the blade and all is good now.

[@felsbo242]

What is going on here?

[@barnesiznoble]

One of the great perks about a pull configuration is that if the air passing is hot enough you can use those grills to cook on

[@AllAmericanGuyExpert]

I'm from last week and grills are no fans of seeing.

[@93DavidJ]

Woah.... I wasn't expecting that intro.... this video is old xD

[@geniumme2502]

what should i say? hello from the future :D

[@alleredetagetafmig]

holy shit, this is ancient

[@ezentia5547]

Woah.... I wasn't expecting that comment.... this comment is old xD

[@kurt.i8923]

I'm from the year 2019 Ram prices are still up but the GPU prices are closer to MSRP :/

[@psycho0815]

Now it is even older.

[@DavidMBush-yq6se]

7 years old and still the quickest/simplest run down on push/pull fan config.

[@colinoscopyyyy8104]

Try 9

[@bloodshottm]

9 years later and this video is still relevant and helpful as ever. My AIO is top mounted and this video saved me from taking my PC apart to switch the fans to push. They're running in pull atm, creating a positive air pressure in the case because of the 2x 200mm front fans and 1x 120mm exhaust fan.

[@zeusman5195]

YOURE A FRICKEN TEACHER GALORE! Any Pc question i have i usually find a video of you talking about it god damn thanks!

[@bennemann]

Excellent wisdom right here, especially the tip about using pull so as to easily clean dust. Linus, after watching several of your videos, I can safely say you're my favorite tech guy!

[@SianaGearz]

+bennemann Cleaning the rads configured to push should be easy, you just blow them with a can of air from the outside. This way you're not pushing more dust on the deeper radiator surfaces but blowing it out the oppposite way to how the dust came in. Disadvantage is that you don't have much visual control, but as soon as dust stops falling out, you should be good.

[@blatz4306]

+Siana Gearz Thats not very effective.That will simply blow the dust everywhere.

[@danv2888]

There are filters that stop most of the dust. Then you just clean the filter.

[@marksemple297]

here from 2019. omg NCIX vid!

[@arandomidiot534]

me too

[@randomd2146]

Here from 2020

[@kyangsable]

Rip ncix

[@LinusTechTips]

Sorry it really doesn't work that way. The ambient temperature of the air is the same whether you're pushing it through or pulling it through the radiator/heatsink fins.

[@rctheil]

Interesting stuff. I did a bunch of tests with my Corsair H60, and when I first got it I replaced the included fan with a single Antec TrueQuiet fan. I loved it so much, I decided to get another one and do a push-pull setup. The fans make literally no noticeable noise. With 2 fans, it's 4-5 degrees cooler at full load, than with a single fan. The difference is small, but it's definitely a difference.

[@gotenks157]

just stumbled on this video and wow, production changed so much.

[@bradleymorgan8223]

"Blow a can of dust at it"

[@sterlingarcher7101]

I noticed that too. Yeah because blowing dust will clean the dust off.

[@SoloArtForm]

fire with fire.

[@marcelmaria8363]

I blow up the place where I job

[@DavidMBush-yq6se]

The only way to kill a spider is with more spiders.

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

The dust buildup shows why I would go with a pull config. I would go so far to screw the fans into the case, then the rad into the fans. That way I could just take off the rad if I need to and keep the fans in place.

[@DutchGuyMike]

I have an air cleaner in my rooms (HEPA) and it takes MUCH longer for a radiator to get dust build up, along with good dust filtration.

[@vwestlife]

OK, that covers push vs. pull... now how about top vs. bottom? Which do you prefer? ;-)

[@xkaku9072]

Well to answer this question in two different ways. I think top *fan is better. But, when it comes to you know...I prefer top but wouldn't mind bottom lol.

[@greeman92]

This is what i love about ur videos, you always answer every possible question i could have and without dilly-dallying

[@GavinHohenheim]

Dear Linus, I've had a serious argument with my fellow students regarding the validity of push/pull configurations. After showing them this video, they said that without providing test data (or even scientific studies) this is "just some guy on the internet" - no matter how many subscribers that guy has, how well-liked the video is, how many years of technical experience are hiding behind that opinion and him being a semi-official mascot (or saint, depending on who you ask) of /r/pcmasterrace. So here's my question: Do you have data to back up your claims? Have you changed your mind about this matter? I've configured my builds fan configuration according to your advise, so I'd like to see that, too... Thank you for being awesome G

[@benji5836]

GavinHohenheim If he is just some guy on the internet, they're just some students in a school and if they ignore the fact of how many years he's been doing, how many subs and views, then they're just not that smart are they now ;)

[@hallmarksdetailingllc8078]

GavinHohenheim www.overclock.net/t/1274407/fans-the-most-complete-and-comprehensive-array-of-tests-and-benchmarks There is some tests done comparing a lot of fans through radiators using push, pull, and push/pull configs. As you can see the PUSH config out does the PULL config by around 2.5c-5.0c. Hope that helps you make your decision on how you mount your fans.

[@cee128d]

GavinHohenheim Like most of Linus' OPINIONS, they are just that. I rarely see him provide any indisputable proof of any of the claims he makes, especially when it goes against common wisdom. His point about Pull providing easier cleaning is definitely valid, but I have yet to see any documented studies showing where Pull cools as well as Push unless his margin of error is +/- 10% or there about. Until he posts some studies from a reliable source then he's just blowing more hot air like he does so often.

[@xBINARYGODx]

GavinHohenheim I have been pc gaming and water cooling for years and while I wouldn't say the push/pull isn't sometimes better than push or pull alone, the extra effort (etc.) is not worth perhaps getting a degree or two lower on perhaps some of the cores. For anyone getting results that make it seem like a watershed moment, then they were doing something wrong when they have the two original fans. OTOH, everyone loves getting religious about tech, so if I were you, I wouldn't bother talking about this with your school chums. Might as well argue about abortion!

[@cee128d]

BINARYGOD For the most part, the advantage of Push/Pull is it enables one to use slower and quieter fans to achieve the same end cooling results, That's the only reason I do it on my air coolers. Otherwise I agree with what you said.

[@tahcogunworks]

Fan plus fan is called compound and does in fact increase cfm. The front fan will feed the second fan compressed air. Look at compound turbos on diesels.

[@DutchGuyMike]

Yeah, this video is outdated. It also doesn't take into account the insane current temperatures of graphics cards.

[@slamminx3]

So should you pull air from outside into case or from inside and out of case?

[@freeburn2010]

SlamminUK You do not want the hot air from inside the case passing through the radiator. So pulling outside air into the case solves this problem.

[@freeburn2010]

Why would you want hot air passing through a radiator?! Tell me how that makes logical sense!

[@slamminx3]

Thanks all. After testing with my new build my temps are allot better with the air from outside the case being pulled in rather than the opposite. My build is here if you would like to look ;) i87.photobucket.com/albums/k151/slamminuk/IMG_1831_zps3ijoshdk.jpg

[@slamminx3]

Brett Gibson Thanks ;). The rad fans at the top.

[@COOL1AIR1]

SlamminUK so you are pulling air in through the rad and out the back?

[@Squat5000]

I cant believe how long you have been around. I watched this video when I built my second rig. Now a decade later, coming back for a reminder. Keep it up brother!

[@TheMagicBambi]

So for the pull configuration, the fans are on top of the radiator pulling air through it and out the top of the case?

[@MarioCordaro]

yes

[@jpuckett5580]

Not at all practical for me.

[@Cyfix15]

I've been using push-pull configuration since the dawn of time and I have never considered using a pool configuration leaving the bottom side of the radiator exposed for cleaning. This is such a simple tip but it's so helpful to be able to clean your radiator without taking everything apart

[@Fespieded]

Short answer: Configure your radiator and fan combination in Pull or you'll get tons of dust which is nearly impossible to clean out without taking the radiator apart.

[@DarkGodHacker]

Pull so that it is pulling air from inside the case through the radiator out right?

[@spokehedz]

***** Yes. This keeps all the other non-watercooled components with some airflow past them.

[@DarkGodHacker]

Thanks!

[@DarkGodHacker]

*****

[@nopeeeee135]

Pull= air pulled inside the case or air pulled outside of it?

[@mrrealpx3189]

i am subscribed since over a year, get to upgrade my rig, came up with the dust question, youtube-googled-ish for 10 seconds, found an old LTT video, linus explains 5min, ready to go! Thank you linus! you are awesome!

[@danparson1833]

watches video, immediately switches fan on heatsink to otherside

[@ThisChangeIsAwful]

Something I've always wanted to know but never bothered doing research. This video was so well done I am subscribing without looking at anything else. i have a feeling I'll be back.

[@r3xx3r9]

what about having 2 fans on ur rad both on the same side but 1 in push and 1 in pull... lol

[@KevinSmith-kg2nk]

Then you'll only have to pull it all out and only remove the push fan to clean.

[@sampekofsky5569]

You said it wasn't that simple but this was the simplest video that I have seen yet... and really helpful.

[@J4nssent]

4:45 blow a can of dust at it...

[@kenkoyka9]

I have the same case, Corsair Vengeance C70. What he said is true that so much dust accumulate if you made your cooler do push exhaust/intake. It was hassle to clean the radiator because you have to unscrew those fans and remove them. That tricky part about that is the small clearance of the screws (closer on the tray), it's blocked by the heatsink of the motherboard. So what I did was pull exhaust config on top of the case.

[@atariman72]

The definitive answer to this existential question is a push-push configuration.

[@iChocoCookie]

Won't it be even harder to clean the radiator out?

[@atariman72]

+Chalklate No, in a push-push config it is self cleaning. Get out of here. :P

[@TTGamingNetwork]

Wash your fans with soap and water, while they are running.

[@bon2yan88]

pull-pull?

[@tootbyi]

This really helped, I was planning on installing a radiator in push pull, and now I know to get pressure optimized fans, ran in pull, so I don't need to clean as much, thanks linus, I really appreciate it!

[@KarthikGF1]

Several logical ways to know the best set up - Industries (yes, INDUSTRIES!) in refrigeration and air-conditioning run their heat exchanges in pull to avoid dust in any environment possible. I believe they know a LOT better than we amateurs ;) - I find it STUPID when people use static pressure fans in pull and air flow fans in Push :') - Most of them get the whole concept of basic common sense thermodynamics wrong. What is the point in having the back IO fan in exhaust when the radiator, which if situated towards the top, needs more air? It has to be in Pull to help feed the radiator. - Same goes with getting air to pull from top of case and push through bottom of radiator! That's like WTH moment. Why fight against nature by pushing not air down? There is a point that all data centers get cool air pumped from the floor down to cool all the racks. I feel like Sherlock in these instances. It has got to be so VACANT in most peoples heads :D

[@beardedretroguy6428]

I have a Corsair H100i in a Push/Pull configuration using the original non-SPL rated 120mm fans on the back in order to space the radiator out the extra 25mm from the case. This allowed the radiator to BAREFLY fit inside my Antec 1200. The two fans on the front are the Corsair SP120s. So it's really Push/half-pull. But I can easily clean my radiator in my case when I take the side-panel off because I don't use a can of air... I use an air compressor that pushes over 60PSI out of the nozzle. When you push that much air backwards through the radiator, all the dust comes out with it. It's quite easy to clear the dust from the case in that manner. I never had to remove my fans at all.

[@DrMatt96]

Then explain OCDTV's "Ultimate Corsair H100 Cooling Mod"

[@R4gnarokLPs]

You do realize that video was a major troll... right ?

[@DrMatt96]

R4gnarokLPs and why is that?

[@R4gnarokLPs]

Mootypotuty Mostly the ending of that video, it was a joke :)

[@DrMatt96]

R4gnarokLPs he showed the temps tho. Was he really just making shit up lol?

[@R4gnarokLPs]

Mootypotuty yes he was :)

[@wublade]

Thanks Linus. I've had this same talk with friends and got many different answers but you summed it up nicely. I just got my first radiator cooling unit. I went with the H100i for my Fractal R4 case and had to watch a dozen or more videos before finally finding yours explaining why its so much better to pull air through from a cleaning perspective.

[@hazimreitz]

now, back in 2012 I don't even know there is a water cooler for computers xD but thanx to linus, I know more stuff than talking to people here, very tight lipped computer shops here. Now every time I go to a computer shop they frown upon my entrance xD

[@Grrizz84]

Its also worth noting that a 25-30mm gasket between the fan and the radiator will improve airflow and help negate the dead spot. I seem to remember a test someone did a long time ago (pro-cooling forums maybe?) showing all the configs and the numbers supported push-pull > push > pull, however you do have a good point in that the improvement from push-pull might not justify the added noise and pull has the benefit of being easy to clean but being that you WILL be exhausting from the radiator if its an internal setup, by putting filters on all the input fans you can prevent dust build up in the first place ;) And to the guys saying push-push or pull-pull unless you have counter rotating fans or a gasket with air straightening fins in between each fan you are wasting your time.

[@spokehedz]

Who has room for a 3CM gap between the fans and the radiator?

[@Grrizz84]

***** Anyone not using a mITX form factor case I would expect ;)

[@spokehedz]

Sorry I didn't realize you were including megatowers in your statement. For the record, it will not fit in my case and allow the filter to fit on top. And it is not a mini itx either. A mid tower.

[@Grrizz84]

***** Yea it all comes down to case design, in the same way some may have to stick to 30mm radiators over 60+mm radiators, so far I haven't been limited in that respect.

[@PerceptualTruth]

..when do the cows come home?

[@jamesgilmour3402]

Thursday

[@bluephreakr]

James Gilmour Isn't that also when the Universe began, last week?

[@Exnihilate]

bluephreakr LAST THURSDAYISM!!!

[@jamesgilmour3402]

bluephreakr yes, at about 02:00 AM

[@leleedler]

Alec Allard It's been years, The cows haven't come home, should I update my bios?

[@davideverett2]

I'm sat here with my new H100 having the air pushed through it in my C70 case. I found this vid at the right time so I'll get it changed around tomorrow. Great vid, thumbs up and thanks for sharing.

[@vapenation7061]

i miss those old linus videos. kind of feels more personal, rather than the new clickbaity, "100000$ GRAPHICS CARD?!" linus.

[@ScarozaSKIP]

A mix of Linus' shorter reviews and TTL's marathon reviews is so brilliant for keeping up with tech news :)

[@Ms442er]

At 5:30 He said a German Word "Spiel" :D

[@abuttandahalf]

what does it actually mean

[@Ms442er]

The German word "Spiel" means in English Game :D

[@abuttandahalf]

MSGamerLP oh, thanks

[@Ms442er]

Again and again gladly

[@IAMaEffect]

Habs auch gehört!

[@Bulwark1911]

Square / Rectangle frame fans line up with the edges of the radiator. Their fan blades are as long as possible to force air through the cooling fins. Standard fans are for general directional cooling / case air flow, they have shorter blades which don't give the same draw strength.

[@dyoung1844]

I think we all learned our lesson here, run fans however you want, don't buy a cat.

[@isthisnametaken978]

What about if I adopt a cat I found in an alley?

[@anjopag31]

Woohoo! I have a dog.

[@KevinSmith-kg2nk]

I have a hamster...

[@andreaslian1632]

I think the push/pull vs just push or pull argument is largely dependent on you radiator as well as your fans. The reason I say this is because I have a couple of Noctua NF-A14 PWM fans set up in push/pull with my NZXT Kraken X40. I recently tired taking off the push fan due to limited space in my case, but to be sure about the results I also ran Prime to check the difference in CPU temperatures. For this test I ran the fans at 100% to get as much airflow as possible, and thje results was staggering in my case. I recorded a whooping 12 degree Celcius in difference when running just pull instead of push/pull. I had a max temp at 57 degrees C while in Push/Pull and that raised all the way to 69 degrees C when just in Pull. Granted; the Noctua NF-A14 might not be as pressures optimized as the NF-F12, but Noctua still markets them as pressure optimized fans. This is just something for people out there to think on.

[@FroztiProductions]

What are non pressure fans for

[@farn0153]

Just normal airflow, not for radiators

[@FroztiProductions]

So do they move the same amount of air, just static pushes straight more?

[@FroztiProductions]

Ahhh okay that makes sense.

[@93SupaFly]

+FroztiProductions Generally if im correct, you use AF fans on casing exhaust on the back and top *if you not using any liquid cool*, and casing intake at front *some case has drive bay near to the front and people recommend use SP fans instead* Use sp fans for radiator and heatsinks fan if you wish to replace it.

[@BrawndoQC]

+FroztiProductions SP for restricted spaces, AF for free space. Example: Let's take a Corsair 750D case with an h110i at the top configured as an exhaust, back fan as exhaust, front as intake. Front: If no drive cages or stuff tucked against the fans, AF, otherwise SP. Back exhaust unless used as a rad is usually exhaust airflow. Top is AF if no rad, exhaust, if radiator SP as push or pull exhaust. A little bit more positive pressure (intake) in the case is better than negative pressure (exhaust) for dust buildup, because negative pressure will pull in dust from unfiltered holes, while positive pressure will push the air out.

[@lrom5445]

Thank guys. I'm usually pretty good with hardware, but this actually helps my next build. I hadn't considered the newer fans and their capabilities, and had been thinking of going in the old push pull config.

[@karigreyd2808]

I run push-pull because i got a good deal on non pressure optimized fans.

[@novachrono2236]

waste of energy.

[@karigreyd2808]

Allen TKO ?

[@SgtPickledic]

I run push pull, it helps, It Lowered my temps 10'C with the fans at 50 percent.. Its easy to clean, i just use my air compressor with a moister trap filter on it so i don't blow moister all over the inside my computer. That canned air crap is for the birds.

[@natedelisle9430]

Love that intro love to see it for like anniversary videos

[@jorgepalma551]

damn. I wish I had seen this before setting my fans to push :/

[@danv2888]

Make sure your case has filters, and you will be fine. All you have to do clean the filters.

[@porksandbean]

8 years and you've convinced me to do a pull.

[@rowwuk]

2012 - Nvidia GeForce GTX 580 2017 - AMD Radeon RX 580 man, AMD is that far behind

[@KyleBradburnUK]

Been subscribed to Linus for a while now.. also inspired me to build my own PC. Having finished my build about 3 months ago I decided that I need(want) a new case... disassembling my h80i revealed an insane amount of dust! When I upgrade the watercooling to a full loop I will definitely keep this in mind. Thanks again guys ;)

[@PongoXBongo]

***** Having dust filters on all intakes helps a lot too. If the case you have now, buy in future, doesn't come with nifty removable filters, you can always slap on some after market ones. ;)

[@MrD1ss666]

ur a good man. but cats are not stupid.

[@zedeleric8928]

Gotta love those old POV videos Linus xD

[@jessecox2268]

PC enthusiast with a carpet floor ....

[@BrandonContracting]

Answer me this one. My configuration is push pull from the outside of the case. What do you think would happen to your vehicle if you put the radiator in the back with no auxiliary venting and just asked the fan to push air from the cab thru it. Your cab would be hot and your vehicle would overheat. That's why the radiator is in the front so it catches cold air. Fans blowing outside cold air on the radiator will cool better than fans blowing/sucking hot air thru the radiator from the case.

[@Tiparium_NMF]

Why is this dinosaur in my recommended lol

[@mkrete]

In a pull configuration, the first thing the air (including dust, hair, etc) is going to hit is the radiator. It is easier to clean a pull configuration because you can clean out the rad area with out the fan in the way. The rad is all you are concerned about cleaning, because that is where you need to airflow to cool the liquid. Sure there will be some dust on the fan on pull, but no nearly as much. The rad catches much more dust than the fan ever will. Make sense now?

[@Anony_mous1993]

look at all that money. to be able to mess and configure with unlimited hardware and software sources and im just. its my dream. and this was 3 years ago and I still got a i5 cpu. lol

[@blatz4306]

+James Thebeau i'm currently using a pentium dual core. And i'm actually saving money to buy an i5.

[@Anony_mous1993]

Blatz430 Well its not to say its bad. But this is the last era of gaming I will actually be able to use this max. Best thing is to get your ram and a capable motherboard first.. lol which for me would even be the z97. i made a mistake and bought ram and a video card first and cant even overclock them on this motherboard and its a single 12v rail.

[@ojirmr]

Coming from 2021, still pandemic, where am I? Whoa, NCIX? What year is now?

[@websterboyHD]

De_dust2

[@paulienordaker7898]

so you know im useing some of your videos for (with your title next to the link) for a one stop place in my 120mm sp fan line up on a couple different forums your is one of them thanks for the awesome videos they are very informative..keep it up cant wait to see what 2017 brings

[@AritroSahaTech515]

This video is ancient

[@alienrenders]

The missing piece of info is what direction the air flow should go (inside to outside or outside to inside). Always go inside to outside to get hot air from the radiator out. Your other fans should bring colder air in with maybe one other fan moving air to the outside to balance things out. Just try to have good airflow where you have about the same number of fans moving air in as out.

[@Life_Is_A...]

I could sit in that room you're at all day long man .. tons of hardware and awesome stuff great video

[@jbads1989]

great video, glad to see linus is supporting the just pull configuration.

[@RevDavidEMorrison]

Thank you for your reply. I had a suspicion that controlling condensation might be a problem. I imagine that an enclosed nitrogen gas environment might control condensation; however, access to the motherboard, for upgrades and such, would then become more involved. It seems that air cooling and radiators are the more practical solution for cooling. I would like to find a practical way to cool the processor and maintain a negative Celsius temperature and be silent also.

[@kcg795]

I also have my radiator fan configured in pull. It seems to make the most sense since the radiator fan replaced my rear exhaust fan anyway. So that's where I have it mounted. Linus made a good point on how easy it was to clean the radiator. I had to clean mine a couple times so far. It's not a big deal. Just brush it off.

[@IaCthulhuFthagn]

The standard way to handle condensation seems to be covering the motherboard with some sort of nonconductive foam. And there are people that run systems well into the negatives 24/7, although I can't speak for the lifespans of their components.

[@RobTheLegacy]

Thanks man! I was wondering about this for the past week and ran into your video! Thanks for showing me how much dust would build up!

[@GomoJoeXL]

Alright this one finally got my sub! Not because it's the best, just because in research I found myself constantly pulling up your videos. Anyway, then I'm completing my build and couldn't a nice complete answer to what I was looking for until I pulled this up! Nice videos and thanks for all the tips!

[@snoopyt7]

The only difference between push and pull is in the way the fans are positioned in relation to the radiator, not the way air actually flows. So you can have a setup where you "make the air from inside the case go through the rad to expel it outside" with either push or pull. Push means the fans are positioned below the rad, pushing the air directly into the rad. Pull means they are positioned above the rad, pushing air directly out of the case but at the same time pulling it through the rad.

[@iPhanman]

Wow Linus thanks for the helpful tip! This really helped me, I was about to go push-pull. I really appreciate it.

[@wonderboy2402]

I have been using a push / pull with two of these corsair 120sp fans. I actually got a fan filter for the rear of the case and don't have the problem with dust / cat hair getting into the radiator. When I air out the case I do stop the fans and hose inside the radiator. I would think sucking in cooler outside air would be better.

[@carlkitchen]

Would depend on your setup. If everything is water cooled, then heat inside the case would be minimal and in fact it might be a plus to remove what little heat remains out. If you pump the heat inside the case, it could even heat the metal on the case which in turn would add even more heat to the radiator or atleast make it harder to cool. But as you say, you are pulling in cooler air in the situation that not everything is water cooled. But also think in that scenario that you are adding more heat to the items that aren't water cooled too.

[@iAmCodeMonkey]

Carl Kitchen Your case air temperatures would not vary much, if my knowledge is correct. If they did, you have an airflow problem in your chassis.

[@SoftKitty0930]

Building my first PC in 2020 and this is surprisingly helpful after 8 years haha

[@crunkplaya6929]

Kraken X61 here with a 4790k and I've used a push config, pull config, and push/pull config. The results are the same. Idle 28 degrees and load at 43 degrees give or take a couple degrees within margin of error or negligible performance increase. I'm going to run it in PULL, radiator mounted on top of case to avoid that hassle of major dust build-up. Eff that!

[@spreaddeezhazelnutz7511]

if you notice, they do that on cars cause it cools them better and doesn't damage the blades. It's a win/win for pulling air cause if you push air through, the air turbulence from the fan blades hits the radiator and the air flow is slowed down before it makes it through the other side. 🙂

[@crunkplaya6929]

Joseph Long Thanks. Never thought of that before. Most people would consider this useless information, but now that I'm older and wiser, the most useless information are often the most useful. It can't be explained.

[@knewyouareboringg]

+Crunk Playa69 Exactly the same as mine, my temps atm with ts, skype, origin, CAM and a couple browsers on chrome 30-32 degrees. But the pc has been on for a while which allowed the liquid to warm up to 30 degrees.

[@crunkplaya6929]

Edit: radiator is mounted AT the top of case, not on it as is displayed in the video. Just to avoid any confusion.

[@knewyouareboringg]

Mine is also on the top, it barely fit :D i had to remove some drive bays for it. Its the h440w case. There is no dust filter on top, so the radiator works as a dust filter in a way that it prevents dust from getting in to the computer to some extent. Its pushing in air because i wanted the extra air to blow out of the cracks instead of pulling air into the cracks (which would bring dust in).

[@hr_maino7425]

Very funny. I´ve been watching Linus for years now and this is by far the oldest video ever seen by me. No Jake, no big cameras, just him doing Linus-Things... :D

[@K-dex]

loving the intro +LinusTechTips

[@masterbrice]

good thing you made this video because I have my h80 in the push/pull config and I definetly don't want that nasty dust in the radiator.

[@howdlej123]

Nice to know I was right on the money. First time I ever bought a small cooling kit a few month ago since it can get pretty hot where my computer is my cramped room and I wasn't truly sure what way to have it but I decided to have the fan pull air and no once every few month I can really easily go in and use a hover(vacuum) to clean the dust off it.

[@tynewlin]

Sure, because you're optimizing the static pressure between the fans and the rad. You're helping the air move through it more efficiently, but at the cost of higher energy consumption and noise levels. That, and you'll have to clean out the push side of the rad more often than the pull side or the extra fans aren't really doing you any good at all.

[@superdrummer3578]

the vents that channel the airflow after the air has been pushed by the blades don't make the fan bad for pull. If you think it's unacceptable to run a fan like the nf-f12 in pull then you can buy silverstone air filters which are available in various sizes. they are magnetic and you can attach them to the fan wihout having to onscrew the whole thing to remove and clean the dust filter

[@Stan_in_Shelton_WA]

The real question is expelling radiator (CPU) heat into the case or out of the case. Internal case temps higher would increase heat on MBOB and GPU. That is my question, yet all I find are videos addressing fans and radiators. Tough to be aware of and clean a push configuration, so I am a NO vote on that. Heat into or out of case? Logic would say out.

[@strongestgameralive]

Thanks Linus. This video helped me even in 2017. Thanks again

[@DerBeppone]

Nice video and nice explaination. The topic is as up to date, as it can be! Right now I am considering installing an AiO, so very helpful!

[@Cakebattered]

Watch other vids where they actually compare and test temps. Push alone, and Push/Pull both provide lower temps than pull alone.

[@Junaid_Ellam]

can we labs test what kind of static pressure increases you'd get with a push pull config plz??

[@DRIVESHAFT1]

Because of the thickness of the h80i you will maybe see a few degrees higher operation with only one fan, but the most important thing is to keep the fan in pull configuration. In short, it's fine

[@WizzRacing]

Actually the pressure of the fan is determined by the blade pitch and RPM. The factory tries to balance these out for intended use and noise levels. Maybe one day they will offer variable pitch fans for computers but I have not seen one yet. One reason would be the cost to build one would be 5 times the average price. So they use variable speed controllers for now. To get the best cooling with water is to choose the best fluid that has high surface tension properties to draw heat into the fluid.

[@DrHolyman]

That would depend on whether or not the fans are using performance monitoring software / hardware to adjust the fans' RPM based on the temperature e.g., radiator. The fans performance is configured through monitoring software based on the users preferences. In my build I am using the fans that were provided with the H100i: additionally I am using Corsair link cable with the Corsair Link 2 software (my case is the Corsair Graphite Series 600T). Basically, higher temp = higher RPM and noise.

[@EsSplicit]

Excellent review. These are the stuff I like to see. Simple stuff that makes a big difference.

[@orlandotech]

I think you would get only the amount of airflow that your case would be able to exhaust though fan holes/ cracks in the seams of the case. Having a ton of fans just pumping air into it with no way for it to exhaust out won't make it work better. In fact it might make the airflow worse. You do want slightly more filtered air pumping in than exhausting to help keep the case clean inside but you can go overboard with no net gain after a certain point.

[@dpjazzy15]

The only advantage I can think of for push vs pull or vica versa, would be choosing where your dust primarily builds up. If you are in push, the radiator gets all the dust, if you are in pull, the dust may get caught in an intake filter. So you can possibly make your case a little easier to clean, depending on the case and setup.

[@Plur307]

I have had the opposite experience. I have a Silverstone FT02 case that came with built in filters on the three 180mm intake fans. I have had it for about 2 years and only dusted it once. And looking in the window right now it is still virtually spotless inside right now. I clean the filters every 2 months or so and they are always totally full of dust they have stopped. My heatsinks on my GPU and CPU are still spotless thanks to my filters.

[@HermeticDisorder]

One again Linus... Thank you! This answered my question on this topic perfectly!

[@mrdummy_nl]

And suddenly while browsing, i look now at old video from 2012 :) So much time passed.

[@bacongl]

You raise some great points in this vid. I have an H100 that has been running for a year in a NZXT phantom that I added dust filters to and dont have any dust issues. I also have three cats. I guess it depends on the case. I hate this new KZbin interface.

[@PaulSebastianM]

Linus, let me explain it better: two fans at the same RPM == same CFM as one fan but twice the power. Think of it like a car's gearbox. 1st gear == most power used, less performance (speed), 5th hear == less power used, biggest performance (speed). Now with fins and fans it's different, you just need to keep air moving such that the maximum heat transfer potential at the room's temperature is achieved. That doesn't mean speed. It actually means power to keep it moving through all those fins.

[@LordKinaku]

I love when I come to my own conclusion, then find out Linus came to the same conclusion.