Fractal Meshify S2 top plan placement advice?

[polonyc2]

I have the Fractal Meshify S2 case...I'm looking for advice on where to place the top case fan...I currently am using 3 Noctua front intake 140mm and 1 rear exhaust 140mm...the case has room on top for more fans and I bought a Noctua NF-A12x25 120mm (to use as a top exhaust) but I'm not sure of the optimal placement

if I put it towards the front (where the front fans are located) then won't it pull air away from going to the CPU/GPU etc?...but if I place it in the back (where the rear fan is located) won't it pull air away from the CPU cooler fan direction?...I attached some pics...any help would be appreciated...Thanks

 

[Nobu]

Put it as far back as possible. In the front, it's just pushing fresh air out of the case. At least in the back it's had a chance to go through the heatsink. I don't see what you're concerned with about the rear placement, myself.

You may want to throw some plastic or cardboard over the unused section on the top, if you are only using one fan. I'd try with and without, so you know whether you really need it or not. Without, air may be entering or exiting where you don't want it to...which may be good, but could hurt cooling performance too.

 

[polonyc2]

Put it as far back as possible. In the front, it's just pushing fresh air out of the case. At least in the back it's had a chance to go through the heatsink. I don't see what you're concerned with about the rear placement, myself.

You may want to throw some plastic or cardboard over the unused section on the top, if you are only using one fan. I'd try with and without, so you know whether you really need it or not. Without, air may be entering or exiting where you don't want it to...which may be good, but could hurt cooling performance too.

so all the way in the back or right above the CPU cooler area?...putting it all the way in the back won't interfere with the rear exhaust fan?...the Meshify S2 has a mesh type cover that goes on top of the case so it's not open like that...I just took that pic after I finished installing it

one other question...I'm using those rubber grommet things instead of regular screws to attach the top case fan...any issues with that?...it doesn't seem as secure with the rubber things and I don't want it to fall

 

[hititnquitit]

I've found that running a single top mounted fan usually doesn't help in improving temps if you already have good overall flow(you do). If the front of your case is restrictive, putting it right in front of your heatsink blowing down into it usually helps drop temps.
I generally don't put fans up top in aircooled rigs unless I'm building in a case that only allows air in on the sides of the face plate.
I can't remember what the noctua grommets are like. I never had a problem with them but I didn't top mount anything either

 

[polonyc2]

I've found that running a single top mounted fan usually doesn't help in improving temps if you already have good overall flow(you do). If the front of your case is restrictive, putting it right in front of your heatsink blowing down into it usually helps drop temps.
I generally don't put fans up top in aircooled rigs unless I'm building in a case that only allows air in on the sides of the face plate.
I can't remember what the noctua grommets are like. I never had a problem with them but I didn't top mount anything either

so you're saying to put the top case fan on top of the CPU cooler area and use it as an intake versus exhaust?...I've always liked using top exhaust fans because heat rises so I've always preferred going that route

 

[Nobu]

so all the way in the back or right above the CPU cooler area?...putting it all the way in the back won't interfere with the rear exhaust fan?

Yes, shouldn't cause any issues. If the fans are a bit noisier you can move it forward a bit, but other than that there should be zero issues.

Alternatively, you could intake in the front as hititnquitit said, but that could mix in warm air from the back/bottom of the case as it moves toward the CPU, which...may be good, depending on your case's airflow. I don't think it would help in this case, though.

The best way to find out is through testing and comparing your results, as always.

 

[hititnquitit]

so you're saying to put the top case fan on top of the CPU cooler area and use it as an intake versus exhaust?...I've always liked using top exhaust fans because heat rises so I've always preferred going that route

I position it either offset of center to feed both fans( but not feeding into the exhaust fan) or just ahead of the heatsinks front intake fan (depending on the heatsink and if its single or dual fan). It's not a world beater but I've had good luck dropping a few degrees in restrictive cases.
In your case, I think Nobus suggestion is going to net the best result. Adding an extra exhaust fan might help move the heat away from your cpu if that's your goal. I agree that experimenting is the only way to find out if adding another fan can help.

 

[pendragon1]

top back

 

[polonyc2]

I ended up moving the fan to the top rear spot...I think everyone is right in that it makes the most sense, won't interfere with the natural airflow of the case plus it can add some additional cooling for the giant CPU cooler heatsink...

 

[pendragon1]

I ended up moving the fan to the top rear spot...I think everyone is right in that it makes the most sense, won't interfere with the natural airflow of the case plus it can add some additional cooling for the giant CPU cooler heatsink...

and it will help draw air across the vrm section
cant do a straight on, no angle shot?

 

[polonyc2]

and it will help draw air across the vrm section
cant do a straight on, no angle shot?

if I had to do it all over again I would buy the Meshify 2 XL which is full tower...I always prefer full tower cases but the Meshify 2 wasn't yet released when I bought my S2...mid towers are way too cramped for my liking...the Meshify cases are a bit bigger then normal mid towers but it's still too small to work inside...I can't even remove my NVMe without taking out the GPU etc...would be a major hassle