0

I'm looking to replace a GPU fan shroud with two 120mm case fans due to recent fan failure.

What interests me is:

  1. Are two 1000 RPM fans enough or should I use higher RPM fans?
  2. What would it possibly be like under 100% load for a prolonged period of time at 2 x fixed 1000 RPM?

GPU in question is Palit RTX 2060 GamingPro OC running undervolted at ~0.92v max, around 150 to 170 watts

I should also mention that it's situated in a Fractal Design Node 202 case and perhaps it's not necessary to attach the fans to the heatsink itself, instead leaving them in their normal mounting brackets on the case. However, this way the fans will be 2 to 3 cm away from the GPU heatsink.

Edit: I guess I'm not really looking for a definitive answer like "yes or no" but a theoretical one, based on personal experience, if someone ran similar cards with static 1000 RPM 120mm fans and if it was sufficient for you under high load and other such cases

Improve this question
7
  • How can we know if your fans are enough if we don't know your temps? Do you live inside a vulcano? Do you live on Antarctica?
    – Gantendo
    Commented Feb 9 at 7:34
  • The ambient temperature is 24C and the core GPU temps were at around 70C under load with stock fans at around 2000 RPM. When stock fans failed it was 40 or so in idle with case fans running close. Can't test it (and honestly wouldn't want to) under load with the shroud still attached.
    – user1889375
    Commented Feb 9 at 7:46
  • 1
    Ideally you would want to replace with a similar or better fan. The fan speed (RPM) is only a crude indicator of fan performance, despite widespread mention of this attribute. The actual amount of air moved by a fan (the reason for using a fan) can also vary because of blade design, back and/or front pressure, and electrical power. The typical rating for "CFM" is for the fan in free air, i.e. no obstructions. But a cheap motor (i.e. low torque) will slow down as you block the air flow, and the RPM and CFM numbers drop.
    – sawdust
    Commented Feb 9 at 9:20
  • Replacing the GPU fan may not solve all your problems. If your PC case has poor air flow, you could be just circulating/churning hot air inside your case. Even if you think there's good air flow, there could still be dead zones that allow hot spots.
    – sawdust
    Commented Feb 9 at 9:31
  • 1
    This is down to CFD - computational fluid dynamics - & is not only concerned with how much air these new fans can shift, but whether they will shift it to the right place. Without some serious math, the answer is "try it & see what happens." See my answer on superuser.com/a/1632867/347380 for why this is a total nightmare in a regular PC case.
    – Tetsujin
    Commented Feb 9 at 17:32

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
0

This is as close to an answer this question could get, but it worked out with some limitations.

  1. Two 120mm fans with 1000 RPM are enough for this card in this case. Other PC cases with better airflow should do better as well.
  2. It holds itself fine under 100% load with temperature limit set

I used two 120x120mm fans, one Xilence XF039 (1300 RPM with many fins, 45 CFM) and another is Aerocool Force 12 (1000 RPM with fewer but wider fins, 25 CFM). Strapped them onto the GPU cooler (radiator) with zipties, with Xilence covering most of the area where the GPU itself resides and Aerocool over the rest of the board. The air is sucked directly into the GPU bay from outside and is pushed out of every hole in the GPU bay there is (look up Node 202 case to get a clearer picture).

The temperatures with 100% load in video games rise pretty quickly but get to a slow crawl at around 80-81C. Setting a temp limit at 80C helped get it under control and make it stay at 79 while dropping a bit in performance (power usage drops from 160W to around 140W).

I want to say it was successful but your experience may vary.

Improve this answer
1
  • As it’s currently written, your answer is unclear. Please edit to add additional details that will help others understand how this addresses the question asked. You can find more information on how to write good answers in the help center.
    – Community Bot
    Commented Feb 10 at 21:57

You must log in to answer this question.