u/chesherkat

I gotta say, for the money, great value sff case.

For like 100$ pcie 5.0 riser cable and rt angle dp cords are included.

BD775i SE,5070 shadow 2x

I tried a number of fan configurations to try and tame the fractal ridge as a full fledge gaming rig. Orriogonaly I had a 7600x + 4070 in a midori 5l and ended up with a 9800x3d and a 9070xt in the ridge as the midori just kinda fell appart after being opened up like 10 times.

anyhooo....it seemed like the choice for the 9800x3d was eco mode or try and come up with a different thermal solution. I tried a number of different methods, but it seems like using the stock fan with a duct worked the best.

In this itteration I added four exhaust fans to the front of the case. Since it's going behind a tv i don't mind them protruding out.

I did have the 60mm bracket w/ a noctua 60x25 sitting behind the front pannel and that did litteraly nothing for temps. While that front 'mesh' looks really good, it's not really meant to allow air to pass throug it.

The key take away here isn't the temp reduciton rather the sustained power draw of 133.6w and boot clocks.

I think this is gonna be the final form for a while.

Previous Post:
https://www.reddit.com/r/sffpc/comments/1vijykk/ridge_next_itteration_gpu_and_fan_swap/

Front Pannel stl:
https://makerworld.com/en/models/3173731-fractal-ridge-front-fan-mod

onfiguration	Cinebench R26	Noise (dB)	Sustained CPU Power	All-Core Clock	Max CPU Temp	VRM Temp (Avg)	PCH Temp (Avg)
Noctua NF-F12 (100% w/ gasket)	4955	52 dB	103.0 W	4,663 MHz	96.4 °C	54.3 °C	55.6 °C
Stock 92mm (100% un-ducted)	5131	57 dB	115.4 W	4,906 MHz	96.0 °C	59.6 °C	63.4 °C
Phanteks T30 (85%)	5152	67 dB	115.6 W	4,910 MHz	96.0 °C	50.6 °C	53.4 °C
Phanteks T30 (100%)	5315	72 dB	120.9 W	4,987 MHz	96.1 °C	48.7 °C	51.2 °C
Final Mod (Ducted Stock 92mm + 4x 60mm Front Exhaust)	5535	54db	133.6 W	5,124 MHz	96.4 °C	55.5 °C	56.8 °C

My origonal post can be found here: https://www.reddit.com/r/sffpc/comments/1unel6r/fractal_ridge_report/

Where I learned not only is my TV r/TVTooHigh but big fan gooder. (or so I thaught)

Long and short I was experimenting with the T30 and other 120mm fans coupled with my AXP-53X FC. In theory more air more cool. And that was largely correct.

The thing is....as one might suspect...fast big fans are quite loud. I didn't think this would be much of an issue as FPS made more of an impact to my gaming than sound as I usualy am wearing a headset.

Welp as it turns out, landing a C130 in the living room, head set or no, makes the other members of the family a little annoyed.

So I revisited the stock set up.

Configuration	Avg Core Clock	Avg Power	Avg VRM Temp	Avg DDR5 Temp	Avg Noise	Cinebench 26
Stock w/ Funnel (85%)	5,105 MHz	125.7 W	55.5 °C	48.0 °C	57 dB	5487
Stock w/ Funnel (100%)	5,124 MHz	126.7 W	58.0 °C	51.8 °C	61 dB	5424
Phanteks T30 (100%)	5,046 MHz	121.9 W	48.7 °C	38.0 °C	72 dB	5315
Phanteks T30 (85%)	4,972 MHz	116.2 W	50.6 °C	39.8 °C	67 dB	5152
Stock (No Funnel)	4,981 MHz	115.9 W	59.7 °C	54.3 °C	57 db	5131
Noctua NF-F12	4,734 MHz	103.9 W	54.0 °C	38.4 °C	52 dB	4955

On top of just hearing the fans spin up, if you were off to the side of it, you could hear that turbulence from the t30 being so close to the case.

I also was able to score a 9070xt for 525$. I kinda wanted a 3 fan gpu as the two fan works just fine whether stock or with the t30s slapped on them...it got loud.

After a little googling, come to find out the 9070xt's power draw is proportional to its utilization whereas the 5070's would stay relativly high even when using frame gen to lighten the load....thus...more ffffffffffffffffffffff

Eventualy I 3d printed a funnel to try and maximize new cool air hitting the axp and that seemed to do the trick. Even when limted to 85%, the stock set up with the funnel out performed the t30. Due to the fan being quite far away from the side of the case, there's no turbulence either.

Ultimatly I decited to stick w/ the stock / funnel set up. While the 120mm fans absolutly provied system cooling as a whole, it was to much of a ding to actual cpu performance.

STL for the funnel: https://www.printables.com/model/1609636-fan-duct-20-mm-height-for-cpu-cooler-for-fractal-r

Note I moded it to fit better.

STL for 9070 XT bracket: https://makerworld.com/en/models/3146262-xfx-9070-xt-quicksilver-deshroud-bracket

So I had a 7600x and a 5070 (deshroud) in a Midori 5l.

While I lived the Midori, the build quality is meh and acres started to strip and the top grill got cracked.

I also buy and sell parts as a hobby and wound up with the 9800x3d in that build.

I'm trying to get parts for the Midori it became clear due to there version changes and terrifs that wouldn't be an option. So rather than buy a new one I looked in marketplace for any reasonable cases that would fit my needs. Found a ridge for 80$ and while it's almost 3x the volume, it's profile fit.

My mobo is the aorus 650i so my cooler selection could be the metta of the l12s.

So I went tdoen a rabbit hole of coolers and what could fit.

I tried ...

Big Shuriken 4

AXP120-X67

ID-COOLING

AXP90-X53 full copper

The full copper was really the only one that would fit with that motherboard. However I was able to fit 120mm fans into it....which worked great.

My fist iteration i used the stock cooler for the 5070 shadow 2x and a noctua nf-a12 (25mm) with a 3d bracket and duct.

Worked great but the GPU was hella loud. I read a lot of folks take the stock fsnd out but those 92mm also shreeked. So I decided. To go back and deshroud.

Since I had the space I decided to look at high stacic pressure fans and modifications.

Indeed up getting a 3 pack of the PH-F120T30_BG_3P thick 30mm fans.

Since I had 3 I tried it out on the CPU cooler as well.

These are the results.

Start on couch 

Full speed - 47db

Idol - 39db

Steel nomad running - 40db, 5391

GPU max - 80.66c

CPU max - 66.0c

R26 - 4593

Test bench (sound meter right by case)

CPU fan swap 

Max (3k mode) - 74db

Idol - 53db

R26 - 5281

Post exhaust fan  and deshroud on bench 

R26 - 5339

Steel nomad - 5496

Back on couch 

Full speed - 44 db 

Steel nomad - stock curves - 40db, 5462

GPU max - 75

CPU max - 62

Fans set to 50% 

Steel nomad - 50% - 39db, 5462

GPU max 83

CPU max 72

In conclusion....adding those tiny exhaust fans do next to nothing in comparison to just using bigger higer static fans. This is also true when selecting a smaller fan vs potential turbulence. A bigger fan will be much quieter even if turbulence is involved vs a smaller fan.

While my maximizer wants to jam those fans in there or do a 3d printed faceplate to add more exhaust, I don't think it will do much as those 30mm fans shed air so efficantly.

Edit 1: this PC is mounted it's not just shoved in between the TV and wall. Though my pics I conceed make it kinda look that way.