Lian Li V1000 plus II: Rear fan as intake or exhaust?

Hi folks,

your advice is needed for my first „built-it-yourself“ pc. The components are already ordered and will arrive during next week:

Case: Lian Li PC-V1000 plus II
PSU: Corsair VX450W
MoBo: Gigabyte P35 DS3
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600
CPU cooler: Xigmatek S1283
CPU fan: Noctua NF-P12
TIM: Arctic Silver 5
RAM: OCZ XTC Platinum PC8000 2*2GB Kit
Graphics: Sapphire HD3470
HD: Western Digital WD6400AAKS

Later this year, blu-ray will be added also.

CPU will be OCed to 3,2 … 3,6 GHz.
Usage will be audio, video, incl. editing, no 3d games.
Therefore the rather slow graphics card (I wanted to have 2 digital outputs and passive cooling).
Goal is to have a good balance between fast and quiet performance.

The question is now:
How to mount the fans in the case?

I think, there are 3 reasonable scenarios (front fan is always intake):

1) Rear fan as intake, upper side fan as exhaust (default for this case)
2) Rear fan as exhaust, upper side fan as exhaust
3) Rear fan as exhaust, upper side fan as intake

My own opinion is so far based on theoretical considerations only:

1) makes sense if you use e.g. the stock CPU cooler that blows to the cpu.
I think it makes less sense if you use a tower cooler (like the S1283).
The fan on the tower cooler has then to be oriented to blow upwards.
For me, that seems not to fit really good together.
Also the heat from the cpu travels a long way through the case.

2) makes more sense for a tower cooler. The fan of the tower cooler will then be oriented to blow to the rear case fan which directly exhausts the warm air. That should fit much better.

3) is like 2), with the different orientation of the upper side fan.
I guess overall two intakes and one exhaust could be better than one intake and two exhaust. Since the main heat source will be the cpu, graphics will not contribute much, this question is less relevant.


What is your opinion?
Has anyone experiences with the V1000 plus II and different fan orientations?

Your advice is very welcome!

Volkmar

Sorry, that I did not point this clearly out:
Of course there is a front fan and it is an intake as default.
I do not want to change this.

Yeah, then front intake and top and rear is exhaust. Normally the best config.