Phanteks Shift Motherboard Shroud

Alpenfohn Black Ridge update:

I had to update my motherboard from an ASRock Z370 Fatal1ty to an ASRock Z390 Phantom Gaming due to some PCI-E bus issues, and sadly, the Scythe no longer fit with the chipset heatsink. I found that, while the Alpenphohn Black Ridge was not as effective as the Scythe, it was the best cooler to fit with the Motherboard and Case combo. I redesigned the motherboard shroud to fit these components, and my CPU/Motherboard temps are still in check with my 8700K pulling 120watts. The Black Ridge comes with its own 90mm fan, but I removed it from the heatsink and topped it off with a Noctua NF-A12x25, but any 25mm thick 120mm fan will fit this design.

Final Version-Scythe Big Shuriken 2 rev B:

I relocated the 40mm fan from an exhaust location to an intake location to facilitate RAM and M.2 SSD cooling. I also created a chamber to make allowances for the BESTAR 20cm aftermarket riser cable. It is stiffer than the stock cable, so trying to fit it under the level of the CPU heatsink had stressed the cable where it slides into the motherboard, and led to more PCI-E 3.0 issues. Preventing the cable from straining at the connector solved the issue.

I included 2 versions, one with a 40mm fan, and one without. I recommend installing the 40mm fan, which seems to keep the chipset cooler than the previous design. Under full CPU/GPU load for 30 minutes, my system temperature never rose over 42 degrees. If you would like something changed or added to the design, leave a comment and I'll see what I can do.

Original Post:
When I purchased my Phanteks Shift case, I, like many others, noticed there were many problems caused by poor airflow within the otherwise great looking case. I figured out the airflow issues, and this print is just one of many modifications I made. Since the case isn’t terribly efficient at exchanging ambient air, I designed this CPU shroud to prevent hot air from recirculating back into the heatsink. Even though it kept the CPU exhaust air down at the motherboard, my motherboard temp dropped 3 degrees from previous stress tests. My CPU was able to increase power consumption by 8 watts while maintaining the same temperature. My GPU and M.2 SSD temps also dropped a degree or two, even though that wasn’t the goal. Overall, it seems to have significantly increased the efficiency of the case airflow exchange. This CPU shroud was designed for the Asrock Z370 ITX Gaming motherboard which has the CPU Heatsink mount holes 28.5mm away from the edge facing the exhaust fan, and 44mm away from the backpane edge. This is important because I discovered not all ITX motherboards have the same CPU socket location, even with the same brand. The shroud is also designed for the Scythe Big Shuriken 2 RevB heatsink, a 120x25mm fan, and has accommodations for a ziptie-mounted 40x20mm fan to aid further in exhausting hot air. For the 120x25mm fan, I recommend the Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM. For the 40x20mm fan, I recommend the Noctua NF-A4x20 PWM. For case fans, I have 3 140x29mm Noiseblocker NB-eLoop B14 fans regulated by a Silverstone CPF04 PWM Fan Hub. All 3 Noiseblockers are operated by one Mobo PWM fan header, I have 2 40mm fans tapped off a PWM splitter off the Mobo PWM header, and of course the CPU fan is on a third PWM header for the CPU. I have attached pictures of my fan curves for the entire system, and it is relatively quiet. After 30 minutes running the Heaven stress test, along with 4 threads of Prime 95 blend, my 8700k settled at 70 degrees at 65 watts of power consumption. After a de-lid and liquid metal, that dropped to 61 degrees at the same power consumption, so the case airflow has potential with the right CPU. If your hardware is compatible, this shroud should decrease temperatures across the board, and maximize the effectiveness of your case fans. I have included the .f3d file to allow you to customize the design to fit your hardware setup.

I would be interested to hear about your results or thoughts on improving the design in the comments.