WELP
one of the (very ancient) case fans in my case gave up the ghost just now. I mean it didn't die sudenly but it DID start making a horrible racket at gone midnight when everyone is asleep (except for me because I am garbage)
So cue me pulling off the case, checking which fan is failing, realising that the fan is SO shot that the bearings are generating HEAT, so out that thing comes immediately once power is off.
and replacing it with two SMALLER fans that are WAY newer and unused.
CONCLUSION: I did it right and the two new fans suck a lot of air in, the stock case fan that still works blows all that cool air out. :D cpu temp actually dropped like 10 degrees too who knew.