question for my cpu cooling

alright, should i
A) drill a 3-inch hole in my plexiglass and stick my smart fan2 on the same line as my CPU, OR
B) (the one im sure of) get rid of my cheap no name heatsink with generic thermal paste and get a beast heatsink and use my smart fan2

go the less messy route first and get a beast heatsink. get the ax-7. it is a good combo with that smart fan. i had that on my xp 1700 till i went out and bought the tornado. if you're thinking slk-800 then you might want to re-think the fan cause the smart fan and the slk are not really a good match.

I say go with option 2. The smartfan II is a great fan and coupled with something like an slk800 or even an ax7, it is a formidable combination for cooling.

Go with the monster HS/Fan combo first.
If you want to lower your temp by about 2-3c more(depending on room temp), install the fan on the side cover.

If you have got time (and can be bothered) you could put your Smartfan 2 on your current heatsink- place the generic one on your plexi/case side and duct it into your new SF2 and H/s combo- should take quite a bit off your temps.

dont know how you can make a ductwith a plexi side- i'll have a think....

[light bulb flashed above head]
instead of using cardboard (as many people do if they are without window), use a plastic cup (generaly see-thru) and put a couple of LED's on it, might give a cool patern if the cup is slightly crumpled/has pattern in it. [/light bulb flashed above head]

this will give you time to save up for a decent heatsink- so you dont need to buy it all at same time or can wait a while and get a more expensive one.

Price is NOT an indicator of effectivness of a product

thnx people