Air Circulation in Case

I really need help.
I just ripped out my whole case to put in my new HS and plan for my wiring and fan position
Usually my fans was 4 infront (intake) 2 at the back (exhaust) and 1 on the side panel (intake)
ALTOGETHER 7 FANS ( IDONT INTEND TO GET ANYMORE FANS)
here ill give you a picture. BTW I want to change my fan positions... And I have a slight idea but if anyone has a better plan please post it.

Ok my case Dimensions are Dimensions (WxDxH): 200 x 480 x 430mm
Case material: zinc thermal heat electroplated steel(SGCC)
Front bezel material: ABS plastic
External drives bay: 5.25"x4, 3.5"x2
Intemal drives bay: Hidden H.D.Dx 5
System board: 100% P4 Available
Expansion slots: 7 full slots
Power type: PSII / ATX (always included) & P4 Available
Safety approvals: CE approved
Optional: additional cooling fan (size 8cm)*6 pcs(max)...World No.1
(got it from there website so i decided to take everything)


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Here are the pics... I hhope you know where im talking bout. I think you guys can see the pic very clearly. Pic 3 is the original positioning of everything. Pic 4 is my idea of positioning everything

Help on: 1) Where does the harddisk need cooling? Bottom or Top?

My Idea: 2 80mm fans infront intake of Harddisk i would think at the bottom of the harddisk so that it can could it down my main purpose to cool the harddisk down.

2 80mm fans at the back exhaust.

1 120mm fan intake at the side panel to bring in fresh air for CPU

1 120mm fan exhaust for blowhole. (I dont know where i should put them) cause if you see my pic i use the top 2 racks for my cd rom and cd rw i was wondering whether i should shift that to the lower 2 and put the blowhole there or should I put it between the cdrom and the PSU?

Now I have 3 80mm fans to play with and i was thinking of circulation. So i thought 1 80mm fan down below where the pci slots are and 1 on top of the cd rom and 1 on top of the harddisk. look at pic 4


I will be very thankful if you help me

Not a bad idea over all but I am wondering where this case will be located. UIn a desk, on it, in a corner by a wall etc.

Also, I'm not a big supporter of a fan at the top front, hot air rises and a good flow is from the bottom front up over the board and then out the back under the PSU. Also, does your PSU have 2 fans as well??

Ok the computer will be located at a side of a desk sitting on the floor and at the back it is about 20cm away from the wall. And probably 15 cm away from the side of the desk.

What do you mean by the fan at the top front? Are you talking about the fan on top of the harddisk or the fan on top of the cdrom or both of what i said? The fan blowing at the bottom part of the PCI slots is a circualtion fan and the fans on top of the harddisk and the cdrom are circualtion fans too.

No I don't have 2 fans in the PSU.

In your 4th pic, you have a fan infront of the CD/DVD bays.

Also, a better thing to do instead of a fan in the case at the bottom center, is another one on the side blowing in over the PCI/AGP area. The set up you show with on directly over the CPU is fine, but what you need to worry about is in and out flow, not direct cooling. That is what the Heatsink and fan is for. You don't want to creat a dead flow with too much air comming in and not enough going out.

Here is a link to another thread showing a better explantion and photo of good case flow.

Case air flow


You should look in to getting a PSU with 2 fans, in my opinon. It will help remove the rising heat and force it out the back.

Oh the fan on top of the CDROM drive is a circulation fan. I thought that a dead airflow spot might build up there (wasnt actually sure of it)

The fan on the bottom middle of the case was to blow out the dead airflow spot which might build up there.

What do you think of the fan circulation on top of the harddisk?

Also in your case airflow link that you gave someone posted making a ramp so that the front fans can blow onto the VGA and PCI slots. Its not neccessary for me right?

Im not exactly sure whether i should get a 2 fan PSU. Its quite costly. And my current PSU is quite new.

I still need help.... And I need other views of my cooling strategy

For the dead spot, a side fan helps a lot if it is low enough in the case, as for the ramp, no I don't think you will need this. However having fans at the top and bottom for intake can and has created some unique air flowcharacteristics and is not recommended by me from personal experiance. If you can't afford or don't want to buy a new PSU i can understand that, just mke sure you have good fans for the exhaust fans.

oh holly crap!!! my exhaust fans are just stock fans.!!

Um...OK. Go get some panaflo or Antec 80mm fans.
I use the blue LED Antecs and they work nice.

OK so ill remove the circulation fan at the CDROM drive. But i don't think ill remove the circulation fan at the harddisk. Its not to high up. No I cant fit a 80mm fan to where the dead spot is(PCI slot) it would destroy my case. So i can still put a 80mm fan down there right? cause its still at the bottom(cold air)

No you need the ones over the HDD. Those should be your main intakes as well as one clear and open at the bottom for an intake.

Does your case have a side fan or are you adding this to the area over the cpu? Your pics #3 & 4 show you moving this. Are you not modding the case at this point to place the fan there?? I am now confused about this area.

Ahh yes it already comes with a 80mm fan on the side panel. Im going to modd it to a 120mm fan which probably can deliver 120cfm at 26dba or so. In pic number 3 the 80mm fan is not blowing directly over the CPU but when i modd it its going to blow directly over the CPU.
Everything will stay except for the CDROM drive fan. And im still leaving on the fan on top of the harddisk as circulation not as intake. Or should I put it as intake? If I put it as intake pressure is not balance.
Oh yes im putting a SLK800 and a Tornado on that CPU

I would set up the fans as follows.


Set it up so that you have a little more air going in than going out, that way air won't be sucked in from areas you don't want. This way you can regulate your airflow. The four fans in the front should be in the four existing holes that you have, not infront of each other. The blowhole in the top should be as close to the PSU as possible.

I have nearly the same setup as shown by my diagram, and my temps are about 3ºC cooler when I have my case side on.

I'm at work with no photoshop access but Funks pic is perfect.
Worth more than 1000 words there.

The VTech said:

I'm at work with no photoshop access but Funks pic is perfect.
Worth more than 1000 words there.

Click to expand...

Thankyou

btw, I used paint lol.

Paint? What's Paint? I'm kidding I'm kidding!
LOL!

Set it up so that you have a little more air going in than going out, that way air won't be sucked in from areas you don't want. This way you can regulate your airflow.

Click to expand...

I dont get that

and my temps are about 3ºC cooler when I have my case side on.

Click to expand...

3 degress cooler than your ambient room temp.?

Ok VTech here is what im talking about





Just imagine the 2 fans infront of the case and 2 fans at the back of the case i was abit lazy to take the fans out and screw them on. Ohh yes I have 2 PCI slots i wana use so i put my smallest PCi slot on to that slot and the other PCi cardi will put above it. Y should i put the blowhole as close to the PSU? BTW I put in all my neccessary hardware to show you how much space i have and to show you the outcome


That is what im talking about fan on top of the harddrive just to circulate not to bring in air and fan at the bottom of case to circulate air

I duno whether i should fill in the other 2 fan slots to make it my original positioning of 4 fans

Hmmm honestly I think you would do better to use the four housing areas in the front, the one on top may create a back draft against the back of the case in combination with the fan on the botom createing a static air feild. BAD. With 4 placed infront of the HDD it has a buffer zone tht was intended by the case maker.
How many HDD are you using in this thing? All of the bays available???

As long as some of the air being taken in goes over the HDD area, you should be fine. My Cheiftec has a fan over the lower HDD cage and one under it and then 2 directly under the PSU. With the side fan right over the PCI/AGP areas, my case has no dead spots.
Seeing that your lower area is a tad different over all, it still has the basic locations that are the same. I would try it your way but pay close attention to your fan speeds and noise level to get the temps you want.

my 2cents.

Nope all my stock fans are quite quiet. I havent actually heard just 7 of them cause i duno how to make those fans work without the CPU fan. I reason y I dont really want 4 fans there is because when I felt with my hand that that 4 fans the air flow was worst compared with 1 fan on the side panel. BTW my stock fan are standard. Then when i tried to experiment, i took that fan off from the front and my side panel i felt that they have about the same airflow. I checked my case underneath the front. it had such a small inlet!
Im going to increase it but i think even if i increase it 4 fans will still not work eventhough i increase the inlet cause it is still quite a small place.

whats a BACK DRAFT?
whats a STATIC AIR FIELD?
whats a BUFFER ZONE?

one fan sitting on top of the harddisk will create a back draft? it will?
and the circulation fan right at the bottom sitting on the case blowing into the empty PCI slots will create a STATIC AIR FIELD? it will?