WOW. Huge temp drop.

Guess I should have done this a long time ago....

Today I drilled a 120mm hole into my case door, and mounted an Antec 120mm fan there blowing inwards on the RAM, CPU, and NB. MBM5 shows a 10C drop in CPU temp and 8C temps in NB temp.

I don't know the specs on the fan, but it's running silent at 7V with very little airflow for a 120mm. I'm amazed temps have gone down this much - they don't even drop this much when I leave the side of the case off.

Also, everything in the fan's path is now cool to the touch, or at least not warm anymore. Before the blowhole, my CPU heatsink (Zalman CNPS7000-Cu) was pretty hot (MBM5 temp 48C), and my RAM almost burned my fingers if I kept it there for a long time (F@H really turns overvolted DDR into an oven). I feel much better about my RAM being accessed 24/7 now.

I know this mod (it barely qualifies as a mod) is obvious, but in case anyone was hesitating for any reason, maybe this will push you over the edge and get you to do it.

put a fan on the bottom and a fan on top you temps will go down even more

BioTuned said:

put a fan on the bottom and a fan on top you temps will go down even more

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bottom? what're you talking about?

He is talking about a blowhole on the top of the case and one on the floor of the case cfrating a natural flow of heat from top to bottom. IMHO, I did not see any difference from the side door fan idea and the bottom-top idea. I just stuck with the side door.

Good Job BTW. Suggestion......... get a mesh grill ( square ) and mount it on the INSIDE of the door on the fan itself. You will have to watch your fingers BUT the trubulance noise will be a lower pitch than if the grill is on the OUTSIDE of the fan. To me, it does not seem to have that whistling pitch noise of air going through the grill when it is on the INSIDE. Just my 2 cents

why have a grill at all if its not on the outside? unless its a dust filter...

My case is on my desk; no bottom fan for me. Plus, I'm pretty happy with 38C full load temps...

I have a standard 120mm fan grill over this fan right now, and I definitely need the protection, as the intake is rather close to my joystick, my speaker with volume controls, etc.


I will replace this fan shortly with another Vantec Stealth, which runs silently at 7V (as opposed to the slight gentle whine that this fan has).

you guys ever think that the temp didnt drop . the fan is just cooling the temp sensor? Happens ..

StinkBreff said:

you guys ever think that the temp didnt drop . the fan is just cooling the temp sensor? Happens ..

Click to expand...

I doubt that is the case on his CPU.

StinkBreff said:

you guys ever think that the temp didnt drop . the fan is just cooling the temp sensor? Happens ..

Click to expand...

it does happen with some built in temp diodes, but there is definitely going to be a temp drop in your CPU temps regardless of how its measured if you add a fan blowing air in directly over the CPU...

in all normal situations that'd decrease the ambient temp around the CPU HSF intake, thus making it push cooler air through the CPU HS...

Naturally, cooler air running through the CPU HS will produce lower temps.

StinkBreff said:

you guys ever think that the temp didnt drop . the fan is just cooling the temp sensor? Happens ..

Click to expand...

Yeah, it happens, but not with on-die temp sensors - they're not exposed to the air.

I have no idea where my northbridge temp sensor is; however, I assume it's in my northbridge... Hence, also not exposed to the air.

If this was just some thermal diode hanging out in the airflow, then yeah, maybe the actual drop isn't that dramatic, but in this case I think it's real, as evidenced by the fact that things that used to feel hot aren't hot any more.