Your Antec 900 & Dust

For anyone here that has dust issues with their Antec 900 I'd like to know how you clean the (front) fans, especially the blades. Before I sold mine I used a vaccuum to suck up any dust.

Just wondering if there is a better method to getting to the fan blades.

Toothbrush.


Oh and you should use tights/stockings for air filters.

And don't forget to keep positive pressure in the case so the air HAS to go through the stocking filters. Even flipped the 200 fan and have much positive I could probably run without a fan on the PSU.

Setting up these filters is worth it just for the look the wife gives you when you ask for a pair of throwaways to use on the PC.

P.

So Tonto your only exhaust was your PSU? The three 120mm (includes rear) and top 200mm were intakes?

Tonto said:

And don't forget to keep positive pressure in the case so the air HAS to go through the stocking filters. Even flipped the 200 fan and have much positive I could probably run without a fan on the PSU.

Setting up these filters is worth it just for the look the wife gives you when you ask for a pair of throwaways to use on the PC.

P.

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I thought you were supposed to obtain negative pressure in the case?... Aka more outtake than intake..

I do have a problem with dust in my rig...I can't keep it dust free for 3 whole days!

I guess the good airflow pretty much holds up the only con for our Antec 900s

What do you guys think, a mid tower Lian-Li with a small watercooling setup or a 900 air cooled?

Quad Core, and 9800xxx when it comes out

^^ Yup yup... at least I know I'm getting quality air throughput...

I got these dust-wiping cloths that I sometimes hang in front of the front 120 mm fans, the cloths get sucked onto the metal mesh but they still let ample air go through. Only thing is; my parents really dislike it when I do that, they think it's hazardous/flammable

still have to figure out a good way to clean the front fans, had this case for about 4 months now and only cleaned the easily accesable components so far (i'm lazy )

maybe I should buy the antec 1200 in the future, at least that sucker has dust filters...

A cloth over aluminum mesh....flammable? lol

You should be able to stretch a stocking/pantyhose over the intakes...or buy 120mm filters that screw on to the front of the fan.

majinwar said:

I thought you were supposed to obtain negative pressure in the case?... Aka more outtake than intake..

Click to expand...

indeed you are, maintaining negative pressure in your case brings in more airflow if you have an well ventilated front grill, especially with a case like the 900. having more exhaust "power" pulls in air from anywhere it can enter, regardless of how powerful or weak the front intakes are.

If you are trying to filter the air though that is a bad thing. It will pull in air/dust from anywhere it can. If you have slightly positive pressure then the only place air/dust will come in is through the filtered intakes fans, and the filters should stop most of the dust.

I wish antec would have included fan filters. They have a new case coming out with a very similar design that has them. I don't remember what it was called but I think it was just a bigger 900.

Dermen said:

If you are trying to filter the air though that is a bad thing. It will pull in air/dust from anywhere it can. If you have slightly positive pressure then the only place air/dust will come in is through the filtered intakes fans, and the filters should stop most of the dust.

I wish antec would have included fan filters. They have a new case coming out with a very similar design that has them. I don't remember what it was called but I think it was just a bigger 900.

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the 900 doesn't have filters? Or just not fan filters? I only try to maintain negative air pressure just because the front mesh grill of my centurion 5 has thin foam that works quite well in keeping dust out

Another solution would be to buy a DFI NF4 board. You would have to remove it so many times for troubleshooting that cleaning your case regularly would become second nature.

I just take the side out and give a blast with some compressed air every couple of weeks. Being in the basement tends to generate
more dust, which is annoying...as is 3 cats wondering around. But I chose this case, and its not a huge task to blow it out.

ah, good 'ol compressed air...it amazes me how people can buy air in a bottle just because it can spray more air out at high velocity

almost as effectively, I use a foot pump with a small plastic nozzle used for inflating inflatables in conjunction with a vacuum cleaner hose just to suck in all the dust that goes flying around. works quite nicely I must admit, and it's free

Dermen said:

If you are trying to filter the air though that is a bad thing. It will pull in air/dust from anywhere it can. If you have slightly positive pressure then the only place air/dust will come in is through the filtered intakes fans, and the filters should stop most of the dust.

I wish antec would have included fan filters. They have a new case coming out with a very similar design that has them. I don't remember what it was called but I think it was just a bigger 900.

Click to expand...

Bingo, if you had negative you would be pulling unfiltered air through the back or side vent (which ever one you don't use) of the case bigtime. Just like hospitals work (or those chip fab super clean rooms), pump tons of filtered clear air into the box/room so any open door never lets dirty air in as clean air rushes out instead. After some months, my filters start looking like the lint catcher in my drier, actually starts piling up.

xbiker321 said:

So Tonto your only exhaust was your PSU? The three 120mm (includes rear) and top 200mm were intakes?

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Yep, 2 front 120mm stayed the same (intake). One 120mm side vent (moved from the rear and flipped to intake).. looks better too on the side seethrough panel, and I cracked the top and flipped the 200mm. So all running intake. Didn't need to flip the 200mm to get positive p, but DID have to at least turn it off. With it on as exhaust (as it is comes) and the PSU, I got a slight negative (that 200 really moves air and the filters do cut air flow). With the 200 disconnected I had slight positive. So went ahh hell and flipped it and now have so much pos pressure I feel it pour out the back exhaust vent almost as if a fan was there . All runs almost silent.

My worry with the dust is the 8800GTS vid card on top of the regular issues. The monster is all self contained in it's cooling box so no idea how you could clean that mother inside.

---

BTW, I think the reason for the lack of the front grill filter are the LED fans. If you had a filter in the front, you'd block the nice view. When I filtered my fans, I had to do the back side to keep the LEDs free. But once you've stretched and glued the stocking down, it's a forever filtered fan that lasts forever and can be vacuumed clean. One time pain.

T.

shirker said:

ah, good 'ol compressed air...it amazes me how people can buy air in a bottle just because it can spray more air out at high velocity

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Hey, it's fast and easy, and if your personal economy can support it why not?

It definately removes the dust and if you know how to use it only takes a few seconds per cleaning.

Weird... I bought the Antec last weekend because my AeroEngine 2 wasn't cuttin' it with the Northbridge... (Running 117C at load w/AE2, 48c w/ the Antec) I was just checking out my wiring job with a flashlight after 1 week, and thinking... What the heck is with all the dust? And here I find this thread on the forums.

Respectfully, allow me to submit a suggestion. I use an electric leaf blower. It has a blast of air that takes out the particulate in the smallest crevices without having to go at it with a toothbrush and without having to take your case apart to change filters. I wouldn't get it TOO close to the board, but it does the job, and does it well.

Also, putting an air filter in the computer room makes a big difference. Good for the allergies too.

I guess, if your going to make an air-breathing monster of a case, you're gonna have dust, eh?

oakstave said:

Also, putting an air filter in the computer room makes a big difference. Good for the allergies too.

I guess, if your going to make an air-breathing monster of a case, you're gonna have dust, eh?

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Just set an ionic breeze beside it and have it blow the clean air to the case