Ideas for keeping dust from entering case

[PolePosition]

I have these two 200 mm fans that are sucking in way too much dust through the 1mm holes in the case front and it builds up on my AIO cooling radiator. I've looked into some fan covers but there are limited options for these size fans plus they use magnets but the fan bodies are acrylic. Perhaps there's some fine mesh screen material that could be used inside of the front plastic cover and made where it doesn't get sucked into the fans or interfere with fan rotation?
How do you deal with dust buildup around components? The factory screens on the top & bottom work fine and easy to remove & clean, but the majority of suction comes from the front of the case with these 200mm fans.

 

[EarthDog]

Nylons work a charm.

I deal with it by cleaning them annually...it just happens. Filters or not. The filters I clean a couple times /year.

Typically you have airFLOW where front/sides = intake and top/rear = exhaust. I don't like filters on the exhaust.

 

[PolePosition]

Nylons work a charm.

I deal with it by cleaning them annually...it just happens. Filters or not. The filters I clean a couple times /year.

Typically you have airFLOW where front/sides = intake and top/rear = exhaust. I don't like filters on the exhaust.

I'm pulling air from the front (2x200 + 3x120 radiator fans) and top (2x140) with exhaust (1x120) to the rear. I could add two 120mm fans on the bottom to pull but one of them would sit over the PSU.
What kind of nylon material are you suggesting?

 

[EarthDog]

I'm pulling air from the front (2x200 + 3x120 radiator fans) and top (2x140) with exhaust (1x120) to the rear

Well...feels like too little exhaust, but I bet the CPU is happy! I would NOT put exhaust fans on the bottom... airFLOW is key. You're forcing it 'backward' for the sake of getting fresh air across the AIO.

I'm literally suggesting NYLONS, lol... like that your wife/gf/whoever would wear, not the material generically, lol. A pair of 'hosiery'. Stretch that out over the fans' openings between the chassis' mesh and the fan. Make it taught so it doesn't get sucked in.

 

[PolePosition]

Well...feels like too little exhaust, but I bet the CPU is happy! I would NOT put exhaust fans on the bottom... airFLOW is key. You're forcing it 'backward' for the sake of getting fresh air across the AIO.

I was actually thinking of adding one 120mm fan to the bottom to pull air in, not exhaust, since the filter across the bottom of the case would gather dust on the inside instead of the outside. With all air pushing to the back of the case, that should prevent dust buildup on the back of the case, as the holes are quite large. My previous rig use to build up lots of dust on the back for lack of exhaust, especially around those PCIe card pullouts.
Sounds like a good idea with the hosiery.

 

[EarthDog]

I mean, I wouldn't add any additional intake to that. Would I flip the AIO around up top to exhaust and add more intake to the bottom? Yes.

 

[PolePosition]

I mean, I wouldn't add any additional intake to that. Would I flip the AIO around up top to exhaust and add more intake to the bottom? Yes.

With the Galahad 360, while that might be possible, it wouldn't be practical since;
1. The top of the case is equipped for either two 140 mm fans or two 120mm fans.
2. I could only mount 2/3 of the radiator to the top, and one of the 3 fans mounted to the radiator would get no air flow intake or exhaust.
3. Makes it very difficult to connect fans at the top of the MB headers.
4. Lian Li suggests mounting the Lian Li Galahad 360 to Lian Li lancool 215 at the front behind the two 200mm fans. This also makes it much easier to remove / replace when the CPU cooler or fans break, which in my experience, is always the first thing to break beside GPUs that will never last more than a year, especially the high powered high end ones.

 

[EarthDog]

Oh shoot. I thought the rad was up top already and normal room... my fault!

In that case, for sure I would have the top as exhaust and intake for the bottom.

first thing to break beside GPUs that will never last more than a year, especially the high powered high end ones.

lol, you're a trip!

 

[PolePosition]

Oh shoot. I thought the rad was up top already and normal room... my fault!

In that case, for sure I would have the top as exhaust and intake for the bottom.


lol, you're a trip!

I don't want to push air from inside the case through a factory dust screen on top & bottom, so air should exhaust through the rear of the case.
Regarding GPUs, it's just been my experience with them, where the more expensive ones died after a year while the basic ones like the MSI GTX 750 Ti 2GB 128 bit GDDR5 never did die after 6 years. I don't know why that is, but maybe my gaming was too stressful on them.
I find most people who buy those expensive GPUs don't need them to last more than a year before they're building a new rig anyway.

 

[EarthDog]

I don't want to push air from inside the case through a factory dust screen on top & bottom, so air should exhaust through the rear of the case.

Weightwut? Why not? Regardless........remove it if you feel that way, lol. You do you, of course, but I don't follow the logic of fighting airflow (I don't need to).

I find most people who buy those expensive GPUs don't need them to last more than a year before they're building a new rig anyway.

Truth (the only thing, ). But, high-end GPUs last long enough... even longer than a year, lol.

 

[Evilsizer]

i have thought about ways to keep dust out of the case. i keep going back to customer case/setup that has air filters surrounding it. though my main thought is setting it up to use one larger air filters IE in size with a FPR-5 since i can find that as paper. fpr-1 i have found are made from fiber glass and i do not want to mess with that. with the FPR_5 though it would filter out a bit more then dust. if you push it, you may replace it after a 1yr vs 6months some say 3months. its a computer, not your ac, lol, most of the air in your house should be filtered. Though i do not know where you live im just basing off living in the USA.

another idea if you do not mind the look. buy the ac filter cut out a section of the paper filter to size of your front fan setup. find a way to attach it to the fans or the front of the case before the fans. at that point though if it was possible, you need to more to pressure optimized fans vs just air flow only.

 

[Nebulous]

Hmm, this reminds me, I have to get new nylon stockings. I'm overdue for new ones. I like to keep my rig as dust and cat hair free as possible.

Of course a good old air compressor and gun will blast those pesky buggers right out too

 

[freeagent]

The best way to keep dust out of your PC is to keep it in your aquarium.

Guaranteed.

 

[Kenrou]

Or hook up a static electricity net/mesh over it, no guarantees on how long the hardware will last after though

 

[EarthDog]

The best way to keep dust out of your PC is to keep it in your aquarium.

Guaranteed.

Submersion isn't a bad idea...lol.

I guess whatever is the lesser of evils... dust or a permanently lubricated (in the case of mineral oil) motherboard..........that's dust free.

 

[PolePosition]

I found this and figure I could wrap the nylon stocking around them.

 

[Al_bundy]

filtre ;-)

 

[Evilsizer]

yea if you nylon stocking your still going to need a higher pressure fan IMO. Give it a try with what ever fan you already have, see how it goes.

 

[EarthDog]

yea if you nylon stocking your still going to need a higher pressure fan IMO. Give it a try with what ever fan you already have, see how it goes.

Or just turn up the RPM, if needed.

 

[freeagent]

I just run bareback, no filters. I have a Metro Datavac, so that kicks axe..

I found that using filters, you have to clean them or they get clogged, and you still have to dust the PC.

Bah..