Moving air AWAY from the computer

[GracieAllen]

This isn't a cooling within the case problem, its a cooling the case and ME problem.

I have a U-shaped work area with solid panels on the back. The desktop tower (21" high) computer sits below the desk near the corner. My problem is that when it's working (editing images and such) it gets hot. Even with the A/C on the thermometer where I'm sitting will get to 83 degrees. Computer temps run a low of around 50C up to 87C for the different cores. With all the other stuff in the case and the several HDD, it gets uncomfortable.

I looked at building a plenum on the back of the case, then venting it through vent hose out to another room, but that's going to be difficult.

A simpler solution, in my mind would be to put a hole of whatever size is necessary in the back panel, behind the computer, and put a "large", quiet fan that can move a reasonable number of CFM so I can cool the area where the computer is, which will ALSO cool the area where I am...

Would one of the 200mm fans provide enough airflow? They appear to be rated at around 100CFM and spin pretty slowly - around 800 rpm max, so they're reasonaby quiet. I've got extra fan connectors in the case, so I can always pull wire, put a connector on, and wire the thing up so it runs with the computer. Are there larger case fans (I haven't seen any), or should I go with some other type of fan to mount on the panel - 120V instead of 12? It would need to be thermostatically controlled and still has to be quiet...

Has anyone done this, and if so, what did you end up using to move the heat out of your environment?

 

[don256us]

It may be a case of just making a small vent or small series of vents at the highest point in the cubby that your computer is in. You may just need to create a space for the heat to go and maybe nothing more. I would not install fans to your desk and connect them to your computer. 1) you may put too much load onto your MB or PSU depending on how you connect it. 2) You add a level of complexity every time you need to pull your case out. Without pictures, you're relying on me to understand your setup.

Remember the KISS principle. Keep It Simple Stupi….. ah, lets just make that KIS. Keep It Simple. If simple doesn't work, then try something else.

 

[Bustos]

I had a similar problem with my desk. My desk has normal drawers on right side and a computer tower drawer on the left. The backs had panels. I could feel warm air coming out the front of the computer tower drawer which made sense because it had nowhere else to go. The warm air wasn’t so much the issue as was the annoyance of feeling it during a gaming session. The desk used to be in the corner of the room, where I’d be facing the wall. I removed the back panels and flipped my desk around so I sit in the corner, facing the room. Problem solved. I did have to improve my cable management on the back side because the wifey said it made the room look ugly.

 

[Blaylock]

I have done this for my custom cabinet I made for my man cave. I will dig around and see if I can find pictures for you tonight. To answer your question directly, yes. More than likely a 200mm fan should move enough air to "reduce" the heat you feel under your desk.

Stay tuned.

 

[Robert17]

Although my desk has a relief across the back (completely open) at the floor level, about 8", when one of my PCs was under the desk for a couple of years I was able to find a USB powered 6" fan that I plugged into a port and directed the exhaust from the PC to down and out the relief which prevented a build-up of warm air under the desktop. The fan was quiet, pretty cheap (around $6-8), and I could easily maneuver it for adjusting the output, even change the port at a whim.

 

[GracieAllen]

I've currently got a standing fan running under the work area to at least move some of the heat, and that has lowered temps on the desk about 3 degrees. Behind the tower, on the floor the temp is usually between 90F and 100F when the system is working hard-ish so down where my legs/feet are it's a bit toasty... The CAT loves it and I regularly have to dig her out of the area behind the tower where she's baking!

I don't have any good way to open small vents - it would be as much work (or more) and look at least as bad as a fan mounted on the back (front?) of the panel (facing the double doors coming into the room).

To avoid concerns about overloading the power supply (though it's an EVGA Gold 1000W), I can power the 12V fan from a separate 12V power supply and switch it on and off as needed. I've got a couple fan speed controllers so I'll see how fast I need to spin it to keep things adequately cool...

200mm fan's on order!

Thanks.

 

[Blaylock]

So here is what I did to solve the issue with heat soaking the cabinet where a gaming rig used to reside. The PC was located in the right cabinet. I replaced the glass panel that was originally intended to go in the door and used a large piece of modders mesh to allow air to enter from the front. I cut a 360mm opening to allow for 3x120mm fans to exhaust all the heat that was building up. Topped off the fans with more modder mesh (not pictured) and added a 12v power brick that came equipped with a Sata connector. Connected a simple switch between the fans and the power supply and voila.



Top


Underside


Switch

 

[trents]

GracieAllen, pics please.

 

[GracieAllen]

Rummaged around in the Asus X99 Deluxe and found the necessary fan couplings...

I have two 120mm fans blowing in from the front, across the hard drives, two 140mm fans on top blowing air out (ONE of which was dead when I started checking), 1, 120mm fan blowing OUT on the rear of the case, and 2 120mm fans in a push-pull on the Noctua tower cooler.
So, the air is moving into and out of the case in a reasonable manner.

The front fans are on a 3-speed switch, running at 1200 rpm. The top fans are likewise on a 3-speed switch running at 1200 rpm (switches are built into the case). The rear fan and the tower cooler are temperature controlled and set in the bios so they're at 50% below 30C, 80% at 30C and 100% at 35C and above.

I put an 8" hole in the workspace back panel (much to the consternation of the domestic associate, but once the edges were painted black and the fan mounted she agreed it was only visible if you were looking for it ) and mounted the 200mm fan blowing out. I pulled wire from a chassis fan connection and set THAT fan so it runs at 50% when temps in the case are 25C and quickly ramps up to 100% by 30C. The fan control in the BIOS says it's turning around 1250 rpm.

I created a plenum using the 1/2" pink insulating panels between the back of the case and the rear wall where the fan is to funnel the air from the top and rear of the case TO the big fan. This is doing a really nice job of significantly reducing what fan noise I was hearing (I'm old so my hearing isn't as good any more, but the fan noise was audible and now it's not.

At the thermometer sitting where I'm sitting, the temps have dropped from 85F to 77F when the system is working hard, and room temperature (75F) when it's loafing along (that means it's NOT running any of Adobe's products!). CPU temps have ALSO dropped approximately 5C, which I attribute to having better flow so the hot air that used to be down there and getting recycled is leaving the area.

It appears to be working quite well.

 

[trents]

Nice work!