Simple Cooling Question

[Mad_Heckler]

This should be an easy one for you guys. Right now I have a generic 80mm fan in the rear. I am planning on getting a better fan for the rear but not sure wha I can do in the front. In the front there is a spot for a 80mm but the only holes in the front consist of a 1" space at the bottom of the case. Can I put a fan in there, and how much air would it draw just from that space. Also, if I can put a fan in there, should I use a fan of the same or different cfm as the rear. Oh yeah 1 more, can you, and will it improve cooling to change the fan in the PSU. (Enlight 300w). Thanks Guys

MH

 

[[Oc]acaridans]

That 1" space is there for the fan, it should be enough...If there is a lip on the under side of that gap you could remove it, I did this I didnt notice any major differences,but who knows, a dremel works wonders to do this

I would say to have 2 fans of equal cfm, to try to keep air ballance in your case..or, if your adding an Enermax with the extra cooling fan, you may want to put a slightly larger fan in the front to compensate for the higher exaust volume

 

[outhouse]

Mad_Heckler (Jun 26, 2001 06:56 p.m.):
This should be an easy one for you guys. Right now I have a generic 80mm fan in the rear. I am planning on getting a better fan for the rear but not sure wha I can do in the front. In the front there is a spot for a 80mm but the only holes in the front consist of a 1" space at the bottom of the case. Can I put a fan in there, and how much air would it draw just from that space. Also, if I can put a fan in there, should I use a fan of the same or different cfm as the rear. Oh yeah 1 more, can you, and will it improve cooling to change the fan in the PSU. (Enlight 300w). Thanks Guys

MH

a 1 inch space should be enough for your front space if not you can get some knibblers at radio shack and open the hole up a little, i would just get a good fan for the front and you should be fine also i just got done taking my PSU fan and instead of having it run off of the power supply thermistor control i ran wires to my molex connectors and ran 12 volts to it so now its really kicking some air out, its best to equalize the air coming in as out so if you front fan is good it may be close enough to get the job done.

goodluck

 

[Hoot]

I disagree. Use whatever tools you have access to and make a 3 inch hole, along with four mounting holes to accomodate another 80mm fan, or a 92mm fan. Case circulation can not be stressed enough in coming up with an adequate cooling solution in the modern PC. A small slot or hole will only compromise your cooling effectiveness. If you feel artsy, drill a lot of 1/4 inch holes, close spaced, in either a grid or circle pattern. That should be considered a minimum standard for a PC, not an extreme sacrifice. You will take pride in your accomplishment and your PC will love you for it.

Hoot

 

[Mad_Heckler]

Thanks for the info guys. Also, I have read about people that seal all the holes in their case to get the best airflow. In my case I have a number of vent holes in both sides. Would sealing them provide more efficient air flow with having a front and rear fan setup, or would they help. I would like to rid myself of all the holes in the case because I think they contribute to the fair amount of dust the inside of my case accumulates.

Thanks

MH

 

[Slake]

You hit a home run there Mad_Heckler. That dust is a nuisance and enemy to cooling. Taping up all of the small holes will decrease dust and increase airflow. That must be a tight case to have only one inch for fan installation. I cut a 120MM blowhole in the lower front of my case bezel and frame stuck a PVC pipe through it and mounted a Sunon 120 with a rheostat for reducing RPM's/noise. Also cut a 92MM under PSU exhausting. I think I may add another 80mm side blowhole in the left side feeding the CPU fan. Despite having a filter on the 120MM intake and all "inccidental" holes taped, I'm still getting a little dust from the cracks between drives and bay covers.

 

[Mad_Heckler]

Thanks Slake, I will tape up all the holes when I put the second fan in next week. The case has plenty of room for a fan, but only provides a 1" space at the bottom that has holes, so most of the fan is in front of a solid piece of plastic.

MH

 

[Hoot]

You don't have to seal up the case. Just choose you fans such that you have more air volume blowing in than exhausting. That way, you maintain a slight positive pressure. Those small cracks and crevices help keep you from developing too much positive pressure. My enlight 7237 has a series of slits on the side panel and I feel a slight amount of air come out of them, though the majority comes out of my exhaust port. Dust don't swim upstream. ;D

Hoot