Thoughts on 2COOLPC?

[SCOdoubleT]

Hey,
I was just wondering your guys thoughts on the 2coolpc setup? Has anyone ever tried it? Does it work? If you haven't heard of it, it's basically just a 92mm fan with this plastic tube-thing to direct the airflow. You can check it out at www.2coolpc.com. Let me know what you think. I have an extra fan plug that needs to be filled I was also thinking about possibly dremmeling a hole in my case. I never dremmeled before, sounds like fun! Anyhow, thanks for your opinions.

 

[cjtune]

I think it's crap. In a poorly ventilated case, air is indeed stagnant and will rise and fall according to changes in density as it gets heated up or cooled so the cool air will indeed be at the bottom of the case. Here, natural convection prevails. 2coolpc basically sucks up the cold air at the bottom and funnels it to some hot spot and there the cold air picks up heat again. But where does the heat go? Without any means of throwing heat OUT OF THE CASE at a greater rate than before, the air inside will continually rise in temperature until it reaches an equilibrium in transferring heat to the ambient. By this time, it's back to square one or worse.

Now, with a few (cheap) 80, 92, or 120mm fans judiciously placed at openings a good casing would usually have, you can force fresh air into the case and blow out the hot air, thereby increasing the heat transfer to the ambient. That 2coolpc gadget does not accomplish this. Note that, with such a strong airflow through the casing, air movement caused by the rise and fall of hot and cold air respectively (natural convection), simply does not exist as it has been overwhelmed by the forced convection of the fans. The issue here is more a question of thermodynamics -where does the waste heat ultimately go and what will get warmed-up in the end?

Well, this' my 2 cents.

 

[SCOdoubleT]

Hey Thanks,
I am currently using a 80mm fan for intake in the front bottom of the case, a 60mm(that's all that will fit) at the top back of the case, near the CPU, taking air out, and also, a slot cooler in the PCI slot directly under the Video card. Not to mention my 7k rpm fan on the ThermoEngine and the one in the PSU. I think everything is pretty good, but I have one more spot to plug in a fan. It's lonely What do you think about cutting in a hole in the side of the case, near the CPU? I just want to maximize my air-cooling before I push her much more. Thanks.

 

[Twofan]

SCOdoubleT, sounds like you have a CasEdge case like mine with only a spot for a 60 in back. I put a 60mm Sunon Hi-Output there blowing out. I also did what you are talking about and put an 80 at cpu level blowing in. That brought case temp and cpu temp down 1 degree c. Then what I did was use a plastic cup turned upside-down over the 80 cut to length to duct to the cpu hsf unit. This brought down the cpu temp another 3c with a Gladiator. It only makes a 2 degree difference with my Glaciator, though. But every degree helps. Both of my 80'2 are generic fans. I am thinking about trying some Panflo's or something and see if they help even more. The one's I have now do not say what their flow rate is.

 

[Sam]

I disagree, I think the 2coolpc is a nice product if you dont have a fan on the SIDE of your case blowing nice cool air into your cpu .

I used the 2coolpc in testing using a Digdoc5 and a handheld thermal scanner and it actually does drop the CPU temps down a few degrees.

Naturally its a good idea to have a couple fans in the tradition areas in your case to vent the cool air in and the hot air out of the case.

I suggest that before you call the 2coolpc "crap" you shouldn't come to a conclution if you havent actually tried it, thinking and knowing are two different 'animals'

I bought a new case with a factory side fan so I dont use the 2coolpc anymore, but if I didnt have a side fan, I surely would still be using it because it DOES do a nice cooling your AGP VC, CPU and PCI cards.

Cjtune, Ill tell you what I'll send you my 2coolplus plastic casing(without fan) you pay the shipping and then if you still say its "crap" then I will admit that I am wrong, but I'm not.

Have a happy and safe 4th of July all