Author Topic: Case fan (Read 402 times)

Modas · « **on:** June 11, 2003, 09:06:21 AM »

Well, I've been monitoring my new system, and am seeing a slow, but steady increase in CPU temp as the days here in Wisconsin get warmer

In idle, my CPU temp is around 50-51 °C and starts pushing 60° when I start flying AH offline. I've had a couple of lock ups. I'm sure when I get a higher end GF4 card in there, the temp in the case/CPU is only going to get worse

I've got a single 80mm fan at the bottom front of the case blowing in, with a dual fan power supply blowing out.

What I want to do is change the bottom fan to blowing out, and add an 80m case fan to the case, blowing directly on the CPU. I think Boxboy did a similar modification.

My question (as silly as this sounds is) How do I set up the fan/wiring so that I can get the case cover off? I do not want any external wires hanging out of the computer as the dog will just go ga-ga over that. The case cover is screwed into the front of the frame and pulls off towards the front of the computer.

I hate to go drop 100 bucks minimum on a new case....

Thanks for the help...

boxboy28 · « **Reply #1 on:** June 11, 2003, 11:28:45 AM »

Modas when i did mine i bought a fan that plugs right into the power supply going to your HD or the power to your Video card(well that kinda plug) . I used a jig saw to cut the hole (its all i had) it gives me plenty of room to pull the side off and fix stuff inside. I never did post pix but if some one wants to host them ill send some!

Reschke · « **Reply #2 on:** June 11, 2003, 11:51:27 AM »

Well you might want to leave that fan in the front alone and just add a couple extra fans to help move the air through the case. You should have some extra fans areas on the rear of the case.

First make a template with carboard. Then you can take tin snips, a drill and a sanding tool and get ready to go to work.

Use the template to mark your cutting area. Then use the drill with the largest diameter bit you have for metal (I like to go to 1 inch with the hole.) and put in a pilot hole. Then take the snips and make your cuts around the template marks in a rough outline. This is where the sanding tool comes into play. Try to work down the rough edges and get it smooth and sharp edge free. Periodically take the fan and test fit it into place. For the power connections you should be fine with running splitters inside your case from other power connections.

Modas · « **Reply #3 on:** June 11, 2003, 01:11:16 PM »

Boxboy -

Go ahead and send the pics direct to me if you want providing they are JPGS. Zip 'em up if you like

modas@cutthroats.com

I might just bite the bullet and get a new case too... then I got somewhere to go with all my other computer parts that I've collected over the years....

thanks Box!

boxboy28 · « **Reply #4 on:** June 11, 2003, 01:48:02 PM »

you can get a nice case with fans for about 50-80 $

Skuzzy · « **Reply #5 on:** June 11, 2003, 02:16:21 PM »

You really do not want the front lower fan blowing air out of the case.

Think about it. Heat rises, and when you turn the fan around on the lower front, it pulls the heat back down into the case, instead of allowing it to rise naturally to be exhausted by the upper case fans.

Reschke · « **Reply #6 on:** June 11, 2003, 04:03:31 PM »

Nice Chieftec case I just bought from Newegg.com

Check out the picture link on that page. For $89 (free Shipping FedEx Express Saver 2 days to Alabama from CA) its hard to beat. The case has fan mounts for 80mm case fans in front of your hard drive mounts. Chieftec also makes a version of this case with a fan blowing out the top.

Glasses · « **Reply #7 on:** June 11, 2003, 05:08:01 PM »

I've been wondering about this also yet when I put my back upper fan outward the CPU and mobo run much hotter,it might be also due to the fact I don't have a fan on the front of the case,and that my case as of today is yet to be closed(am waiting for my Volcano 9,right now using a AMD Athlon cooler on my Athlon XP+ system running 46C idle :-),I take with a Volcano 9 it should go on Idle around 42C,plus I want to oclock this motha. )

Hopefully when I get around to putting a fan on the lower part of the case and helping the Dual Fan PSU to blow air out of the PC on the upper part should get the temp down.

Skuzzy · « **Reply #8 on:** June 11, 2003, 05:11:24 PM »

It will Glasses. Also, if your case is open, it renders the fans pretty much useless. They are moving air around, but is is allowed to easily escape the open case.

Air is like most fluids/electricity. It takes the least path of resistance.

AKS\/\/ulfe · « **Reply #9 on:** June 11, 2003, 06:09:39 PM »

Gotta second Skuzzy, you want that lower-front fan sucking air in. If you reverse it, not only would you be forcing the coolest air in the case out- but you would be unable to pull the coolest air in your house in from the floor, and if you have your system resting on wood or tile floors- you are losing the benefit of cooler air conducting from below your floor.

Most mobos have a couple fan hook ups, but if they don't you can always go to Radio Shack or something like that and pick up some cheap fans that plug into the power supply's array of connections and splitters if need be. (Not true splitters, just plug them into one power supply connector and you have 2 connections instead of one now).

You wanna clear out as much debri as you can, so the case has a lot of open area to get the air circulating. What I did was wrap all power connections that were too long around the main spar of the PC case (runs from the Power Supply to the upper/front CD bays) as tightly as I could until there was only enough excess wire to plug them into the CD-ROMs. The IDE cables stayed out of the way on their own in my case/mobo combo.

For fans I have one blowing on the CPU (standard Athlon XP heatsink/fan), one blowing on the motherboard controller (standard with my mobo), a dual fan power supply (one sucks air in from the bottom of the power supply/above the CPU and one blows out the back), one fan at the bottom/front of the case that sucks air in, one that comes standard with the Nvidia GF4 on the GPU, and finally one small high RPM fan strapped on via use of plastic wrapped twisty-ties that rests very well on the top of the SB Live! and Gf4 to blow down across the memory heat sinks of the GF4 and towards the GPU to bring more air to it.

Haven't had any heat problems, I open up the case every 2 weeks or so to clean the fans/heatsinks of dust/fur (dog and 2 cats).

Athlon XP 2000+
Epox 8KTA3+Pro
PNY GeForce 4 Ti4200 (300core/545mem)
SB Live!
768MB PC133 SDRAM (3x256sticks)
Maxtor 7200RPM 30GB HDD ATA-100
A1 Power 400W Dual Fan PS
-SW

Glasses · « **Reply #10 on:** June 11, 2003, 06:21:31 PM »

Yes that's pretty much what I thought though as of right now my Mobo runs at 17C with upper fan inward,though I think for the time being that might be a good idea since fresh air is moving into the case,also the PSU runs much cooler also like it was said when I close the case then it will probably matter.

Modas · « **Reply #11 on:** June 11, 2003, 11:22:02 PM »

Ya know, you'd think since i was a mechanical engineer, I'd remebmer that heat rises

Chopped a hole in the case, put an 80 mm fan in, dropped everying 10-12°C. Cost me 15 bucks.

Its just gonna be a pain getting the case cover off now

Thanks for the replies gents

boxboy28 · « **Reply #12 on:** June 12, 2003, 01:33:19 PM »

Modas you got pis of that bad boy?

Modas · « **Reply #13 on:** June 12, 2003, 02:08:04 PM »

I'll see if I can get the digital camera from work and take a shot. She ain't pretty, but it works....