Cases, Case Fans and Airflow Qs

[MOUSY]

I'm here looking at different cases at Newegg.com and I got a few questions about airflow.

Is it better to have 2 120mm fans on a case where one functions as an intake and the other as an exhaust, as in this $50 case? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811119106

Or will a simple 80mm and 120mm at the front and rear as in this suffice (also $50)? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811119068

This $80 case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811119129) was suggested to me because it supposedly has very good cooling abilities with 2 120mm fans (front and rear).

However, in an effort to cut cost, I've been leaning towards this cheap case with one 120mm rear fan. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811119115

But as Nick likes to say, better to pay for it now, than REALLY pay for it in the end, if you know what I mean.

Any suggestions on which of these setups are best? Or an even better one for a similar (80 and below) price.

[Nick N]

What???

I have to teach you how to buy a case too???????

Just kidding

you see this grill on the back....



THAT WILL RESTRICT YOUR AIRFLOW BY 50% OR MORE.

You have a choice, either BUY a case with THIS type of GRILL:




Or plan on getting out the tin snips and CUT THAT PERF METAL GRILL OUT, then replace it with these:


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811999204



You want at LEAST 1 120mm fan in the back blowing OUT and the best way to cool that CPU is to have at LEAST 1 80mm to 120mm fan on the side blowing in toward the CPU HSF, with the SAME unrestricting grill.


Now, forget front fans unless you use 4 RAPTOR drives that need the airflow because they run red hot. A front fan is nice and if the tower you select has the slot for one, fine

I usually replace ALL the fans with these because NO NOISE and Sony Fluid Dynamic Bearings:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6835185006




and in case you may be wondering, my primary GAME tower is this case,.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811163072

[MOUSY]

I'll be going with your cheaper alternative method Nick. Thanks for all the help again. (However I can no where CLOSE to afford a $250+ case).

This $50 case has a 120mm fan blowing onto the CPU and HS and another blowing out the rear like you suggested. I will however have to get to clipping that rear mesh off and replacing it. The reviews seem to be good: 5 eggs and an 85% 5 egg customer rating. So it will have to do.

[Kaworu]

Good choice. I personally prefer to mod a case than to spend a fortune on it. But thats just me, and I am constantly ripping things apart just for the hell of it!  ;)

[Nick N]

I'll be going with your cheaper alternative method Nick. Thanks for all the help again. (However I can no where CLOSE to afford a $250+ case).

This $50 case has a 120mm fan blowing onto the CPU and HS and another blowing out the rear like you suggested. I will however have to get to clipping that rear mesh off and replacing it. The reviews seem to be good: 5 eggs and an 85% 5 egg customer rating. So it will have to do.

Thats fine

[ozzy72]

I'd get as much cooling as your budget can get you. I've got a CPU fan (80mm), a rear fan blowing air in and a top mounted extracting (both 120mm). The reason the top one is the extractor is that heat rises. This works amazingly well on my rig

[Nick N]

I'd get as much cooling as your budget can get you. I've got a CPU fan (80mm), a rear fan blowing air in and a top mounted extracting (both 120mm). The reason the top one is the extractor is that heat rises. This works amazingly well on my rig

Yes sir!

[ozzy72]

One other good thing to do to aid airflow is to keep the cables out of the path of the airflow as much as possible and away from hot components. Cable ties are one of the truly great inventions for PC builders. If you keep the cables tidy and out of the way you'll find a significant improvement in cooling for the cost of a couple of small pieces of plastic

[richardd43]

For 'flat' type CPU coolers that blow air down, directly at the CPU, the rear intake, top expel may work better

My case uses the rear intake, top exhaust layout. I also hacked a hole in the side cover of my case and mounted another 120MM fan that blows directly on the CPU.

The fact that I use the Silverstone TJ07 with all of the fans turning, being hard of hearing has its advantages.

[Nick N]

It really is a case of experimenting with the tower. The layout of the tower and how well it allows flow, and how that flow 'swirls' across the components in the unit may dictate a different intake/exhaust is more efficient

With the TJ9 and a thermalright 120 extreme, which is basically a passive CPU cooler, along with the very high heat P35 chipset which uses a heatpipe that connects the southbridge, chipset and mosfets on one cooling heatpipe rail, it was better to not allow any heat rising from the video card to come back in the tower through the rear.

On a new tower I have always flipped the fans around several different ways and observed the changes over a few days of use in order to find out what the best layout is.

Another factor is AC or climate control. Its possible since all my towers live in climate control environments, that plays into the fan layout and direction too.

[ATI_7500]

It's amazing how those meshes restrict airflow.

If I put my sidepanel back in, you could use the whole case as a replacement for an oven - despite nine fans! (Four front, two rear, two in the PSU, one in the sidepanel.)


Time to get one of those micro cutting thingies...

[ctjoyce]

Time to get one of those micro cutting thingies...

A Dremel with ithor the mini saw, or the diamond cutting tip are a case modder's best friend.

Cheers
Cameron

[Ravang]

I bought a new case awhile ago, and I found the server/rack mounted cases, have better cooling the one I has 1 120mm fan in the front with a dust shield (dust will really kill your fans and heatsinks) blowing air in, and a 120mm, and 2 80mm blowing air out the back. What you want to do is create one steady 1 way air flow inside the case, also neaten up the wiring and try using slimmer IDE cables as these will block air flow.  Do not put 2 fans next to each other with one as the intake, and the other the exhaust as this will suck air out as fast as it goes in without removing any heat I hope this helped