5/ 1/4 in 'cooler bay' ?

[Kilgore65]

I would like to open up one of my 5 and 1/4 in bays to allow some air intake into the computer. Does anyone make a unit with small fans designed solely to take air into the computer via a 5 and 1/4 in bay? Or alternatively, does anyone make grills that fit over the bay slot?

 

[CalvinHobbes]

You could just use a 5 1/4" hard drive cooler. They make them with 3 fans in the front, they have a mesh filter and some air intak slots. Just don't install a hard drive.

For example:
http://accessories.gateway.com/Accessor...INK&ovcpn=SiteMatch&ovcrn=SMX&ovtac=PI

 

[IntegraGSR]

those hdd coolers dont look they move much air..

how many drive bays do you have free for cooling?

 

[Kilgore65]

just one

 

[IntegraGSR]

http://www2.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16835888003

i looked around for a bit and this is the only thing i found for single 5.25 bay that appears to be worth any money.. a lot of those hdd 5.25 bay coolers push less than 10cfm
http://store.yahoo.com/directron/tt900.html

 

[Jeff7]

Go to Hosfelt.com and search for 26-482. It's a crossflow, or "squirrel cage" fan. Maybe something like that, placed at an angle in the drive bay could be of use?
With only one 5.25" bay to work with, options are limited. Hard drive coolers using 2-3 40mm fans will not move a whole lot of air, and they will be quite noisy.

Closest thing I did required two 5.25" bays - I put an 80mm fan onto two of the case's plastic faceplates. It acted as a quiet hard drive cooler.

Do you have a link or picture of your case? Might it be able to take an intake fan at the bottom of the front panel? Or maybe something on the side panel?
What kind of exhaust does it currently have?

 

[H20Cool]

a lot of those hdd 5.25 bay coolers push less than 10cfm

Since a standard 5 1/4 bay is only 41mm high, what kind of airflow did you expect from measly 40mm fans?

I guess, if noise isn't an issue you could buy a standard HD cooler with 3 x 40mm fans and replace those fans with three 10cfm Panaflos, which would theoretically give you 30cfm of airflow but at the cost of noise.

Another possible option if you're handy, would be to buy a small sheet of aluminum and make a duct. You could make the front part of the duct the same dimensions as the 5 1/4 bay and gradually, as space allows, open it up to fit an 80mm fan. That could work.

Personally, I would just find a nice area on the top or side of your case and cut a nice neat 120mm hole with a hole saw drill attachment and put in a high flow, yet relatively quiet 70CFM Adda or something.

Realistically, you just aren't going to get enough airflow out of three 40mm fans to make it worth the cost or trouble.

 

[IntegraGSR]

http://store.yahoo.com/directron/tt900.html <--- 76 cfm, fits in 1 5.25 bay

 

[lenjack]

Integra GSR has it right. I have this unit...it's excellent, but it only works as an exhaust fan(s). Use it at the top of your case to exhaust heat.

 

[IntegraGSR]

Originally posted by: lenjack
it's excellent, but it only works as an exhaust fan(s). Use it at the top of your case to exhaust heat.

you can't take the fans out and turn them around?

 

[imported_rod]

Turning around the fans 'should' work.

Cutting a hole in the side, front or top of your case may be your best option.

You can also get temperature gauges that fit into a 5 1/4 and have fans built into them: http://www.hilevel.com.tw/super_cooler.html

RoD