Antec 300 power supply placement

[rking12345678]

I have an Antec 300 case and there's no vents in the bottom so I have the PSU fan pointing up, this causes the attached wires on the PSU to be on the wrong side cluttering things up.

http://i528.photobucket.com/albums/dd325/rking_1_1/morewires.jpg

It's an old picture, I currently have a 5770 but that doesn't make any difference. Anyway, if I wanted to flip the PSU upside down so I could get the attached wires on the backside of the case I assume I'd need a vent in the bottom of the case? I could cut one but what would it need to look like for it to work properly?

 

[Rifter]

i would definatley vent the bottom and put the case on 1-2" tall blocks to give it some airflow if you decide to flip it over.

 

[alkalinetaupehat]

I have the same case as you, OP, and I don't know if I'd vent the bottom. You have a lower 120mm fan on the front I assume, and if that's the case then there certainly is air being pushed along the bottom of the case.

Something I've found is that fans really throw air to the edges of the fan casing, which when the fan is a little off the floor of the case, would result in significant airflow along the case floor.

You'll note there's several points in the case which support the power supply and lift it a good 1/2" off the floor of the case, allowing air from the bottom fan to flow through, provided the cabling from the power supply doesn't rest on the floor as well.

My $0.02 of course.

 

[rking12345678]

I do have a 120mm fan on the bottom front of the case, yes. I put a side window in my case so I don't have the side intake fan anymore, on an unrelated note my temps seem 2c-5c better without it, so I don't know if that would impact airflow as far as the PSU is concerned.

 

[alfa147x]

Take a PCI slot fan and place in the lowest one

 

[alkalinetaupehat]

I do have a 120mm fan on the bottom front of the case, yes. I put a side window in my case so I don't have the side intake fan anymore, on an unrelated note my temps seem 2c-5c better without it, so I don't know if that would impact airflow as far as the PSU is concerned.

I would think it may help, depending on the path air follows through your case. I sealed up my case with sound deadening recently and things certainly seem to be running quieter and cooler. (The side panel in particular was sealed up)

Take a PCI slot fan and place in the lowest one

What would that do to help the power supply temps with the fan facing the floor of the case?

 

[alfa147x]

What would that do to help the power supply temps with the fan facing the floor of the case?

I'm just saying that if he is worried about the power supply pumping heat awards toward his motherboard (the PSU mounted upside down) then adding a fan in the PCI slot should be of some help.

 

[rking12345678]

I thought the fan in the PSU acted as an intake and wouldn't be blowing air inside the case, I feel air blowing out the back of it anyway. Regardless, it's not motherboard heat I'm worried about but I am wondering if having the fan on the PSU facing toward the bottom of the case will cause problems. The PSU rests on small stands so it isn't sitting directly on the bottom of the case, I just want to know if that 0.5 inch or so of clearance is enough or if I need to add a vent in the bottom of the case.

 

[ElFenix]

I thought the fan in the PSU acted as an intake and wouldn't be blowing air inside the case, I feel air blowing out the back of it anyway. Regardless, it's not motherboard heat I'm worried about but I am wondering if having the fan on the PSU facing toward the bottom of the case will cause problems.

not particularly, no. if you haven't been experiencing then there's no need to worry.

The PSU rests on small stands so it isn't sitting directly on the bottom of the case, I just want to know if that 0.5 inch or so of clearance is enough or if I need to add a vent in the bottom of the case.

a half inch is probably plenty. the P18x doesn't have much more than that.


i'm really not certain what you're worried about. your case isn't cluttered.

 

[rking12345678]

It'd look better if the hardwired cables weren't on the nearside, it'd be easier to tuck the unused ones up along the backside of the drive bays.

 

[Zap]

It'd look better if the hardwired cables weren't on the nearside

Does it really matter? The Antec 300 doesn't have a side window. :\

For the OP, you can do a couple things to make it look better (it won't affect temps or airflow).

Extend the cable that powers your CPU and use split loom tubing to cover up the cables coming from your PSU. You might be able to get the 3/4" to cover the whole wad of cables so you have one black tube going from the PSU to behind the drive bays.

 

[rking12345678]

Does it really matter? The Antec 300 doesn't have a side window. :\

I mentioned in a previous post, post #4 of this topic, that I put a side window in.