Cases Opened or Closed...?

[Anomaly1964]

Any time I see videos about new cards or processors or multiple monitors, the guys always seem to have their cases OPEN, even lying flat and open on their desk...

...do any of you guys do this?

 

[Zap]

I do... when I'm working on it. Once the system is ready to deploy for "normal" use I button it up.

 

[Anomaly1964]

From a lot of these pics and videos I see, looks like they leave them open...

...then again, maybe it's only for the purpose of the pic or video.

 

[mu11et]

Closed for obvious reasons.

 

[Makaveli]

how often do you like cleaning the inside of your tower?

That should determine which is best for you.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

I keep it closed unless I'm working on it. I have dogs that shed way too much, so if I don't want dog hair invading my system it has to be closed.

 

[billyb0b]

always closed to keep crap out... h20 cooled so heat is no issue

 

[Sunny129]

well i suppose it really comes down to two things:

1) how much of a clean freak you are, and
2) how much of a cooling freak you are

...while a computer is obviously going to stay cleaner when its closed, the same is not necessarily true about internal temps (whether it be the CPU, NB, memory, HDD, or general case temp). with respect to temps, it boils down to the design of the case itself, and you may have to monitor temps both with the case open and closed to figure out which was cools more efficiently. for instance, my work PC cools significantly better with the side on (closed) than it does with the side off (open). this makes sense, as i have a 92mm intake fan at the front, two 80mm exhaust fans at the rear, and a 92mm intake fan on the side that blows straight down on the CPU hsf (which is a stock cooler for an old as hell AMD Althlon 2800+ Barton by the way). I run Einstein@Home 24/7 at 100% CPU usage, and my CPU temps never go above 45°C. this reality is obviously testament to the efficiency of my case in terms of airflow design and cooling capability.

my home office PC on the other hand is based off of an ex-girlfriend's old micro-ATX tower Gateway system. when she gave it to me, i replaced the original Celeron CPU and MSI mobo with a P4 3.2E Prescott and an Intel mobo, but kept and reused pretty much everything else including the case. like the typical mass-produced system build it started out as, its cooling capabilities are severely limited. i have an 80mm exhaust fan at the rear (there isn't room for a larger one), no fan at the front b/c there's no place to mount one, and a Zalman CNPS7000C hsf for the CPU. due to the poor airflow characteristics of the case, it cools MUCH better with the side off (open) than it does with the side on (closed). aside from being a home office PC and performing menial operations and very little multitasking, it also cruches numbers for Einstein@Home like my work PC. and so it is imperative that it has sufficient cooling capabilities. but i also can't stand how quickly the dirt and dust builds up, so my next little project is to cut a hole right above the CPU/cooler in the removable side of the case and add a 92mm intake fan there. hopefully i'll get around to it in the next few weeks...

 

[Anomaly1964]

Thanks Sunny...

 

[llee]

What's the point of buying a case then?

 

[Throckmorton]

My case is open and lying on the floor, with one hard drive resting on a paper plate and the other drives in a cage on the floor... Because the hard drive cage unscrewed itself and got bent during shipping from Houston to Hawaii.

I thought I was screwed when I dropped a nailclipper onto the motherboard.

 

[Sunny129]

What's the point of buying a case then?

b/c some people like some sort of organization to their PC hardware. i suppose you could lay all your components out on a clean table and connect everything that way if you really wanted to (provided the power supply cables reach all of your components that way), but then 1) you have to keep your room extra clean and relatively dust free, and 2) your PC will look like a giant friggin bird's nest on a table (not that there's anything really wrong with that. in fact, i would imagine that's what AnandTech's hardware review benches look like, b/c it would be a PITA to have to constantly add/screw and remove/unscrew hardware items from a case)...and on top of that, there's no guarantee that it'll cool better that way than it will inside a case with good airflow and cooling characteristics. the same goes for "open chassis" cases (the ones that have no sides and basically just look like scaffolding) - at least those provide some organization to your PC, but again, there's no guarantee that it'll cool better than a closed case with sufficient airflow.

so i guess the short answer to your question would be that people buy cases b/c they 1) want some organization to all their PC hardware, 2) want it to stay relatively clean, and 3) want it to stay relatively cool. of course to meet all 3 requirements, a quality case must be purchased.

 

[SirGCal]

Depends on what you're after. I have a positive pressure setup so it has to be closed for optimum cooling and airflow. But asside from something like that it wouldn't matter. Even with filters, I have to open it once a month to blow it out. Darn Texas dust...

 

[BoomerD]

Depends on what you're after. I have a positive pressure setup so it has to be closed for optimum cooling and airflow. But asside from something like that it wouldn't matter. Even with filters, I have to open it once a month to blow it out. Darn Texas dust...

Yeah, I live in Central California's farm country. Dustiest place we've ever lived. I have to blow the dust out of my PC monthly also.

During the very hottest summer months, I MIGHT open the side panel door for my pc and use a small floor fan to blow cooler air inside the case, but it's not very often. Usually, in the summer, we keep the house at 77F, so things stay pretty cool by themselves. In the winter, we set the heat at 69F...right now, my case is 27C, CPU 29C, and video card is at 36C. (all more-or-less idling...lightscribe is burning a disk label, but that's it other than surfing)

 

[Slugbait]

Dust and hair and etc are simple...get filters, or a case designed with filters (like the TT Armor).

If you can't get filters that fit, or think that spending money on filters is out of line, make them. Personally, I take the used dryer sheet after a cleaning cycle, cut it to shape and size, and duct tape it over the air intakes of the case. After six months or a year (depending on dander), repeat. It basically eliminates the need for a vacuum or compressed air, and your fans love you.

 

[SirGCal]

Dust and hair and etc are simple...get filters, or a case designed with filters (like the TT Armor).

If you can't get filters that fit, or think that spending money on filters is out of line, make them. Personally, I take the used dryer sheet after a cleaning cycle, cut it to shape and size, and duct tape it over the air intakes of the case. After six months or a year (depending on dander), repeat. It basically eliminates the need for a vacuum or compressed air, and your fans love you.

Doesn't work around here. The dust is soooo fine that much of it passes right through. Plus there's just so much of it... I do have a filtered case, still requires monthly attention. I guess if you had a hypoallergenic home or something elaborate like that, it would help... but... No joke, I can clean the filters, reinstall them, and within an hour you can visually see the buildup already beginning.

And just imagine, that crap's in our lungs... Ugg...

 

[Diogenes2]

Anyone else tried this ?

http://www.gatzstuff.com/PC/AirFilterSmall.jpg

It is an air filter kit, cut to size and velcro'ed to the case..

It runs about 3 - 5c warmer than leaving the case open ..

I vacuum it off ever-so-often ..

I also have filter material installed on other places of the case where air is sucked in; behind the front grill & etc..

 

[Martimus]

The side hasn't been on my case in years. Not even sure where it is.

 

[Socratesx]

Closed for a constant direction air flow. Also it doesn't get dirty every now and then.