Fan mod for an old Chieftec Dragon (Updated)

[CU]

I am still using an aluminum Chieftec Dragon. I really like the case, but I don't like the 80mm fans that much. After installing my Corsair A50 I have started to notice more dust in my case. I believe the A50 is pushing more air out the back of my case than I am taking in creating negative pressure. I am currently running the 2 original 80mm in the back and some random 80mm in the front. The back ones rattle when starting up, but once the case warms up they get quiet. Since they have been running for close to 10 years I am amazed they even turn. As I still have my $20 for $40 gift card at Newegg which expires this weekend, I though I would get some new fans. Also my cold cathode has recently died, so I though about getting some LED fans and using them to light the case, or just buy some more as LED fans don't have as impressive specs as non LED fans.

Now for the mod question. Would you recommend moding in 1 or even 2 120mm front intakes. You can mod in 92mm in the back, but I don't think it is worth going from 80mm to 92mm. Moding in 1 120mm in the front looks easy. Adding two is more interesting. I can stake them like this.
http://www.wizdforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=538&page=17
http://www.wizdforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=538&page=18
http://www.mofocases.com/view_images.php?case_id=121&image_id=1039
I don't like cutting the HD cage though. Also I believe the lower cage would interfere with longer video cards, so I would just take it out. I could really just remove both of them and use some adapters in the 5.25 bays.

Another idea I thought was to remove the lower cage and mount the fans at an angle to each other with one pointing up slightly and one pointing down slightly to save on vertical space. I would need to get some sheet metal or plastic to make sides for them to duct their intake to the front of the case. Kind of hard to explain, but it would look like this. / and \ are the fans. The one angled up would blow toward the cpu and the on pointing down would blow right below the gpu.
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What 80mm and/or 120mm fans would you recommend? I was looking at these 80mm http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811998101 w/ LEDS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811999199 w/o LEDS
and these 120mm
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811998121 w/ LEDS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835185057 w/o LEDS
The ones without LEDS are fairly quiet fans, although I assume that is still enough airflow. I want to keep this close to $40.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

For 120 mm. Get the cooler master fan that pulls 69cfm

 

[CU]

For 120 mm. Get the cooler master fan that pulls 69cfm

Is there an 80mm version of this? Wish they had the blue in stock. If I go LED fans I want them all the same brand, so they look them same. Color wise I am looking at blue in the front and red in the back since my MB has several red diagnostic LEDs in the back already. Or, all blue.

 

[CU]

Looked on Coolermaster's site and they do not make a 80mm version. Also the more I think about it the more I want LED fans instead of a new cold cathode. Still not sure about modding to use 1 or 2 120mm intake fans.

 

[CU]

Anyone ever use SilenX EFX fans? I cannot seem to find any reviews. They have better specs than the cooler master mentioned earlier. Also would using temperature controlled fans as intake and exhaust fans work well. It seems the exhaust fans near the cpu would always run fast while the intake fans near the cool air would always run slow creating negative pressure and suck in dust from everywhere which is what I want to avoid.

 

[CU]

Not happy with Newegg. I went to use the code for the fans that expires on the 26th and Newegg tells me it expired at 1:30 am on the 26th. Who has a code valid for 30mins? Guess I will wait for a sale or something.

Looking over at slickdeals, I am not the only one unhappy with Newegg. I guess it gives me more time to work on modding two 120mm fans in the front to replace the 80mm fans. I am thinking about make a triangle like box out of acrylic. Thought that would look better than aluminium. I have changed the design from
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to
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The top design would have the fans at about 106degrees to each other based on my trig. skills. So almost +/- 45degree off the horizontal plane. The bottom design would make each fan tilt up almost 45 degrees. The acrylic box would consist of the front where the fans mount and the sides. I would then silicon?? that down to the bottom and front of the aluminium case creating and air tight seal to the front, which has been enlarged from 2 80mm holes to the size of the acrylic box about 5in x 8in. The bottom design would also be easier to make. If I can bend the acrylic, I should be able to do it from one piece. What do you think?

 

[Gs dewd]

I too am still using 3 of the Chieftec Dragon cases. Sometimes you just find something and can't find anything that will replace it.. I am going to do some fan modding on one for my newest build. I'll get back to you with what I do fan wise.

Heres pics for anyone who may not know what a Cheiftec Dragon is.

 

[CU]

My fans came in today. I installed the 80mm exhaust fans and boy are they quiet. I could hold the old fans and feel then shaking in my hand. No wonder they were making so much noise. I think the old ones put out a little bit more air, but not enough to matter. I have not installed the 120mm intake fans yet. I still need to remove the lower hard drive bay support and cut the front aluminium out. First I plan to build the fan box out of card board to try it out. Then build it out of clear acrylic. I held the fans up there and the top one will point up at the cpu while the lower one will point up toward the gpu. I think it will work and look pretty good.

 

[CU]

Finally got around to installing the 120mm fans in the cardboard box. The hole I cut in the front of the case is 5.5" x 7.5". With how little you can see of it through the case window, I am not sure if it is worth it to make it out of acrylic instead of aluminum. Let me know what you think.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

it looks good, i might do that to my dell case

 

[WT]

Yet another Dragon owner here. I'm lucky my 80's are still going. I've had this case for 6 years now and it serves as my workbench rig. It underwent a rebuilt last year so I did have a chance to clean it out and update the hardware.

http://www.wtslair.com/ProjectBlackEdition/itsgreentastic.jpg

 

[VirtualLarry]

My storage server is in a Dragon case. Mine is the full-tower, with the six 5.25" bays, and six 3.5" bays, and a floppy bay.

I think I got it from TigerDirect on clearance for like $35.

 

[Gillbot]

I stuffed a Skulltrail into a dragon case, LOL!

My 80's are still going and the noise doesn't bother me since the whole thing is a screamer anyway!!

 

[CU]

Here is a pick with the side on. See what I mean by you won't be able to see much of the box. So, what should I make it out of acrylic, aluminium, or something else?

 

[CU]

I stuffed a Skulltrail into a dragon case, LOL!

My 80's are still going and the noise doesn't bother me since the whole thing is a screamer anyway!!

It doesn't look like you are using the drive bays. The rivets were real easy to drill out. Then you can remove the bays and the metal shelves they sit on to open it up a little more.

 

[Gillbot]

Not the top one, but the bottom one I am. The top wouldn't fit in because of the heatsink.
http://imageshack.us/f/15/1002111xk.jpg/

You can see the blue sata cable poking out of the bottom rack.

 

[CU]

Yep, I missed that SATA cable at the bottom. I guess I was to busy staring at the size of that MB.

 

[Gillbot]

I saw the EATX holes on the tray and thought.... NO WAY. THen HAD to try and stuff that in there. Sure enough, a bottle of vaseline later and it was in!

 

[Jman13]

I too am still using 3 of the Chieftec Dragon cases. Sometimes you just find something and can't find anything that will replace it..

Funny...I own the Antec branded version of that case (exact same case, was sold under Chieftec and Antec), in gray. I used it for my Athlon XP and Athlon 64 builds, and then I got so fed up with it that it was retired for my smaller CoolerMaster Centurion. It's smaller, but easier to work in.

It's interesting how different people's personal tastes are. I ended up hating that case because the HD cages face the motherboard, and since they are screw mounted, in order to take a hard drive out, I often had to remove my video card. Also, after working with toolless mounting for my HDs and optical drives, I would never want to screw things in again. Add in 80mm fan mounting and the fact that the case is HUGE and yet cramped to work in and it just ended up driving me nuts. It's well built, and I like the door and the latch, but ugh.

Though, the thought has crossed my mind of reinserting my Core2Duo mobo in that case and reviving it, but I really have no reason to do so, so I likely won't. It's sitting in my closet with my socket 939 motherboard and a few IDE cables still inside.