Fan mods for Wavemaster case

[Markbnj]

Ok, ever since I overclocked my X2 I have been working on the temps in the Wavemaster. Managed to get the Zalman heatsink properly installed, and currently idling at 38-40c, loading up to mid-fifties.

On the advice of someone in another thread I pulled the side panel and watched the temps plunge, without even putting a fan on it. Obviously not enough air is getting in. I think this has to do with two aspects of the design: 1) small 80mm fans; and 2) the front fans pull through small holes drilled in the aluminum rather than a grill.

There isn't enough room (I don't think) to expand the rear case fan to a 120mm. I could try to open up the grid the front fans pull through, and I am considering that, but I really think it is an exhaust problem.

Seems like one of my few viable solutions is to mod the side panel to add a 120mm fan. If I set this fan to exhaust I am afraid it will pull the incoming cool air away from the Zalman. If I set it to intake I am afraid it will overpressure the minimal 80mm rear case fan. Maybe that isn't a huge issue. I thought perhaps I would put it on intake, and also cut some open grills on the side panel for any overpressure to flow out of.

Can 120mm fans be purchased with mounting brackets and grills? Can grills be purchased seperately?

Thanks.

 

[CraigRT]

I have a suggestion, you could always try to get your hands on one of the new Wavemaster II mobo trays and see if it fits

It's something I've been pondering since I knew the WM2 was out.. Check this out.

http://www.barrys-rigs-n-reviews.com/re.../hardware/cmp730/images/cmp730_020.jpg

The pic is actually a new Praetorian 730 case, but the mobo trays are the same..

 

[Markbnj]

Damn, if that fits it will pretty much solve my problem. I will check with Coolermaster. Thanks for the tip.

 

[scrawnypaleguy]

Yeah let us know how that works out, I'd do that for my wavemaster too if it was available.

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

OP, I do not have a WaveMaster but i am modding my third case.

After looking at pics in reviews of your case, this is what i would consider.

It looks like there is room for two 80mm fans at the rear. Sand one side of each flat. Using waxed paper on a flat surface, line them up and super glue them together. Do not move or touch them for atleast several hours. Cut one oblong hole and mount in the rear of the case w/four bolts. Make sure there is room for a side by side combo first.
This is done on Lian Li cases. I had room for one 92mm in the rear of the case.
Note on the waxed paper, use two sheets and on a surface that is not important, the glue may bleed through just enough to mare the surface.

On the front there appears to be room for a pair of 92mm fans. If there is room to do it
and add a deflecter at the rear of the 3.5" bay to kick the air up toward the HSF.
From what's in your sig there does not appear to be anything in the way of the air flow.
Silentpcreview.com uses a stick with several strips of Kleenex on it to check air flow. You could use that to set-up a deflecter to direct the air to the HSF. With a window or using
shrink wrap on the left side of the case, incense can be used to show a smoke trail.
Make sure some of the air is headed to the VGA.

The front fans on that case look like they are in a tunnel and a HDD above them would
direct the air right to the rear of the case, starving the top. I like a slight positive case pressure. More intake than exhaust. The excess will just leak of all the many nooks and cranies of any case.

If you go for high out-put fans you will be using a fan controller. Many good ones are quite inexpensive now.

Galvanized

 

[Markbnj]

Also good ideas, thanks. The deflector idea is especially good. I'm sure the air is going right out the nv silencer and between the gaps in the slot cover plates.

I'll look into getting larger fans for the front, and perhaps modding the rear. If I can get the dual fan mobo tray from CM, though, that would be a heck of a lot easier .

 

[CraigRT]

Originally posted by: Markbnj
Also good ideas, thanks. The deflector idea is especially good. I'm sure the air is going right out the nv silencer and between the gaps in the slot cover plates.

I'll look into getting larger fans for the front, and perhaps modding the rear. If I can get the dual fan mobo tray from CM, though, that would be a heck of a lot easier .

Now you're talking :thumbsup:

I have an email into CM regarding this, since I could not find anything for sale online with a quick 10 mins research. Hopefully it's attainable.

 

[JEDIYoda]

I had my response all ytped out until I dead Galvanized post to you!!
He hit the nail on the head....
His advice is what I would do!!

What you could also do to move more air through any dead spots you might find is this solution which worked well for me...
Note the upper right hand corner of the case....

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72/JEDI_Yoda/003.jpg
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a72/JEDI_Yoda/004.jpg

Theres a zalman fan bracket that also comes with a 80mm fan...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a...118204&CMP=KNC-overturesmx&ATT=product


But I chose to purchase the Zalman slin fan so i had more room to push more air...
80x80x15
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a...-118-212&catalog=23&manufactory=BROWSE

But anyways good luck!!

 

[Markbnj]

Thanks, lots of good ideas here. I sent a message to Coolermaster about the mobo tray idea. I will post when I get a reply.

 

[scrawnypaleguy]

Tell them I want one too!

 

[MBentz]

Originally posted by: Markbnj
Thanks, lots of good ideas here. I sent a message to Coolermaster about the mobo tray idea. I will post when I get a reply.

Awesome! I am fighting the same battle as you. If we can buy that new mobo tray that would make everything 10x easier.

 

[cooliodealio]

nm I see.

 

[Markbnj]

[Awesome! I am fighting the same battle as you. If we can buy that new mobo tray that would make everything 10x easier. ]

Yeah, it's a beautiful case, but unfortunately a little tight on breeze for overclocking.

No reply today from Coolermaster. If I don't hear something by mid day tomorrow I'm going to call them.

 

[scrawnypaleguy]

I've seen other places like performance-pcs.com selling motherboard trays for lian li cases, so I don't think this sort of request is very out of the ordinary.

 

[Markbnj]

I spoke to customer support at Coolermaster in Ontario. The gentleman I spoke with told me that: a) there is no Wavemaster 2 that he is aware of; b) he believes the twin-fan mobo tray from the Praetorian 730 will fit the Wavemaster, but he has not personally tested it; and c) they do not have mobo trays from that model available for seperate purchase because it is a new product, and they have not received any parts from Taiwan. He suggested I call back later, but could not give me an eta.

 

[scrawnypaleguy]

All right then, looks like I'm getting a dremel for christmas. How expensive are those things anyway?

 

[CraigRT]

Originally posted by: Markbnj
I spoke to customer support at Coolermaster in Ontario. The gentleman I spoke with told me that: a) there is no Wavemaster 2 that he is aware of; b) he believes the twin-fan mobo tray from the Praetorian 730 will fit the Wavemaster, but he has not personally tested it; and c) they do not have mobo trays from that model available for seperate purchase because it is a new product, and they have not received any parts from Taiwan. He suggested I call back later, but could not give me an eta.

The Wavemaster 2 is not really out yet, but has been talked about. However, he's right, the Praetorian 730 is the same design as the other cases, with the improvements such as dual exhaust fans. If that mobo tray can be had, I'd get one too for sure.

EDIT: What number did you call to talk to a guy in Ontario BTW? That is where I am from. (Unless you are talking Ontario California)

 

[Markbnj]

Haha, you know what, it probably was Ontario, CA. I glanced at it as I dialed, and assumed it was Canada.

The guy couldn't give me a timeline, but I will call back and bug them in a few weeks.

 

[scrawnypaleguy]

So wait, is the Praetorian 730 the "unofficial" wavemaster 2? Then what's the "official" wavemaster 2?

edit: pics?

 

[Ken90630]

Hi, All,

I can't believe no one has mentioned this yet: Remember, you can replace those poorly-placed (IMHO) top-mounted USB/FireWire/audio ports on the WaveMaster with another exit fan (commonly known as a "blowhole" fan). And as you prolly know, the adapter for this is included with the case. Since hot air rises .... . Needless to say, this should help significantly.

I have a WaveMaster too and put a Panaflo 12L (same as an L1A) in that top-mount area right from the get-go. (I wanted to use a 12M for just a little more ooomph, but couldn't find one anywhere.) Anywho, then I got an inexpensive Silverstone front-mount port module, and CoolerMaster's bezel adapter for it, and put them on the front in one of the 5.25" bays. Voila -- front mounted ports that are much easier to get to and better cooling via the extra exit fan. And the front ports match so well they look like they came with the case.

I gotta say the build quality of this case is unmatched. It's simply outstanding. But for people with really hot-running components, I suppose the cooling could fall short. My rig is pretty tame so cooling is not a big issue for me, but adding a top-mounted blowhole fan would seem to be easier (and cheaper) than some of the more elaborate mods discussed earlier ... although I admit I do like the idea of using the Praetorian mobo tray if it'll fit. Heck, maybe do both.

Oh, and what's the deal with this mythical "WaveMaster 2"? I read something, about 6 months ago, about how the WaveMaster 2 had been unveiled at some trade show or something, and some guy was supposedly gonna post pictures, then I never heard another thing about it until now. Searches yield nothing, and there's nothing on CM's site about a new WaveMaster, so ...? I think this is an urban myth, lads. :laugh:

 

[Markbnj]

Yeah, I am using the top fan with a TechToys 80mm. It's not very high on the airflow, so I plan to replace it.

Overall, though, as gorgeous as this case is, the single rear fan doesn't cut it when matched with the two front fans pulling through the little holes they drilled in the aluminum. I really think that is a large part of the problem. There is as much solid metal in front of those fans as there are holes.

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Your delema crossed my mind while shopping at Ace Hardware. They sell small sheets of
aluminum 4"x 10", .032" and .062" thick. With a little cutting a sheet of this could be set-up
for fans at your leasure, then just cut a rectangle out of the mobo tray and mount the plated
fans w/6-32 bolts or pop-rivets. The thicker of the two would be easyer for me to work
because it would flex less. The thinner would be easyer to cut with a nibbler.

I have never needed a nibbler and may buy one. They can be found for <$20. When i need
to cut the 1/4" die grinder comes out, but it's loud and very messy with metal chips every-
where.


Galvanized

 

[Markbnj]

Yeah, that would work. Thanks for thinking of me . But I am not sure there is room back there for two fans in an over/under config. I need to look tonight.

 

[Ken90630]

Hey, Mark,

Reading over your original post again, your temps at load appear to be in the 130--135 degree range (Fahrenheit). While that's warm by any measure, I doubt if it's in the danger range for the chip (although overclocking at all will almost certainly lessen the chip's lifespan). However, you didn't say how you're measuring those temps --
are you going by the BIOS, or Motherboard Monitor, or ???

While I'm certainly not a know-it-all when it comes to computers, I will say I'm continually amazed by how many people post on these forums with their almost obsessive worrying over their rigs' supposed temps. (I'm not saying you're doing that in this case though; I'm just speaking generally.) From what I've gleened from the experts like mechBgon and a few others over the least couple of years, my impression is that most people are getting all worked up about temp readings that aren't likely to be accurate in the first place. Many boards are reputed to give inaccurate CPU temp readings, yet people still get all bent out of shape over them anyway.

The fact that you mention that your temps drop a lot when you take the side cover off leads me to think that your prob (if indeed you even have one) is more a matter of inadequate hot air output rather than not enough room-temp air intake. Your Raptor and vid card are producing a moderate amount of heat, but they're not likely to be in the inferno range. So my guess is that most of your heat issue has to do with your overclocked CPU. If that's the case, keep in mind that the CPU temp is what it is -- simply drawing more air in thru the front isn't going to lower your CPU temp in any significant way. That air isn't being blasted directly onto the CPU or anything -- it's simply going into the case as a whole, and its direct effect on the CPU temp isn't likely to be much.

The efficiency of your heatsink and heatsink fan are gonna determine how much heat gets drawn away from the CPU and out into the case (obviously), so my guess is that evacuating that heat out of the case should be your focus more than simply drawing more room-temp air (and dust!) into the case. All the room-temp air in the world isn't going to change the amount of heat that your overclocked CPU generates -- it will simply lower the overall internal temperature of the whole case. Indirectly, I suppose, that lower overall temp will mean less heat in the vicinity of the CPU, but again, that's not likely to bring about any huge drop in CPU temperature. In my humble opinion, anyway.

I personally think maybe a more powerful exit fan, along with a more powerful blowhole fan in the top, would likely help bring the overall temp inside the case down. You could also, as you said in your original post, mod the side panel as well and add a 120mm fan there. And heck, you could even remove a couple PCI-slot covers to allow a little more air to escape out the back. Again, this is just my opinion, but I think you'd lower the overall internal case temp more by increasing the exhaust capacity rather than increasing its air-intake in the front.

I personally don't think that Cooler Master intended the WaveMaster to be an ultra-cool case for overclockers or those with searing hot vid cards. My guess is it was intended for more modest rigs [like mine ]. Interesting discussion nevertheless. Let us know what you end up doing and how it works for 'ya.

 

[Markbnj]

[However, you didn't say how you're measuring those temps --
are you going by the BIOS, or Motherboard Monitor, or ??? ]

I have used various programs and now rely on Speedfan. I'm aware it may not be accurate due to sensor variations, but I am treating it as relative, more or less. I am not alarmed by the current temperatures, but rather I'm interested in getting it down as low as it can be, either so that I can o/c a little more, or prolong the life of the chip at the current clock rate.

[Your Raptor and vid card are producing a moderate amount of heat, but they're not likely to be in the inferno range. So my guess is that most of your heat issue has to do with your overclocked CPU. If that's the case, keep in mind that the CPU temp is what it is -- simply drawing more air in thru the front isn't going to lower your CPU temp in any significant way. That air isn't being blasted directly onto the CPU or anything -- it's simply going into the case as a whole, and its direct effect on the CPU temp isn't likely to be much.]

The way I look at it is this: the cpu generates a certain amount of heat, and you're right, that's fixed at a given voltage and work level. What matters beyond that point is the mechanism you use to transfer the heat away from the CPU. The transfer rate is everything. First from the core to the heat spreader, then to the base of the HSF, then out into the fins, the air, and out of the case.

[The efficiency of your heatsink and heatsink fan are gonna determine how much heat gets drawn away from the CPU and out into the case (obviously), so my guess is that evacuating that heat out of the case should be your focus more than simply drawing more room-temp air (and dust!) into the case. ]

I believe I have good transfer through the first three stages. What I need is more air flowing over those fins to carry more heat away faster. We can talk about intake, or exhaust, but an actual analysis of how many CFM are being sucked in, and exhausted, and the resulting higher or lower pressure in the case, is beyond my capabilities . They both need to be higher, is my guess. If you have more of one than the other you get a slightly higher or lower pressure inside, but overall you have some exchange rate where heat laden air is replaced by cooler air. That's what I need to increase.

[I personally think maybe a more powerful exit fan, along with a more powerful blowhole fan in the top, would likely help bring the overall temp inside the case down. You could also, as you said in your original post, mod the side panel as well and add a 120mm fan there. And heck, you could even remove a couple PCI-slot covers to allow a little more air to escape out the back. Again, this is just my opinion, but I think you'd lower the overall internal case temp more by increasing the exhaust capacity rather than increasing its air-intake in the front. ]

Yeah, overall I think you are right. Although I do think the air coming in at the front could flow a lot more freely. There are slot fans too, but I have heard they are noisy.