How important are case side fans?

[Bonesdad]

Looking for a relatively budget case for an AMD system with a Barton 2500+ CPU. Considering an antec slk2600. The case has space for one 80mm front fan and one 80mm rear fan in addition to the Antec PSU (300W). Will this case keep everything cool enough? Not looking at any overclock. It will hold one 80GB SPecial edition WD drive and one Samsung CDRW/DVD combo drive.

The case has no side/top fan, but how important/effective are these?

 

[Corporate Thug]

side fans are actually pretty useful as the good ones are placed up around the CPU and help it cool better, but it is not necessary by any means

 

[Bluefront]

If you like hearing fan noises, by all means get a case with a noisy 80mm fan attached to the side. For sure this will cool your case better, and at the same time improve your computing experience.

Or.....find a case with good airflow without resorting to a side or top fan.

 

[Bonesdad]

Originally posted by: Bluefront
If you like hearing fan noises, by all means get a case with a noisy 80mm fan attached to the side. For sure this will cool your case better, and at the same time improve your computing experience.

Or.....find a case with good airflow without resorting to a side or top fan.

like....? Or does the SLK2600 fit this bill? LINK

 

[pspada]

I consider a 350w power supply to be the bare minimum. Without much else except the standard stuff in my case, I had to go to a 400w when I upgraded to a 2500+

 

[screw3d]

Originally posted by: pspada
I consider a 350w power supply to be the bare minimum. Without much else except the standard stuff in my case, I had to go to a 400w when I upgraded to a 2500+

I think a good 350W PSU is good enough to handle pretty much everything a normal user can throw at it.

 

[dubge]

I just switched from a steel case with 2 side, 2 front, and 1 rear to an aluminum Chieftec with 2 front and 2 rear pic and my temp dropped 5-7 deg

 

[karmasalad]

Originally posted by: marvie

Originally posted by: pspada
I consider a 350w power supply to be the bare minimum. Without much else except the standard stuff in my case, I had to go to a 400w when I upgraded to a 2500+

I think a good 350W PSU is good enough to handle pretty much everything a normal user can throw at it.

A good 300W PSU can handle the majority of the systems out there. I always find it amusing when people start recommending monster 400W and up PSUs for run-of-the-mill systems.

 

[pspada]

I never know what a user will want to throw into their system next. A good 350w gives some growing room and flexiblity. Better to have and not need, than to need and not have. But then again, I actually care about my clients.

 

[Trainspotter]

I quite like the Q-Tec cases with the fans in the side panels. My little brother got a silver one from Chill-Tek. Think i'm gonna have to steal it off him.

 

[pspada]

Originally posted by: Trainspotter
I quite like the Q-Tec cases with the fans in the side panels. My little brother got a silver one from Chill-Tek. Think i'm gonna have to steal it off him.

That shipping from the UK will kill ya. Try TheChipMerchant.com's cases.

 

[mrzed]

Originally posted by: Bonesdad

like....? Or does the SLK2600 fit this bill? LINK

That case will be just fine for what you want to do. And don't mind the posts about upgrading the power supply, a single AMD CPU with 1 or 2 hard drives, 1 or 2 optical, a powerful graphics card etc. will run just fine on that Antec 300W. Considering you are using one HD and one combo drive, you still have plenty of headroom.

 

[Bluefront]

Yeah the 2600 will work fine. The stock 300w psu will handle a lot more than you're using....and as a bonus, this case is quiet.

 

[VisableAssassin]

honestly with my older addronics 7890a I dropped roughly 15 degrees give or take id say by adding my side intake. on that case since it was my air cooled rig it was the best thing i have done

 

[huesmann]

I have a 550-watt PSU. Of course, I have 4 hard drives and a boatload of fans in the computer. Better safe than sorry.