Importance of a chassis fan in a no-HDD basic system?

[mikeymikec]

When building computers, no matter how low spec they are I tended to always have a chassis fan, because while the other fans (let's say PSU and CPU for the basics) exist, they're there to cool a particular component, not the system in general (though say a PSU fan might provide a little ventilation for the system in the process).

My main reason for doing this was to give the hard disk a bit of cool air, because they can certainly run quite hot and the way they're designed suggests they could do with at least a bit of ventilation.

I've built my new server, and I'm trying to quieten it down a bit. It's got a Celeron G1610 with integrated graphics and an SSD (nothing else, except obviously the board). I'm wondering whether the chassis fan is still needed, partly from a noise perspective. I might end up connecting the chassis fan that comes with the case from the point of view of 'safety first', but I wondered what opinions people here might have on the topic.

 

[dma0991]

The case might need a little bit of intake/exhaust if hot air in your case doesn't naturally rise due to some constraint. A bare minimum would be an exhaust. You could install fans with a low speed adapter that brings down the speed to < 1kRPM with a non-restrictive grill(some grills tend to cause most of the wind noise) and it will nearly inaudible.

 

[mikeymikec]

I wonder if that's why the Coolermaster Elite 342s seem to be more noisy than the previous ones I used, the 335 and the 330. I had previously checked to see whether I could simply relocate the 342's front chassis to the rear but the rear only has an 8-9cm mounting area.

Thanks for the suggestion, I'm sure I have a spare smaller fan I can try out on the server and if it works out I might start trying it for my general computer builds.

 

[amabre]

the fan is very very importend
it keeps the temp. down.

 

[dma0991]

I had previously checked to see whether I could simply relocate the 342's front chassis to the rear but the rear only has an 8-9cm mounting area.

I'm not sure if that's a good idea. I have my CM Elite 343 with single stock 120mm at the front and CM 80mm at the back and its way louder than my watercooled PC(7 fans). 120mm fans are generally silent so my assumption would be that the 80mm rear fan and stock Intel heatsink are the culprit.

Try cutting a hole to remove the metal front grill and mount a 120mm and no rear fan. Close the side panel fan hole by affixing a cardboard in the interior of the side panel. If it isn't quiet enough, replace the stock Intel heatsink with a small or downdraft heatsink.

 

[mikeymikec]

I meant that I wouldn't have the front fan, just the rear fan. When I've unplugged the front fan the system is a lot quieter. That fan runs below 1k rpm, so I'm wondering whether your metal grill + fan = excess noise idea is correct. My additional thought is that considering that CM uses the same chassis fan in the 335,330 and 342, perhaps when the fan is at the back that there's more in the way so I don't hear as much? Not sure.

 

[piasabird]

There may be something to the idea that an exhaust grill can make the fan cause noise. I think when the air flow is inhibited it makes more noise. A lot of the newer cases use those honeycomb grills. Might try something like a tri-speed fan or one of those variable speed fans and set it on low. Of course there might be choosing a new case.

 

[MrK6]

Just check your temps. If you it's off and you have plenty of headroom before Tjmax, then you're fine. Overall low flow>>no flow, so a normal case fan at 7V is vastly superior to having nothing at all. However, if your thermal requirements don't necessitate it, then it's all moot.