Inspired by the neat freaks out there

[imported_ST]

After looking at some of the great wiring jobs of folks here, it inspired me to get a little neater.

Here is my original setup, which was quite nasty and looked like a rat's nest:

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g319/stranx44/IMG_0700.jpg

This was my cleanup afterwards, helping things a little but still not quite as clean:

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g319/stranx44/IMG_0753.jpg

And here is my latest attempt, which i still think i can do a better job at:

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g319/stranx44/htp2c-a.jpg

Thanks ya'll for inspiring me and keep the pictures coming!

Update: Got really anal in wiring!

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g319/stranx44/IMG_0785.jpg

Update2: NOw with moved the power supply to be external!

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g319/stranx44/IMG_0802.jpg

 

[Zap]

That's actually a huge improvement. Kudos! :thumbsup:

 

[dBTelos]

Good job! I have NO idea how you keep what looks like 3x HDDs and 1x Optical Drive cool though. You have one intake that seems to be cooling nothing but case temps, and a exhaust that is taking out CPU heat. Leaving the HDDs very hot I would guess, mind posting temps on models? But still, the case wiring is very good, especialy with no empty drives to hide cables.

 

[imported_ST]

Originally posted by: dBTelos
Good job! I have NO idea how you keep what looks like 3x HDDs and 1x Optical Drive cool though. You have one intake that seems to be cooling nothing but case temps, and a exhaust that is taking out CPU heat. Leaving the HDDs very hot I would guess, mind posting temps on models? But still, the case wiring is very good, especialy with no empty drives to hide cables.

Hehe thanks...to keep the HDD cool, I utilize a Thermaltake iCage with a 120mm Panaflo :

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g319/stranx44/IMG_0713.jpg

The bottom intake is really intended to cool the video card (since it's overclocked and overvolted). My computer gets reasonably cool, since I overclock with CnQ enabled: stays around 35C at mundane tasks:

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g319/stranx44/sp04-2261.jpg

or around 52C when i need to crank up the horsepower

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g319/stranx44/sp04-3006.jpg

 

[dBTelos]

Oh I see w/ the iCage. Are all of your drives SATA? That helps with cables

 

[imported_ST]

Originally posted by: dBTelos
Oh I see w/ the iCage. Are all of your drives SATA? That helps with cables

ya they're all satas, except for the DVD+/- RAM drive....i actually added another 500GB to my setup and haven't hooked it up yet (waiting for more matching cables to come). you can see it in the last pic just sitting there.

 

[Shadowknight]

? Your first pic really wasn't what I would consider a rats nest, or even bad.

 

[IdaGno]

analicious

 

[rs1089]

that is a great improvement...really nice job there

 

[scrawnypaleguy]

Well done, keep working at it. It becomes an obsession (trust me, I know )

 

[Corporate Thug]

well done ST, love the sig too!

 

[Goi]

Wow, where did all your molex power cables go to? Impressive

 

[imported_ST]

Update: Got really anal in wiring!

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g319/stranx44/IMG_0785.jpg

 

[scrawnypaleguy]

Now THAT is what I'm talkin about! Excellent work, it's really come a long way.

 

[imported_ST]

In the interest of noise, efficiency, and consolidation, I now have done the following:

- Eliminated 1 HDD altogether; consolidated storage so there's only 3
- Eliminated front HDD fan; after much testing, temps were still reasonable in a passive configuration
- Eliminated rear fan; see next item
- Eliminated internal PSU fan (noisiest in the system); replaced with external Panaflo fan w/ software control
- Cut out the fan grill in front chassis for more airflow

Last of which, I have now mounted my Power Supply externally (yes a little radical). With the rather lackluster <70% efficiency rating of my PSU, it was cooking up a lot of heat internally. I decided for the interim to play with the idea of a direct rear exhaust with the PSU externally. Seems to help thus far. What are your thoughts on it?

Pix of unit open:

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g319/stranx44/IMG_0802.jpg

 

[DerwenArtos12]

I have NEVER seen someone try that before. I'd love to know how it goes. Do you have a thermal probe you can slide inside to see what temps are like in there? Also, I would creat a filler plate for the old PSU hole, with a grometted hole for you cabling of course.

EDIT:
Another thought, it appears you have it so that air is going both out, what is now, the top and bottom, a filler plate to direct the air strictly out the top would probably help a bit as it would prevent a buildup of hot air from literally everything at the bottom rear just outside the case. You may also want another fan for exhaust as it just seems to me once you button it back up there would be some heat that would tricke back into the case from the PSU.

EDIT2:
Another thought, yo uhave 2x120mm intakes and now 1x120mm exhaust, I am all for positively pressurized cases but, a top mounted blowhole, or an 80mm or 92mm fan on the filler plate where the PSU was would probably help that a bit.

 

[JEDIYoda]

very nice!!

 

[letdown427]

GLad to see you've removed the fan grill from the CPU cooler, although in the eternal PSU pic, it looks like you've put it under the fan? WTH? lol.

Down with fan grills I say. Very nice job though

 

[aigomorla]

great job! however i do have 1 recomendation. If at all possible try to bring your SATA cable off the side and then behind the mobo plate, then around to top and to your SATA drives. Thats how i have my setup at. All my cables run behind the mobo plate and it makes things a lot nicer.

Also you might want to put some panty hose on that intake fan. YES im talking about girls panty hose. They work great at catching dust, and will allow you to have longer intervals of dust maintence.

Thats my .02 cents.

If you prefer to do it the non modder style you can just buy fan filters, but panty hose is so much cheaper!! u get 2 fan covers for about .99 cents at riteaid :X

 

[imported_ST]

derwenartos - thus far, i have seen a very positive results in mobo and cpu temps reduced on the order of 3-5C's. I don't have a thermal probe to check ambient tho, but I had plans already to create a filler for the PS plate. I'm more worried about the durability of the fan and PS mounting though.

btw> i no longer have the front hdd intake (see http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g319/stranx44/IMG_0801.jpg) . instead i find that with the cutting of the lower front fan intake, it actually creates a sort of venturi affect since there is a direct tunnel to the hdd cage, thus promotes cooling semi-actively.

jediyoda - thanks!


letdown427 - actually there's 2 fans stacked on top of one another, thats why u see a fan grill. I was contemplating making a shroud for the cpu hsf, so i can duct cool air from the outside directly to the CPU through the side case (or top in this case). See this pic ( http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g319/stranx44/IMG_0803.jpg ) for further details.

aigomorla - thats a good recommendation, and i will try it. as for the pantyhose, interesting idea! i will have to steal some off my gf! lol

 

[BassBomb]

does 2 fans even do anything? id think it would cause turbulence between them

how does the mounting of the psu work for noise?

 

[BW86]

nice job!

 

[TGS]

Originally posted by: ST

letdown427 - actually there's 2 fans stacked on top of one another, thats why u see a fan grill. I was contemplating making a shroud for the cpu hsf, so i can duct cool air from the outside directly to the CPU through the side case (or top in this case). See this pic ( http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g319/stranx44/IMG_0803.jpg ) for further details.

I was under the impression that if you had multiple fans placed next to each other, they would have to be synchronized to avoid the turbulence associated with both fans moving air at different cycles.

 

[imported_ST]

Originally posted by: TGS

I was under the impression that if you had multiple fans placed next to each other, they would have to be synchronized to avoid the turbulence associated with both fans moving air at different cycles.

The two stacked fans were just a mechanical test to see if i could make a shroud to get some direct air from above (not how the top fan wasn't even connected).

I think I will be mounting another front fan, since after some further testing, the HDD's were getting a little hot

 

[DerwenArtos12]

Well, if you were to mount another fan as an intake over the cpu, you could put a fan back on the iCage but reversed as an exhaust, that would help balance out your air flow and cool the hard drives substantially.