Is it necessary to keep the case cover on your PC case?

[Muse]

What are the issues? I've had the covers off both my PC's cases (mid-tower cases) for well over a year. It's not because I decided they'd run cooler that way, it's just that I've been messing with the internals quite a bit and not gotten around to putting the covers back on. I'm trying to reduce the noise coming from them and looking at options including passive cooling for the video cards. I'd like both PC's to be very quiet. However, I don't want to go to great extremes or expense (water cooling, I presume, would be in this category). I presume that it will be easier to keep things cool inside and keep the PC's quiet if I leave the covers off. Is it necessary to put the covers back on these PC's?

 

[akira34]

While some may say it's not necessary, and you can probably run them without, it's a good idea if you want to reduce the amount of noise you hear from them. You can really notice the drop in dba when you button the systems back up again.

Personally, I keep my systems closed up (all panels in place) except when I'm actually working on them. I've also installed Vantec Stealth fans whenever (and where ever) possible. Going with low dba fans is another easy way to reduce noise. If you have a good video card with a cooler/fan on it, look at the Artic-Cooling card coolers too. They have a switch to go either quiet or normal in fan speed/noise. I did that to my 9800 Pro and the heatsink alone on the Artic-Cooling product is about 4x more material alone. It's easy to install, if you can work a screwdriver and spread thermal compound (or follow instructions).

 

[Degrador]

Basically, yes, you can leave the covers off. The problems with this are noise and dust (the latter being the greater concern). Dust can, and has caused computers to quite literally burn up. If enough dust gets onto your northbridge, for example, and that heats the dust up, then an electric connection for the chip may ignite the dust (very unlikely, however still possible). Not to mention that just on its own dust can reduce cooling performance.

Many cases don't have filters over intake fans, so it might not make much difference, however for cases that do, the amount of dust increase from the side panel being left off will likely be fairly large. So it's probably best just to be on the safe side and leave the side panels on.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: akira34
While some may say it's not necessary, and you can probably run them without, it's a good idea if you want to reduce the amount of noise you hear from them. You can really notice the drop in dba when you button the systems back up again.

Personally, I keep my systems closed up (all panels in place) except when I'm actually working on them. I've also installed Vantec Stealth fans whenever (and where ever) possible. Going with low dba fans is another easy way to reduce noise. If you have a good video card with a cooler/fan on it, look at the Artic-Cooling card coolers too. They have a switch to go either quiet or normal in fan speed/noise. I did that to my 9800 Pro and the heatsink alone on the Artic-Cooling product is about 4x more material alone. It's easy to install, if you can work a screwdriver and spread thermal compound (or follow instructions).

Good point about the noise. I'd thought of that. I guess it's a tradeoff. I'll try and see how I do with the covers on with case temps. I don't know what temps I should shoot for, however. Are things OK as long as I'm not getting lockups and such?

I've got a Vantec Stealth 80mm fan on my AX7 (Thermaltake) CPU heatsink and Panaflos as case fans and an Antec Tru430 PSU, which monitors case temps and supplies current to the case fans accordingly (on or off, I guess). I'm on the verge of ordering a Zalman ZM80A heatpipe (fanless) for my ti4600. I'm not sure it will fit but a guy tells me he thinks it probably will. Couldn't find info online concerning that.

Edit: Did some Google Groups searches on "ti4600 Zalman" and got virtual confirmation that the combination will work.

 

[Zepper]

I was using an Enlight 7227 for several years and it has the U-shaped cover - for a long time I couldn't even find the cover... But it really depends on your environment - if it is pretty clean and a lot of dust bunnies don't accumulate in there, what the hey. However, some will cool better with the covers in place. Also there's the matter of RFI generation. If the FCC truck drives up your driveway, you know it may be time to button the thing up.
.bh.

Here, have a :beer: !

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: Zepper
I was using an Enlight 7227 for several years and it has the U-shaped cover - for a long time I couldn't even find the cover... But it really depends on your environment - if it is pretty clean and a lot of dust bunnies don't accumulate in there, what the hey. However, some will cool better with the covers in place. Also there's the matter of RFI generation. If the FCC truck drives up your driveway, you know it may be time to button the thing up.
.bh.

Here, have a :beer: !

Thanks, Zepper. One of my currently used cases in an Enlight (7237, I think). Great cases for the money. Mine don't have U shaped covers. Pretty standard midtowers. In fact I have another Enlight case, but it's an AT case. One of them drove me nuts, though, with the way you had to put the cover back on. I cursed the SOB who designed it - many times!

My dust situation is probably medium. I'll try having the covers on and see how I do for case temps. So RF interference is accentuated (I gather) with the covers off. I don't want to get on the bad side of the FCC.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

Leaving the cover off reduces the effectiveness of exhausts on the computer since they will just draw air from the huge opening in the side rather then pulling the exhaust of the video card and cpu cooling. If you don't have case fans, you'll probably get better cooling with it off though.

 

[Zepper]

I agree with AK. If you are going to leave the case open, you may as well disconnect any case exhaust fans as well as any intake fans that aren't doing any other useful (like blowing over the hard drives, etc.) work.
.bh.

 

[BW86]

your computer is going to be swimming with dust if you leave the cover off

 

[Navid]

The only time closing the case would reduce the dust accumulation inside is if you have a positive pressure setup (more intake air flow that exhaust air flow) and filtered intakes.

The main problem with leaving the case always open is that the components that have no fan directly installed on them (like may be a hard drive or chipset or RAM) will get hot.

If you close the case and if you have enough case fans properly located, there will be an air flow through the case that will cool any component even the ones that have no fan directly installed on them.

 

[BW86]

hmmm my old athlonxp system had a negative pressure system and i got almost no dust in my computer. I had a rear exhaust fan and a top exhaust fan. no intake fan. It had less dust in it after 2 months than my new system has in it after 3 weeks

 

[Navid]

I see that I made a generalization that was not correct.

If you have a negative pressure system, air is going to enter your case from every hole. That includes your floppy drive opening, your CD drive opening, any crack, etc. Dust will enter the case along with that air. You can place a filter on the intake fan. You theoritically can create a case with no holes or cracks. However, the result will be a reductin of air flow through the case. This will degrade cooling.

In my opinion, cooling is more important than avoiding dust.

I have big holes in the case, without filters, to allow as much air coming in as possible.
To clean dust, I use a small dust buster that I use to clean the inside and the heat sinks when necessary.

Going back to the original subject (should the case be left open or not), I would say that it should be kept closed in order to allow a controlled air flow to cool every component, not in order to avoid dust.

 

[lobadobadingdong]

Originally posted by: BW86
your computer is going to be swimming with dust if you leave the cover off

ahh, but you can see it and blow it off sooner if you can see the guts of your box.

 

[SonicIce]

I need to cover of because my voodoo3 gets too hot

 

[lobadobadingdong]

Originally posted by: SonicIce
I need to cover of because my voodoo3 gets too hot

voodoo3? :Q

 

[oldfart]

The temp of my WD Raptor goes through the roof if I have the case side cover off. It does not have a fan on it either. Just the lack of air going through the case is enough to cause a problem.

 

[Degrador]

Originally posted by: lobadobadingdong

Originally posted by: BW86
your computer is going to be swimming with dust if you leave the cover off

ahh, but you can see it and blow it off sooner if you can see the guts of your box.

Which you can do with a windowed case with the side panel on