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Looking for a 80mm to 120mm duct

Spike

Spike

Diamond Member
I have a Alpha PAL8045 heatsink with a YS-Tech 80mm fan. This fan is one of the 78 CFM 45 dB screamers. I am currently running it at about 7 volts from my controller and it is still pretty loud. I have 3 120mm fan sitting around and was wondering about using one of those, anyone have any ideas? Is it even possible to hook a 120mm fan with duct to a Alpha? Will it matter that I currently have the fan "sucking" off the HSF as that is what alpha's prefer?

My only worry about the mod is that my 120mm exhaust is right next to my CPU, with a duct it would put the end of my CPU fan next to the wall of my case and not as close to the 120mm exhaust. Should I just duct to my exhaust and keep the 80mm? Would that improve cooling and reduce some noise?

Let me know if I am a little confusing here. I can take a pic when I get home tonight it that is needed.

-spike
 
Originally posted by: akira34
Would one of these do the trick??
Click to expand...

Holy crap, $25 for a duct!?!?! I found a UV blue plastic one for $4... would there be much difference in performance?

I am still worried about the exhaust from my case, whether the duct would hurt the ability to get all that warm air outta there.

I have another question as well... One of my 120mm I have sitting around is a temp controlled antec fan. Is there anyway to disable to temp controll and have the fan always run at the highest speed? That way I could controll the speed manually by my controller instead of relying on the thermal sensor...

-spike
 
Well, it's more than a duct, it's an adapter. It, also, won't lift the fan all that much off of the heatsink, so you'll have less to worry about. The cheap, plastic, units typically are much taller so you could have an issue with those.
 
Adapter

Thats the one I found and am considering. It says it is only 1.1" thick, so that should help with my issue of sticking to far out. Let me know what you think

-spike
 
Before I would get either one, I'd call about this one and find out how thick it is... If it's ~1/2 the thickness of the cheap one, I'd get it.

Personally, I'd trust an aluminum/metal adapter before a plastic one. I know, they might work the same, but there's something about a solid hunk of metal securing something that makes me feel more confident that it's not going anywhere on it's own.
 
I read some opinions about adapting 120mm fans to 80mm apertures. The prognosis seemed more pessimistic than for a 120 to 92mm adapter, but this doesn't solve your problem.

The idea of having the fan "farther removed" off the heatsink should not matter if the fan-to-duct-to-heatsink is well sealed: you're going to pressurize the air on the exhaust side of the fan and "push it through a hole" -- it shouldn't matter whether it is a "short" hole or a "longer" hole.

As to the "plastic-vs-aluminum" issue, aluminum would add more weight to the assembly, but not much more or significantly more. There is nothing inherently wrong with the plastic adapter -- its surfaces are "aerodynamically-shaped", just as are the surfaces of the aluminum item. The difference in price is the cost of machining the aluminum shape as opposed to molding the plastic shape. In this case, "get what you paid for" is correct; but they both create the same effect. You're only paying for manufacturing cost; at least for plastic, you're money's not lost.

[Ha.]
 
To me, there's something rather attractive to a nicely machines piece of metal. Maybe that goes back to my art background, or my blade making (I did everything except the heat-treatment in house) days... For me, fit and finish count for more than most other people... Oh well. 😀
 
Originally posted by: akira34
To me, there's something rather attractive to a nicely machines piece of metal. Maybe that goes back to my art background, or my blade making (I did everything except the heat-treatment in house) days... For me, fit and finish count for more than most other people... Oh well. 😀
Click to expand...

Fit and finish... ha! Actually, I would love to get that metal one, but my wife would shoot it down for the cost, especially when the plastic is so much less!

Thanks for the info, I think I will try to get one of these and put my 60 CFM max 120mm Antec temp variable fan. Is there an easy way to disable the temp sensing part of the fan and just use a fan controller?

-spike
 
You could just tell her that the cheap, plastic, ones are all out of stock... That way you can get the nice, slick, metal one... 😀
 
Originally posted by: akira34
You could just tell her that the cheap, plastic, ones are all out of stock... That way you can get the nice, slick, metal one... 😀
Click to expand...

lol... I just may have to do that.... 😉

-spike
 
Let us know how that flies... Or, when you get out of the hospital (from the damage she inflicts on you) let us know...
 
adaptor is an adaptor😛 small height difference hardly justifies cost for most. there is a loss of efficiency with ducts like that.. but i guess the low low rpm u can get witht he fan offsets that
 
Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
adaptor is an adaptor😛 small height difference hardly justifies cost for most. there is a loss of efficiency with ducts like that.. but i guess the low low rpm u can get witht he fan offsets that
Click to expand...

I am just worried because my fan "sucks" off the HSF, instead of blowing into it. I am hoping this will still work in my situation, I would love to use my lower RPM 120mm fan.

-spike
 
Since your fan sucks, I'd say you want it as close to the heatsink as possible. That way, it will pull air off of it faster. IF you were set to blow, then it might not matter as much.
 
I'm inclined to agree with akira34 on that one. I'd say turn the fan around and try the "blowing" option with the 120.

For the temperature sensor, you might cut it and jumper/solder it. Or you might cut it and leave it un-jumpered. I'm guessing that the latter choice would cause the fan to run at a minimum rpm, so the better option would be the first. But I wouldn't tell you to do that without going to the Antec web-site, finding their tec-support e-mail, and posing the question to them first. I've had a pretty good track record for getting decent responses to these little e-mail questions.

Incidentally, the positive side on the plastic adapter is that it may be "UV reactive"! :laugh:
 
Originally posted by: BonzaiDuck
I'm inclined to agree with akira34 on that one. I'd say turn the fan around and try the "blowing" option with the 120.

For the temperature sensor, you might cut it and jumper/solder it. Or you might cut it and leave it un-jumpered. I'm guessing that the latter choice would cause the fan to run at a minimum rpm, so the better option would be the first. But I wouldn't tell you to do that without going to the Antec web-site, finding their tec-support e-mail, and posing the question to them first. I've had a pretty good track record for getting decent responses to these little e-mail questions.

Incidentally, the positive side on the plastic adapter is that it may be "UV reactive"! :laugh:
Click to expand...

It is UV reactive 🙂 I can try the "blow" way just to see... How about this... a 80 to 92mm adapter... do they exist? Would this be a better solution for a cooler/quiter fan but without the starving for air issue some of the 120mm adapters seem to have (at least according to web reviews). If this is an option, what fans do you reccomend keeping in mind I will be hooking them to a controller?

Thanks!

-spike
 
Originally posted by: akira34
heh :laugh:
Click to expand...

Man, so quick on the link! That looks very nice because it is so slim, my only concern is that any benefit gained from a 92mm would be negated by air starving issues. Anyone use these or a 80 to 120mm adapter?

I could just get a new HSF, but I LOVE my alpha so much... plus that costs $$...

-spike
 
The adapters I've linked to should have minimal loss due to their short height. That means the air has less distance to go before going to work. You could probably have the 92mm fan set to suck with the adapter I posted...
 
Originally posted by: Spike
Originally posted by: akira34
heh :laugh:
Click to expand...

Man, so quick on the link! That looks very nice because it is so slim, my only concern is that any benefit gained from a 92mm would be negated by air starving issues. Anyone use these or a 80 to 120mm adapter?

I could just get a new HSF, but I LOVE my alpha so much... plus that costs $$...

-spike
Click to expand...

Does the Alpha PAL 8045 come with the intake cover like the 8942? If it does try sucking the air off the HS with the bigger fans. I dropped temps sucking vs blowing with an intake cover installed.

I use the 80 to 120mm aluminum adapter. Temps dropped dramatically over a 80mm even when I had my Delta 80mm screamer installed. The 120mm Panaflo M1A I use now is almost silent compared to that Delta.

I don't have any airflow problems with the adapter installed. Blowing or sucking the air is funneled to the bottom of the HS and cooling is excellent.


 
Originally posted by: BBond
Originally posted by: Spike
Originally posted by: akira34
heh :laugh:
Click to expand...

Man, so quick on the link! That looks very nice because it is so slim, my only concern is that any benefit gained from a 92mm would be negated by air starving issues. Anyone use these or a 80 to 120mm adapter?

I could just get a new HSF, but I LOVE my alpha so much... plus that costs $$...

-spike
Click to expand...

Does the Alpha PAL 8045 come with the intake cover like the 8942? If it does try sucking the air off the HS with the bigger fans. I dropped temps sucking vs blowing with an intake cover installed.

I use the 80 to 120mm aluminum adapter. Temps dropped dramatically over a 80mm even when I had my Delta 80mm screamer installed. The 120mm Panaflo M1A I use now is almost silent compared to that Delta.

I don't have any airflow problems with the adapter installed. Blowing or sucking the air is funneled to the bottom of the HS and cooling is excellent.
Click to expand...

Sorry for my ignorance... but what is a intake cover? I have always used my fans sucking, so it is nice to know you got a 80 to 120 working well. I was hoping that would be the case, but alot of people are reporting large amounts of air turbulance resulting in bad cooling. I think if I did get the adapter, I would have the fan on "blow" mode to see how that works as well.
 
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