- Feb 13, 2010
- 272
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Hey, guys! I really shouldn't be spending any more on computer parts right now, but something needs to be done immediately to make this system more reasonable.
The root of my problem is that I have a really crappy case from In Shin which I bought retail for $30 five years ago.
So, here's the cooling setup at the moment: I have a 120mm bottom-front intake fan, and an 80mm exhaust fan. Additionally, my GTX 480 has an exhausting cooler, and I also have a slot-mounted exhaust fan below it to pull air across its exposed heat sink. My PSU is top-mounted, and has a decent fan.
The intake/exhaust imbalance here is pretty obvious. The intake fan also looks as if it's at least partially obstructed by the cheap plastic front bezel, but it's probably not that bad. Air behaves like a fluid, after all. Anyways, my system actually runs quieter when gaming if I take the side off of it, as the 480's blower can run at a lower RPM. That's a bit ridiculous.
So the question is, what should I do to this system to get more air flowing in? There are holes to install an 80mm fan on the side panel, roughly above the [stock] CPU heat sink. My concern with that, though, is that it might cause air currents to run from the area near the CPU to the GPU, causing issues. Is that what you would recommend, or should I find a way to jury-rig a fan where the 5.25" bays are? (I have 4, but only one is in use.) Or should I switch the 120mm intake out with a much stronger fan of the same size?
Additionally, this case was not designed for optimal cable management. My PSU is modular, and the power cables are wrapped in mesh to keep them bundled together. I have them routed so that the extra loops of cable hang out in one of my empty 5.25" bays instead of all over the place.
FYI, I will hopefully replace this case next year. My plan is to switch back to Micro-ATX and get an FT03 (or updated version if one comes out).
The root of my problem is that I have a really crappy case from In Shin which I bought retail for $30 five years ago.
So, here's the cooling setup at the moment: I have a 120mm bottom-front intake fan, and an 80mm exhaust fan. Additionally, my GTX 480 has an exhausting cooler, and I also have a slot-mounted exhaust fan below it to pull air across its exposed heat sink. My PSU is top-mounted, and has a decent fan.
The intake/exhaust imbalance here is pretty obvious. The intake fan also looks as if it's at least partially obstructed by the cheap plastic front bezel, but it's probably not that bad. Air behaves like a fluid, after all. Anyways, my system actually runs quieter when gaming if I take the side off of it, as the 480's blower can run at a lower RPM. That's a bit ridiculous.
So the question is, what should I do to this system to get more air flowing in? There are holes to install an 80mm fan on the side panel, roughly above the [stock] CPU heat sink. My concern with that, though, is that it might cause air currents to run from the area near the CPU to the GPU, causing issues. Is that what you would recommend, or should I find a way to jury-rig a fan where the 5.25" bays are? (I have 4, but only one is in use.) Or should I switch the 120mm intake out with a much stronger fan of the same size?
Additionally, this case was not designed for optimal cable management. My PSU is modular, and the power cables are wrapped in mesh to keep them bundled together. I have them routed so that the extra loops of cable hang out in one of my empty 5.25" bays instead of all over the place.
FYI, I will hopefully replace this case next year. My plan is to switch back to Micro-ATX and get an FT03 (or updated version if one comes out).