Side Blowhole help

[MIDIman]

I'm planning on doing a blowhole on the side of my Enlight 7237 as a first-try casemod, but I have a few questions, as I've seen numerous conflicting ideas:

1) What type of power? I have nice 80mm's and some 120mm panaflos...I was going to go with a 120mm

2) In or out, and where placed - over the CPU? I'm using a Slot1 mobo, but with an Alpha PEP66, so the air from the hs/fan is pointed towards the side of the case (the side I'm putting the fan), not towards the front bezel like usual.

I'm thinking that pointing it out, and right over the PEP66 makes the most sense.

I know all about cfm's ins/outs, etc, and I'll make sure I have an equal amount in and out, I'm just verifying the above with all of you experts. Surely someone has a similar rig.

 

[johncar]

midiman,
Appears your goal is to cool the cpu, if so, consider this. Place fan at case-side blowhole blowing in, and fab a simple duct leading cool room air to the hs/fans. This should have the greatest bang per cfm of airflow as the cpu's cooling system "sink temp" goes from whatever
case temp is near the hs/fans to room air temp...lowering cpu temp by the difference. You can redesign inflow vs out flow of various fans flow capacity, and it doesn't have to be a perfect match...some case presure/vacuum is not harmful.
John C.

 

[Dan]

MIDIman: Last weekend I put a blowhole in the side of my Enlight 7237. Like yourself, it was my first case mod. I used a bi-metal hole saw attached to my drill to cut a hole directely in line with the CPU. (A Duron 700 running at 1083MHz.) I installed an 80mm fan (intake).

After a couple of days I decided to take the plunge. I pulled everything, including the power supply, out of the case and cut a blowhole in the top. I also used an 80mm fan there, exhausting of course.

Adding the two blowholes dropped my case temp a few degrees. Prior to installing them my CPU maxed out at 1050MHz. As I said, it now runs stable at 1083MHz.

 

[MIDIman]

Johncar - so in your scenario, I would not want the hole directly above the CPU, but elsewhere (still on the side), with some type of duct system leading cool air to the cpu area - right? (which is something I've read only little about). If so, why not create the duct system from another fan leading in to the CPU (such as my front case fan - which will be modified for 120mm panaflo), and still use a 120 mm just above the CPU sucking out? Would this not work as well?

I suppose that my logic is seeing how the PEP66 is shooting air out at a high rate (it has the LOUD delta fan!), I would think to get that air out of the case as soon as possible - the easiest way being right above the CPU, as the fan is pointed in that direction. Doesn't that make sense?

Heya Dan - thanks! I think I'm going to place an 80mm exhaust up top also. Its a perfect, snug spot for a 120mm, but considering the amount of blockage by any drives installed, I figured an 80mm would be best.

 

[DarkRipper]

I put twin 80 mm high outputs over my cards... I have a 40mm high output behind the CPU exhausting the hot air. My cpu fan blows onto the chip.

I have a 120mm at the bottom with mesh pulling into the case, and a 120mm at the top above the PS exhausting the drive heat. (SCSI hard drives and CD burner/CD player/DVD players.) My PS fan exhausts too. I more air exhausting than coming in, making a nice negative pressure.

I have a full tower case, and using some plexi and cigarette smoke, I checked my flow, it works great. I don't have any eddies.... I also took all wires and cables and rounded/tied them off to keep air flow consistent.

I don't OC, though, I run a 933, soon to be 1K. (Gotta love those Intel price drops.)

DR

 

[MIDIman]

up - anyone else?

 

[MaJik]

since your's is slot one i wouldn't put it right on top, because if your fan on the heatsink is blowing down into the heatsink your fan will be kinda blowing it back in the heatsink... not exactly what your trying to do.. I'd put it on the side of the CPU, the side where the air is getting blown onto the heatsink.
Personaly i have 2 80mm on the side of my case blowing on my video card and soundcard, and have doubled up my front intake and rear, air flow is super high feeling the back of my case. my cpu temp did go down alot.


If i had a socket CPU, i would make a pipe basicly, going from a fan on the side of my case directly into the fan on the heatsink, i think that would work great, cool outside air going strait in the CPU fan... Though can't do this with my computer.

 

[johncar]

midiman,
You got the idea....
Doesn't matter how you get room air to the hs/fan, just get it there and be sure hs/fan exhaust doesn't recirculate back to inlet.
John C.