To make a blo-hole or not???

[nateholtrop]

Should I make one on the top of my case???

LMK

Nate

 

[squirrel dog]

sure,go for it.I saw a hole saw in the hardware store that will cut metal,it looks like a circle with teeth on it.I assume you will mount the fan to case frame and put the grille(if you have one) on the case it self?

 

[sabrownfl]

There is no need to spend the money on a hole saw... I just cut a 120mm intake hole in the side of my case using a jigsaw. I just started with a drill hole, and used a fine toothed (32 tpi) blade. Sand down the edge, bolt on you fan and grille and you have instant cooling. Dropped my case temp 4 degrees C, and my cpu temp 6 degrees C!

Now, if I cut an exhaust hole in the top, can I expect any further temperature reductions?

sabrownfl

 

[squirrel dog]

How did you mount your fan?I thought about that because the ones I have seen online look as if they are attached to the case cover,not the case frame,which would be weird having wires going to the fan,when you go to take the cover off. And sure a hole/fan in the top is the bomb for moving air(hot) out of the box.

 

[sabrownfl]

Just cut the top blowhole tonight. My case comes apart in three sections- a top cover, and two side panels. It is a generic full tower case.

Both of my 120mm fans are mounted with machine screws and nylon locknuts to the sheet metal and are covered by a fan grille. The top case section is easy to remove, as I just slide it backwards an inch, lift it up, and detach the molex connector to disconnect the fan.

The side panel is a bit trickier, and was simply something I failed to think about when making the cut. Since the side panel slides off, the fan is in the way and makes it impossible to remove. I have to slide the side panel about three inches rearward, and reach in and unbolt the fan from the panel in order to remove the panel completely. It makes working on the thing a bit of a pain, but the cooling was worth it. Besides, the system is built, and completely stable, so I won't be inside it too much anymore. I tried re-penciling the bridges on my t-bird tonight, but I still cannot get it to boot at anything other than the default 800. I will try one more time before writing it off as a dud...

BTW, I only gained an additional two degrees reduction in CPU temp, but now my mobo runs just a touch above ambient room temp!

Gotta love it, and it was fun to fiddle with. Next time I buy a case I will make sure the door hinge open at the rear...

sabrownfl