Will adding another fan to the front of my case...

[Nebben]

I'm using an Evercase -- I forget the model number. But it's a very basic steel-constructed case. Two ventilation windows on the side panel, 120mm fan in the back, 120mm fan in my PSU. My temperatures while not gaming are something like this:

CPU: 38 C
System: 42 C
GPU: 44 C

Currently it's a bit cramped inside, due to my PCI/PCIe cards. I've got a second PCIe card running two secondary monitors and it doesn't have a lot of airspace because there's a sound card right in front of it. I'd move it a slot over, but I can't, because I'm using a gameport connector that has to be in the next slot (the cable won't reach the card if they're switched around). I'll be ditching that thing soon anyway, but for now I don't have any USB gamepads and an adapter costs as much as two new pads.

While these temperatures are acceptable and my system is perfectly stable, I'd like to lower them a bit if possible. It gets a little warm in here and my AC sucks. It's not really going to be an issue except for 3 months out of the year, and in the winter my temps drop a LOT because I keep my apartment at or below 60 degrees F (I'm a warmblooded guy).

Anyway, do you guys think a fan on the front would really make any difference? My CPU is overclocked significantly and that's a big cause of the heat here. I'm thinking that having a fan there would force airflow from front->back.

 

[JBDan]

Yes it will help a little. I would go for a quiet, low cfm fan like a Nexus 120 (40cfm). Any 120mmx25 that runs in the 1000/1200 rpm range will get ya around 40 cfm's with low noise. A high cfm fan in front can be obnoxiously loud and the differences between using a high cfm 120mm and a low cfm 120mm for intake are minimal when you already have 2 120mm exhausts (in my testing on my Tsunami). What are you running? Those temps are very acceptable IMO depending on what ya got.

 

[Nebben]

I'm running a 3000+ Winchester (1.8ghz) at 2.42ghz, 6600GT / 6200 for video. Recently put an XP-90 on the CPU, that dropped my CPU temperature considerably from the stock HSF.

I've noticed some pretty big temperature changes depending on my ambient temperature in my room. Not a whole lot I can do about that other than running my air conditioner that sounds like a damned boat engine.

Thanks for the reply -- I'll probably put this on hold for now. There are other things I'd like to work on more at the moment (like getting some decent headphones/speakers/soundcard)

 

[JBDan]

Yes ambient temps are the basis of your "aircooled" pc. For your rig you have no worries at all on your present temps. Maybe use that $$ towards getting a new a/c unit lol. g-luck with your speakers/headphones/sndcard.

 

[Nebben]

Well, the AC is provided by our apartment company here, so I just have to complain enough and they'll fix it. My computer desk is right in front of the corner it's in, though, and it's not very fun to move all of this out so they can get to it. I did it once a month ago and came home to find a note saying "I think it's [the noise] probably just from sitting all winter, it should go away after a while"

...Sure it will. Still sounds like a boat and it's been running frequently for a month now. But I guess I can't complain too much, it's not costing me anything 😱

 

[JBDan]

lol free a/c WOAH. Nise excuse from the "a/c man." Good deal though>free a/c. Another suggestion>put your tower on the floor if it isn't already>will bring the temp down another degree or two. One more suggestion lol>compress air the inside of your case every 2-3 months. Dust can wreak havoc on temps over time, especially the accumilation of it on your HSF's.