?'s about my new computer case...

[Bad89stang]

Just built a new computer and bought a new computer case from a board member. My question is about the case fans that it has. There are the following installed on the case...

1. 2 80mm fans on the front that cool the hard drives. They are currently set up to pull air into the case and across the two hard drives.

2. 1 80mm fan on the back of the case that pulls air out of the case.

3. 2 80mm fans, one on the top of the case and one on the side. Should these be set up to pull air out or bring air into the case? Right now I have them set up to bring air out of the case.

My main concern is getting too much dust into the case and all over the motherboard and components. Would it be O.K. to set up the two fans on the side/top to pull air from the case instead of bringing air in? The case has a clear side and I don't want to look at a filthy computer through the window. Obviously, the two hard drive fans are going to bring dust into the case no matter what, but I want to minimize having more by using the rest of the fans as exhaust fans. Is this the right thing to do? It is my first really high performance computer that actually will generate some heat so I don't want to shorten the life of the components by having the heat too high. It does have a digital temp probe on the case that tells the internal temp. Where should this probe be? Right now, it is just laying at the bottom of the case. Thanks for the help. Sorry this was so long.
By the way, the temp reading for the case is showing between 78 degress F and 82 depending on what I am doing. This may be off some considering the probe is at the bottom of the case.

[ThreeFingerPete]

sorry bud, but minimizing dust isn't the job of fan design.

if you want less dust, get filters for the fan, or alot of Endust.

if you want good airflow design, hot air rises, and generally, you wan the side panel fan to be an intake fan.

two in front = intake
side panel= intake
top= exhaust
rear= exhaust

[Bad89stang]

O.K. so I need to switch the side panel fan around and then everything will be optimal? My thinking on the side panel fan is this:
The CPU fan pulls air from the CPU and into the case. The CPU fan faces directly towards the side panel fan. The way you are recommending has them blowing air right back at each other. The other way it would go from the CPU right at the side panel and then out of the case. Am I crazy in thinking this? I do want the input and will not hesitate to switch the fan around, but just wanted to get some opinions. I am probably over thinking all of this because I really don't do jack with this system except surf the internet so it probably won't matter in my case. The video card (256MB ATI) has it's own fan as well so the case has more fans than American Idol. It sure is fun to talk about something other than cars for once though.

[ThreeFingerPete]

honestly, the best way is to try things, and see what has a noticeable effect.

airflow is key, but getting fresh air to the processor and vid card is very important to

if you tie thin ribbons about 2 inches long, at various places in the case, you can watch air movement, and that can help you tailor your fan setup.

[Bad89stang]

[QUOTE=OneBadWagon]honestly, the best way is to try things, and see what has a noticeable effect.

airflow is key, but getting fresh air to the processor and vid card is very important to

if you tie thin ribbons about 2 inches long, at various places in the case, you can watch air movement, and that can help you tailor your fan setup.[/QUOTE]

Good idea and thanks for the help.

Here are some pics of the new setup...

[ThreeFingerPete]

real players hide the wires. :D

[Bad89stang]

[QUOTE=OneBadWagon]real players hide the wires. :D[/QUOTE]

Man, you know I tried! I am the biggest fanatic about wiring hiding as seen by my car. I tried my best and put about an hour into getting them as tidy as I could. I really don't know where else some of them can go. Look at all the zip ties in there!

<----- kicks dirt and mumbles about not having enough slack in wires...

[ThreeFingerPete]

sometimes you've got to think outside the box.

zip ties and wire sleeve only get you so far.

[Bad89stang]

You suck! Don't leave me hanging here! Teach me dammit.

[ThreeFingerPete]

first thing i like to do, when i care, is get longer motherboard standoffs, and insulate the motherboard power wiring, and at least 1 set of drive wires, and lay them UNDER the motherboard.

that takes care of 1/3 of the mess.

fuck floppy cables, they're never the right size, but if you want to make life easy, you can make your own "rounded" IDE cables out of standard ones, with a section of heat shrink tubing and a couple of zip ties.

not great, but much better than without it.

you can hide alot of the excess wiring (like the small goofy connector that every power supply has, but i have ZERO idea what it goes to) on the opposite side of the power supply (on the back side of the case, viewing from the window)

there are a ton of things you can do to make it your own style.

[Bad89stang]

Cool thanks. I'll have to see what I can do. Luckily the board came with the "rounded" IDE cables already. They look pretty nice.

[jakesford]

more intake than exhaust...positive pressure is better, or supost to be anyways