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Tech Time Episode II: Attack of the Fans

croxiscroxis I am the walrus
What is a good way to evaluate/improve the airflow in my computer (such as switching fans around, moving cards, etc), unless a case temp of 107F/42C is ok. If a web site spells all of this out, let me know :-P Thanks

Comments

  • Random ChaosRandom Chaos Actually Carefully-selected Order in disguise
    Best way is as follows:

    Take the case cover off.

    Place a large 6" or bigger fan next to computer.

    Turn fan on.

    [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/biggrin.gif[/img]
  • croxiscroxis I am the walrus
    How about liquid hydrogen! Or not :-)
  • A/C your room, then both you and your PC can benefit.... Unless it's really cold where you are, then just open the window and move your box close to it. Mind the rain.

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    "God's in his heaven. All's right with the world."
  • StrikerStriker Provided with distinction
    107F is not that hot.

    What exactly are you running?

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  • croxiscroxis I am the walrus
    Ok, just making sure. I have a Gforce 2, 1.4Ghz Athlon, One 40gig hard drive. Network card. SB Autigy sound card. And that is it. Ok, as long as I know that it isn't too hot.
  • Random ChaosRandom Chaos Actually Carefully-selected Order in disguise
    Add a fan somewhere...drive bay or back. That should help keep it cool. Either put it near the HD or near the Vid Card...
  • croxiscroxis I am the walrus
    I have 5 fans. thats why I am a bit worried. Does anyone know of a website that shows how to set up a good fan system?
  • 5 fans?!?....

    Damn...Your pc must be just a wee bit noisy to say the least... [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/wink.gif[/img].

    Are you still using standard IDE cables?...I'm asking since there's rounded ones that improve the airflow inside the case as well as looking pretty neat...

    [This message has been edited by superfly (edited 10-07-2002).]
  • croxiscroxis I am the walrus
    I saw those the other day. The look very cool! I should get a couple :-) They come in perdy coloers too! My PC is really quiet too. I'm surprised! What is nice though is that my computer heats our dorm room very nicely.
  • StrikerStriker Provided with distinction
    5 is nothing!!! =)

    The web server has 9 fans running in it. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]

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  • [quote]Originally posted by Striker:
    [b]5 is nothing!!! =)

    The web server has 9 fans running in it. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]

    [/b][/quote]

    But on the other hand you're probably not right beside the server several hours at a time everyday either,right???...
  • Entil'ZhaEntil'Zha I see famous people
    [quote]Originally posted by Striker:
    [b]5 is nothing!!! =)

    The web server has 9 fans running in it. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]

    [/b][/quote]

    My webserver only had 2 fans, a 6 inch fan and a 9 inch fan, i took the 9 inch fan out when i noticed that the temp was fine without it, and there was so much airflow in the machine that i ended up with a coating of thick dust over the intake...



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  • Vertigo1Vertigo1 Official Fuzzy Dice of FirstOnes.com
    42C is decent.

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  • StrikerStriker Provided with distinction
    It's not that loud really with 9 fans (as long as the case top is on). [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]

    I was thinking they were going to call me and tell me it was too loud. :P Of course, when you've got another 500+ in your data center, it really doesn't matter. [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]

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  • Rogue TraderRogue Trader Somebody stop him...
    get a snow cone maker.

    mod it so it comes out the front

    then you got snow cones and a cooling system.
  • AlexAlex Earthforce Officer
    Well, 42C would be very good for CPU temperature, but for case temperature is quite hot.

    I'd add 2 fans. An intake-fan on the front down and an exhaust-fan on the back top (above the power suppyl).

    That way you get an airflow from front/down over the cpu to back/top.

    With this configuration I gaet a casetemp. of 33C on a simmilar system (although I only have a 1.2Ghz CPU)
  • croxiscroxis I am the walrus
    Here is my current fan set up:

    Intake in the front.

    3 in the back:
    The powersupply is outtake (duh!)
    A fan under the power supply is an intake.
    This blows right over the CPU.
    A fan that sits in a PCI slot right under the grafics card is another outtake. But there are alot of wires and crap that probably are interfering with the airflow. I don't want to add more fans because I'm in a dorm room and don't want to keep both my room mate and me up!
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    For a start, reverse that fan under the power supply. You're just sucking the air that the power supply fan pumped out back in again.
    Generally, you want a flow in your case from bottom front to top back.

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  • Random ChaosRandom Chaos Actually Carefully-selected Order in disguise
    Hmmm...you could always liquid cool it...I actually know someone who does that [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]
  • croxiscroxis I am the walrus
    I'm a poor college student, I can't afford liquid cooling!
  • AnlaShokAnlaShok Democrat From Hell
    Biggles is right on here. Move one of the back fans to the front and make it an intake. Have all the back fans outflow, otherwise you're just making circular patterns in the air and cooling nothing.

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  • Random ChaosRandom Chaos Actually Carefully-selected Order in disguise
    Speaking of fans and what Biggles said...thats close to my problem. Except the spot under the power supply doesn't have a fan in it - its just open. There's a spot for the fan, but it was never added...

    Well, since I am getting an upgraded vid card and another HD, that means I needed a higher wattage power supply. This resulted in my realization that my system temperature, which was already on the high side, would be getting even higher.

    Needless to say, I've ordered a 120mm fan for that back opening now [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]. And a slot fan for below my PCI slots...
  • croxiscroxis I am the walrus
    I did that, and re-arranged some stuff to open up the airflow. But the intake fan in front isn't very strong. Should I replace it.

    My 1.4 Althon XP is also running at 132F/55C with Seti@home on. The max temp for my chip is around 150F, but that doesn't mean that is what it should be. Is my chip too hot too?

    I wish my looks could be as hot as the computer. Hehe.
  • AlexAlex Earthforce Officer
    150F/65C is acceptable as max.temp.
    The standard temp of 132F/55C is a little bit high.

    A too high max.temp will cause frequent crashes and can (in extreme cases) fry the CPU. Don't worry about that. Here you're in the safe range.

    A too high standard temp doesn't cause crashes and won't fry the CPU on the spot, but it reduces the CPUs lifetime.

    Standard temp should be around 45C, at most 50C.
    55C will affect the CPUs lifetime.

    A stonger intake can help.
    You might also try to clean the CPU-heatsink. High-end Heatsinks often have very thin grooves for heatexchange and they tend to get bunged up with dirt. This reduces the heat-exchange and thereby the overall efficiency of your heatsink.
  • BigglesBiggles <font color=#AAFFAA>The Man Without a Face</font>
    Try and keep the flow in the front ~equal to the flow out the back if you can.

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    [url="http://www.minbari.co.uk/log12.2263/"]Never eat anything bigger than your own head.[/url]
    "Nonono...Is not [i]Great[/i] Machine. Is...[i]Not[/i]-so-Great Machine. It make good snow cone though." - Zathras
  • croxiscroxis I am the walrus
    Thanks for all of your help guys! I'll get a can of air to clean out my 'puder.
  • Vertigo1Vertigo1 Official Fuzzy Dice of FirstOnes.com
    What you might want to do is use a 120mm fan as an intake, and an 80mm for outtake. Don't go hog wild with fans now. All that'll do is make your case louder and eat more current. Also, move those ribbon cables out of the way if possible. If you can't either round them out yourself, or buy some rounded cables. In other words, clean that case up. If it blocks airflow, it has to be moved.

    That 120mm fan, and a single 80mm fan should be sufficient if your case has decent airflow. If you're really desperate, you could cut a hole in the side of your case and mount a fan there.

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  • Random ChaosRandom Chaos Actually Carefully-selected Order in disguise
    Hmm...my system is rarely breaking 90*F now [img]http://216.15.145.59/mainforums/smile.gif[/img]

    (my fans are in)

    As for noise with these fans, the 120mm I got has a manual speed control. The loudest fan is still my Power Supply fan, and you don't notice the added ones.

    As for why I needed the 120, this case had a BIG vent hole in the back...and I was getting loop air flow right out the power supply and back in over the CPU...not good.

    As for why I needed the Slot fan, well...I just installed a new top vid card that will put out a lot of heat when used...and I want to vent that right out the case instead of up to the other fans...

    --RC
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