Corsair Carbide 540 (custom side panel?)

[Footyslayer]

Hi everyone,

I bought a Corsair Carbide air 840 a while ago as I wanted the temps down on my 7990. It hasn't actually helped much from my last mid-case, only bringing temps down by 2-3C...

I put this down to the side panel on this case, it is a window with no air escape areas.

With the side panel off it is better but this isn't a good solution. In the heat we have had lately it is quite bad with the side on. I do have fans attached to all the front and top areas.

My question is, can you buy spare side panels which have vents or with a bit cut out where you can add a fan to extract? I know I could do it myself but I don't really want to hack at the side panel and would rather buy a custom side panel.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[deFiniLoGy]

I would first look at your air flow inside the case first.

What fans are you using? And do you have a airflow config of your case?

A picture of your current set up will be good.

 

[Ajaxx]

What I'd love to do with my 540 is get a dust filter for the top and have x2 intake top with x3 intake from and x1 out the rear.

 

[Footyslayer]

Not the best picture...

Front: 2 x 140mm (included with case) INTAKE
Rear: 1 x 140mm (included with case) EXHAUST
Top: 2 x Akasa AK-FN059 120mm Ultra Quiet Venom Viper Cool Fan EXHAUST
Cooler Fan: 1 x 120mm EXHAUST (attatched to Alpenföhn K2 Mount Doom CPU Cooler) EXHAUST
Additional fan: 1 x 120mm fan near rear of case EXHAUST

So I am thinking surely some sort of venting system with a fan exhausting on the side panel would be beneficial? I would attach the fan I have near the rear (behind HDD's) to the side panel but as you can see the panel is solid.

 

[Apem]

Can see the problem straight away you only have x2 fans as intake idealy you should have more intake than exhaust that also helps stop dust bunnies.

 

[Footyslayer]

Can see the problem straight away you only have x2 fans as intake idealy you should have more intake than exhaust that also helps stop dust bunnies.

Would you recommend changing the top two fans to intake then? Although heat rises...

They seem the logical solution of the fans I have. I always thought that the more hot air exhausting from the case the better, therefore many exhaust fans!

 

[Ajaxx]

Would you recommend changing the top two fans to intake then? Although heat rises...

I want to do this, but I want to sort some sort of dust filter first.

 

[Footyslayer]

I want to do this, but I want to sort some sort of dust filter first.

I looked at the set on here, very expensive!

 

[ShivP]

Heat rises, though in a case that theory is completely redundant as the air is being moved so regularly and so much anyway.

 

[Marine-RX179]

Not the best picture...

Front: 2 x 140mm (included with case) INTAKE
Rear: 1 x 140mm (included with case) EXHAUST
Top: 2 x Akasa AK-FN059 120mm Ultra Quiet Venom Viper Cool Fan EXHAUST
Cooler Fan: 1 x 120mm EXHAUST (attatched to Alpenföhn K2 Mount Doom CPU Cooler) EXHAUST
Additional fan: 1 x 120mm fan near rear of case EXHAUST

So I am thinking surely some sort of venting system with a fan exhausting on the side panel would be beneficial? I would attach the fan I have near the rear (behind HDD's) to the side panel but as you can see the panel is solid.

Rather than this, get one of this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150964042576?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
...attach two 120mm fans and slot it in below the 7990 and blow toward it to push the heat upward toward the top exhaust fans (but probably most of the heat would be taken by the CPU cooler and blow toward the rear exhaust).

 

[Mark This Day]

Just water cool
Tidy up your cables

 

[Footyslayer]

Rather than this, get one of this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150964042576?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
...attach two 120mm fans and slot it in below the 7990 and blow toward it to push the heat upward toward the top exhaust fans (but probably most of the heat would be taken by the CPU cooler and blow toward the rear exhaust).

Well I made the two top fans as intake and it seems better at the minute.

Do the fans on a graphics card intake or exhaust by the way? I assume intake?

Just water cool
Tidy up your cables

Water cooling really does interest me but I think I am going to do thjat when I next upgrade which is a while off yet, it scares me a little haha!

Also yeah the wires, I don't like them but they are literally where they need to be, I don't know how else to tidy them!

 

[Marine-RX179]

Well I made the two top fans as intake and it seems better at the minute.

Do the fans on a graphics card intake or exhaust by the way? I assume intake

Graphic cooler are general two main types:
- blower (which most reference coolers are) that would intake cool air and exhaust pretty most of the heat out the rear to the outside of the case
- custom coolers by board partners that with bigger and more fans and bigger heatsink but dump pretty much all of the heat inside the case, and rely heavily on decent airflow of a case to move the heat from inside to outside of the case

The reference 7990 reference cooler is one of those dump heat inside the case type cooler (it blow into the heatsink of the 7990 and the heat would get push out the side of the 7990), which mean heat will build up inside the case and get recycled back into the cooler if case's airflow is not efficient at moving the heat outside. As you know heat rises, so it would be better to make the two top fan as exhaust, and the custom dual-120mm fan mount I suggested would help make the heat that are leak out the side of the 7990 would get push toward the top-half of the case.

You temp is better at moment is probably because you changed the two top fans as intake are pushing the heat down, and toward the bottom 120mm fan where the heat get exhaust.

 

[Mark This Day]

U could move the harddrives

Get a Antec spot cooler