12cm Top Case Fan Question

Soldato
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Hi

For the past 6 months I have had a decent Alluminium made case with the usual 2x12cm Case fans front and back and 2x8cm Fans on the side for intake.

I'm very happy with the temps I have but am tempted to mod the case a lttle and drill in holes for a 12cm fan at the top. There is plenty of room so it wont get in the way of the psu but the question I have is would doing this make a significant change in temps.

Idle and under load, the case temp is between 30-35c. Because I have 4 fans already attached i'm just a little worried that it may affect the airflow I currently have.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated :)
 
No one can really tell you m8 as there is an ongoing debate regarding this. Adding more fans dosn't neccessarily improve airflow through your case and can sometimes even make it worse. Imo it is best to have a decent balance of intake and exhaust fans, not just the number but the type. Each 'case' (pun intended) is different and the only way to tell is to give it a go.
 
I agree with webbo, it's best to have the same number of intakes as exhausts. The fewer fans you can get away with the better.:)
 
Thanks guys.

I did take some advice earlier this year and fitted Akasa Amber's throughout and I did see better temps all round and also a quieter pc :)

I think i'll stick to what I have for now.

I have read many threads regarding getting the right airflow in the case which leads me to another question actually.

I have a mesh grill on the side of the case which is approx 28cm diameter. A m8 is a laminator and has said he would cut me a thin piece of transparent fibre glass to fit on it instead. Would it better my airflow if I fitted the fibre glass or make it worse do you think?

Thanks :)
 
In my experience akasa ambers are stupidly loud though.

I've got a jeantech apollo which has a flip up 80mm fan on the top (aka you flip this little lid open and the fan starts) and I have to say temps do drop when it's open. Probably because heat rises and it gets rid of heat at the top of the case..
 
In my experience akasa ambers are stupidly loud though.

I've got a jeantech apollo which has a flip up 80mm fan on the top (aka you flip this little lid open and the fan starts) and I have to say temps do drop when it's open. Probably because heat rises and it gets rid of heat at the top of the case..

I have the two 8cm one's running off 5v so there not on full speed. The two 12cm one's are on Qfan so they only kick in when on full load. Near silent really.

I am tempted still to do it and run the 12cm on 5v off a fan controller so I can switch it off if I dont need it. Trial and error I suppose. Need to think a little more :confused:
 
a top blowhole lowered my case temps significantly - 6 degrees

heat rises and a blowhole in the centre of the top of your case (i.e not directly above psu/drives/cdroms) should exhaust hot air from your case better than say a fan mounted at the top rear of your case.

whether your case sits above/below a desk/shelf also makes a difference

thats my 2p worth.
 
Would anybody who reads this thread please give me some feedback as to wether a top case fan has actually made a significant difference to the temps of the hardware as well as the case itself?

Thank You :)
 
a top blowhole lowered my case temps significantly - 6 degrees

heat rises and a blowhole in the centre of the top of your case (i.e not directly above psu/drives/cdroms) should exhaust hot air from your case better than say a fan mounted at the top rear of your case.

whether your case sits above/below a desk/shelf also makes a difference

thats my 2p worth.

I do have my case sat above the floor by the window which is always open so that may make a difference to temps but as winter is not far away and also I have the radiator right below the window i'm still a little unsure.
 
Would anybody who reads this thread please give me some feedback as to wether a top case fan has actually made a significant difference to the temps of the hardware as well as the case itself?

I have an Antec 900 which has a 200mm blow-hole fan on top. Case temps are certainly very respectable although since the fan has always been there I can't say for sure how much it contributes to this.

I notice that OcUK stock a 140mm fan now also which should fit on a standard case so you might want to consider that as an option if you are looking for the best noise/performance ratio?
 
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