Do fan filters increase temps (and other questions)

CowboyTony

CowboyTony

CowboyTony

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My 2 pc cases get pretty dusty so I'm thinking of buying some fan filters. I've got a few concerns about doing this though so hopefully you can answer my questions...

Do fan filters increase temps? If so how much on average?

Do they reduce airflow? If so how significant is the reduction? (I guess that's the same question as above)

Do fan filters need cleaning regularly (I assume they clog up with dust)? How frequently and how do you do it?

Are all fan filters the same or are some better than others?

The next two are probably stupid questions as the answers seem very obvious but I may as well ask while I'm here... Do I have to add filters to all open vents as well as the fans? Is there a need to put filters on exit fans?

One of my pcs (the one used as a media centre) has a passively cooled cpu (AMD 9550 with Mini Ninja heatsink) and a passively cooled gpu (ATI 3450) using only the case fans on the slowest setting in the Antec Fusion case to keep things cool - would adding a fan filter to the case fans and vents mean I'd have to turn up the fans?

The other PC has an OCed ATI 4670 and I'm planning on OCing the AMD 5600+ (hopefully to about 3.1MHz) which has a Ninja mini heatsink & fan so I've very conscious that I want to keep airflow high. The case is an AC Silentium T1 Pro and attracts dust like nothing I've seen before - especially through the bottom air vents which look fully clogged up.
 
Pair of old stockings! Make sure they are clean though. I can smell the wives hoofs each time I turn mine on :p

Make sure too she doesn't catch you going through her undie draw.. like mine did.

Cheap as chips solutions was brought to you in assocation of Admiral Huddy
 
Admiral Huddy said:
Pair of old stockings! Make sure they are clean though. I can smell the wives hoofs each time I turn mine on :p

Cheap as chips solutions was brought to you in assocation of Admiral Huddy
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:) Whilst I'm sure that will reduce dust, is it as good as a proper fan filter? Do you actually do that on your pc? How often do you wash them & would you say your temps are higher?
 
Yes in my Lian-Li they increase the internal case temperature by about 10C when everythings under load :/ That's with cleaning them out once a week, and having a vaguely dust free room. Mine are the default filters that came with the case.

^^ Lot's of people uses tights :p
 
That's only in my case though, in my brother's Antec they are so dusty and horrid yet the temp change is barely any different. I have quite quiet fans so they don't push as much air which is why any obstacle increases the temp so much. Mind you it's only 30C max inside and eventhings else is still cool so it's not an issue.
 
Happy said:
That's only in my case though, in my brother's Antec they are so dusty and horrid yet the temp change is barely any different. I have quite quiet fans so they don't push as much air which is why any obstacle increases the temp so much. Mind you it's only 30C max inside and eventhings else is still cool so it's not an issue.
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I take it you don't overclock anything if it's only 30'C (up from 20'C) in your case? Does your brother have better fans / fans on max speed?
 
Yeah I overclock a lot, and my PC is under load most of the time it's on. I have a Q6600 @ 3.7Ghz and a heavily overclocked 8800GTX. The CPU and mobo are under H20 though. My bro's got the fans on 'high' in his case so they are loud but shift an immense amount of air (Antec 1200), where as mine would be below 'low' ont he same scale, they are run at 5v.
 
Happy said:
Yeah I overclock a lot, and my PC is under load most of the time it's on. I have a Q6600 @ 3.7Ghz and a heavily overclocked 8800GTX. The CPU and mobo are under H20 though. My bro's got the fans on 'high' in his case so they are loud but shift an immense amount of air (Antec 1200), where as mine would be below 'low' ont he same scale, they are run at 5v.
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I didn't fully realise how much difference water cooling made. Is there a reason you don't push it further an take temps of 40' - 50'?
 
CowboyTony said:
:) Whilst I'm sure that will reduce dust, is it as good as a proper fan filter? Do you actually do that on your pc? How often do you wash them & would you say your temps are higher?
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We'll they are only on the bottom inlet valve because that is nearer the floor and that one picks up the dust more. I've not noticed any rise in temps tbh.. They are fine and they are stretched over and held in by a rubber band. Strecthing them improves air flow but still does a fine job!

I don't clean them.. I chuck 'em away and replace every month.

Don't use fishnets though.. although that is quite appealing for me :p
 
I have filters on the intakes of my P180, clean them once a month, they don't seem to negatively affect the cooling (running quiet Nexus fans).

Certainly keep dust out of my cpu cooler and gfx card though.
 
Admiral Huddy said:
We'll they are only on the bottom inlet valve because that is nearer the floor and that one picks up the dust more. I've not noticed any rise in temps tbh.. They are fine and they are stretched over and held in by a rubber band. Strecthing them improves air flow but still does a fine job!

I don't clean them.. I chuck 'em away and replace every month.

Don't use fishnets though.. although that is quite appealing for me :p
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That's a whole new genre of computer porn... :D
 
CowboyTony said:
I didn't fully realise how much difference water cooling made. Is there a reason you don't push it further an take temps of 40' - 50'?
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I meant that the 30C is my case ambient temperature (I have a temp sensor inside my case.) My CPU/GPU temps are much hotter under load, CPU is 50-80 depending what it's running and the GPU can't get up to 80C :p
 
I just shove my antec 300's filter under the tap, leave it to dry for 5 minutes then put it back in.

Doesn't make any difference I can see in the short term, and in the long run it certainly keeps the temps down by stopping everything clogging up with dust. My old P4 gets clogged up very easily, and that can increase temps by 30c!

They do reduce airflow, but if you have enough anyway it won't matter. Better to go up a few degrees now than risk going up a lot when you aren't watching it and blowing something (or even just losing performance/increasing noise)
 
Audigex said:
I just shove my antec 300's filter under the tap, leave it to dry for 5 minutes then put it back in.

Doesn't make any difference I can see in the short term, and in the long run it certainly keeps the temps down by stopping everything clogging up with dust. My old P4 gets clogged up very easily, and that can increase temps by 30c!

They do reduce airflow, but if you have enough anyway it won't matter. Better to go up a few degrees now than risk going up a lot when you aren't watching it and blowing something (or even just losing performance/increasing noise)
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Sounds like sensible advice.

I guess now the question is just tights or filters?
 
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