Hot case

[w00dy85]

I was playing BF4 and max setting over the weekend and the side panel on my case was quite warm, even the laminate flooring around my case was toastie

This got me thinking about how to get more hot air out of my case. I currenty have 3 fans sucking air in to the case, 120mm on the front, 120mm on the bottom and another 120mm on the side. Sucking air out i have 1 120mm at the top of the case, their use to be 2 but when I fitted my silverarrow cooler their was no room for it. So I was thinking of either getting a PCI slot exhaust fan or 2 slim fans for the top of the case.

Has anyone here had any experience with a PCI slot exhaust fans and are they any good? I can't find any on OC's website but found one some where else called Evercool SB-F2 that looks ok.

The slim fans I am looking at are Akasa Slim Fan or Scythe Slip Stream SLIM

So basically I can't make my mind up on what to do, go the exhaust fan route which will be a lot cheaper or get 2 slim fans.

 

[w00dy85]

You got a pic of inside the case? Sounds like not enough exhaust to me. Is the exhaust fan definitely blowing out (always worth a check!) and do you have scope to install a rear exhaust?

Yes I thought it was an exhaust problem to, so I bought a Evercool SB-F1 FOX-1 exhaust fan to sit right below the graphics card. I also got some Silverstone SST-Aeroslots-BP PCI Slot Covers and replaced the front fan with a Prolimatech Blue Vortex Blue Wings from the stock coolmaster fan.

If your Silver Arrow is positioned normally i.e. the fans throw air towards the back of the case, then installing an exhaust fan would immediately remove the warm air from the cooler straight out the case. In fact, that may be the only additional fan you would need in order to stop a build up of heat in the case.

Another possible option would be if you could turn the Silver Arrow 90 degrees (if you haven't already, if it's even possible) so that the fans throw the warm air up. That top mounted exhaust fan would then remove the warm air from the case.

I'd try removing one of the intake fans and positioning it so that you have two exhaust fans; one at the top, and one at the rear.

I forgot to mention the rear fan, I have another Prolimatech Blue Vortex Blue Wing there. I don’t seem to have a problem with the top of the case being hot, It’s the bottom near may graphics card and PSU. Had to move the graphics card to the second PCI express slot as it was nearly touching the CPU cooler.

The only thing I'm not sure about now, is if the new FOX-1 exhaust fan is close to the graphics card. I was not sure to move it above the graphics card and put one of the new vented PCI slot cover there.

what do you think?

 

[w00dy85]

A side exhaust or more top exhausts could fix the problem in my opinion.

That PCI-slot cooler is useless in this case.

I agree after testing it, it just makes a lot of noise

Can you move the GPU to the top PCI slot?

I don't want to do that as the GPU would be very very close to the CPU cooler.

Wont that pci cooler thing be challenging the GPU cooler for air?
I tested turning the cpu cooler to exhaust through the roof fan on my r4, strangely it got worse results than the normal exhausting towards the back; possible it was just TOO close to it.

I did think that, so have taken it out.

What I have done which really seems to have made a big difference is moved the Prolimatech Blue Vortex fan to the bottom of the case and that seems to have made a real difference. I can really feel the difference in the air flow being sucked in from the bottom of the case.

Here's a picture of my case setup

 

[w00dy85]

have any room for a fan in the side panel?

Yes I have one installed and it's sucking air in to the case.

Could you potentially move the CPU cooler fan to the RAM side, then move the top exhaust to the rear slot? I suspect not as it will probably collide with the RAM...

Yes your right, ram is in the way. So fans have to go that way, though I have turned them so they blow out the back of the case.

I have been playing theif tonight for 2 hours on max settings and have to say the PC dose seem cooler. I think since installing the vented PCI slots in the back and moving the Vortex fan to the bottom, it has really made a difference.

 

[w00dy85]

lol. you have a 7990 and you wonder why your rig's innards are baking!?

I never said that, always knew it was the 7990

I am happy with how it worked tonight, so will leave it for now. I may change the side fan to exhaust if I feel it's not working. But the way it worked tonight, I was really happy and no toastie floor and the side panel was cool

 

[w00dy85]

No room for a 2nd front intake in the case?

I had a quick look last night and it looks like I would have to install smaller fans, if I wanted 2 at the front, 80mm at a guess.

Sorry it took me so long to reply.

 

[w00dy85]

If you don't mind me saying......that case needs a good clean out before you do any other stuff in there ...and get some dust filters too....they don't cost much

The fans sucking air in already have dust filters, they are built in to the case. Only the side panel fan dose not come with built in filter, but I have a Alumino fan filter installed, i even have spares

 

[w00dy85]

I think the picture I took makes the top of the case look really dusty. I looked last night, though it is dusty, it's not as bad as the picture makes it look.