How to attach case fans (noob question!)

steinooo · 22 Jul 2023 at 16:25

Hi,

I'm building a pc made up of second hand components, and I'm missing screws. I bought a set from china, however it doesn't contain any which look anywhere near long enough to screw case fans onto the case.

What do you use please?

steinooo · 22 Jul 2023 at 16:40

scrivz69 said:
Fan screws are usually quite short anyway do you have a picture of the ones you have bought as it might help with an answer.

I'll try and take a pic but they're a mix of Corsair and antec 120mm ones, looks like I'd need quite long screws tbh

steinooo · 22 Jul 2023 at 17:03

scrivz69 said:
Fan screws are usually quite short anyway do you have a picture of the ones you have bought as it might help with an answer.

Corsair A1225M12S

steinooo · 22 Jul 2023 at 17:32

TrojanWhore said:
I think he meant a pic of the screws.
The ones you want are usually around 8-10mm and quite thick, they self tap into the plastic fan frame.

Longer screws (30-35mm) are for mounting on to watercooling radiators.

The ones like @freddie64 pictured don't even go halfway through the fan, let alone going through the case too

steinooo · 22 Jul 2023 at 17:33

adidan said:
Yeah you just need the short ass screws and screw in from outside the case.

They only go through one hole, not both.

Ah. Missed this as I was posting. Didn't know that, will try, than k you.

I'd seen some long rubber things on ocuk and wondered if that was the new trend for dampening vibrations etc and thought I must be barking up the wrong tree with screws before I posted.

steinooo · 22 Jul 2023 at 17:38

TrojanWhore said:
Bottom right (m5*10), as above just screw them through the case panel and in to one side of the fan, they wont go all the way through the fan.

As i said before, they are are self tapping - so will feel very stiff first time as they have to cut in to the plastic

Thanks mate, appreciated

steinooo · 22 Jul 2023 at 17:56

Update, those bottom right screws are far too wide for the case. They fit through the fan perfectly once tapped, but there's no way they're going through the case (Corsair C70) . I'll try some of the other screws tomorrow

steinooo · 22 Jul 2023 at 18:09

VaderDSL said:
The other screws won’t work, they aren’t fan mounting screws. You might be trying to install the fans 8ncorrectly or in the wrong location? Unless that case has non standard fan mounts.

Got a photo of where you’re trying to mount the fan?

Weird because the mount holes I am talking about are too small:

but the other fan positions have holes WAY too big for these screws :

steinooo · 22 Jul 2023 at 18:36

VaderDSL said:
Just edited my post above, but just in case you missed it, you’re right. The case would have originally come with longer screws for the front fans.

Possibly radiator fan mounting screws may work in this instance.

Thanks. Wow I never thought to look on YouTube so thanks for that link too. Any ideas what could work for those huge holes for other fans!??

steinooo · 22 Jul 2023 at 18:54

VaderDSL said:
I think from watching the videos there were rubber o rings mounted in the bigger holes for dampening. Can only assume they came out when the previous fans were removed?

I got the case as a freebie, so presumably yes. Sigh. Nothing simple is it

steinooo · 22 Jul 2023 at 19:12

Tetras said:
I have a pack of akasa rubber mounts, you pull them through and they stick on their own, so they might work fine for the smaller holes.

For the others, I use long screws with a nut.

I was curious when I looked into those, well I think that's what I saw. Are they like this?

steinooo · 24 Jul 2023 at 19:43

Armageus said:
The big holes are for the standard self tapping fan screws - I'm guessing the fan mount at the rear and the top one will have these.

The smaller screw holes look threaded, and as mentioned will be for longer screws. I've seen these on a few cheaper cases where the front panel is not easily removeable (or for fans mounted to the PSU Shroud, where you cannot get access from below) - the screws go all the way through the fan from the inside (through both sets of holes), before screwing into the front panel

For these big holes, When you say standard self tapping fan screws, can you link some please? The hole is just a hole in the thin metal, with no thread etc....

Edit: found some tiny screws which worked for the small holes, was able to just screw the closest side of the fan through. But messy though as the screws have a large head so the fan casing gets in the way of them on one side so only have 3 in lol.

steinooo · 25 Jul 2023 at 11:43

freddie64 said:
For the rear fan you need the rubber grommets. Could you use metal/plastic washers?

Wonder if the screws out of the "Corsair Hydro Series Fan Mounting Screw Kit - CW-8960008" will fit the case front fans?

This is the kind of stuff I'm pretty clueless at, and I think you're right, Can you buy such grommets from Screwfix etc?

This is my hand holding an m3.5 screw in the hole I have for most of the fan mount points. You will see the screw is way too small

The front fans I was being a doofus about and managed to secure fans at the front using screws in the plastic casing closest to the case.

steinooo · 6 Aug 2023 at 22:03

freddie64 said:
@steinooo

Did you get this sorted?

I have been going through my PC spares box and have come across some screws that may be of use.

Think it was when i had a water cooled system and the screws where used on a radiator. They should be long enough but unsure if the thread will be the same as your case.

If you want them, message me your address and i will post them out to you.

I didn't get it sorted. I've currently cable tied an exhaust fan to the big hole ones, and am completely unsure as to how I'm supposed to even know what screw type to use let alone what washer type. I did contact Corsair but nothing.

Thanks for a very kind offer! If you're talking about the long screws necessary for the front of the case (smaller holes) I managed to get an M5 through the closest plastic hole to the case, but it's not ideal as the M5 screws I have have wide heads, meaning they get stuck against the fan casing and won't screw in fully. Im hugely grateful though and can measure stuff to see if it's worth a stamp?! Shall I double check it's M5 tomorrow and pm you?