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?

scrivz69 · 22 Jul 2023 at 16:26

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.

adidan · 22 Jul 2023 at 16:36

Screw fans in place from outside the case inwards, not the other way round.

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

scrivz69 · 22 Jul 2023 at 16:47

As adidan says screw them in from the outside of the case as they don't need to go all the way through.

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

TrojanWhore · 22 Jul 2023 at 17:09

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.

freddie64 · 22 Jul 2023 at 17:13

Screws like these are what you will need.

adidan · 22 Jul 2023 at 17:29

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

They only go through one hole, not both.

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.

TrojanWhore · 22 Jul 2023 at 17:37

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

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

VaderDSL · 22 Jul 2023 at 18:00

The other screws won’t work, they aren’t fan mounting screws. You might be trying to install the fans incorrectly 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?

Edit : Just watched an old video.

Corsair Vengeance C70 Case Review

I take a look at the latest case from Corsair the Vengeance C70, amazingly I asked for it in green too and not white!!!Full review link coming soon.TTL Faceb...

youtu.be

And looks like Corsair used threaded long screws for the front fans, so you’re right if you’re trying to fit them to the front, you won’t be able to use those self tapping screws. I doubt any of the others would work also as they wont be long enough, looks like the holes on the front are threaded and Corsair would have supplied longer screws to go through the fans first and screw into the holes.

Yeah, the case came with longer screws originally.

https://res.cloudinary.com/corsair-pwa/image/upload/corsairmedia/sys_master/productcontent/49-000128_revAA_C70_VENGEANCE_QSG_EFGISR.pdf

ust a product of a by gone era of case design sadly. One option would be to drill them out to accommodate the larger self tapping screws

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 :

VaderDSL · 22 Jul 2023 at 18:16

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.

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!??

VaderDSL · 22 Jul 2023 at 18:38

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?

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