Side Panel Fan Location

tuxify

tuxify

New Member
Seeing as how this wasn't addressed in my older post (not really the same thing anyway), I wanted to ask it in a fresh post.
I'm modding the window of my Coolermaster Centurion 5, so I can install a 80mm fan and maybe have a vent. I was wondering where a good place to put the fan would be. I'm getting a Zalman 9700 LED HSF, so it would need to accommodate that. Here is the best picture that I could make from newegg pictures of what it might look like when I get the HSF (ordered it the other day):
inside.jpg


Where would be the best location for the fan; where, if anywhere, should I put vents; and should I get anything etched or something else on the window? Thanks
 
On the Antec 900 here the place for the fan was on the upper left as you face the left side of the case. That's where you would have the acrylic side cover. For lack of a good MS paint scetch or screen shot take a look at the case used for the last build to see how that had two not just one places for a 120mm fan on the side. http://www.xoxide.com/aerocool-aeroengine-2-black.html

You can see from just that model the one or more fans are located at the rear portion or left as you face it with vents included there. The 900 has one place on the upper portion for the fan but sees a single and larger vent. http://www.antec.com/productImage.php?ProdID=15900&SetZone=en
 
On the old case I had two facing inward and then removed one for the 900 with fans on both cases now facing outward. The family member I'm upgrading out of an old Socket A build won't need extra cooling since the case may only 4-5hrs. of daily use if that. But I set it up for multimedia as well as checking the emails and browsing there.

On the 900 the fan on the cover is close to the 120 rear and 200mm top fan where it had to be an assist to those while the old lacked a top opening as seen on an older case used for a Socket A build. That one lacked any vents or front intake.

On the other hand actually creating the slots in an acrylic cover along with putting a hole in may be a little bit difficult if you don't have the experience working with that type of material and the tools needed. You may get away with a hole saw for the fan but...? cutting small slots could ruin it unless good care is taken.
 
I'm buying the plexiglass from a store nearby and they cut it with a laser, so I don't think small places are much to worry about. If you had a laser and my case to work with, where would you put the holes/vents/etches?
 
Those cases and others as well should give you the idea for the actual location as well as where you want the vents/fan closect to for cooling. On the old case the one fan was left on the bottom opening facing outward for drawing heat off of the video and sound card installed there. Besides the cpu those will see the most.

Near the bottom generally would be for drawing in cooler air while closer to the top would be for venting warm air outward. The way you have the case in the pics seen in your sig I would say low with the fan facing inward to add to the overall cooling would be a thought rather then having air blowing out directly at you from the upper half.

Most have their cases facing forward when on top of a desk or in a pc desk cabinet(like here) or under a desk where the front is forward for access. You may decide to see that in the direct rear center for the one 80mm fan going on. That would be inbetween the cpu and video card that way for exhaust.
 
I just got a PCI slot fan. Would the air from the intake on the side be taken away right away by the fan?

Here's what I'll probably do then:
(window)

windowideacopy.jpg


Can anyone figure out how to make the penguin so it can be etched into the plexi?
 
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Someone said when they put a fan on the top of their case, it was cold air instead of hot air coming out. They just turned it into an intake. I might try it if I find out how to cut steel. Right now I'm worrying about my window.
 
tuxify said:
Someone said when they put a fan on the top of their case, it was cold air instead of hot air coming out. They just turned it into an intake. I might try it if I find out how to cut steel. Right now I'm worrying about my window.
Click to expand...

Then probably their components don't make enough heat or he has watercooling.
 
I made a blueprint for the people who are going to cut it for me.

Here is the window with all of the measurements:
plexiglasscutmeasurementscopy.jpg


Here is the windows without the measurements:
plexiglasscut-measurements.jpg


And here is the vent part:

venttemplate.jpg


I'll post pictures of when I get it done.
 
Whenever a fan is seen at the top of a case it is strictly for exhaust as heated air rises. That's one reason why the Antec 900 is great for an air cooling type of gaming case with the large 200mm fan. Heated air often gets trapped right behind and around the optical drive since they are in the top 5 1/4" drive bays in most cases.

Drilling through the metal seen on these cases is a rather dlecaye task to see good results. A metal working machinist or tool+die shop would be best equipped besides an auto body shop for something like that or a side fan. The top illustration isn't too bad there for an intake fan since that's down at the bottom while a slight shift towards the rear of the side cover if you have a front intake fan would help more for the pci slot area as well as for adding circulation by helping move the cooler air around coming in from the front.
 
Is the vent design a good idea? I don't really want a huge vent, and I wanted something cool on the side, so it kinda accommodates both of my needs. The place I'm getting it cut at is only open Mon-Fri, so it's kinda hard for me to get there cuz of school.
 
One thing you may want to spend a little more time on is simply looking at a larger variety of makes and models of cases before having the work actually done. That would allow for efficiency as well as having a good look and feel to the case later. The 900 and Aero Cool models were just two out of countless to think about as far as just where would be best for your case in the long run.

Once it's cut out you will be living with it! So looking over various ideas for just where and for seeing more cooling for what is a thought to add to this. Whiel newegg and other sites may see a lower price on a case no one seems to have as large a selection as seen at http://www.xoxide.com/pccases.html

You will notice that some models see the single in the dead center of the side cover while another will see that in the rear bottom. The locations vary greatly between makes and types of cases too.
 
I'm only stuck with the cut until I want to get a new window from the same place. But I will look around a bit more.
 
Once you have the location that looks and works the best you then have to decide on whether that will for an 80mm or larger fan. About pci slot fans I had one on a case some time back and ended up tossing it aside. The small amount of air it drew simply blew against the sound card when used. They don't move much air by themselves.

A good 120 on the side would do far more for cooling. Three things will determine the best results for adding a fan there however. Those are location, dorection facing in or out, and how it will add to or remove from the looks of the case itself. Glad to see you are not rushing and browsing around some. The larger the variety the more comfortable you will be with the end results.
 
I couldn't answer that one directly. Sorry for that! I still haven't got into any super sized vpu seen on the high end cards here since I generally end up running a low to mid range model to save on building costs. I would imaginge most cards will see the stock fan blowing away from the vpu for cooling that way. That would be the same as seen with chipset fans on a board and cpu of course. You want to see heat drawn away from it.
 
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