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Fan Installation Help
Hi all,
Currently i only have 1 fan in front of my pc blowing air in and 1 at the back blowing air out. So im gona drill some holes at the side to install another 1 or 2 fan(s).
So how should the fan(s) be facing? Blowing air in or out?
Thanks
RIP Orc Choppa
Comments
Out. Creating a slight vacuum that pulls air out of a box is a more efficient manner of air movement rather than trying to force air into a box. It creates a breeze throughout the box instead of only where ever a fan is pointed. You still need specifc cooling fans for those things that creat a lot of heat.
It's similar to cooling a house without air conditioning and like a whole house fan it would be better to put it at the top instead of near the bottom to draw the hot air out. You use a whole house fan to pull air into the house and you use location based fans to 'cool' the specific spots you hang out in.
Well, it kinda depends. 1 fan blowing in air and the rest blowing it out is usually the best when you have many fans.
So if you already have 2 blowing out I would go for one of each, but if one of them is going in make both blowing out the air.
Most boxes with 4 or more fans uses this, it makes the air flow faster in the box. Boxes with 2 or less fans usually just having fans blowing the hot air out.
I have always preferred having equal/slightly more blowing in than out. I had an older Dell with just one case/cpu fan that blew out, and I needed to add some fans to keep my new graphics card temps low. I first installed 2 fans, one blowing in, and one blowing out, and it cooled the card down a little bit. I then switched it so that they were both blowing in, and it cooled the card down a LOT.
Also remember that things like your Power Supply and graphics cards usually have fans that blow air out of the case too.
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Thank you all for your help.
My last graphic card ( geforce 9600) toast because i guess is due to heat issue. Heart pain...
How about if i open 1 side of the casing and blow a fan directly at it? Would it be better? Im oly afraid of dust accumulating faster than with case close...
RIP Orc Choppa
It should be 2 FANS IN and 2 FANS OUT as I believe it should be balanced enough to be sure.
EDIT:
I think 3 FANS OUT and 1 FAN IN so all the head should be out by then.
Thank you. Im also thinking about installing 1 near the front bottom side, blowing in and the other top back side blowing out...
RIP Orc Choppa
Well I edited my post, you should read it.
Ah, ok, thank you all very much for your help...
RIP Orc Choppa
Well, it is actually somewhat common, the later generation of GFX cards tend to be really hot.
That would works also of course as long as you don't have a pet or something. It won't accumulate more dust, I think mine is actually getting less dust in it since I left the side open.
The absolut best way of course is a third option: Liquid cooling. Here is a nice guide about that. Even if you don't consider it it is still interesting reading.
But as I said before: 1 fan int to get in fresh air and 3 out. Or 2 fans in and 3 out are the best options, these are what most high end computer boxes uses and the use it for a reason. No fans in will lower the effects of the fans while to many fans in will also have the same resault.
5 fans is the optimal solution with 2 in and 3 out. Well, except with liquid cooling that cools even better and is completly soundless. But it is the good cheap solution, LC systems costs at least $150 and are mostly used by hardcore overclockers.
Nvidia do actually have som cards with liquid cooling built in, there is a version of the GTX 295 with it.
Thanks Loke, too expensive for me for liquid cooling.
Hmm... Guess i'll have to buy a new graphic card first and see the space it occupied before i decide how many fans i can install...
Graphic cards sure is expensive now, a 4850 cost around $200 plus...
/sign...
RIP Orc Choppa
There is a wide differences in how to build air flow. I think the best suggestion is about utilizing negative airflow if you are not accustomed to the technicalities of thermal envelopes.
There are 3 types of air flow. Negative Airflow, pulling air out; Positive Airflow, pushing air in; and Neutral Airflow, an equal amount of air coming in and out, if it is unbalanced its usually in favore of pulling air out. Also some cases utilize thermal zones that create airflow in only specific parts of the case. Like it would have a strong positive airflow going directly to the videocards (videocards have fans that push the air back out). While it would have a nuetral airflow across the processor, and a positive airflow to the PSU. This is all seperated by compartments.
To achieve the absolute best cooling with fans you want a nuetral airflow. This means you have the same CFM coming in as you have CFM going out. This includes the PSU and VGA fans. Since hot air rises, you want the fans pulling air in near the bottom, and ones pulling it out around the top.