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brucevilanch 
Alabama Fan
guntersvegas
Member since May 2011
9380 posts
| PC Case Fan Locations (Posted on 1/21/13 at 4:25 pm)
Okay, So I ordered a set of 4 fans and I need to find out the ideal fan placements. I have installed 3 of them so currently my fan set-up is 2 on CPU cooler, one rear exhaust, two top exhaust, and one in the front of my case. So I guess my question is, where would the best place be to put the last fan?
Case door? Bottom of case in front of the power supply? The top front of case ( where optical drives would be)?
Thanks and I'll hang up and listen.
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tom
Baton Rouge
Member since Jun 2007
2312 posts
| re: PC Case Fan Locations (Posted on 1/21/13 at 4:33 pm to brucevilanch)
If you find the exact right spot, your computer will shite whirlwinds while you play.
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WestlakeTiger 
McNeese State Fan
Westlake,Louisiana
Member since Feb 2012
1191 posts
 Online
| re: PC Case Fan Locations (Posted on 1/21/13 at 4:33 pm to brucevilanch)
to throw you some aviation advice, have your intake air come from top, flowing down, and through the back with more intake air than exhaust.
so id say intake top and front, exhaust side and back.
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jcole4lsu 
Virginia Fan
The Kwisatz Haderach
Member since Nov 2007
22335 posts
| re: PC Case Fan Locations (Posted on 1/21/13 at 4:37 pm to brucevilanch)
intake front
exhaust back and top
not a fan of door fans, think they frick up airflow more than anything. if your vid card or hdd's run hot, it would be ok to install one to blow on those
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brucevilanch
Alabama Fan
guntersvegas
Member since May 2011
9380 posts
| re: PC Case Fan Locations (Posted on 1/21/13 at 4:49 pm to jcole4lsu)
yeah, i really don't like the idea of it being on the door either. That's being said, the location that it would be in would be good because it would blow directly on my GPU and my northbridge. I have both overclocked pretty high and would like a little more air flow on them.
Seems like it will be such a pain in the arse everytime I want to remove the door though.
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jcole4lsu
Virginia Fan
The Kwisatz Haderach
Member since Nov 2007
22335 posts
| re: PC Case Fan Locations (Posted on 1/21/13 at 4:51 pm to brucevilanch)
get a decent length cable lead and you will be able to lay the door down on the bench perpendicular to the case without much trouble and without having to disconnect the fan
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brucevilanch
Alabama Fan
guntersvegas
Member since May 2011
9380 posts
| re: PC Case Fan Locations (Posted on 1/21/13 at 4:58 pm to jcole4lsu)
that's a good idea. 
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VABuckeye 
Ohio State Fan
Oak Hill, VA
Member since Dec 2007
8306 posts
| re: PC Case Fan Locations (Posted on 1/21/13 at 6:00 pm to brucevilanch)
You need more fans bringing air into the case than exhausting air. Positive pressure. Remove one top exhaust and put it on the front of the case. Do not bring air in from the bottom by the PSU. First, the PSU has a fan if it needs it and secondly you are going to add more dust to the case from that location.
This post was edited on 1/21 at 6:01 pm
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brucevilanch
Alabama Fan
guntersvegas
Member since May 2011
9380 posts
| re: PC Case Fan Locations (Posted on 1/21/13 at 6:03 pm to VABuckeye)
 This makes a lot of sense.
quote:
You need more fans bringing air into the case than exhausting air. Positive pressure.
ETA: Should I cover the hole that will be left from moving the exhaust fan?
This post was edited on 1/21 at 6:11 pm
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VABuckeye
Ohio State Fan
Oak Hill, VA
Member since Dec 2007
8306 posts
| re: PC Case Fan Locations (Posted on 1/21/13 at 8:16 pm to brucevilanch)
Yeah, I'd cover it. You should be able to get a blanking panel at your local computer shop. I don't suppose you have a MicroCenter nearby? They have everything. Serious candy in that store.
I've been reading a lot of the overclocking forums lately and particularly about case air flow and cooling. It's really interesting stuff.
This post was edited on 1/21 at 8:17 pm
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brucevilanch
Alabama Fan
guntersvegas
Member since May 2011
9380 posts
| re: PC Case Fan Locations (Posted on 1/21/13 at 8:31 pm to VABuckeye)
quote:
local computer shop
do not have.
quote:
MicroCenter
and I wish we had.
Yeah, I've been obsessed with pushing mine as far as it will go. Right now I have a Stable OC of 4.2ghz(1ghz over stock) northbridge multiplier at 13x(2600) and my gpu at 1125/1450. All with pretty low voltage and really low temps (cpu is at 45c+/- under full load)
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VABuckeye
Ohio State Fan
Oak Hill, VA
Member since Dec 2007
8306 posts
| re: PC Case Fan Locations (Posted on 1/21/13 at 9:03 pm to brucevilanch)
On air? WC that baby.
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brucevilanch
Alabama Fan
guntersvegas
Member since May 2011
9380 posts
| re: PC Case Fan Locations (Posted on 1/21/13 at 11:37 pm to VABuckeye)
yeah, it's on air. I'm going to when I get my new CPU.
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R_o_y 
Auburn Fan
Member since Jul 2012
682 posts
| re: PC Case Fan Locations (Posted on 1/22/13 at 9:46 am to brucevilanch)
I use just one and put it right on top of my graphics card. I've found that having a top end PS with in/out exhausts does more for cooling than anything else besides changing out your heatsink and fan. Also another thing you can do is to wire case fan into the PS directly rather than going through the MB. I really don't see you getting much bang for your buck with that many case fans because those fans are really just subject to ambient temps and eating up your wattage on PS.
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VABuckeye
Ohio State Fan
Oak Hill, VA
Member since Dec 2007
8306 posts
| re: PC Case Fan Locations (Posted on 1/22/13 at 1:14 pm to R_o_y)
No offense but the experts and the cooling crowd completely disagree with your theory. Bring more cooler air in a path that leads it past hot equipment and out the back and top to where the heat rises. Positive pressure in the case with filters over the intake fans to reduce dust.
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jcole4lsu
Virginia Fan
The Kwisatz Haderach
Member since Nov 2007
22335 posts
| re: PC Case Fan Locations (Posted on 1/22/13 at 1:18 pm to VABuckeye)
quote:
Bring more cooler air in a path that leads it past hot equipment and out the back and top to where the heat rises. Positive pressure in the case with filters over the intake fans to reduce dust.
this is what i have always been taught. cool air in from the front, and hot air out the back and top.
it does create a bit of a problem with a radiator though. most top mount 240mm rads recommend using the fans as intake. so now you would have cool air coming in the front, hot air IN from the top, and hot air OUT the back.
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VABuckeye
Ohio State Fan
Oak Hill, VA
Member since Dec 2007
8306 posts
| re: PC Case Fan Locations (Posted on 1/22/13 at 1:25 pm to jcole4lsu)
Agreed. Some of the newer full size cases are coming with options for radiators on the bottom and/or top. They're $$$ for case pricing but that's what the hardcore guys want.
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R_o_y
Auburn Fan
Member since Jul 2012
682 posts
| re: PC Case Fan Locations (Posted on 1/22/13 at 2:00 pm to VABuckeye)
quote:
No offense but the experts and the cooling crowd completely disagree with your theory. Bring more cooler air in a path that leads it past hot equipment and out the back and top to where the heat rises. Positive pressure in the case with filters over the intake fans to reduce dust.
If you are responding to me, dust has nothing to do with your computer. Dust is dependent on placement. Also your computer won't sound like a jet about to take off, which is extremely annoying.
As far as cooling, simple physics can solve this one. Your Comp produces the heat. All fans do is regulate ambient temp inside of a case. Mitigating core temps depends on hardware, i.e. having better heatsinks, PS, etc. Fans are simply auxiliary.
Yea, fans are nice, but the reality is that a good topline copper HS and PS will outperform a bunch of case fans all day every day.
Edit: God, I'm a nerd. Wait... I'm only "technical...," which makes me cool.
This post was edited on 1/22 at 2:39 pm
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VABuckeye
Ohio State Fan
Oak Hill, VA
Member since Dec 2007
8306 posts
| re: PC Case Fan Locations (Posted on 1/22/13 at 3:05 pm to R_o_y)
It's all good. I have a cool room for the computer so I like the idea of bringing the cooler air in over the equipment. I also have low db fans.
Dust here is a product of having two dogs and a cat in the house. There's going to be dust here and in most environments that aren't clean (like the data center I work in).
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jcole4lsu
Virginia Fan
The Kwisatz Haderach
Member since Nov 2007
22335 posts
| re: PC Case Fan Locations (Posted on 1/22/13 at 3:47 pm to R_o_y)
quote:
Also your computer won't sound like a jet about to take off, which is extremely annoying.
More air in than out = cooler but louder
More air out than in = warmer but quieter
quote:
Fans are simply auxiliary
nothing replaces good cooling elements. but to brush aside proper airflow (both design and amount) is absurd.
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