Simple Fan addition

[CColtManM]

I have a computer case that gets to hot. I THINK it's the video card and not other parts because it has been blanking out the past couple months after i installed the card when i play high level games.

Basically i have a window fan on the side of my computer with the side panel off. It's really embarrasing but it does the job.

So what do i do? I see lots of fans on newegg.com and stuff, but i don't know how to install or anything.

[Darthtanion]

Fans either snap into place within a case or are held in with simple metal screws. From there it is a simple matter to make sure it has power.

Of course, even though the installation of a fan is easy, you will also need to consider things like "does my case have fan mounts already in place" or if not then "how do I want to modify my case to accommodate the new fan(s)". Cooling is a straightforward concept but the fans need to be installed in the right place for you to maximize the cooling potential they offer.

As a rule you want cool air coming in from low front part of the enclosure and exhausting toward the upper rear areas. This allows heat's natural rising to get the hotter air to the exhaust fans and out of your system. You will also need to consider cable clutter and airflow. If you start boring holes in the side of the case without thought to the airflow that is already present, odds are good you will hinder the flow pattern and cause areas of turbulence... not good for overall cooling.

I can't help out much more without knowing what type of case you have or what cooling you already have in place, but the general rules noted above are good and offer solid cooling for a majority of the enclosures being used.

[CColtManM]

Well, I think i have to start boring into my case. Here are some pictures of my setup.









O, and don't laugh.

[Darthtanion]

1- Get a vacuum cleaner with a hose attachment and a can of compressed air and clean the dust out of the entire machine. Pay special attention to all heatsinks since it is highly likely you have an excess buildup of dust and gunk in the fins. This will greatly reduce the cooling ability of the heatsink. You should do this regularly if you are going to continue using that window fan unit since it has no filter system in place and all teh dust in your home will end up in your box.

2- I can't tell for sure from the angle of your photo, but is there a fan on the heatpipe cooler of your video card? Since this is where you feel the problem lies, this is a good place to start. Aftermarket coolers are not generally very expensive so a better cooler may be in order.

3- Try to reduce your cable clutter. All those cables hanging out into the open airways isn't giving your enclosure a solid path for the air to flow through. Airflow is important since it keeps cooler air circulating over the hot components. Even the world best heatsink can't do much good if it only has hot air passing over it. The cooler air helps dissipate heat.

4- That case doesn't have a lot going for it. Not only does it look to be an OEM type enclosure, the smaller size doesn't give you a lot of room to modify. Maybe a intake fan on the side panel (over the video card/CPU area is best) and an exhaust on the roof would be about the extent of your play room.

[Kheldar]

the other thing you can do - is remove as much metal as possible where your fans can go - dremels work well for this, it'll improve your airflow by around 50%

[CColtManM]

Darthtanion,

1. I do constantly clean up the inside of my case with everything from a vacuum to tweezers from inside the fans!

2. Yes there is a fan, it is a BFG model 6800GT OC, so it came designed to cool itself. I don't think i'm going to add a fan to that.

3. I will work on fixing the wires.

4. Intake Fan and Exhaust... YES that's what i need. Can you spot me over to some items at newegg.com that i would need. Would any fans work? Do they come with an installation kit to be mounted on the case?

Actuall, i saw that there are case fans on the site, so i'll look through them.

What do you guys think of the PCI fan slots?

This one claims to push 60CFM's but takes up two PCI spots, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835119066

And this one pushes 84.1 CFM and is a case fan, but is loud,
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811999612

Or this one which is a little cheaper but quieter and 63 CFM's case fan
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811998121

Lastly, would i need another piece, or just one of these should do the job?

[Darthtanion]

Any of the standard cooling fans made for computers will suffice. The higher the fan speed the higher the airflow it produces... AND the more noise it creates. You'll have to decide what works best for your needs. Since you are having issues, I would probably go with either a 90mm or 120mm fan. Unless you already have a window built into the side panel, you will be ebst served with non-LED type fans. You'll also want a dremel tool as Kheldar mentioned above. This will allow you to cut your holes in the top and side panel for the fan to mount to. I would also recommend some sort of filter material since this will help keep a lot of the dust and dirt from inside your case. They will need cleaning from time to time, but I like the ability to keep the dirt on the outside of my systems. As far as mounting the fans, you will need to drill four holes that match up with the holes on the fan. Either small nuts and bolts or plastic push pins will work for this and give you a stable platform for the fan to work from.

[PrairieDawg]

Looks to me like you already have an unused mounting area for an exhaust fan at the back of your case (the circular hole pattern above the video card). There may also be a spot in front of the hard drives designed for intake.

[Kheldar]

the PCI fan slots work fairly well but you lose the PCI spot.

tiding the cables up will make a hugh difference - go get some rounded ide cables

Any fan will work, i've even pulled fans out of old powersupplies and jerry rigged them up

[CColtManM]

Do i need an intake if i am going to be exhausting out the back?