Air Cooling

[Virtualbody1234]

Originally posted by clocker@31 January 2004 - 00:36
The HDD is bolted to the motherboard wall using some rubber isolators that came with the heatpipe cooler. It stands about 5/8" off the wall.

I was going to mount the PSU down on the floor, but it occurred to me that moving it up to the bay bottom would eliminate a lot of length in the cabling. My only concern is that it had to be flipped upside down again ( which is actually the stock position)and cooling it may be an issue. I have one 80mm fan blowing across the heatsinks and time will tell if that's good enough...

It should be enough to cool the power supply. They can take a lot of heat before any problems result.

[SciManAl]

Very true... I have a PSu in my bros comp that averages over 60c...

[Virtualbody1234]

I have seen people with the power supply fan that wasn't working at all. And they didn't even have any case fans. I told one guy that he needs a new fan badly and I offered him one installed for $10.00 and he refused thinking it was too expensive.

[Samurai]

LOL

Sounds like someone I know... he has a car with a f*cked battery but he refuses to buy a new one which costs nothing for the size of the vehicle. He calls out the repair men who give him a jump start. They've refused to get called out from him from what I hear haha

Any new pics Clocker?

[SciManAl]

I have to say i am actually finding your idea quite aww inspiring clocker, i am using quite a ew of your ideas ya know... I congradulate you on your progress! Although i must wonder what more you can do, other optimise it, what is left to paint in the "big picture" ??

[clocker]

Originally posted by SciManAl@31 January 2004 - 10:25
I have to say i am actually finding your idea quite aww inspiring clocker, i am using quite a ew of your ideas ya know...  I congradulate you on your progress!  Although i must wonder what more you can do, other optimise it, what is left to paint in the "big picture"  ??

Damn!
A "database backup" just wiped out a huge post!

I refuse to retype that novel again.
Suffice to say something new has/is happening and maybe tomorrow I'll have the energy and the pics to repost again.
In the meanwhile here is a teaser shot...

[Virtualbody1234]

Hey that's not your case nor your motherboard.

[SciManAl]

hehehehe, clocker you devil LOL

[JunkBarMan]

To put fans in, what exactly do you use to cut into the case with?
Also, other then clocker, how many fans in the case do you have? How many exhaust and how many are intake?

[clocker]

Originally posted by Virtualbody1234@31 January 2004 - 19:46
Hey that's not your case nor your motherboard.

What an eye you have VB.
Actually that is my first case and my first mobo.

Early this morning, whilst quaffing my first caffeine fix and staring at Sprocket ( who has been renamed Muffin in honor of her new uberfans BTW), I realized that basically I hate this Xaser case and all my efforts have not made me happy...indeed, every time I mod that thing another glaring design/build/engineering fault jumps out at me.

I've been making noises about designing/building a custom case and this morning I decided to get serious about it.
So I started making a list of desirable features and started thinking about construction details/processes.

One thing I definately want is the kind of drive bay where the unit screws in instead of the quick release/rail method of the TT. I've long wanted to stealth my drives, but the Xaser doesn't allow one to move the drive back at all, so I couldn't.

I remembered that my first case had this feature so I dug it out of the closet and started to measure and study the bay design.

It's important to know that I am a total slob and especially when I have been binge modding, crap ends up strewn all over hell and gone.
So here I am kneeling in a pile of parts with this case and hark! serendipity strikes, and a put a fanpanel up to the case and whaddya know...almost fits.

It was all downhill from there.

Over on the OCs forum there has been a continuing thread concerning the amazing results folks have been getting by ducting in frigid winter air. One guy in Minnesota ( I think) has been posting screenshots of single digit CPU temps using this method.
I really haven't wanted to hack up my pristine Xaser window panel to try this out, but I have no such qualms about this black, generic cheapo case. This case in fact, cost less...with a PSU, than just a replacement Xaser sidepanel.
Plus, cheap as it was, the build quality and structural integrity far surpasses the Thermaltake.
It was looking better all the time.

Of course it did have some shortcomings, but hey, I know how to deal with that...so...I put in a roof blowhole, trimmed and wired and installed the twin Muffin fan panel ( this is where the cold air ducts will ultimately connect), cut out the front panel for a 120mm fan, modified the front bezel to open up access for the fan, installed/wired new switchgear and activity lights and started prepping my backup PSU to mount it.
I still have some detail stuff to finish, but by tomorrow night ( depending on how interesting I find the SuperBowl) I should be ready to transfer Muffin's guts out of the Xaser and into her new, temporary winter home.

There are a couple of questions that I hope that this exercise will answer.

Does a smaller case provide better airflow management (fewer fans, lower RPM= less noise)?
Will heat from the PSU affect the HDD which will be mounted above it?
How low can I get my temps with the outside duct?

We shall see.
First stage will be to get the new case all optimised and get some baseline data.
Then I can build the window fan panel and ductwork.

Apparently, I just don't know when to stop...