Picture of my case modifications.

[Duke{CLR}]

In preparation for my new MB I decided to try to improve the airflow in my case. The new chip set fan blows air towards the video card so I wanted to increase the exhaust around that area. I also think that the side fan was interfering with the cooling of my video card. So I decided to add an extra 80 mm fan on the back and turn the side fan around and add a filter to it.

New airflow.


Here are some before and after shots of the back. I used a hole saw for the hole on the right and I use sheet metal cutters to expand the hole on the left.




It was a tight fit and I heard a tearing sound when I slid the MB tray into place. At first I thought it was just some tape but after taking a bit closer it appears that I destroyed a conductor for the LEDs on this fan. Dohh!



Here are pics from the side panel modification. I used some "C" molding, AC filter, and two grills that I had in my spare parts case. The blue laser but one it there to prevent the fan from sucking the filter in.

hole









All done

[Premonition]

very nice duke looks cool.

[drunken_chef]

looks good Duke! what's the masking tape for?

[Duke{CLR}]

looks good Duke! what's the masking tape for?

The tape is to block up all the holes on the front part of the case to get as much of the air as possible to got through the filters. Its not normally visible because there is a snap on cover.

[drunken_chef]

looks good Duke! what's the masking tape for?

The tape is to block up all the holes on the front part of the case to get as much of the air as possible to got through the filters. Its not normally visible because there is a snap on cover.

i realized that it would be covered. let me know how dusty the inside of your optical drive gets. I did something along those lines several years back and ended up with very dusty floppy and CD rom. perhaps you live in a place with less dust than where i live.

[Duke{CLR}]

I do have lots of dust because we have forced hot air heat and we have dust bunnies galore. I have noticed a lot of dust in all the cracks of the case but I haven't gotten in the CD drive yet. I will keep an eye out for with the new setup. So far I try to keep the intake fans at a level that will supply the propper amount of air and I have very little dust get in.

I sure wish I could turn these fans on without a MB to test this fan setup.

[juneau]

Looking really sweet Duke. What did you end up using to create the hole?

[Duke{CLR}]

I used a 3" hole saw for the smaller hole and I used a pair of metal cutters for the larger one. The ones with the red handle in one of the screenies.

[juneau]

I was hoping you'd use a hole saw. Best thing imo.

[Duke{CLR}]

Agreed but the the 4.5" hole saw was $37.00. Tthe hole is far form perfectbut the black rubber molding hides most of the defects. If you look at the right hole in the back its nice and round where the left one which had to be done by hand is all bent and imperfect.

Juneau you were the one who first suggested Lian Li to me so I think can appreciate how hard it was to go at it with a hole saw and a pair of tin snips. I just hope the new cooling scheme works out.

[darth_nevus]

are you sure you don't have negative airflow? what i foun works as well is a piece of colored velvet surrounding the drives themselves, as well as other "crackes" this adds a bit(small amount) of shock absorbing to quiet it down, as well as directed the air flow to where i wanted it. negative airflow will draw in air where you don't want it.

[Duke{CLR}]

I definitely had negative airflow and with the new setup I will have 3 80s, out and two 120s in. I normally don't run the intakes very high to keep that way. I like the felt idea Darth.

[darth_nevus]

i used black crushed velvet(mostly since i had some spare laying around) and it blends in very well. and since it is "crushable", it conforms to the gaps better.the case is already dead silent, so i am not 100% sure if it does make it even the slightest bit quieter. but, my old 52x cd burner made the PC feel like it was a race ready 350 getting ready to break from the starting line the way it vibrated my old case. now, with my new one, i never know the dvdrom is even spinning. but, i also hate the dust that accumulates around the cd roms. just looks nasty. especially when you don't check it for a while.

if your going to wind up with negative airflow, make sure more is pulled in than out. its not ideal, but with the extra gaps, it helps push better than pull.

[drunken_chef]

if your going to wind up with negative airflow, make sure more is pulled in than out. its not ideal, but with the extra gaps, it helps push better than pull.

am I misunderstanding you darth?

"create negative air flow, with more air leaving the case than coming in"
http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/...E13333,00.html

[darth_nevus]

if your going to wind up with negative airflow, make sure more is pulled in than out. its not ideal, but with the extra gaps, it helps push better than pull.

am I misunderstanding you darth?

"create negative air flow, with more air leaving the case than coming in"
http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/...E13333,00.html

Brain was working, fingers not. better = pushing the air out, not pulling it in. the second part of the comment was worded as i thought it. so much for editing my typing. Negative airflow brings in more dusts, but cools better. positive airflow means less dust, but higher temps.

Good clarification though.