Airflow considerations

[rustbucket]

I picked up one of these cases on the cheap on ebay:

The top and both sides of the case are mesh.

I'm going to be running 4 fans: 120mm intake, 120mm exhaust, 120mm blowhole, 80 mm int the side

I have two worries: a lot of the reading I've done here has to do with directed airflow. I'm concerned about two things.

1.) the intake fan will be blowing directly on my 3 hard drives but I'm wondering if the mesh with allow the cool air coming in to go right back out the sides, as the air stream gets all broken up passing over the hard drives.

2.) the blowhole on top will be moving a fair amount of air (I'm not going to be able to acheive positive case pressure, probably). I'm worried that the warm air it moves out will be sucked right back in through the mesh top panel.

I was thinking about taping off certain sections of the mesh panels to direct airflow... Probably the areas near the intake fan, and around the blowhole.

Any suggestions on achieving the best cooling with this case? Leave all the mesh open? tape over some of it?

I can upload detail pics of specific locations and panels if anyone wants to see 'em. - I'll upload them tonight.

Thanks!

-Josh

 

[rustbucket]

is the post too long? any help would be appreciated.

 

[fuzzy34]

I'd like to comment, but having trouple picturing what you did. Try posting some more pictures of it.

 

[Pkirk618]

brother, I think it is but I'll try to answer. As long as you hit the bottom with cool air, and the top with an out-take fan, this should be cool. SO, with that theory in hand, if you are able to directly cool an piece of hardware from an outside fan-thats great. If the distance is too great to actually blow anything on a piece of hardware, you might make things works. More isn't always better and less isn't always more.

Filters are great to keep out dust though you may create more air resistance with them. I mean, if you need to open your case to clean a filter, you might as well clean the entire inside, thats why I dont use them.

I don't think I've heard of anything explode due to fan use but you may stress the PSU somewhat if its weak. That may render the rest of your system unstable. Get a quality 350W and above PSU--and dont worry about daisy chaining fans, but I wouldn't connect Hard Drives and Video Cards along the same rail--that may cause that instability.

I may not have answered your question totally, but hey, its the only answer I had this close to bedtime.

 

[rustbucket]

Sorry about the unclear/long post everyone.

My basic question is this: should I be covering certain parts of the mesh sides/top for ideal cooling? IE near where the top fan is to keep hot air from recirculating into the case or near the intake to keep the cool air in the case...
I'm editing down the original post so it's a little more clear. I'll also take pics tonight and post 'em.

 

[MD]

Airflow is like a water and electrical current, it trys to go way of lower resistance. Hence air will go in the case mostly thrue a intake fans. If intake and outlet fans are in good balance almost nothing will come thru those mesh panels. Only with huge underpreasure or overpreasure something will go thru it.

Hence if You are about to put so many fans in You should calculate like it's normal closed case. Air will not try to come in or out of case thru those little holes in mash it will folow easyer route. Also fans easyer blow out then pump in air so to achive good airflow I recomend use bit more intake CFM to achive balance.

On other side if You are using just outlet fans surface wich is open with those mesh panels is huge hence with underpreasure it will be usefull ventilation point.

Also doo not fear to shorthcut fan cause even in open air evairoment fan will not suck in it's own airflow. Suction of axial fans is to poor to catch it's air coming out of it. Outcoming air is also more concentrated and directed. There is no way that outtake fans will gett anything but air from inside a case.

Good luck.


P.S. Next time gett Your self Lian Li V1000 and nice Enermax 600 watt PSU. You invest once and it last years. Costs more but it pays out over a time. Also You doo not need to think over a airflow someone allready did and it works.



MD

 

[rustbucket]

P.S. Next time gett Your self Lian Li V1000 and nice Enermax 600 watt PSU. You invest once and it last years. Costs more but it pays out over a time. Also You doo not need to think over a airflow someone allready did and it works.

Yeah I've been thinking I should have bought a nicer case, but I've been on a tight budget the last few months, so this one had to do... for $40 shipped, it ain't too bad. I'm investing where it counts, on the hardware - Zalmann 400w Noisetaker PSU, that sort of thing.

I'm thinking in a while I'll put together a water-cooled rig, and either extensively modify this case, or ditch it for a nice lian-li or coolermaster.

Looks like I'm good to go for the time being. I'll probably end up with a significant underpressure - I've got a Panaflo 120mm high flow fan that won't fit anywhere but the blowhole, plus the PSU exhaust, plus the 120mm exhaust -vs- 1 120mmX25 intake and an 80 low flow Panaflo.