Cool disks.

[xmastree]

So, I have this new (ish) computer. Well, it's the old one but I've swapped the motherboard and added a couple more disks.
The disks were getting rather hot, as they do, and I noticed in the case there's a location for a fan right in front of them.
So, I attacked it with my dremel, to remove the perforated screen (why don't case manufacturers make those removable, like the knock-outs at the back, for those of us who would prefer befter airflow?), fitted another fan and now they run cool as a cool thing. :cool:
6539
There's no vent on the front of the case, but I guess it draws air through those |O|O|O| holes at each side and blows that over the disks.

That's six fans in all now...

[K.Mandla]

Good grief. That thing will be like a jet engine taking off. :) Nice work.

[mstlyevil]

Does it double as a space heater and blow drier?

[xmastree]

Well, the six fans are: psu, rear case, cpu, video card, disks, and an itty bitty one in the disk caddy. The rear case one has also had the treatment (http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=353742&postcount=21) so there's a fair blast of air from it.

As for taking off, there's a rather heavy 1kVA ups on top to hold it down. :-) so heavy that I've had to fit heavy duty castors to the desk. :eek:

[K.Mandla]

No doubt you've been to this site. ...

http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/

[xmastree]

Actually, no. I haven't seen that.

That picture of a dremel and some fans on the front page suggests it may be right up my street though, thanks.

Although my mods tend to be functional rather than beautiful. Having said that, while I was in there I swapped the green power-on light for a blue one...

[erikpiper]

Nice! I WISH my main pc could be like that.. But it's on the floor.. Out of curiousity, what model is your dremel? Ours is TERRIBLE.... And I want to get some better airflow..

[xmastree]

It's not actually a dremel, but a 'rotary tool' from Homebase (http://www.homebase.co.uk/), but that model isn't listed on the website. It was a couple of years ago. It's their own brand, Powerbase, and runs off 18V DC from its own transformer. It's rather weak actually, a direct mains powered one would probably be much better. :twisted:

What's wrong with the PC being on the floor? mines' only a couple of inches off. That simple mod in post #4, cutting a big hole in the back, really helps. It's easy to do, providing there's already a bunch of smaller holes. You just join the dots. :cool:

As it's at the back, it needn't look good, and you can always buy a wire grill if you're scared you might stick your fingers in there. (or the kids, or the cat's tail...)

[prizrak]

Only 6 fans? You pansy!!! I got 12 ;)

[xmastree]

Ngeee!

It's not how many, it's how effective they are. :rolleyes:

Actually, I can't imagine needing any more. About the only place where another might be beneficial would be to draw air in from the outside directly onto the cpu fan. Although cutting a hole and fitting a duct would probably be just as effective...

Hmm... :-k

That's an idea actually, a kind of Hot-Rod air scoop on the side.

[prizrak]

^^HAHA awesome idea :)
I don't actually need all those fans my system doesn't overheat even with all the extra fans turned off. I just had the space for them so I put them in ;)

[xmastree]

^^HAHA awesome idea :)Yeah, something about your avatar told me you'd like that. :-)

How about a great big chrome bug-catcher, you know, the ones with the three butterfly valves,
http://hotrodhotline.com/feature/2004show/04vintag2/assets/images/db_images/db_Injected_Hemi.jpg
and rig it so that the valves open more as the cpu warms up.

Heh...

[prizrak]

Yeah, something about your avatar told me you'd like that. :-)

How about a great big chrome bug-catcher, you know, the ones with the three butterfly valves,
and rig it so that the valves open more as the cpu warms up.

Heh...
OMG Ima do that :)

[xmastree]

Well if you do, you must post a pic!

I'm more of a stealth guy though. From the outside mine looks pretty boring.
I also have a really old desktop ATX case which weighs a ton and I'm very tempted to fit an incredibly fast computer in there. It was made during the 'they don't make them like they used to' days.
Only two 5.25 and two 3.5 bays, so I'd need to either get a huge disk or make some mounts, but I'm sure a decent board will fit in there.

PSU mountings haven't changed, and it has the standard plate at the back...

Hmm... :-k

[xmastree]

I also have a really old desktop ATX case which weighs a ton and I'm very tempted to fit an incredibly fast computer in there.

Hmm... :-k
Hmm indeed... I appear to have done it. \\:D/

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f341/chrispollard/insideview.jpg

Although an Athlon 2400 isn't incredibly fast. I'll save that for my next project, which involves a Compaq Deskpro 386/25 casing I seem to have acquired.

[Stew2]

:D Awesome!! A sleeper!! :D

[xmastree]

:D Awesome!! A sleeper!! :D
Heh, there are some words and pictures of the 386 project here (http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2384) if you want to see it. Plan is to make the front panel simple and stealthy. Fit some tinted windows in the top, and once it's turned on it all lights up. :mrgreen:

[mcduck]

Six fans? that must sound like a 747 :D

I have three, one 120mm fan in PSU, one 120mm fan in radiator to cool both CPU and the case (both fans running at max about 1000rpm), and one crappy small fan on GPU that I'm planning to replace with some passive heatsink :)

With six fans I'd have to move the case to other room and get some long cables for displays and mouse&keyboard..

[xmastree]

Radiator? So it's WC? why not just include the GPU inthe plumbing?

[awakatanka]

Played a little while ago with watercooling to reduse the noise, but the surrounding components didn't had the air flow anymore so i had to cool down those also but only option was to put in a fan again. And not everything could be cooled down with the watercooling so i sold it again and brought back my 747.

Luckly i have had a laptop now and the main isn't on that much now.

But the should do something about that noise, its realy bugging me to much hehe. Bigger fans reduce it some but still to much noise for the living room.

I starting to get anoyed by the laptop fan to now hehe, i want silence :mrgreen:

[Alpha_toxic]

Have you seen this?
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8208614616938350291&q=nitrogen&pl=true

[Stew2]

Have you seen this?
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8208614616938350291&q=nitrogen&pl=true


After watching this video all I can say is... WOW! :D

[mcduck]

Radiator? So it's WC? why not just include the GPU inthe plumbing?
That would be an option too. But I haven't sfound any GPU block that fits on my card and cools memory too. Most likely I'll find a good passive heatsink with much less euros than what adding the card to water circulation would cost.

Altough I've seen pictures of some crazy guys 3D card with small water block on every memory chip.. :rolleyes:

[mcduck]

Have you seen this?
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8208614616938350291&q=nitrogen&pl=true
That's cool, altough 5GHz is not that much for Intel CPU.. The Intel record in a finnish computer forum I also hang around is Pentium4 670 running at 7019 MHz..

(I wish I had enough money to play around with computer hardware.. I only have one machine so I need to keep it working.. So no playing with liquid nitrogen for me, I'll have to stick to much lower speeds :( )

[xmastree]

Paint over all the chips to insulate them, then using acrylic and epoxy, build a tank with the card forming one side. :roll:

[mcduck]

Paint over all the chips to insulate them, then using acrylic and epoxy, build a tank with the card forming one side. :roll:
Or then I could just sink the whole machine into aquarium full of some transformer oil.. That would look cool, but replacing any part or moving the machine would be a bit nasty job :rolleyes: