Heat problem ??

[kony]

I accept the direction that the case designers chose.

Maybe, but are they competent case designers if the case
even needs a side-panel fan at all? Most good cases don't
need one.

 

[manny]

I accept the direction that the case designers chose.

Case designers or merely case stylists? When I see a
non-server case made for 6 fans, I know that nothing
went into its thermal design, only its manufacturing
aspects.

 

[Bob]

Maybe, but are they competent case designers if the case
even needs a side-panel fan at all?

Beats me.

Most good cases don't need one.

Can you provide a reference to support that claim.

 

[Bob]

Case designers or merely case stylists? When I see a
non-server case made for 6 fans, I know that nothing
went into its thermal design, only its manufacturing
aspects.

Maybe they use the same shell for reasons of manufacturing economy.

 

[kony]

Beats me.


Can you provide a reference to support that claim.

Don't need to, as there are plenty of reviews of cases
without a side-panel fan demonstrating it, including the
vast majority of OEM cases.

It's simple science, to keep a system cool enough one needs
determine the acceptible rise over ambient and move
sufficient air to maintain that, which rarely requires side
fan, rarely meaning a case would have to be deficient in
front or rear or have an unusually hot part not able to be
cooled in traditional ways... and if such a hot part didn't
have sufficient cooling 'sink or fan integral it should be
deemed misengineered.

 

[kony]

Maybe they use the same shell for reasons of manufacturing economy.

That is possible, though we would need make a distinction
between "made for 6" and "able to use 6". Just because
there are 6 (or however many) fan mounts doesn't necessarily
mean it's expected that all would be used. Sometimes it
seems as though they decided to put in perforation/vent
holes and those might as well be in a fan-shaped pattern.
This is usually on the lower end cases though, for example
you might see a 2 x 2, 4 fan pattern on the front wall of
the case but the holes are so small it would still be better
to ignore most of them (I'd put aluminum tape over all those
remaining) and cut out a single hole in the lower-middle for
a 92-120mm fan (or two 92mm, when the HDD rack(s) are
large).

 

[Bob]

Don't need to, as there are plenty of reviews of cases
without a side-panel fan demonstrating it, including the
vast majority of OEM cases.

If there are so many of these review cases, please provide us with the
link to at least a couple.

It's simple science, to keep a system cool enough one needs
determine the acceptible rise over ambient and move
sufficient air to maintain that, which rarely requires side
fan,

That's the part I am interested in proving.

I would have thought the more fans the better, therefore a side fan is
just one more fan to keep things cool. If that fan were better
utilized on the back, blowing out, then the next time I spec a case I
will avoid side fans.

But I want to see it for myself.

 

[kony]

If there are so many of these review cases, please provide us with the
link to at least a couple.

I am confident that you can Google for case reviews on your
own. There really isn't any point to my seeking any for you
when over 80% of the cases out there don't have a side-panel
fan and stay cool enough.

That's the part I am interested in proving.

How is it you feel here is some kind of proof necessary in
this day and age when MOST systems dont' have a side-panel
fan? The proof is *everywhere*.

I would have thought the more fans the better,

Better for what, exactly?
It is good to have enough fans that, in order to have
sufficient airflow, none are running at such a high RPM that
the RPM reduces fan lifespan below necessary levels. That
has more to do with fan quality than RPM, though.

It is "desirable" though not really necessary that such fans
also are lower RPM towards a goal of quieter operation.

"Better" depends on need. There is no pressing need to keep
a system cool beyond a certain level, to retain stability
and promote acceptible lifespan.

therefore a side fan is
just one more fan to keep things cool. If that fan were better
utilized on the back, blowing out, then the next time I spec a case I
will avoid side fans.

In some extreme conditions, like a very high overclock, it
can help to have a side fan pulling in fresh, cooler air
directed at the CPU heatsink. It is more than just extreme,
it's usually excessive as it will tend to increase dust
accumlation in the 'sink and gain in o'c headroom generally
isn't much, providing the rest of the case was engineered
properly.

Routing of airflow was already taken into consideration with
ATX case and AMD/Intel recommendation for rear exhaust fan
plus PSU with intake on the bottom. It's not that more
airflow is necessarily bad in itself, but that ATX was not
designed such that fans can be indiscriminately placed
without altering the pre-existing airflow path. Whether
side panel fan blows in or out, either way it is reducing
the flow rate of either the front intake or rear exhaust in
"most" implementations, if not all. Hence the qualifier-
well-engineered case. If the case didn't have sufficient
front intake and rear exahust yet, then a focus on where the
two fail in combination "could" be used to determine if
additional intake or exhaust was of benefit.

IMO, the one situation were a side-panel fan might be most
beneficial is when one had SLI'd video cards and fan was
positioned low enough that it blew between them- but still
there needs be a focus on how that impacts intake through
the HDD rack. Before changes are made the change on all
parts much be considered. Increased airflow in one area of
the case can decrease airflow in other areas as the intake
and exhaust of a case work in conjunction.

 

[larry moe 'n curly]

I would have thought the more fans the better, therefore a
side fan is just one more fan to keep things cool. If
that fan were better utilized on the back, blowing out,
then the next time I spec a case I will avoid side fans.

www.silentpcreview.com, www.xbitlabs.com, www.slcentral.com, and
www.tomshardware.com are known for doing thorough testing, and at least
the first two give detailed descriptions of their test methods.

One person had a system that according to his numbers was barely cool
enough, yet it had 12-13 fans, and he became very defensive when
questioned about the need for that many fans. I've also seen cases
cool off slightly when a fan was disconnected or reversed in direction,

I think that a fan on the side could be very good for cooling the CPU.
At least side ducts work well, and I use homemade CPU ducts that
connect to the rear of the case where a case fan normally mounts. The
CPU temp dropped 5-8C, the case temp only 1-3C. Previously the case
ran 10C hotter than room temp. I made the ducts from a polypropylene
(food storage container -- big ones form the 99-cent store) because
it's easy to join this plastic by melting it with a soldering iron, and
I didn't use metal because I was worried about shorting out something
by accident.

OTOH I didn't need a cooler CPU, and I worry more about hard drive
cooling because some of their chips run at 80C or more. This is why I
mount those drives vertically for gravity convection cooling, and they
sit right next to the front case fan.

 

[Norm De Plume]

I would have thought the more fans the better,

You need 1 sq. in. of fan area for each MHz of CPU clock speed, at a
minimum. Add more fans until the case can hover.

 

[D-Dan]

You need 1 sq. in. of fan area for each MHz of CPU clock speed, a

minimum. Add more fans until the case can hover

That'd mean my 2GHz processor would require 2000 sq. inches of fa
area - which is about 51 Sq Metres. With that kind of coverage
wouldn't expect it just to hover - I'd expect it go supersonic

 

[Norm De Plume]

That'd mean my 2GHz processor would require 2000 sq. inches of fan
area - which is about 51 Sq Metres. With that kind of coverage I
wouldn't expect it just to hover - I'd expect it go supersonic!

www.bigassfans.com can help.