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Fan Holes, Case Cooling/Cutting |
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Written by Dan
Sunday, February 20, 2000
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Page 2 of 4
Fan Size
There are several different types of fans and sizes available. For this guide we're using 80mm fans, but you might want to use something bigger. I highly recommend 120mm fans because they move about 90CFM, each. This is quite a bit more than an 80mm fan and definitely a lot more than smaller fans. Here's a picture comparing the fan sizes:
(Excuse the cheesy $100 bill, we used it so you would see the difference in size only)
From left to right, 50mm, 80mm, and 120mm ball bearing fans.
Fan Placement
Deciding where to put the fan(s) isn't always an easy task. You have to take several things into consideration. First, where is most the heat in your case? In a tower case, the heat is usually concentrated in two areas: the top, and near the expansion slots. The reasons are simple: heat rises (right?) and the cards in your expansion slots create heat without having any fans to push the "stale" air around.
In my mid-ATX tower, I decided to put two 80mm fans at the very top of the tower, next to the CPU. In fact, the fans are within inches of the CPU and blow a lot of air OUT of the case (hence the term, "blowhole"). This is very efficient, but since I sit next to the computer, I get hit with a lot of air at all times.
For the project case, we decided to put one 80mm fan in the front, and one 80mm fan in the back. Once we decided on the spots to place the fan, we stripped it down and took out everything. If you're not cutting anywhere near the motherboard or cards, you can probably get away with just removing certain parts of your case. However, be sure to cover the parts with a towel or something to prevent the metal from being blown into the parts. Here's a picture of our stripped-down case:
A lot of times cases will have holes where a fan (usually an 80mm fan) was intended to be placed. See:
These block a lot of airflow (up to 60%), and since they are very easy to cut-out with a Dremel tool (or the tool you decided to use), we cut it out.
When you have decided where to cut the circle for your fan, draw an outline so you won't make an ellipse. There are several ways to draw a circle on the metal, but the best tools are usually a compass and a pencil. If you don't have a compass, look around for something that's round and is approximately the same size as your fan's blades. Once you've drawn your circle, it's time to cut.
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