Where to place my fan?

[SaiZo]

Ok, so the case I'm using is the ANTEC Sonata III 500, there is a fan in the front, that I managed to get there. So it sucks in cool air from the outside, and the watercooler AIO has a push/pull configuration.

So.. What I want to do is use my dremel to cut a hole, and place a 90mm fan somewhere in the case. However, I don't know where is a good spot to place it.

I was thinking maybe at the top, the side or at the bottom. If I would place it at the bottom, I first need to raise the case a bit since the clearance is less than 10mm.
Also, the case is not on the floor, but on my computer desk.

If pictures are needed, please tell me where to take a photo (if it would help).

Thanks

 

[EarthDog]

front/sides = intake
top/rear = exhaust

 

[Hood]

Good Free Case

That's a nice early effort at quiet computing, but it looks like an air cooling nightmare. I would line up the fan to feed the GTS 250 some cool air, by cutting a hole in the side panel & installing on the inside if there's room. Add a magnetic fan filter, such as the new ones by Silverstone, and it'll look like it was made that way. I had to perform a similar mod on my old Dell Dimension 8300 (complete working system found in trash), the video card I added was burning up (see photo). Yes, it's ugly, but it wouldn't fit inside, and I didn't care about looks.

 

[SaiZo]

That's a nice early effort at quiet computing, but it looks like an air cooling nightmare. I would line up the fan to feed the GTS 250 some cool air, by cutting a hole in the side panel & installing on the inside if there's room. Add a magnetic fan filter, such as the new ones by Silverstone, and it'll look like it was made that way. I had to perform a similar mod on my old Dell Dimension 8300 (complete working system found in trash), the video card I added was burning up (see photo). Yes, it's ugly, but it wouldn't fit inside, and I didn't care about looks.

Yeah, well than we are on the same level. I'm not much for looks (yet), but performance however is something I really need. Also, the room which the system is located tends to get a bit warmer during the summer, so any cooling to the graphics card would be great.

I was thinking; what if I would say make the case stand on a pair of "legs" so the clearance between desk and bottom of the case would be say around 1 - 2" (2.5 - 5cm?) from the desk, and then mount the fan so it sucks in cool air and blows it directly to the graphics card on fan?

Note: I just have to take a photo of my case and post it on "ghetto mods", everytime I do something it starts to look less than a computer case..

 

[Olias_of_Sunhillo]

Ok having a good squint around 'net I think your right not to spoil the side panel with a hole, but what may be possible given your setup would be to replace the front fan with something like a Silverstone AP182 or AP141 (180mm or 140mm) to produce "positive air pressure" within the case -this seems to be the current thinking towards the best air cooling situation.
I would remove the 3.5 drive cages mounting your hard drives in the 5.25 bays removing any obstruction to the airflow. This would involve enlarging the current 120mm hole at the front and keep the cases looks.
It seems the case may be wide enough to mod for a AP182 Antec quote 206mm width?
Having more air entering the case than leaving (ie. 120 out on your WC block and 180 in) will provide more air to your Graphics card.

Hope that helps! Olias