Extremely low cost cooling method

[T3kl0rd]

Take the side door off and put a big fan on high pointing into the case. Brought my temps down several degrees, 10C-20C. My GTX 470s generate massive heat so this was a lifesaver and way cheaper than investing in water cooling. Now my GPU temps rarely get into the 80s and I was over 100C often with the door on.

[newconroer]

Theoretically, a well designed(air flow) case, can circumvent the need to remove the side of the tower.

Having said that, it is a cheap solution but your personal experience of 10-20c is a massive improvement, and doesn't often work quite the same for anyone else - thus it's not really comparative to LCS in general.

If your GPU temps with a 470 get over 100c then either you're outside temperature is extremely hot, your GPU fan isn't running fast enough or you should put some new thermal paste on.

I've worked on several systems with 470s, and at 60% fan, they idle about 55c and get up to 80-85c with 75% fan.

[T3kl0rd]

It was over 100C with 100% fan speed. I have 2 fans mounted on the door but this works way better. The door was reflecting heat back into my system and this works to dissipate heat more effectively. I improved the AC circulation a lot in my room but still the temps get a lot higher with the door on.

Never said it would work for everyone. Many will see some improvement.

[AsRock]

A 120 or even a 140 mm fan hole at the top of the case would help greatly and things like removing the mess crap from over the rear and front 120mm fan and same for the sides too if you use it.

All so fitting another 120mm fan at the front top of the case.

[rickss69]

If one has to remove a side panel to game he may as well have built on a torture rack.

[T3kl0rd]

PSU cables are tucked away in the 5 & 1/4 drive bays. I have a front case fan.

I'm not gaming without it off anymore. I don't know why others don't have the same problem. There is nothing out of the ordinary about my case, except I have more fans in it than most.

@newconroer Have you worked with two of them in SLI? One of these is a heat monster but two next to each other gaming is like a thermal nuclear reactor in your PC case. Great for keeping your room warm in the winter. I am serious.

[scaminatrix]

I'm guessing the fan you've got in the front of your case is at the bottom, and that the fan in the rear is by the CPU cooler?
I used to put an exhaust fan by the PCI slots, so air was taken out the rear of the case. I also used to put a fan by my HDD cage that pointed towards the graphics card (X1900).
After having a google and looking at your case, I think that this would be the way to achieve optimal airflow:




EDIT: Edited attachment to reflect SLI...

[AsRock]

Thing is like i said in my last post which i'll make a lot clearer this time. Your input\output airflow sucks balls mostly due to 80% of the airflow being blocked by those built in fan guards. Although that front of that case will not help either.

It's this case right ?.
APEX SK-503-C Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer C...

Originally Posted by scaminatrix

I'm guessing the fan you've got in the front of your case is at the bottom, and that the fan in the rear is by the CPU cooler?
I used to put an exhaust fan by the PCI slots, so air was taken out the rear of the case. I also used to put a fan by my HDD cage that pointed towards the graphics card (X1900).
After having a google and looking at your case, I think that this would be the way to achieve optimal airflow:




EDIT: Edited attachment to reflect SLI...

But if thats the case he has that i posted good air flow is not really possible without cutting all that mesh crap out. And would be great if he could find a way to add a 120mm hole at the top of the case.

[scaminatrix]

I thought it was this one, the SK-503 Super:
http://www.supercase.gr/en/p/1-cases...er-case-sk-503
Ever so slightly different.

Yea, I didn't think about the mesh. It's either case upgrade or dremel time T3k.

[T3kl0rd]

Dont care to manually add holes per damaging something. I like my doorless solution ATM, much cheaper than a new case.

[AsRock]

Originally Posted by scaminatrix

I thought it was this one, the SK-503 Super:
http://www.supercase.gr/en/p/1-cases...er-case-sk-503
Ever so slightly different.

Yea, I didn't think about the mesh. It's either case upgrade or dremel time T3k.

Still has most of the intake output air blocked.

[scaminatrix]

Originally Posted by T3kl0rd

I like my doorless solution ATM,

I used to do the same with my old case, but once I started seeing the amount of dust that you get from leaving the door off, I started looking into cases with good airflow. The dust may end up really annoying you.

[T3kl0rd]

Originally Posted by scaminatrix

I used to do the same with my old case, but once I started seeing the amount of dust that you get from leaving the door off, I started looking into cases with good airflow. The dust may end up really annoying you.

I have a big fan pointed into the case when I game, so dust doesn't have a chance to build up. I have the lowest temps I have ever had by far in all games with this. Wish I had thought of this sooner, was frying my PC before I did.

[bmaverick]

Word of caution ... When the humidity drops and the big fan is blowing in your case, static charge can build up and short things out. I learned the hard way and lost a video card.

[T3kl0rd]

I live in Houston, a.k.a. 3rd largest city in America that is also built on a swamp. Humidity dropping will never be my problem here. Mosquitoes are all over the place here. I am worried I will lose my video cards if I DONT take off the door. I have gamed a lot already with the temps super high and these cards probably wont last as long now.

[thebluebumblebee]

You've simply discovered that your case is wholly inadequate for the heat load that you've put in it. That case was most likely designed for a 200 watt load and you have that in 1 video card. 80mm fans don't move squat. 2 92mm fans can't even keep up with 1 120mm fan. (normal speed fans) BTW, your PSU was blowing all that hot air through its self in an attempt to cool its self. You spent all that money on a high end system and tried to stuff it in a $30 case. Think about it this way. With the fans that are in that case, do you think they could keep the interior a few degrees above ambient if you put a 500 watt heater inside the case? You have, however, pointed out a good test that most of us could use to see if we have adequate air flow through our systems. Also, what size were the fans on the side panel and were they blowing in or out?

[T3kl0rd]

Fans sizes are in my system specs. This case is leftover from a previous build in the past. GTX 470s may be the hottest GPUs there are next to the 480s since nVidia improved upon that with the 5xx series. I don't have money for a better case among other upgrades I want like a SSD, so this will do for now.

[Revan101]

lol I thought about doing that, I find cleaning out your computer inside of all dust etc especially those clogged in the fans (CPU GPU TOWER) reduces a lot of heat. i found insane amount of dust clogged in my fans after a year of not cleaning.

[theoneandonlymrk]

every 3 months dudes 3 months even with filters, il use the airduster on the mofo, and get a decent case dude big grilled front fan at topp etc its a semi lifer anyway by the sound of it and youll have a better gam,ein life wiv less worries/troubles
i went from one id cut a 200mm fan into the side of that did cool excellent (till it all clogged every three months(started a treend)) but it was a pain in ass and noisey, got big mofo case now peace and OC higher

[yogurt_21]

Now I will say that iI do run High powered 120's pointed driectly at my cards which is essentially the same thign you're doing but more streamlined.

however even without those fans running and with the side panel on (they're mounted to the sidepanel), my 480's never peak past 80C at stock, typical load is 70c. And they are literally right on top of each other.

I'm in arizona and our outside high was 40.5c yesterday and summer isn't even ramping up yet.

I'd say you need to take off those coolers and re-apply thermal paste. i know i had to do that with my 470 when I had it.


with the fans on at stock my gpu's always stay below 60C at a 24c ambient. Overclocked they'll go up to 85c sure, but thats at 920 core.

as for the sidepanel off and the fan, that's been a poormans cooling solution since the dawn of circuit boards.

[Pestilence]

Zip tie a 120mm fan you have laying around?