In terms of airflow what do you say about my PC [56k alert]

[tkpenalty]

Yeah, guys for those who havent seen my PC, here it is, comment about the airflow directly. I dont prioritise on the HDDs btw since they never fail due to heat. I dont have that HDD cooler anymore btw.

UPDATE:

Do not post your PCs here to hijack the thread. Doing so will get my attention and criticisms if it is sub-par

Shit theres so much dust, btw i cleaned my zalman after taking a photo.

Just to show you where all my cables went:

BEFORE:
http://www.techpowerup.com/gallery/696/__1.jpg
http://www.techpowerup.com/gallery/696/__4.jpg

Notice how the spare cables are BEHIND the drive bay via the rear of the motherboard tray

http://www.techpowerup.com/gallery/696/__2.jpg
http://www.techpowerup.com/gallery/696/__8.jpg
http://www.techpowerup.com/gallery/696/__9.jpg

So comments on the cable managements please! Feedback would be nice.

 

[ktr]

It seems that your intake = outtake, so your airflow will be good. Also your cables aren't in the way to.

 

[Zalmann]

56K alert? Do you mean to tell me that some people here are still on 56K modem dialup?

 

[Ketxxx]

Looks a little messy, but generally unhindered.

 

[tkpenalty]

56K alert? Do you mean to tell me that some people here are still on 56K modem dialup?

You don't say, while we have been spoiled with the delights of ADSL2+ some guys still are on 56k

 

[Zalmann]

I feel sorry for people still on dialup. I've been so used to DSL and T1 internet connectivity at work that I take it for granted.

 

[DrunkenMafia]

heehee my mum still uses dial up, there is actually a pause while sending text when she is on msn and types a message... LOL
.
The airflow looks good btw, cables are nice and neat which is always a help. That mb of yours hasn't got the best layout though, its a shame the main loom has to go right across the middle of the board like that. Not your fault though bro..

 

[DrunkenMafia]

hey TK you should pick up some nice ram heatsinks, they will make that ram look a little speccyer (huh??? I am pretty sure that aint a word)...

 

[Mussels]

Airflow seems fine, perhaps cut out the intakes on the side panel/front case and replace them with grilles, it would restrict the airflow less.

Oh and i cant see, but the side panel fan should be an intake in that case, or you'd end up with a negative air pressure problem.

 

[tkpenalty]

Airflow seems fine, perhaps cut out the intakes on the side panel/front case and replace them with grilles, it would restrict the airflow less.

Oh and i cant see, but the side panel fan should be an intake in that case, or you'd end up with a negative air pressure problem.

My side panel fan is not there. I dont have one, yes i know its for intake but the sheer suction of the CNPS7700CU is good enough anyway (good enough too keep a paper stuck on).

I can replace the front panel you know? There is a model with grilles but its sorta ugly to me, with the intake, i might increase the intake; there is a hole at the bottom, on the older case the bottom intake was cut even bigger, but it just seriously deteriorated the structural integrity of the case, however, the fan could operate as efficiently as it should. I'm sorta worried that i cant feel moving air at the rear of the case (where the GPU is).

 

[mullered07]

wow your cable managment is pretty much like mine (pictures coming soon on my new camera ) although i have to say that case is just ugly man, get a nice sleek black case thyat doesnt look so "generic"

 

[technicks]

I personaly don't see anything wrong with it. It's discribed to be the optimal airflow method.
Maybe you could place a extra fan infront of the drive bay at about the hight of your videocard. Just to optimize it a bit.

 

[tkpenalty]

I personaly don't see anything wrong with it. It's discribed to be the optimal airflow method.
Maybe you could place a extra fan infront of the drive bay at about the hight of your videocard. Just to optimize it a bit.

That would look weird and i would have to drag the stupid molex cables from the cable management section = clutter. I might get rid of one of my HDDswhen i get my hands on a SATA burner. Btw I moved the HDDs a bay up each.

Btw, the ATX cable isnt really doing any harm, as the intake is 120 mm (CNPS7700CU, duct) + 92mm. All the other 975X motherboards at the time were extremely overpriced. I'm not planning to upgrade my mobo as it will last me another year anyway. P5W DH Deluxe is waaaay to expensive. All the other ones are suboptimal compared to this, ignoring the gay placement of the power connector. However I take this for granted as if It was where its supposed to be... I would have to be very careful with the connector; the cables too long, coincidentally i didnt have to bend the cables, it was already in that form, thus i didnt have to twist and bend (or damage) the cables.

http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/10/11/four_975x_motherboards_for_core_2_duo/page8.html

well that motherboard is quite decent but I wouldn't like the fact that the power connectors are SPLIT. I would have to use brute force for the power connector to go in.

 

[tkpenalty]

So after moving the video card to the lower slot i get the same temps for the GPU. I made the intake a bit bigger, and i might make it even more bigger later since the intake fan isnt working as efficient as my voltage limited rear outake fan.

 

[xvi]

Resolution much? Hmm.
Nice work on the USB/LED/button headers! Those things always give me a problem.

As far as airflow is concerned, I wouldn't be worried at all. That's actually what I'd consider a very good setup. 10/10
Everyone started worrying about airflow back when we were using flat, unmanaged PATA cables. Even if you still have the flat PATA cables, you can safely bend them along the motherboard tray (and keep them out of the airflow path). The fan grills are probably causing more restriction than the cables are. However, a clean looking computer is a good looking computer.

As for the motherboard tray, you can clean your cables up a bit by throwing any cable you can behind it like this. I noticed you have openings next to your power supply and behind the hard drive mounts (as do most cases). If you haven't already, use them to your advantage like this.

It was dreadfully useful for hiding my wonderful Thermaltake Hardcano 9 wires. Since not many of my fans use the motherboard headers, the wires can be directed to the nearest opening and then connected to the Hardcano. The end result, of course, is a well hidden set of cables. (Although the rest of my cable management is horrible).

 

[Mussels]

Resolution much? Hmm.
Nice work on the USB/LED/button headers! Those things always give me a problem.

As far as airflow is concerned, I wouldn't be worried at all. That's actually what I'd consider a very good setup. 10/10
Everyone started worrying about airflow back when we were using flat, unmanaged PATA cables. Even if you still have the flat PATA cables, you can safely bend them along the motherboard tray (and keep them out of the airflow path). The fan grills are probably causing more restriction than the cables are. However, a clean looking computer is a good looking computer.

As for the motherboard tray, you can clean your cables up a bit by throwing any cable you can behind it like this. I noticed you have openings next to your power supply and behind the hard drive mounts (as do most cases). If you haven't already, use them to your advantage like this.

It was dreadfully useful for hiding my wonderful Thermaltake Hardcano 9 wires. Since not many of my fans use the motherboard headers, the wires can be directed to the nearest opening and then connected to the Hardcano. The end result, of course, is a well hidden set of cables. (Although the rest of my cable management is horrible).

I use the same solution for hiding cables in most of my systems, be very sure to tape them down, otherwise those naughty molex connectors can rotate and make it very hard to get your side panel back on.

 

[xvi]

I use the same solution for hiding cables in most of my systems, be very sure to tape them down, otherwise those naughty molex connectors can rotate and make it very hard to get your side panel back on.

I used to tape them down, but I don't bother any more. I just sort of pound on the side of the case until it goes on. The big secret is to never take it off again.

You're right, though. Tape was my friend. The molex connectors on my Hardcano make up the most of my problems. The rest isn't too tough to deal with.

 

[Mussels]

yeah... i think i'll do mine now. i just added some new fans (old scythe ones were clicking pieces of crap) so i'll tidy it up a little more and post pics, including the rear cable mess.

Edit: pics up, lazy so i just showed the mess at the rear. You can see the front in the case gallery link i posted earlier.

 

[tkpenalty]

I used to tape them down, but I don't bother any more. I just sort of pound on the side of the case until it goes on. The big secret is to never take it off again.

You're right, though. Tape was my friend. The molex connectors on my Hardcano make up the most of my problems. The rest isn't too tough to deal with.

I might as well post my case too. I had everything sorted out and looking great until I bought two hard drives, a new DVD burner, and a new video card. I have quite a few things crammed in there at the moment. I'll be looking for a larger case (I don't care how heavy. I'll still lug it around to lan parties.)

Well, here we go.

The MSI and Sapphire stickers are old ones. MSI was replaced by DFI and Sapphire by ATi. Unfortunately, the Arctic Fan 8 does not fit on the inside of the case. Lucky for me, it's silent.

Taking a look inside now...

Stupidly, the Arctic Fan 8 connects to the motherboard (even though it runs full speed anyway). I don't have a very good solution for the side fan other than taping it down one of the legs of the X.
On the bottom of the side panel is a second UV Cold Cathode. Holding them down are blue plastic ties. Connecting to the blue inverter, is a Blue Cold Cathode (round). It was originally mounted on the side fan before it was replaced. The Blue Cold Cathode, over time, slowly turned pink, and then finally red. Blue Cold Cathode, Red light. I have no idea how that happened.
SATA cables are obviously everywhere. So are power cables. Most of the power cables actually start from behind the hard drive bay. A power splitter is used to reach the x850 Pro (Flashed to XT). Time to move on.

Back here is where I try to hide the majority of my cables. The Hardcano would be devastating inside the case if I couldn't move it back here. Surprisingly, I was able to pull my motherboard power connector back here quite easily. This area is mainly used to power fans and other accessories, but two molex and three SATA power connectors also take a shortcut through here. Thankfully, these wires are well hidden.

The case is a fairly generic one, but it's not without its features (however few).

I know the cabling is horrid. To be honest, I don't know why I posted. I guess the good doesn't look good unless you have some bad to compare it to.

I was able to cable my roommate's computer fairly well. He has a Thermaltake Xaser, or something like that. Then again, he had a Mini ATX mobo, GeForce 5200 and one hard drive. At least it turned out clean.

I'll probably unhook my computer this weekend for a cleaning. I'll try to rewire the ugly bits and put some new photos up. It's not going to look amazing, but it should look better.

Edit: This is the computer in my "System Specs".
Other miscellaneous specs are:
CPU Fan: 120mm Zalman CMPS7700Cu. 1200-1800RPM Adjustable. Hardcano Fan 1. Modded for RPM reading through motherboard header.
Front Fan: 80mm Mascool Sleeve Bearing. Intake. Adjustable via Hardcano Fan 2.
Side Fan: 80mm Arctic Fan 8. Intake. 2000RPM. Full speed via motherboard header.
Rear Fan: 60mm Vantec Stealth. Exhaust. Adjustable via Hardcano Fan 3.
Top Fan: 80mm Mascool Sleeve Bearing. Exhaust. Modded. Adjustable via Hardcano Fan 4.

Dude thats what i did, mr unique, make your own thread. Even so, your cable work is horrid.

Man you guys are going to regret stuffing the cables like that, they are going to get damaged. I keep them straight and bundled neatly, not a rushjob.

 

[xvi]

Dude thats what i did, mr unique, make your own thread. Even so, your cable work is horrid.

Man you guys are going to regret stuffing the cables like that, they are going to get damaged. I keep them straight and bundled neatly, not a rushjob.

None of the cables are stuffed, bent, stretched, tied or stressed in any way. I never said it was unique nor was it meant to be. You didn't have a picture from the back so I thought I'd just mention it. I know my cabling is horrid. I already said that. I haven't had the time to redesign it as most of my time is taken up by college. My temperatures are what I would consider to be more than healthy so optimizing my airflow isn't of extreme importance to me at the moment.

The cables are fine. The same "dangerous" stuffing can be said about your PATA cable (I know they're fine if they're bent) and the other cables "stuffed" behind the hard drive bay. You and I both know this isn't a problem because our cables haven't been stuffed or stressed in any way. And even with the mess of cables everywhere, the overall airflow is way better than old PATA systems where it actually mattered.

You're right, though. This isn't my thread. I was thinking it was more of a "show me what you have" thread, but thinking about it now, I realize I had it confused with a different thread. Sorry. I'll delete the post. Still, you don't need to try and start a flame war here.

Edit: For some reason, I had this somewhat mixed up with this thread. I suppose sleep deprivation is to blame. Again, sorry Tk.

 

[PaulieG]

What kind of tape are you guys using to tape down your cables?

 

[tkpenalty]

None of the cables are stuffed, bent, stretched, tied or stressed in any way. I never said it was unique nor was it meant to be. You didn't have a picture from the back so I thought I'd just mention it. I know my cabling is horrid. I already said that. I haven't had the time to redesign it as most of my time is taken up by college. My temperatures are what I would consider to be more than healthy so optimizing my airflow isn't of extreme importance to me at the moment.

The cables are fine. The same "dangerous" stuffing can be said about your PATA cable (I know they're fine if they're bent) and the other cables "stuffed" behind the hard drive bay. You and I both know this isn't a problem because our cables haven't been stuffed or stressed in any way. And even with the mess of cables everywhere, the overall airflow is way better than old PATA systems where it actually mattered.

You're right, though. This isn't my thread. I was thinking it was more of a "show me what you have" thread, but thinking about it now, I realize I had it confused with a different thread. Sorry. I'll delete the post. Still, you don't need to try and start a flame war here.

Edit: For some reason, I had this somewhat mixed up with this thread. I suppose sleep deprivation is to blame. Again, sorry Tk.

I folded the cables, not bending any. I didnt stuff the PATA cables.

What kind of tape are you guys using to tape down your cables?

None

 

[xvi]

I folded the cables, not bending any. I didnt stuff the PATA cables.

I know you're right, but folding vs bending?
I don't think it's possible (or at least very easy) to put a PATA cable in danger. I have a few SFF Dell Optiplexs that have the cables literally crammed in the corner thanks to the manufacturer.

@Paulieg: Anything that won't leave a mark.

 

[tkpenalty]

bending is different to folding, since folding just means making the width of the cable shorter, beinding the plastic gaps which keeps each strand of cable in one piece.

lol... I just used an ASUS IDE cable and cut off the IDE Labels that have ASUS on it.

EDIT: This is my case btw http://www.dealsonic.com/appcatxmidto.html. It just need a god damn strut (hahaha like a car chassis stiffening strut) like antec cases to prevent it from warping. Might rivet/weld one on, but if i do that i have to go full shine and a new paint job.

 

[tkpenalty]

Now I want a window mod.

http://www.apextechusa.com/products_cate.asp?cID=9

Thats the company. PC-132 case basically.