# Keepin' it cool



## escalade213 (Jul 9, 2007)

I'm planing to build myself a PC with the following specs:

Hardrive: Seagate / Barracuda 7200.10 / 500GB / 7200 / 16MB / Serial ATA-300 / OEM /

Motherboard:EVGA nForce 680i SLI NVIDIA Socket 775 ATX Motherboard

RAM:Corsair Dual Channel TWINX 2048MB PC6400 DDR2 800MHz E.P.P. Memory(2 x 1024)

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 2.66GHz

PSU: Silencer 750 Quad

Video Card: GeForce8800 GTX

Sound Card: Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy SE

Case: ATX Mid Tower with one side panel fan 90mm(i think) (HxWxL)
(16x8x20) inches

OS: Windows Xp multimedia edition

that comes to $1850(Canadian) give or take

what i want to do with this thing is play games like Oblivion, Quake 4 and future games at maximum graphics.
the case i already have i don't need speakers or a monitor

i currently have one fan on the side panel and one extra one will be installed on it (not sure what kind)

what i want to know if i should be worried about keeping the machine cool with only two fans.
if it isn't enough any recommendations preferably from "www.tigerdirect.ca" would be appreciated but any other site will do .
i'm thinking in the range of $150 to $250 Canadian


P.S. if there's anything else wrong or could be better on that setup any suggestions that would make games work like i were watching real life would be appreciated i'm willing to spend roughly no more than another $300-$400 more excluding the $150 to $250 for the "cooling unit"


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## mattlock (Dec 28, 2005)

You need to have an exhaust fan in the rear of the case and an intake fan in the front of the case. The side panel fan should also be an intake. For better cooling you might consider a full tower.


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## escalade213 (Jul 9, 2007)

when you say "consider" do you mean get a full tower or the mid tower will do


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## mattlock (Dec 28, 2005)

The mid tower will do, but if you want optimum air flow then a nice roomy full atx case with some 120mm fans front and back is the way to go. Like the CM Stacker or the Thermaltake Armor series.


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## escalade213 (Jul 9, 2007)

so the mid tower will do all i need is extra fans?


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## escalade213 (Jul 9, 2007)

for the fans on the front and back of the mid tower what size would i need


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

At least a 90mm in the front or side and at least one 92mm in the rear. A 120mm in the rear is preferable.

Check out this case. It has the best airflow of any Mid-tower I have seen.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021


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## escalade213 (Jul 9, 2007)

the thing is i already have the case and i don't wanna just let it go unless it'll be a problem in the future


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

Do you see grills in the front or back where fans can be mounted? There will likely be a place in the back for a fan and possibly in the front, but the back is really the only place where it is essential.


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## escalade213 (Jul 9, 2007)

yes in the back there's room for a 120mm fan in the front there's space for a hard drive fan(120mm i think) and the side panel fan is 90mm not sure if it's intake or exhaust if it is an exhaust fan i think i'm just gonna reverse it to meet mattlock138's specs. if anything else is needed please let me know thanks


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

Yeah, if you reverse the side fan so its intake and add a rear 120mm fan you will be all set. :smile:


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## escalade213 (Jul 9, 2007)

is the hardrive intake fan needed?

sorry for being so "questiony" i just don't want anything to go wrong with this machine i'm spending alot of money on it and i don't want it to go down the drain


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

It is better if you have the 120mm fan intake by the hard drive *instead* of the side intake fan, but to not use both. One or the other in addition to the rear exhaust.


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## escalade213 (Jul 9, 2007)

the side panel fan on the case is preinstalled

P.S. what will happen if two intake fans are installed front and side and one rear exhaust because from what i understand that what mattlock138 suggested?


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## TheMatt (May 9, 2006)

That will pressurize the air in the case slightly which will actually help to heat up the components a little. You always want to have more airflow of exhaust than input.


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## mattlock (Dec 28, 2005)

I have to agree with TheMatt to an extent. The priority order for case fans would be:
1) Rear Exhaust
2) Front Intake
3) Side Intake (Optional)

As for having a rear exhaust and both front and side intake fans installed being a bad thing.:4-dontkno

I've built several system with that exact configuration and never ran into to any type of thermal issues with them compared to the systems that were built with only front intake and rear exhaust. 

That's not to say it could'nt happen. Maybe if you had a low CFM exhaust fan and two high CFM intake fans, but I've personally never seen it happen.

If you're concerned about it then install the 120mm fans in the front and rear, then monitor the system temps with and without the side fan connected. I don't think you'll see much difference.

BTW, could you post a link to your case?


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## escalade213 (Jul 9, 2007)

it looks kinda like this but in black and the front panel looks different the dimensions look about the same and it did come with the same PSU as this onehttp://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2549301&Sku=TC3J-4032%20P
i can't seem to find the actual one i have but the design is similar


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