# [SOLVED] Think i need to install an intake fan....



## ad2326 (Sep 10, 2007)

Hi Guys,

I've recently got the upgrading bug, and will shortly be installing a GeForce 8800GT (either XFX or Zotac).

Due to the heat issues ive read about on this card and as im almost sure that my m/board doesnt support fan speed control, ive invested in an Antec Super Cyclone PCI exhaust fan, to get rid of some of the heat from the 8800GT.

But ive now realised that this leaves my PC case with 3 exhaust fans, and no intake. A *Basic* version of my setup is shown in the attachment, or at this link:

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e279/ad2326/SR2029UKCaseJPG.jpg


the 80mm exhaust fan and the PSU extract the air generated from the CPU, and the Antec PCI exhaust gets rid of the graphics card heat.

Is having all these exhausts and no intake doing more harm than good?

I was thinking of mounting an intake fan (there arent any fan mounts at the front, so it would be an "improvised" positioning!) in the yellow circle area, to blow air across the Graphics card, which is then exhausted by the Antec Super Cyclone. 


can anyone tell me if im along the right lines? Im pretty new to case cooling.

Thanks all,

Adam


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## Tumbleweed36 (May 14, 2005)

*Re: Think i need to install an intake fan....*

I agree, you do need an intake fan and a 120mm would be best.

General rule for fans for most efficient cooling:

Back fan pulls hot air out of case.

CPU fan blows down on heatsink.

Side Fan pulls cool air in to case.

Top fan pulls hot air out of case.

Front fan pulls in cool air from front.


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## ad2326 (Sep 10, 2007)

*Re: Think i need to install an intake fan....*

sorry, i should add that the red arrows are my guesses at the direction of air based on the way the fans are positioned, and the reason i chose the yellow area to position an intake fan is due to the fact there are small grilles in the bottom front corner of the case, which i figured a fan could suck air in through rather than them just being 'holes'?

thanks again!
Adam


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## Tumbleweed36 (May 14, 2005)

*Re: Think i need to install an intake fan....*

Just remember, the front intake and the rear exhause are the MOST important fans. Also, it is very important that your heatsink fan is blowing DOWN on the heatsink.

Others help a bunch, but you need the basics first. Yes, it will suck the air through grills there without a bunch of holes. If you see it isn't helping, get the old drill out and do a number on it.


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## ad2326 (Sep 10, 2007)

*Re: Think i need to install an intake fan....*

thanks for the quick reply tumbleweed,

so technically the arrows for the CPU fan on my diagram are backwards, as i had them pulling hot air from the heatsink and out of the rear exhaust?

as there arent any mounting holes on the front of my case id have to improvise with sticky tape and/or glue or something (!), but as long as the fan's secure it shouldnt affect airflow right?

Adam


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## Tumbleweed36 (May 14, 2005)

*Re: Think i need to install an intake fan....*

There are differing opinions on that air for the heatsink. The majority of users feel as I do, but you won't get 100% agreement. I do feel strongly about that issue and I think if you reverse it, you will see a difference in your temps. Just remember, if you break the artic silver (I(hope that is what you used) seal between the cpu and heatsink, you have to clean it and reapply the thermal paste. If you used a factory pad instead of artic silver , get rid of it and use artic silver and you will see another 
difference.

I like my fans to be secure, so I like to fasten them directly to the case. However, if they are on there tight with something, they should work fine. Keep us posted on how you are doing.


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## ad2326 (Sep 10, 2007)

*Re: Think i need to install an intake fan....*

my CPU fan is basically exactly as it was when i bought the PC, its a Compaq (Presario) built one so i havent removed or replaced anything around the CPU... yet. i would have thought HP/Compaq would attach the fan as you say, blowing down on the heatsink, and im also guessing they'd be using factory standard seals in-house?

ill keep you posted, the first job is to find a fan.... im *hoping*  i can salvage a half decent one from an old PC, but old tends to equal loud..... :tongue:

Cheers again
Adam


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## magnethead (Mar 18, 2006)

*Re: Think i need to install an intake fan....*

if the CPU uses 1 fan for both case and CPU (a la dell ATX), it should blow outward, drawing air across the heatsink. I the fan is mounted directly to the CPU and there is another fan on the case, the case should exhaust and the CPU should blow INTO the heatsink.


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## ad2326 (Sep 10, 2007)

*Re: Think i need to install an intake fan....*

thanks magnet :smile:

ive got the case open at the minute and the CPU fan is blowing down onto the heatsink, with the nearby rear exhaust fan extracting air. thumbs up!

ive wired in an 80mm case fan (which i actually "extracted" from an 8 year old PSU from an old PC at work :1angel and stuck it in the yellow area on the diagram -i dont think its big enough or has a high enough RPM, its knocked off maybe 2 degrees at idle (havent tried in game yet)

if i use a new 120mm fan like the Antec Smartcool 120mm, should I expect to notice a much bigger difference?

Adam


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## Tumbleweed36 (May 14, 2005)

*Re: Think i need to install an intake fan....*

You will notice a difference, but don't expect miracles. Definitely, it will pull more cool air in than an 80mm and be quieter also.


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## ad2326 (Sep 10, 2007)

*Re: Think i need to install an intake fan....*

theres a few 120mm's at a local PC store for about £4.99, ill try and pick one up tomorrow.

i spent about an hour playing HL2 Episode One with the 80mm fan sat at the front and in game the GPU core peaked about 8 or 9 degrees lower than before.
the peak was still 95 degrees  (my current Geforce 7500LE has a tiny fan/heatsink) but 9 degrees is 9 degrees! im currently running without the PCI exhaust fan too, though.

once ive got the 120mm fan and the PCI exhaust ill post the results, and sometime next week i should be getting the 8800GT too.... *rubs hands* ...

Cheers! ray:
Adam


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## Tumbleweed36 (May 14, 2005)

*Re: Think i need to install an intake fan....*

Let us know if we can help further. BTW, I use the antec fans and they are excellent and not loud at all. I use the 3 speed version, so I can find out what I need and adjust the speed manually. Presently, mine are both set to run at the slowest speed and they do fine.


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## ad2326 (Sep 10, 2007)

*Re: Think i need to install an intake fan....*

hmmmm.....

i had a problem with the super cyclone PCI exhaust, and i wondered if im doing something wrong or if the one ive got is just faulty.

its got a 4 pin molex connector that has a male at one end and a female at the other. to better explain it ive attached an image i found on Google, its in the green circle.

so i plugged in one of the 4pin "fan only" connectors from my PSU, the only way it would plug in, and no life in the fan. i know the fan power is working as ive tried a different fan in there.
ive tried taking the wires out of the connector on the Cyclone and plugging them straight into the fan power, to no avail.

is there anything ive overlooked, or should i get a replacement?




i also bought a 120m Hiper case fan for the front intake, its not doing too bad a job actually, seem to be peaking just under 90 now, and still without the PCI exhaust. i might get round to drilling some holes in the plastic front casing cos the grilles are pretty small at the moment. :smile:

thanks
Adam


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## magnethead (Mar 18, 2006)

*Re: Think i need to install an intake fan....*

you have the 2 port super cyclone right? I had the same one, it's pretty darn good. Did you try making sure the fan's getting power (volt meter on connector) and turn it on high to see if it kicked on? I've started to realize that Antec doesnt make PSU pass-through conenctors for fans worth junk. On my antec 900, i've had the pins pop out several times. Almost easier to just hack it off and convert it to a 3 pin motherboard connector.


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## ad2326 (Sep 10, 2007)

*Re: Think i need to install an intake fan....*

hi again magnet,

yeah its the 2 PCI slot version, i have read a lot of good reviews on it, thought it was a bargain for the £10 i paid!

i hadnt noticed a volt meter anywhere actually, ill check again, what does it look like? i tried it on all three settings too.

youre right the molex connector isnt the best, but i did open it up (theres a little door on it) and take the wires out, and plug the metal ends straight into the PSU's fan power, but since that didnt work i figured it must be a connection within the unit itself?? im trying to avoid snipping the wire incase i do have to send it back! also, my motherboard only has two 3-pin connectors and theyre already occupied! rubbish!!

Cheers
Adam


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## magnethead (Mar 18, 2006)

*Re: Think i need to install an intake fan....*

it doent have a voltmeter, i was saying if u have a fluke meter or something sitting ont he workbench, try it.

If you plug it in and meter it and the wires have 12V going into the unit, exchange it for another. While antec makes poor connectors, the fans are top notch.


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## ad2326 (Sep 10, 2007)

*Re: Think i need to install an intake fan....*

ah sorry, misunderstood you! well the company i got it from emailed back pretty swiftly with a returns address so i sent it back yesterday. fingers crossed lightning wont strike twice! 

will keep you posted!
Adam


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## ad2326 (Sep 10, 2007)

*Re: Think i need to install an intake fan....*

hi all,

sorry its been a while, been waiting to get my replacement Antec Super Cyclone from Kikatek.

it came today, and unfortunately this one doesnt work either. so i figure it cant be a faulty item, it must be something else.

one thing i have noticed this time is, if i plug the fan in while the power is off, when boot up my computer the fan turns a little bit for a split second the moment i press the power button, then its completely dead.

could this be a bad connection? would it be worth cutting the ends off the wires and trying them directly into the power supply. obviously this would mean i cant return it again.

thanks very much
Adam


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## magnethead (Mar 18, 2006)

*Re: Think i need to install an intake fan....*

like i said, grab a multimeter or 12 v test light and see if it's getting power at the plug. The yellow wire is 12V, black right next to it is ground, should be 11.5-12.5VDC across them. If there's not, your PSU is dying/capactior on that line has died/wires are loosely connected inside PSU. If there is, i'm dumbfounded. Try connecting it on the molex dongle going to the hard drive (unless you have SATA), where PSU conenction goes to fan, and fan goes to hard drive. 

If it boots and the fan runs, it's something on that other line. If it doesn't boot and returns a disk drive BIOS error, the fan connector pins are loose.

If you didn't live in the UK i'd send you one of my hacked off PSU ends to use so you wouldn't have to cut the fan leads. I only have about 3 PSU's worth.


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## ad2326 (Sep 10, 2007)

*Re: Think i need to install an intake fan....*

ill have to have a look see if weve got a meter in the garage somewhere, i cant say ive noticed one before, but our garage isssss a bit of a mess! 

its wierd because, the intake fan i did install at the front of the case (a Hiper 120mm) has the same 12v connector and runs fine on the same power line. the BIOS RPM monitor says its turning at around 700-750rpm.

in fact, theres only actually one power line from the PSU for the 2 fan only connectors, theyre on the same wire, sort of "daisy chained", i dont know the proper term for it. the Hiper fan works on both, but the Antec doesnt work on either, whether both are plugged in or just one! my hard drive is SATA so im not sure i can try connecting that way.

i will try dig out a voltmeter and test the line, if all is ok with the PSU i think ill return the Antec and try a different model of slot cooler, and if that doesnt work ill........ go on holiday........ or something........ :grin:

thanks again magnet
Adam


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## magnethead (Mar 18, 2006)

*Re: Think i need to install an intake fan....*

now that's odd. i didnt have any problems with mine other than that little clip breaking off that holds the wire in that notch off the motor. Strange to say the least.


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## ad2326 (Sep 10, 2007)

*Re: Think i need to install an intake fan....*

absolutely!!

well i just tried snipping and baring the wires and going direct into the power line and no avail, fan is still dead. however i CAN get an old 80mm fan which also has bare wires working fine, along with the 120mm intake fan too.

sooo im guessing theres just some incompatibility somewhere (between and Antec PSU and an Antec fan )

ive ordered a cheap unbranded single slot version of the Antec from a local store, so im gonna see if that works.

its the same store thats *supposed* to be getting me the 8800gt, but theyre proving pretty rare over here so its been delayed again:upset:!


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## magnethead (Mar 18, 2006)

*Re: Think i need to install an intake fan....*

hmm strange

did you ever try calling antec CS? The guy there is pretty good at things.


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## ad2326 (Sep 10, 2007)

*Re: Think i need to install an intake fan....*

well..... :wave:

after much deliberation  i decided the Antec PCI exhaust wasnt going to work... so thats been returned, the only similar thing i could find locally was a single slot version made by some third party brand, but it was only £4.00, so i thought may aswell try it.
it turns at least, how fast i dont know, but it is doing some kind of job!

and since then i managed to pick up a GeForce 8800GT (a Zotac model), so ive been testing the temperatures on that in game. with the PCI exhaust and the 120mm front intake both in place, the card idles around 60 degrees C, and in game it peaked at around 90C, which is only 3 or 4 degrees above what the old 7500LE peaked at with its tiny tiny fan.

i know 90C is still hot, but visually its coping pretty flawlessly with full settings, whereas the old card peaked at 86/87 on almost the lowest settings. it can get a bit whiney in busy parts of gaming too, but im not too concerned with the noise (yet...) if it does become a problem, how easy are aftermarket VGA coolers to pick up for the nvidia 8 series??

thanks all!!
Adam


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## magnethead (Mar 18, 2006)

*Re: Think i need to install an intake fan....*



ad2326 said:


> well..... :wave:
> 
> after much deliberation  i decided the Antec PCI exhaust wasnt going to work... so thats been returned, the only similar thing i could find locally was a single slot version made by some third party brand, but it was only £4.00, so i thought may aswell try it.
> it turns at least, how fast i dont know, but it is doing some kind of job!
> ...


look up newegg or performance-pcs.com and you're find that theres probably 50 different coolers for the 8 series..The DuOrb has 2 heat pipes and dual 80 mm fans.

http://www.performance-pcs.com/cata...duct_info&manufacturers_id=&products_id=22556


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