Fans. Building new PC and I need help on how many fans. (1 Viewer)

[CRyan]

Well, how many case-fans do I need? Do I need one for the front and the back? When I built my current PC, I went ahead and put one in front and back (but they both suck - or they don't suck, whichever way you look at it). So how many do I need and which ones from newegg are good?
This is for a 1.2-1.4 AMD TB.
Also, is there a definitive answer to which way they need to direct airflow. No opinions please, just how is it supposed to be.
ONE MORE THING. My current CPU cooler is a 3DFX Cool. I see the company is now called 1coolpc. It WAS the BigMoFo. They have changed the design now it seems. It has an 80mm fan.
It is huge - will it work for a 1.2-1.4 AMD?
Thanks for any help,
C. Ryan
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[Edited last by CRyan on October 07, 2001 at 01:30 AM]
[Edited last by CRyan on October 07, 2001 at 01:37 AM]

 

[Liam S]

I have a Thunderbird 1.2 and I'm using just one case fan.
A case fan should be directing the air inside the case to the outside. This will get rid of the hot air inside the case while pulling in new cooler air.
As for your CPU heatsink+fan, if it wasn't originally from a SocketA 462 Athlon or Duron, it won't fit.

 

[CRyan]

Oops. your right of course... was not thinking. We are talking socket A here not socket 7. Oh well an overpriced fan out to the trash it seems, but their site does say it will fit both socket 7 and socket A.
I thought that was the situation with the case fan but wanted to make sure since the power supply takes air out as well.
Any cheap heatsink/fans for socket A from newegg that are good?
What should be the rpm of a case fan? And CPU fan for that matter?
Thanks,
C. Ryan
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[Edited last by CRyan on October 07, 2001 at 01:51 AM]

 

[Abdul Jalib]

I suggest getting several $9 (on sale) PC Power and Cooling 80 mm Silencer fans, as T-birds are hot and the first step in cooling them is a low case temperature. I'm currently using one Silencer fan on my CPU and one Silencer fan for the front of the case, but I plan to add three more - an additional fan in front, a fan in back, and an additional fan on the side of my CPU, as they are nearly silent and only $9 each. You will also need a strong power supply and one that pumps air through fairly well.
For a tower case, Enermax suggests that fans in front/bottom suck in and fans at back/top blow out. The Enermax Whisper power supply has a fan on the bottom close to the CPU that sucks up in addition to the fan at the back that blows out. This is the best design, though I found this particular power supply rather loud.
Also see http://www.amd.com/us-en/assets/content_type/white_papers_and_tech_docs/23794.pdfClick to subscribe to Philips_HDTV discussion group

 

[Liam S]

Oh well an overpriced fan out to the trash it seems, but their site does say it will fit both socket 7 and socket A.

Maybe you can still use it. As long as it fits and holds on tightly it'll work. Just make sure it's not heavier than 300 grams, and you have good contact with the CPU using thermal grease.
1 80mm case fan should be good enough. I've found that the temperature of the CPU and case depends a lot on the temperature of the room. In a hot room my CPU has gotten up to 52 degrees C, and in a cooler room it runs at around 42-45 degrees C.

 

[Camp]

quote: No opinions please, just how is it supposed to be.[/quote]
It depends upon the number of case fans used and the configuration of them. As Liam suggested, blowing warm air out is a key goal. However, if you plan on using more than one case fan (and those fans are not located on the same plane) you may want a fan sucking cool air into the case.
I have 4 80mm case fans. Two at the front of the case bring in cool air and two at the rear of the case (where heat builds up) blow the hot air out.
quote: What should be the rpm of a case fan? And CPU fan for that matter?[/quote]
I'd say 2800 RPM and ~30 CFM (cubic feet per minute of air movement) ought to be good average ratings for an 80mm casefan. I use four 3900 RPM fans that move about 50 CFM of air.
As for the speed and power of the CPU fan, that really depends upon what you're willing to live with and whether you plan on overclocking. CPU fans can get pretty loud. I use a 7000 RPM 60mm fan on my heat sink that is rather loud. It does, however, move a tremendous amount of air (around 40 CFM) for a small fan. I recommend you visit this site to hear what various fan speeds sound like: Link Removed . Sidewinder computers is a great site for heat sink and fan shopping. I have delt with them on several occasions and have always been happy.
quote: It WAS the BigMoFo. They have changed the design now it seems. It has an 80mm fan.[/quote]
The idea behind the BigMoFo is a good one: adapt a large 80mm fan to a traditional CPU heat sink and get lots of CFM with little noise. However, in practice it just doesn't work well. Yes, the big fan moves a great deal of air but not with the power necessary to cool the heat sink effectively. In review after review a good 60mm fan will destroy the BigMoFo in cooling the CPU.
quote: Any cheap heatsink/fans for socket A from newegg that are good?[/quote]
The Thermalright SK6 is probably the current value champ. The Thermaltake DragonOrb 3 is popular right now as well (though I am still skeptical of any "orb" HSF). Take a look around Sidewinder for several others.
[Edited last by Camp on October 07, 2001 at 01:20 PM]

 

[Abdul Jalib]

Interesting, and apparently correct. I'm using a Thermalright SK-6 with 80-to-60 mm adapter and a 80 mm fan, which a new combo from 1coolpc, and I'm very disappointed. I can't get good cooling without mounting a second fan on the side of the CPU. So, is there a quiet 60 mm fan that I should try?
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[CRyan]

Thanks for the help. I am thinking about getting this case: http://www.myelabs.com/reviews.asp?name=1288

 

[brentl]

I use 2 80mm fans... 1 sucking cool air in, and 1 blowing cool air out.
My CPU is at 34c, and never goes higher that 38. Duron 750.
Brent L
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[Camp]

Abdul,
When not running my hair drier loud 7000RPM Delta fan I sometimes use a Sunon 5200RPM fan. I haven't used this fan for a while (as I've been overclocked recently) but it seems to cool at stock CPU speeds just fine. I've heard that a company named Papst makes a 6800 RPM fan that is quite a bit quieter than the black label Delta 7k fan but I have no experience with it. I believe all of these fans are available at Sidewinder Computers.
Another option is to use a rheostat. The rheostat will allow you to adjust the speed (and noise) of any CPU fan. It's a handy device. Link Removed
Really though, if you're not overclocking a 7000 RPM fan is overkill.
CRyan,
Fon Kai is a good case company.

 

[AaronNWilson]

Yeah I can't stand a noisy PC. For my next system I am going to do much more case planning in order to achieve maximum case access and silence.
I am currenly running 2x 4k rpm fans and I find this much too loud.
For my next system I am going to have a pipe connecting to a large fan which rotates slower and cools down the heatsink. These small super high rpm fans sound just awful, I don't really know how people stick it.
With good case planning I think that it is possible to build a quiet system which is also capable of moderate overclocking.
Aaron

 

[Rob Gillespie]

My four new 80mm case fans arrived this morning from QuietPC.com
They're made by Zalman (model ZM-F1), and have a three-pin connector (motherboard) and comes with an optional resistor extension cable that drops the speed down to a near-silent 20db. Air throughput at this level is 28CFM, but it's more than enough for my PIII system. I have one on the front drawing air in over the hard drives and another blowing out the back. I can add another two to the front and another to the rear if I need to.
I can't hear them. Even listening up close there's barely a sound from them.
Not cheap (bloody pricey actually) but a lovely drop in dbs.
http://www.zalman.co.kr/english/intro.htm
[Edited last by Rob Gillespie on October 09, 2001 at 06:22 AM]

 

[Kelley_B]

I got a few Delta black label 7ks cooling my PC.....sounds like an old Connie and thats the way I like it!