PC cooling

V

VashioStampede

Veteran XV
I run 5600+ w/OEM cooler, 4Gb of ram, 7950 card, 1 500Gb Sata and 1 200Gb Pata HDDs. Right now my case has 1 fan in it from the front that blows air in. System will be running 365 days nonstop. So the question is:

Is it better to get a good case (local Frys had Antec Nine Hundred for sale for $70) with fans that blow air in and out all the time

OR

Should I cool each component separately (aftermarket CPU/Gcard, and HDD coolers (fans or something))

I know the 500Gb gets hot fast, so I dont want it to overheat and die in a year or so.
I am not doing any overclocking

Thanks

PS: I have a full ATX case, so another option i was thinking is adding new fans to the system
 
Amadeus said:
Is noise an issue?
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Yes. The system stands 2 feet from where I sit, and its on the same level as the keyboard/monitor. I think the OEM CPU cooler is already loud enought, but thats probably because its cheap quality. I seen nice fans that blow air and still quite (on low settings)
 
In that case, aftermarket everything, plus case fans. Remember, good component cooling isn't worth jack shit if the hot air keeps lingering inside the case, you need good airflow too.

Now then, since your config's worth a king's ransom (4 gigs of ram wtf?), I'm not going to bother listing value solutions.

vid card: Zalman VF-700Cu
cpu: Scythe Ninja
HD: Zalman ZM-2HC2
Scythe S-FLEX fans for the case and CPU


You'll want your front and side fan (if any) pulling air in, while the PSU and the back fan pushes it out (what psu?). Also, try to get slightly more cfm on the intake than on the exhaust, the positive pressure might help keep dust out.
 
Rule of thumb; if the drive runs over 5200RPM, it needs air moving over it.

Every drive I've put into a computer with a fan on it has lasted years and years.
 
Gwokable said:
Rule of thumb; if the drive runs over 5200RPM, it needs air moving over it.

Every drive I've put into a computer with a fan on it has lasted years and years.
Click to expand...

I have Maxtor 500Gb 7200RPM one.

PS: my PSU Thermaltake Purepower W0100RU ATX 12V 2.0 500W
 
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Gwokable said:
Rule of thumb; if the drive runs over 5200RPM, it needs air moving over it.

Every drive I've put into a computer with a fan on it has lasted years and years.
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My two shitty 7200RPM maxtor drives lasted years and years tucked away in the front top of the case behind some IDE cables

you sir, are full of shit
 
as dumb as gwok is, he's right.... you really should have a fan for any drive over 5400 rpm.
 
iNVAR said:
as dumb as gwok is, he's right.... you really should have a fan for any drive over 5400 rpm.
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IMO, it really does depend largely on the Tower size(and any modifications), type of PSU, CPU Heatsink/fan and the cooling configuration... For example a WD10K HD in top bay slot and same in bottom slot of same bay... In a tower with 2 x 80mm fans exhaust in back and same in front(intake fans) along with a 120mm chimmney fan and a 80mm side panel fan blowing over the Vid Card and CPU... Neither of the intake fans flow over the HDs ===> going on 5 years with no HD probs...

Absolutes, naahhh, I agree with Amadeus....
 
It's a rule of thumb. You can get by without it, but it never hurts to be safe. If you want to be doubly sure, there are plenty of programs out there that'll rid the temperature of the drive. None of my drives (15KRPM, 10KRPM and 7200RPM) exceeds 30C, ever.
 
iNVAR said:
It's a rule of thumb. You can get by without it, but it never hurts to be safe. If you want to be doubly sure, there are plenty of programs out there that'll rid the temperature of the drive. None of my drives (15KRPM, 10KRPM and 7200RPM) exceeds 30C, ever.
Click to expand...

So can you please post your setup so I can see. Thanks.
 
i have a case that i got from newegg. rosewill r6a34-bk case. they don't sell it anymore, but like most cases nowadays, they have a fan in front of the hd bay.
 
So this is what I got so far:
CPU: Zelman CNPS9500
GPU: VF900-Cu
Case: Crap..nvm. Seems my case can only accept 80mm fans :(

I hope this will keep my babies cool 24/7/365 :)

PS: Anyway to soundproof the case? Like with Dynomite (sp?) or whatever?
 
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You can buy the self sticking 'sound proofing foam material', which you can cut to size easily, from many sites, just google it... Do be careful not to over do it because at a certain point it becomes like insulation and will hold heat in...
 
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