PC Cooling/Cool Cases

[Jabe Adaks]

My PC recently started shutting itself off. After replacing the video card (because the fan on my old cards was dead) I realized that that was not the problem and I am just siffering from a case of general overheating. When i leave the case cover off it runs fine.

Since I apparently need a new case with more cooling fans I thought I would ask you guys if you know of any well designed decent cases out there. I am willing to spend some decent money on a case cause cases usually last me a good 5-6 years before I switch them out. (The last time I bought a case was in '98 which is why I have no room to add fans).

I want to get something that looks cool, has usb ports on the front and has an extra vent/fan to keep it cool. Just wanted to see if anyone had good sources or a good experience with a certain type of case or otherwise.

Jabe

[Zannon]

There's a Fry's Electronics that just opened at 355 and Butterfield Road...the have the largest selection of cases I've ever seen. A little pricy, butat least you can see them up close and personal...then you can order it online for cheaper. They had some really cool looking ones too.

[Seret Sajet]

I used to have the same problem as you Jabe. My ASUS motherboard will always auto-restart because of overheat. This would happen almost every night. My problem was not licked until I created a straight-through air flow in my comp.

While freon-cooled cases and such are the best method to cooling your comp this is a much cheaper way to do it. Just get a case that has 1-2 fan slots in the back and 1-2 fan slots in the front. Then make sure the front fans are pointed to pull outside air in and the back ones push it out. A straight through flow keeps you from recycling the hot air from your comp back into it.

Since I have that configuration, and it barely cost me anything, I've had no shutdown problems.

[X'an Shin]

If you never want to have an issue with overheating again, make sure you buy a case that has a large 4-5" fan (not the tiny 3" ones in the front and back of the case) on the TOP of the case that blows the air straight out the top.

One of the things that drives me batshit about current case design is that they put the power supply at the top of the case (that's what gets the hottest), and even though it has its own fan, even the case that surrounds it gets white-hot. That case is actually inside of your machine, and right above your main proc and the heat detector under the main proc.

Basically, due to where the exhaust fans are located by default on most PCs, there's a HUGE heat envelope that sits right above the main proc. Heat travels up, and there's nowhere for it to escape. It just sits there like a cloud.

Fan in the roof? No more heat problems.

Also, if you put a huge exhaust fan in the roof, and turn all of your other fans (except for the power-source fan!!!) inwards, you'll be creating a power-version of cool-to-hot convection (not to mention you'll have a fan injecting cool air *directly* onto your main proc and video card fan). You'll never overheat again.

[Illbleed]

Antec makes excellent cases, albeit a bit pricey..I like the performance AMG series

http://www.antec-inc.com


From a cooling standpoint, aluminium will be better than steel but you will pay almost 40% more for an aluminium case. If you do decide to get a steel case, you might want to consider buying copper cooling fins for your memory modules...you might want to check out kingston

[Skarr]

you can do like me:
one fan on cpu
2 fans on vid card
2 80mm fans on powersupply
4 80mm case fans in front of case
2 80mm case fans in back of case
1 80mm fan side of case
1 80mm fan top of case (modded myself)

[Seret Sajet]

you can do like me:
one fan on cpu
2 fans on vid card
2 80mm fans on powersupply
4 80mm case fans in front of case
2 80mm case fans in back of case
1 80mm fan side of case
1 80mm fan top of case (modded myself)

That air-condition your house too?

[Skarr]

That air-condition your house too?

sucks and blows more than your mom on the streetcorner

[Seret Sajet]

Oh great, Skarr has reduced himself to mom jokes. Way to make fun of my recently widowed mother, bud. Real slick.

[Skarr]

/watches thread crash into wall
/runs and hides in shame

[Jotun]

I run an Antec case and it works great...I think I have the SX-650.

[Jabe Adaks]

This is what I am thinking about getting:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... eName=WDVW

Its got some nice size fans in front and back... I think this will fix my problem, let me know what you think.

Jabe

[Seret Sajet]

I like it (except for the lame 3D fighter on the box that looks like he just bought a Toyota).

[Jotun]

Sweet case ! You should be very happy with that...Make sure you get some cool color cathodes to light that beeotch up!

[Skarr]

I just found this sight and their prices and shipping are pretty reasonable, and they have a ton of cases and products

http://www.frozencpu.com/cgi-bin/frozen ... mv_pc=4483