BenB
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| posted on 1/11/07 at 02:46 PM |
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Computer cooling :)
Any experts on cooling computers out there?
I'm running a mildly OC'd P2.66 and I'm having problems with cooling.
Originally I had a set-up with the standard P4 heatsink + fan (which Tomshardware suggests is pretty much as good as any aftermarket ones) and the
exhaust fan was just the one in the PSU IE breaking the ATX specification which says PSU fans should blow in!!! Don't tell any PSU manafacturers
though....
Anyway... On a Prime95 torture test the CPU temp was regularly getting up to 50deg before I chickened (not sure what temp the temperature throttle
kicks in) and the chassis fan was usually about 1c under that...
I've installed 2* 80mm fans at the back of the box as extra exhaust fans... and yet it still performs the same.. If anything it might even warm
up quicker!!
I don't particularly want to go down the water cooling route but any other options?? If the CPU was running hot but the chassis was cool
I'd accept it as it is but having a chassis temp the same as the CPU temp seems to suck- the heatsink on the CPU is going to be doing not much
at all!!!
Is it worth flipping the rear fans over so they blow? Strangely they don't seem to shift half as much air as the PSU fan.... I thought the
general consensus was that rear fans sucked and front mounted fans blew??? Perhaps I should turn down the FSB a little 
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matt_claydon
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| posted on 1/11/07 at 02:59 PM |
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If both the PSU fan and case fans are exhausts, surely you won't get any flow though the case? I'd have though you want the case fans
blowing in if the PSU is blowing out.
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BenB
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| posted on 1/11/07 at 03:04 PM |
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We'll soon find out. Going to take off all the network / firewire / USB / sound/ video cables (again!!!) and flip the fans over!!!
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Scoob
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| posted on 1/11/07 at 03:06 PM |
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Have one on the side if you can, sucking air into the case, then one at the back to suck it back out, Thats all i got in one of my pcs, the other one
used to gaming etc is water-cooled 
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BenB
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| posted on 1/11/07 at 03:11 PM |
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I definately need to sort out the chassis cooling
I was just playing MOH-AA. CPU 49degC. chassis 49degC. Doh!!! Room temperature 21degC....
Poor little CPU 
Five minutes later the CPU is @ 34deg and the chassis is still cooking @ 45degC!!!!
I think a big side fan is called for!!! I'm suprised how little difference 2* 80mm fans made... Oh well...
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andyharding
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| posted on 1/11/07 at 03:36 PM |
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LMAO 49C is nothing for a P4, they won't die until about 90C
You want to get the chassis temp as close to ambient as poss though or your HD will die
[Edited on 1/11/07 by andyharding]
Are you a Mac user or a retard?
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BenB
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| posted on 1/11/07 at 03:44 PM |
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Having 3* HDs probably doesn't help matters
Their temp seems to closely follow the chassis temperature!!!!
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caber
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| posted on 1/11/07 at 03:51 PM |
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Put motherboard in a fridge and extend cables back to box!
caber
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BenB
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| posted on 1/11/07 at 03:52 PM |
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would have to take the beers out of the fridge then!!
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coozer
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| posted on 1/11/07 at 04:23 PM |
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I'm running 3 HD's on a newish Vista machine and it gets really hot when I'm machine gunning the Germans on DOD.
I'm really thinking about water cooling as it's not worth swapping fans around and with liquid cooling it will run very quiet as well.
1972 V8 Jago
1980 Z750
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Benzine
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| posted on 1/11/07 at 04:30 PM |
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49c isn't bad at all for air cooled. I idle at 19c but have a car radiator and a pond pump.
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BenB
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| posted on 1/11/07 at 05:16 PM |
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It's more that I want to try and optimise the cooling before I push the OC much more. At present when I'm fragging on MOHAA I get HD, CPU
and chassis temps all of between 45 and 50 degrees.... Considering that the HDs aren't doing much (I've got 2Gb of RAM so once the level
loads they're pretty much inactive) I think the main problem is a lack of ventilation.... Maybe it is due to a lack of an "in
fan"... My understanding though was that PC boxes are so leaky that as long as you're extracting, you'll get cool air coming in to
replace the hot stuff!!!
Perhaps I'll leave the side of the box off and crank up the FSB to see what's possible and then improve the airflow until I can reach
similar readings with the box side on.... I want to try and keep the noise down and the box looking stock, otherwise I'd just add a big in fan
on the front.... I'm thinking put the box on some feet and add a fan underneath... Cool air in the bottom, hot air out at the top....
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Grimsdale
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| posted on 1/11/07 at 05:30 PM |
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i've reversed my cpu fan and ducted the air out the back of the case (drain pipe and a little cutting involved) so none of the heat from the cpu
stays in the case, and i have no case fans.
You might also want to check your heatsink is not dusty, makes about a 10C difference to mine!
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bimbleuk
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| posted on 1/11/07 at 06:34 PM |
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The case can make quite a differnece. If I air cooling then I usually have a general air flow of in at the bottom and out the top. Supplement this
with some side air flow to move air from the dead spot under the graphics card.
Having said that I do use water cooling in my current case. I'm using a Thermaltake case with a 9" side fan! Really moves a lot of air
through the case to cool the motherboard components mostly. However turns very slowly so you can't actually hear it! Does draw a lot of dust in
the case so I have to vaccum more often 
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