Sam
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Registered: 24th Dec 99
Location: West Midlands
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I need to hack my trusty Dell case a bit so that I can install a case fan or two.
Has anyone here ever cut any holes in a PC case? If so, could I get away with using a Dremel or some shit to do this, or do I need to use a jigsaw/drill etc.?
Never been into this case modding lark before so excuse my post if it sounds a bit dumbass... 
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John
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Registered: 30th Jun 03
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Just buy a decent case? the dell case should be pulling enough air through it anyway, although you aren't using it as intended, they are designed to get the air in and back out.
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Sam
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Registered: 24th Dec 99
Location: West Midlands
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Yeah but I like being different  hence why I recycled the Dell case.
It is running the original case fan BTW, but I just want to add more cooling so I hope to do these mods at the same time as sorting a better cooler for the CPU.
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Simon_16v
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Registered: 14th Aug 06
Location: Yorkshire
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If you want better airflow i'd still buy a new case.
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Balling
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Registered: 7th Apr 04
Location: Denmark
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I don't think that cutting holes in the case and adding more fans automatically decreases temperature.
It does increase noise though...
[Edited on 06-12-2012 by Balling]
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Dom
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Registered: 13th Sep 03
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Start with a decent CPU cooler and take it from there; a standard in-out fan setup should suffice for most systems.
Edit - If you're wanting to heavily reduce CPU temps then go water cooling.
[Edited on 06-12-2012 by Dom]
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Sam
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Well the thing is I also have a graphics card in there too, so whenever I'm doing anything graphic intensive the temperature obviously goes up in the case.
Dom - yeah gonna sort the CPU cooler first.
[Edited on 06-12-2012 by Sam]
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Simon_16v
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Registered: 14th Aug 06
Location: Yorkshire
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I'd honestly spend £50 on a decent case that already has places for fans to be placed.
I have a Zalman Z9 and I have 3 fans in a push pull configuration. Inside the case is always 25oC
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chris_uk
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Registered: 8th Jul 03
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Have a look at possitive and negative pressures.
Possitive = more air into the case than out resulting in air being pushed out of the case gaps, slightly warmer overall but hardly any dust.
Negative = more air pushed out than is being dragged in, generally cooler but will pull dust into the pc case through the gaps.
Id go possitive and see what your temps do, then if they are decent leave them, if not have a look at equaling the pressure.
Also, id just buy a better case.
[Edited on 06-12-2012 by chris_uk]
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chris_uk
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Registered: 8th Jul 03
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Cpu cooling mods.. Corsair h60 with 2 120mm fans.
That will be your processor cool forever. If you can try get the rad on the outside of the case so it has fresh air being pulled over it.
I have a i7-920 clocked to 3.8ghz (2.66ghz standard) and after 3 hours of prime95 the temps just reach above 60c.
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Sam
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Registered: 24th Dec 99
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This is the PC at the moment - only difference between this pic and as it is now is that it has more tidier wiring and the SSD is on the right hand side where the old drive used to be (fitted vertically by the front of the case).
I was thinking of fitting a fan at the bottom where the GPU is, and perhaps another one just inside the front of the case.
Never really looked at water cooling the CPU before, are the Corsair kits alright then?
[Edited on 06-12-2012 by Sam]
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Andrew
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Have you not told your missus about building this PC or something 
Other than a better case, water cooling the CPU is about your best option.
There's not much available space available in that Dell case.
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chris_uk
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Registered: 8th Jul 03
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this is mine atm
ive tidied up the wiring a bit now.
this is a friends i built for him
[Edited on 06-12-2012 by chris_uk]
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John
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Registered: 30th Jun 03
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Water cooling isn't the best option either, it's massively overkill.
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Sam
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Registered: 24th Dec 99
Location: West Midlands
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Nice case there Chris. Looks a bit like a Fractal Design one?
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chris_uk
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Registered: 8th Jul 03
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It is. Best case ive ever had!
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Sam
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They are pretty good, I mainly use the Core 3000 and the Define when I build PCs for people.
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willay
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quote:
Originally posted by Andrew
Have you not told your missus about building this PC or something
What a fantastic idea
Chris that case is fucking BIG, I haven't had one like that since I was 18!
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chris_uk
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Registered: 8th Jul 03
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yea its huge and weighs a bloody tonne, all the case is metal apart from some fan supports inside.
bloody excellent at cooling tho .
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csweatherston
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Registered: 16th Jan 06
Location: Devon
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... a 250mm fan on the removable side panel of the Dell case pulling.
With holes drilled everywhere to aid flow.
Those corsair kits are crap, no better than a decent air cooler.
(not trying to upset and corsair fan boys)
[Edited on 25-12-2012 by csweatherston]
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ed
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Registered: 10th Sep 03
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Isn't your case an old desktop one Sam? I remember them being pretty restrictive on the airflow side of things because they were designed to be used with a manifold over the CPU and a case fan?
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