[minster9]

I installed a temp. monitor/case fan controller in an empty 5 1/4" bay in my case. Video card always runs hottest,even though it has onboard fan & I have a 80mm case fan blowing over it & cpu. Temps. for cpu,hdd,& vga max out @ 37C,w/about 3 degrees difference at most between all 3 units watching a dvd. Added top rear exhaust fan next to power supply in addition to side case fan. Chopped out metal grillwork in front of front case fan,front plastic case bezel hides that. More airflow,easier on fan,quieter. Mounted 2 1/2" plastic 90 degree pipe drain fttg. onto back of front fan so it blows onto HD,DVD burner,etc. Dropped HD temp. 5 degrees! I don't like the idea of fans in top cover, seems like dust,bugs,soda,etc. could gain easy entry.

 

[minster9]

cut a pc of sheet metal same size as fan,lay fan on top of it to mark outline & use drill bit or nail through corner mtg. holes to transfer screw pattern. remove fan,measure across dig. holes to find center. dimple w/nail,use compass to scribe circle same dia. as plastic elbow[2 1/2" or 3",I used the former because of lack of space in case]. scribe another circle inside of it about 1/2" smaller in dia. cut out inner circle,cut slits to outer circle about 1/4" apart. flatten this adaptor using hammer & 2 flat pcs. of thick metal as all the cutting will distort it.bend up every other "ear",place on end of elbow & holding down against flat surface,apply liberal bead of hot plastic glue around the periphery completely embedding exposed metal tabs. bend other tabs tightly against ID of elbow;glue not necessary. remember to mark elbow & adaptor 1st for correct airflow direction. try using a piece of paper 1st if you've never done much sheet metal fab;careful you don't cut yourself. Hope this helps.

 

[minster9]

almost forgot: are your case fan inlets obstructed by a grid of holes drilled by case mfr? chop one big hole for fan inlet;use a wire cover if it's exposed to exterior of case. ever popped a cover off of a shower drain? as for the airflow diverter,I was assuming the interior face of your fan is accessible to install the metal adaptor onto. apply a thick bead of silicon sealant around hole of adaptor b4 install to fan to help seal air leaks & reduce vibration.

 

[minster9]

I'm not a caveman,but sometimes can be every bit as resourceful. That's why I suggested using a paper "mockup" 1st. Aftrmarket temp. monitor uses power from PS; I considerate it as a an independent gauge of temps. of various hardware. I.E. a second opinion never hurts. If MB malfunctions,can you trust it to tell you hot it's getting?

 

[minster9]

I like the fan in the junk hard drive idea,that's pretty inventive. Temps. for all my hardware stabilise in the lower 30'sC after an hour or so,video card hits 36C if I'm watching a dvd. Your cooling mods. should make for a very stable system,good job!

 

[minster9]

at the risk of being sued for libel,I had to delete Norton antivirus just to get my latest build up & running. At that time,I still had 3 or 4 months of paid-for protection. In the words of my co-builder{ a brother},"Norton is bloated this year. Lots of complaints". Anti-virus software can be every bit a headache as a virus in a new build,i.e., trying to download drivers. Glad to hear of your good build;should be stable until next build. TSF's a pretty cool site,they've certainly helped me out many times just reading about other peoples troubles & the responses given. The fan in the old junk hard drive case under the working hard drive,that's original. Lots to learn here;thanks for your response A-Nick4Me.