Air Flow

I don't think that there is a one configuration fits all, in terms of airflow. In general, all cases have front intake fan(s) and rear exhaust fan(s). The variables left are bottom, side and top. I believe that all cases would benefit from a top blow hole, but for the two positions left, I can only guess, since I have not experimented with them.

It seems that the primary benefit of a side fan is to be able to direct fresh air on the CPU and graphics card. How much that might help depends on a variety of factors, including the types of these components, how obstructed that they may be to the general airflow? How much that you may overclock your system, etc.?

My HAF 922 is doing quite nicely without a bottom or side fan, but I do have an aftermarket cooler on the CPU, and my video card is somewhat dated, so it doesn't get as hot as some. I have debated with myself about adding a bottom fan, but due to the cost of 200mm fans, I doubt that I will, because I doubt that I would see enough of a change to make it worthwhile.

On the other hand, my secondary rig is in an older Antec SX1040BII case, to which I have added a blow hole, but am more seriously considering adding more. However, the heat issue for it is greatest on the harddrives, and I doubt that extra fan holes would help.

The only complaint that I have with the HAF is that the clearance between the right side cover and the connections of the harddrives is so close, that you need to use 90° connectors, otherwise you will have to sit on it like an overstuffed suitcase to attach the cover. Actually, I consider my Antec case to be better built, in general terms, but it is too cramped and runs too hot.

I guess it's a matter of taste, but that one doesn't appeal to me, but then my taste is pretty conservative.

I love acrylic cases. i was originall going to go with on. i ended up with the antec 1200. oh and as for the fan positions bottom i have no clue but side fans generally go in.

rmw020 said:

If i had a pc case with a power supply at the bottom, which way would i best be setting the fans throughout the case.????

We went through this in another thread recently... you may want to do some searching on the forum.

However, the general rule is that air should move in the front of the case, acquire heat from the internal components then move out the back. (You really don't want it blowing air in your face while it's running).

Front fans should blow in. Rear fans should blow out. Side fans (near the CPU) should blow inward. The CPU fan should blow air into the heatsink. Top fans should blow air out of the case.

Further.... Unless you are running some radical setup, most often you can get by nicely with one fan at the back, blowing air out of the case. That, coupled with the fan in your power supply, can move a lot of air. The trick is to cover unused fan openings to create airflow through the entire case... rather than just drawing air in from the nearest open hole.

rmw020 said:

I was thinking of getting this case for a new build.

Clear Acrylic ATX PC Gaming Case & 4x80mm Blue LED Fans: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo

That's a nifty looking case alright.

However there are reasons that PC cases are made of metal...

First there's the matter of grounding. While there are lots of black wires running around in there, acting as power supply returns, they are not grounded to the power cord and you may experience lockups and stange behavior that can't be explained by software or hardware malfunction... because the system is not held at earth ground along with your other devices (monitor, printer, etc)

Second there's the question of static electricity. Unless you specifically coat that case with a static dissipating (conductive) material, you're likely to find buildups of static electricity could cause system crashes.

Third, the one nobody ever thinks of, RFI ... Radio Frequency Interference both into and out of the case. Metal cases act like a cage that shunt radiated electrical fields to ground, plastic cases do not. You may find that your local CBer or ham radio operator will be able to cause false reboots simply by keying up their microphone. Conversely, the radiated racket from an unshielded case might end up causing them so much interference you'll have the FCC at your door.

Those cases are really nice... but I don't think I'd want the problems they might cause. Just because they CAN build stuff like that doesn't mean they SHOULD.