Antec 1200 fan chooses

[Cirndle]

Hi,

I have the Antec 1200 fans are really quiet, and decent CFM on high setting, goes low,med,high, 39,59,79 or close to that.

I have two extra spots currently.
My side panel, a clip in fan spot, just plastic, and the modified bay where you can put a floppy, or water cooling resivior.


I am not quite ready to watercool just yet.

I wanted to use Ultra Kaze in one or both of these two spots.
133CFM fans. 120X35mm thickness. I do not know if the Antec 1200 in those spot is able to take 35mm vs normal 25mm, and also if I used them would this disrupt my case flow?

Currently,
3 120mm front intakes all same CFM,
2 120mm rear exhaust all same CFM,
1 Big Boy 200mm on top exhaust,
1 120mm PSU fan exhaust mounted upside down. (not sure if this screws since top fans pulls and psu pulls against top fan.

So the new ones would go side panel as intake i am guessing, and other one in a drive bay. would be intake as well since it is right behind the original intakes like in line about 6''.

Cheers and Beers,
Thanks, Crindle

[zburns]

Run a set of apps that really work your CPU at some consitent % (task manager) based on what you "spot check" observe over a 10 minute period after "steady state on CPU temp" has been achieved. Write down the temp of your "room" (enviroment) and all your CPUs temps over the "measurement period". Make sure your method or protocol can be duplicated.

Run these temp tests before you "open up" any new fan openings. Install the fans, rerun the temp tests exactly as the first time. If temp goes down, enough (hopefully a dramatic drop) you win. If the temps go down, say at least 5 degrees, that is definitely an improvement.

If the temps stay the same or drop just a little, probably cannot say with certainty that you improved the situation; you may have increased the thruput, but also increased the turbulance in the "mobo, cpu areas where it matters".

It matters a great deal that your initial readings (before you open two new holes and put in two new fans) are accurate and that you know how to duplicate the initial test. It particularly matters if your improvement is only a small amount vs a large amount. The process is an exercise in logic. If you know you run the initial tests or readings carefully, and the second set of readings just as careful, then you can call your results valid and you really know "what the improvement level really is". If you are sloppy and the result is a small number (little change), you will not know whether you helped or hurt the air flow.

Sorry, I see you only have one side opening, then another inside (?). Same logic applies.

[RickyTick]

The 1200 has 3 intake and 3 exhaust fans. That's a lot of air moving. I have a hard time believing you need another fan. Like zburns said, maybe you should take some temp measurements and see where you are. If you have all the case fans on high, and you have a "heat" problem, then I doubt adding another fan will make any difference at all. You probably have a "seating" problem instead.

Put all the case fans on low, and take some temp readings. Then do the same with the fans at medium and high.

[zburns]

I was going to add this comment to my post. I know you already know how to use temps to tell if the new fans help. What I was trying to say is that if you are in fact causing turbulance with the new fans, the "proof that you can believe in" may lie in the consistency and accuracy of your temp readings, the same % CPU load, etc. Two separate tests run under as near identical conditions as possible.

[Cirndle]

Thanks for the suggestions, and I agree and was thinking the same thing for both of you.

Overclocked at 3.24ghz
My hotest core of CPU), so for sake of speed, I will only talk about that one.

Using prime95 4 threads of small ffts to stress cpu only.

68 degress read by realtemp with a tjmax of 100. On low fan setting
39CFM for the 120, and idk about the 200mm.
3 intake, and 2 exhaust 120's, and one top exhaust 200mm, and PSU exhaust on bottom, and Tuniq Tower 120 on cpu, at low setting
58 degrees with all said fans on high and cpu fan on high.
79CFM for all 120mm, the rest I do not know.

Question still is:

With the air flow the way it is, 3 intake 120, and 2 exhaust 120 at back slightly higher then intakes, 200mm ontop of case exhausting, cpu cooler facing exhaust fan, and also exhausting, 120mm in cpu cooler as well, psu on bottom of case 120-140mm fan exhaust also, do you think if I put another 120mm fan on side panel that will blow on cpu, gpu, and mobo northbridge, and southbridge will help, or cause turbalence too much, and if it will help would I want the same CFM fan, or would a 133cfm fan be okay?

The other spot is behind a hard drive cage, goes like this 120mm intake, hard drive cage for hard drives, and then on the back 120mm mount for fan, which would be exhaust or intake, doesnt matter as it is same direction I guess.

Thanks,
Crindle

[RickyTick]

If you have the Tuniq 120 on the cpu and its running 68 degrees, I think its kinda hot. Another fan on the side panel isn't going to reduce the temps at all. You might consider re-mounting the HSF, and checking temps again.

[zburns]

"Using prime95 4 threads of small ffts to stress cpu only" !! I assume this is a "constant" stress test for your CPU! You already have a lot of fans. You change one thing at a time, run the stress test, read the temps. You cannot figure it out by just looking at it -- no way! The lowest temp you can achieve means less turbulence or more air flow or "something going on" that causes the temps to go down.

By changing one thing at a time, rerun the stress test and measure the temps -- all done with the same specific time intervals -- you change only one thing between tests; eventually you will have "a lowest temp" which means best air flow and lowest turbulence -- for a particular configuration.

Even the CFM numbers on a particular fan do not mean much given the changing pressures the other fans exert on a particular fan. You have to only change one thing at a time and experiment. Provided you always run exactly the same stress test under the same enviromental conditions, the temp test will eventually tell you "the best configuration". Only way I see it assuming you continue to work with the parts you describe.

You say in your post "With the air flow the way it is . . .", well I do not think it is possible for you to know what the air flow pattern is; it is too complex to try to analyze. That is why I say "one thing at a time -- read the temps" is the only way to know!

[Cirndle]

You sir are calling me a moron. I will not be belittled by little you. Lol.

I know it is too complex, that is why I am going to find tassel to hold in case, or tap somewhere, and should give me an idea of flow, and also I will unplug the top, fan and see what happens, as the rest besides psu fan all go same current direction.

RAWR. Too complex, meh.

Thanks for the info.

Beer,
Crindle

[zburns]

Are all you guys this stubborn??? Your exhaust is greater than your intake by some figure, not large I think, but you also say your PSU pulls against the top fan. I assume the PSU fan is physically in or close to the center of the action and concievably with its physical presence disrupts "smooth" air flow front to rear and creates a condition for turbulance -- but there is no way to know what is really happening. The method I describe, I think, is precise!

Would like to know your result with the tassels. Also, your final setup and the result. Good luck and cheers!!