I get it I think; have to think how to power such a lower-side-panel
fan so that it can be plugged in (or remain plugged in) when side
panel slides in / out.
If it's the more modern type where the side-panel is a
separate piece, not a U-shaped outer shell that comprises
both sides and the top, then it's fairly easy to just use a
fan adapter attached to a power supply lead, something like
this:
http://www.svcompucycle.com/3pinto4pinad.html
then it's just a matter of setting the panel all but the
last 8" into place and plugging in the fan, closing the rest
of the way.
I have a fan on the front intake, but it's sucking through many small
(3 to 5 mm I'm guessing) holes as Dorothy describes. Maybe I can
borrow a chassis punch from work and make a bigger hole.
yes, a bigger hole would help a lot if you get the front
bezel opened up more.
What about
the front bezel? It's an old Micron Milennia case with the "smile"
(similar to new Dell mid-towers).
You'll just have to look it over and determine if you can
add more intake area without disfiguring the case too much.
Sometimes the least obtrustive way to add intake is to cut
out (or enlarge existing areas) on the bottom-side of the
bezel, then if case feet don't elevate it enough to prevent
decreased airflow in that area, raise the case up with
taller feet or whatever you prefer. Other options for old
cases are cutting out a fan hole on the front or larger
square hole and putting a filter panel over the area.
I read some post where the writer
thought the chassis temperature should be no more than about 7 deg C
above ambient; is this realistic?
7C is possible, not really a golden number or anything...
depends a lot on the parts in the case, the flow rate and
acceptible noise levels (and how much work you're willing to
do). It's not really the temp above ambient that matters
though, it's the absolute temp regardless of what the
ambient is.
Primary heat-producing parts need low enough temp to promote
good lifespan. Drives shouldn't feel overly warm-> hot,
motherboard and video card regulation circuit caps shouldn't
be more than barely warm, and of course CPU, GPU, and other
chips cool enough to remain stable in operation at full
load.
I'll be in the big city Sunday so maybe my gal will let me just buy a
new case.
Could be the easier way, then you have the old case empty
and if desired, put more mods into it and it'll be useful
for some other project. An old case modded properly can
offer better cooling than a new one, just takes some work.
