Airflow And Temps Without I/O Shield

[PlayModeOn]

Hello,

 

I got the Cooler Master HAF XM and the problem is that the backplate from Asrock 970 Extreme4 cannot fit in the HAF XM.

This is odd because the shield fits fine in my old Thermaltake MS-III case.

 

I do not mind not having a shield because dust is not an issue. But I do like keeping the temps in my PC cool.

So would it really affect the temp and airflow of the case that drastically?

 

My old case (~21C) which is mostly quite sealed, manages to cool slightly better than the HAF XM (~25C) which is 3x more expensive than the MS-III.

More detail here: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/206830-dual-200mm-case-fan-not-making-a-difference/

 

Is the lack of a backplate or shield would be considered the main culprit of slightly worse temps of the HAF XM relatively to my old MS-III case?

All the fans from my old case are imported into the HAF XM.

 

Thanks.

-PlayModeOn.

[BaSkA]

That hole in the back rear of your case might be benefitial and might not.

 

If you have a positive pressure inside your case, meaning there is more CFM going in than out of the case, that hole from the missing backplate will be a natural exhaust for air, probably hot air because of the location, which's good.

 

However, you have a negative pressure inside your case (the opposite of positive), that hole might be sucking cool air and dust inside your case, to an area close to the CPU and heatsink(considering you have an air cooler). That might help cool down the CPU but that's not an exact science, it could mess up with your airflow and increase your overall temps. Hot air rises so you might have a kind of problem because of the cool air suddenly coming inside passively.

[LogicalDrm]

Point of I/O shield is more than preventing dust entering. It grounds jacks and prevents static shocks from damaging components.

[PlayModeOn]

I managed to install the I/O Shield today and the problem was that it was slightly damaged so I had to "force" it in but it now clamps on to the case.

 

The temperature did improve by 1-2 Degrees Celsius, so I think that might be the culprit. But I will check again later to confirm this. 

[Nyeles]

I never used I/o shields and never recognized a difference between my system and others. Do you've got a fan Installed above it?