Entertainment Cabinet Cooling

[hamburgler_101]

Hello, everyone! Im making a Cabinet to hold a entertainment system. It will hold a PC a video switch, a ups, cable box, and maybe a dvd player? The cabinet currently has absolutely no vent holes. I wanted to drill holes in bottom to intake 3 120mm fans for pc and 1 120mm intake on side for dvd player and cable box and two 120mm exhaust fans on top. What im worried about is my pc pulls 3 120mm fans intake so I want to match the intake into the cabinet but there is only room for 2 exhaust fans at top because of how cabinet is made. Will 4 intake and 2 Exhaust fans be too extreme positive pressure? I want my computer to have plenty of air flow but can only have 2 exhaust fans. Will this put too much pressure on the fans making them wear out? Will cutting air vents on top for the air to escape help? Please help not sure what to do. Also I wantto use super quiet fans (Thinking noctua) What would you recommend static pressure, or airflow? 

[dj_ripcord]

First of all, unless your PC is a behemoth you don't need to match the airflow. The pc is in an enclosed space, therefore there is no pressure at all unless you introduce that from the outside using another fan.

 

Here's my opinion: I think you should put two 120mm fans in the rear of the cabinet in a PULL config. And then drill multiple small holes in the front-bottom area. This will create negative pressure in the cabinet and it will force air in through the front and out the back. Static pressure should not be an issue if you drill the holes for the 120mm fans at least 120mm in diameter. Make sure you drill lots of holes in the front (depending on your drill bit size).

 

Based on your description, I would guess that your cabinet has shelving? And you plan is to separate the PC and other things using this shelf? If that's the case, put a fan in between each shelf (again in the PULL config). Then also make sure that there is an air gap between the shelves and the cabinet door, that way you ensure that cool air will flow freely from front to rear in all the cavities.

 

Another tip would be to put an air filter in the front of the cabinet. With all that extra airflow there's bound to be lots of dust. LOTS.

[W-L]

1 hour ago, hamburgler_101 said:

Hello, everyone! Im making a Cabinet to hold a entertainment system. It will hold a PC a video switch, a ups, cable box, and maybe a dvd player? The cabinet currently has absolutely no vent holes. I wanted to drill holes in bottom to intake 3 120mm fans for pc and 1 120mm intake on side for dvd player and cable box and two 120mm exhaust fans on top. What im worried about is my pc pulls 3 120mm fans intake so I want to match the intake into the cabinet but there is only room for 2 exhaust fans at top because of how cabinet is made. Will 4 intake and 2 Exhaust fans be too extreme positive pressure? I want my computer to have plenty of air flow but can only have 2 exhaust fans. Will this put too much pressure on the fans making them wear out? Will cutting air vents on top for the air to escape help? Please help not sure what to do. Also I wantto use super quiet fans (Thinking noctua) What would you recommend static pressure, or airflow? 

It will be alright with positive pressure you can also just adjust the exhaust fan speed to increase airflow, just make sure you have good flow around all the electronics. A good thing would be to add some fan filters on the intake to the cabinet to make sure dust is kept to a minimum. 

[hamburgler_101]

Ok, thank guys! Does anyone know of any good air filters with a plastic cage that can like slide in air filters? Like cases have? Or magnetic filters?

[W-L]

2 hours ago, hamburgler_101 said:

Ok, thank guys! Does anyone know of any good air filters with a plastic cage that can like slide in air filters? Like cases have? Or magnetic filters?

Silverstone makes some like that, others such as demciflex are also good and can custom make you filters if needed. 

http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=316&area=en

https://www.demcifilter.com/