Restricted Space Fan Configuration

[ChrisLoudon]

Hi guys,

 

I have a couple of PCs that sit in small cavities under a desk space with some but not a lot of clearance around them except open at the front.

 

Short of cutting holes in the desk sides and fitting some fans, I'm just wondering what the best fan config for each case would be.

 

Should I be pulling the fresh air in from the front (which is open btw) then exhausting into the cavity or does setting all restricted fans as intake and having the front fan as exhaust make better sense?

 

Been gaming more in one of my bedroom setups of late and noticed temps creeping up and out of control when the box is placed in its little cubbyhole but return to normal when out in the open.

 

Thanks

 

C

 

 

[Applefreak]

5 minutes ago, ChrisLoudon said:

Hi guys,

 

I have a couple of PCs that sit in small cavities under a desk space with some but not a lot of clearance around them except open at the front.

 

Short of cutting holes in the desk sides and fitting some fans, I'm just wondering what the best fan config for each case would be.

 

Should I be pulling the fresh air in from the front (which is open btw) then exhausting into the cavity or does setting all restricted fans as intake and having the front fan as exhaust make better sense?

 

Been gaming more in one of my bedroom setups of late and noticed temps creeping up and out of control when the box is placed in its little cubbyhole but return to normal when out in the open.

 

Thanks

 

C

 

 

Step 1: First you need to make sure there is room behind the desk. If the thing the PC rests in is flush with the wall, there is no point in cutting a hole in the back.

Step 2: Get the biggest fan that will fit, you want ample airflow but not something noisy at the same time, air pressure is not an issue here. So 200 or 180 mm fans can be used here. You can try with one fan in the back and add one below if you feel the need for more. Side mounting the exhaust fan(s) is also an option if the rear is obstructed. It works well if your case has top exhaust fans.

Step 3: Make sure you have enough and good intake fans on your case.

Step 4: Wire up those exhaust fans to your PC or get an AC to molex adapter on the internet. You may have to unplug the power brick to shut them off or use a wall connector with a switch.

 

I do believe I know the kind of desk you have and any kind of airflow will be better to it. Even if it comes in the form of a desk fan blowing in from the front and pushing air out the same way. That is something you can try before cutting holes. Btw. you want to first place the fan on the side you want to cut to mark the mounting holes and draw a circle by using a marker and run on the edge of the inner fan housing. You want that hole to be at least that size. Now you can either use a hole saw of that size, a dremel with a wood cutting disk or a Jigsaw. The hole does not have to be round.

 

Step 5 (cosmetics): Get 2 fan grills for each fan, paint it if you want it to look a different color. Use regular automotive paint with integrated primer (I use Hammerite spray cans) . Don't worry about dust, those fans have very low impedence so the impact on dust is not that important and cleaning them every once in a while is not that difficult.

For wooden desks, the brown Noctua fans actually look pretty good. As for placement, it is easier on the inside because of the power cable being there, however it does look better to have them mounted on the outside where you cannot see them. You will need to drill another hole for the fan cable to pass through, if connected to your PC.

 

Enjoy modding.

[WoodenMarker]

System specs?

Can you post some photos of the space available?

[ChrisLoudon]

On 1/6/2023 at 8:24 PM, WoodenMarker said:

System specs?

Can you post some photos of the space available?

Sorry for the delay, see below pic. As you can see the Tower 500 only allows for 20 or 30mm clearance on either side and almost nothing at the top.

 

Spec is a 9900k @ 5Ghz + 3080ti and as you can see its water cooled. 3 x 240 rads. I'm going to see if I can get 360mm rad on the side mounts but Thermaltake really screwed the pooch when designing this case. My EK Quantum surface doesn't fit so I need to hunt around for an old Coolstream rad.

[WoodenMarker]

15 hours ago, ChrisLoudon said:

the Tower 500 only allows for 20 or 30mm clearance on either side and almost nothing at the top.

Spec is a 9900k @ 5Ghz + 3080ti and as you can see its water cooled. 3 x 240 rads. I'm going to see if I can get 360mm rad on the side mounts but Thermaltake really screwed the pooch when designing this case. My EK Quantum surface doesn't fit so I need to hunt around for an old Coolstream rad.

Are you able to use the front as exhaust and the rest as intake? That may be the best way to avoid trapping heat. 

[ChrisLoudon]

9 hours ago, WoodenMarker said:

Are you able to use the front as exhaust and the rest as intake? That may be the best way to avoid trapping heat. 

Yeh, I think that's what I'm gonna go for.

 

I'm not 100% happy with the loop and how it looks so I plan on positioning the bottom rad that's currently facing outwards to laying flat. I'll set that to intake along with the side and top rad fans and then have to additional fans directly behind the bottom grill set to exhaust.

 

Cheers