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PC case question.. Good ventilation = More dust inside?
Okay. I have a PC I built a couple years back that has pretty good ventilation with a couple of 80 mm fans on the side and a 60 and 40 mm fan on the back. And it gets a LOT more dust inside it then my old Dell tower did that basically had no outside air vents where the fans were placed.
So now I look at what looks to be a VERY nice PC gaming case with great ventilation and wonder how much dust and how much more bottled air I'll need to keep the dust from piling up inside this thing.
Cans of air are expensive and blowing dust out of a PC tower once a week is kinda a pain in the ass.
I was thinking about maybe using a totally unventilated, totally dust free type of case with water-cooling, but don't know if I am computer savvy enough built it properly, plus building a water cooled PC seems to add a LOT of price to the end result.
Suggestions and comments appreciated here. Thanks.
- Zaxx
Comments
i usaly vacume clean my computer once ever 6 months, to keep the dust from stopping the cpu heat block so it dosent get cooled by the fans, thats around the worst thing that dust can do to your computer
if you buy water colling unless you buy the radiator (no fans to cool the water) the same thing will happen to your water colling system and you realy have to close up a computer VERY well to prevent dust from getting in to your cabinet
as for the water system its quite easy to assembel all you need is shap object to cut the rubber tubing so it fits and i personly use silikon to seal the tubes to the watercooling platform so im sure it wont leak
putting filters on your existing fans will help alot, they'll still need to be removed and cleaned, but it will help protect the critical component fans, and give a source point to your cleaning rather than the entire inside of your case.
also a few other quick tips...
keeping your pc off of carpeting, or up off of the floor
turning the computer off when you're not using it.
shave the cat
i've looked into the nine hundred case too (because my lian li case is getting just a wee bit too cramped) and i have to say it would be my choice IF i decided to move out of my lian li, altho is does look like it would be hard to control the dust being the thing is practically perforated.
when looking into a case i usually consider it's "openness" and if i can filter or control the airflow through those points as well the fanned intakes.
____________________________
TheCore
You can make filters very easy. Go buy a few packs of panty hose, and have at it. They make a good filter that is cheap, and easily replaced.
Just watch out for the runs in the hose. I got a CM690 case and just put in the 7th 120mm fan. I am making sure they all have some sort of filter if its intake. It is also a good investment to get the "clean" canned compressed air for the cleaning days.
If you truely want a dust free PC case, well not 100% but good long dust free clogs then use a premium air filter IONIZER next to your PC where the air purifier outlet blows the air outward toward the PC inlet, or toward the side of the case where it wraps around.
Make sure to get one that moves the air and not the IONIC PRO piece of s*** because that does nothing. The ionizer air purifier by Holmes is nice and is a standing unit. The reason you want the Ionizer is that it keeps the dust particles from clumping from the negative electrical ions that are placed in the air. Also the air around the PC is cleaned and trapped and pulled into the air purifier first rather then through the PC case.
I can clean my PC and 8months later look inside and it is still almost like new, no dust clumps or any dust visable for the most part.
You can buy filters to put over fans or custom make one yourself. There are also some cases like the antec p180 series that are designed with filters in them.
I have been working on this issue. I bought a case with a removable filter built in on top of the fan. I use tapes to seal off other air-inlets. Pretty much all cooling air is suck in from that one fan, and the filter collects most of the dust. It does help.
Unfortunately, that model of case is no longer on sale. Its not a famous brand and I really do not know what it is, I threw the cartoon box away already. I need to build another PC. I wonder if I can make my own make shift filter using the kind of paper bags used in vacuum cleaners?
Actually, you'll find that with a little customization, motorcycle carburetor filters ( the single round ones ) are the perfect size, and you can get some snazzy chrome ones to spruce up your case while your at it.
Thank you very much
Actually I have that exact tower for my PC. I've had it for about 3 months now n really haven't noticed much dust buildup. Mind you I buy one of those air duster cans n just shoot some air threw the fans n into the open side. But that tower is very well ventilated. I have four fans on it 2 front, one back n one large on the top. Dust doesn't seem a large problem tho.
Actually I have that exact tower for my PC. I've had it for about 3 months now n really haven't noticed much dust buildup. Mind you I buy one of those air duster cans n just shoot some air threw the fans n into the open side. But that tower is very well ventilated. I have four fans on it 2 front, one back n one large on the top. Dust doesn't seem a large problem tho.
did you build your computer yourself ? (comments on layout ?)any problems with the psu on the bottom ?
how's cable management ?
what kind of graphics card do you have ?
is it loud ?
the reason i'm asking is i can't fit a second 8800GTS in my lian li case with the way the drive bay sits.
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TheCore
Yes I made it, was at it for months, first PC I put together...I am no computer wizard. I followed guides n looked at other systems on the net to figure out how to do things..lol. I was pretty thrilled that it all worked when I turned it on
.No problems with the PSU on the bottom. I like that set-up...just seems cleaner than everything hanging down in your face all the time.Lots of room for cables, nothing really all bunched up as in my old pc's. I have 8800GTS, I prolly could fit in a second if I wanted. RIght now tho I find one does more than what I need it for. And it is very quiet. I have mine sitting on top of my desk right besides the monitor n it is barely noticable.
While using a water cooled ventilation system is expensive try putting it next to a fan it will keep it cool thats what i do.
Dante Devil May Cry 4
You might want to consider an antec 180b or 182 as well. They don't run as cool as the 900, but are still very good. Both cases are pretty much the same except for the color. They've got good airflow, are VERY silent (I just got a p182 myself, the difference between this and my old coolermaster praetorian is huge) and come with dustfilters you can reach without opening the case. Just wash them once in a while and dust shouldn't be much of a problem.
For some reason the p180b is much cheaper at newegg then the p182 though.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129154&Tpk=antec%2bp180
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129025&Tpk=p182
You should clean the computer inside from now and then.... If you are in a dusty place as I am... you better get used to clean it inside once in a month or even less.... i can take out dust from the filters each weekend... lol..
http://aphnetworks.com/reviews/antec_p182/2
Don't buy any more cans of air, buy a car foot pump about £5 and get a football adapter used for pumping it up and stick it in the end of the footpump hose and bingo your very own blower, saved me loads and all for the price of one can of air.
I use a cooler master centurion case with two 120mm fans, more than enough cooling power and less dust.
hmm maybe your guys should layoff teh overclockign and thus u dont need that much air circulation.
Filters are the answer. My room has carpet and the computer is on the carpet but it has legs under it. It don't matter really. Thanks to my side filter I've had little dust to clean inside. All the dust gets trapped in the filter.
Practical, but ain't gonna happen.