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Aria system running extremely hot.

S

Sp4nk

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 9, 2005
Messages
138
I've built a SSF system using the Antec Aria case. Its contents include:

AMD Athlon XP 2700+ Processor
Speeze 80mm Heatsink & Fan
ASUS KM400A mATX Motherboard
2x 512 PC2700 Memory
Standard 16x DVD-ROM
Seagate Barracuda 160GB HD
NVIDIA Geforce 6600GT
Included Antec PCI Slot Fan Installed

I'm running into some pretty extreme heating issues. I've read many threads both here and on other forums, as well as tech review sites, which note the Aria's poor ventilation, resulting in some high temperatures. However, most of the temperatures mentioned in these situations, when heavily tasking the CPU, average to be around 60°C.

However, I'm dealing with that temperature or higher at idle speeds. Swapping heatsinks and fans doesn't seem to make a difference, nor does removing the 6600GT. The center of the processor is properly coated with thermal gel and the heatsink is clean and secure, but this puppy cooks. On certain occasions, running a long AVI or playing a game has brought the CPU up to almost 75°C. The BIOS is set to shut down beyond that temperature, but this has yet to occur.

I'm aware AMD chips can sometimes run hot, AMD claiming 85°C is the max, but this thing is becoming a combination SSF system/portable space heater. Am I pretty much up poop's creek and need to a drill a damn hole in this thing? Keeping the right side panel off seems to help quite a bit, reducing the idle temperature to the mid-50's, lower to mid-60's when being tasked. I've seen the various modifications made to the case, most notably ventilation holes on the sides, and wondering if there are possibly other solutions to cooling this mofo down. If not, I'm curious if anyone has successfully cut a decent sized hole in a side panel using a hole saw.

Any advice, tips, or suggestions would be appreciated.
 
You said that swapping heatsinks didn't make a difference. May I ask which heatsinks you tried? The Spreeze isn't a decent cooler for the Aria. Most go with the Zalman CNPS7000 or Thermaltake units as they are more of a large surface cooler which disipates a great deal of heat. Also, what thermal paste did you use? Not the stuff that came with the Speeze I hope. Just for a point of reference, it is this fan you are using:
http://www.newegg.com/app/Showimage.asp?image=35-150-010-05.JPG/35-150-010-06.JPG/35-150-010-08.jpg

That said, yes the Aria runs hot and benifits from a positive airflow environment like any other ATX case. The hassle of cutting a hole in the side panel does have a striking change in temp drops. Its the same with Shuttle, QBIC SFF's where most try to get away with one fan to service the needs of all the components and it just doesn't cut it. Before the Aria, I owned a Shuttle SN85G4 which suffered horrible heat issues so much that the embedded NIC would stop working if the box got hot under load. After replacing the stock fan and adding an intake fan the temps dropped. I did the same thing with the Aria for my current setup and it runs quite nice in its current configuration.

So what I am trying in a round about way to get at is that there is a trade off with going to an SFF enclosure, but making changes to the stock unit is all but a necessity. I believe most of the Aria folks here would agree its a needed change.

-E
 
I also tried a Dynatron Copper CPU Cooler (BH-610 model with the shorter fan) and a generic AOC aluminum heatsink/fan. Neither these two, nor the Speeze, made a difference in cooling, but the Speeze offered the quietest solution.

I'll go ahead and give the Zalman a shot.

I'm not opposed to drilling a hole in the side of the case, either. In fact, I'm thinking about using a hole saw to get a good sized hole, wrapping it with a rubber seal, and sticking wire mesh on the inside. I'm not familiar with the tool, though. I'm assuming I can connect it to a drill press and with the case panel fastened and secure, pop a nice big hole in the thing?
 
I'm thinking about using a hole saw to get a good sized hole, wrapping it with a rubber seal, and sticking wire mesh on the inside. I'm not familiar with the tool, though. I'm assuming I can connect it to a drill press and with the case panel fastened and secure, pop a nice big hole in the thing?
Click to expand...

That is correct. Since it does have an odd material, make sure it is secure.
 
Thanks for the replies, guys. I'll post some screenshots when all is said and done.
 
I've successfully cut a hole in the Aria case. While it has only help drop the temperature a couple degrees, I'm still waiting for the Zalman CPU fan to arrive. I've got a basic screen applied to the back of it. Can't seem to find a hardware store or hobby shop that has a rubber gromit or gasket I can use to create a nice "trim" around the opening. Any ideas? The cut is 89mm. It came out real nice, though. Looking forward to seeing what temperatures I can get with the new CPU fan.

aria.jpg
 
The Zalman arrived and just BARELY fits in the case with the side panel closed. However, an internal screen isn't going to work, so I've decided to mount a grille on the outside. The new fan, coupled with the big hole in the side, does reduce the temperature signficantly, so thanks again for the advice.

grille.jpg


This grille is obviously too small, but I think the final piece will look nice and retain decent airflow.
 
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