cooling pipe or fan?

[rustbucket]

... or both?

I got a cheap case off of newegg recently - I've put in 120mm fans for intake and exhaust. The side panel came with a plastic chimney to a vent that fits fairly closely to the cpu heatsink. My questions is: which would provide the best cooling: leave the chimney thing, put an 80mm fan onto it, and leave the chimney, or remove it entirely and cut the side panel to fit a 92mm fan?

I apologize if the question is unclear... here's a link to the case I got: http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductdesc.asp?description=11-117-033&DEPA=1

the white thing attached to the side panel is what i'm referring to...

 

[tsuehpsyde]

The idea behind that case is that your CPU's heatsink/fan will be close to there....so it uses the chimney as a shroud, so it only sucks air in from the outside keeping the warm air from the heastink away from it (keeps it from recycling). If your CPU lines up with it, I'd stick a fan in there and leave it alone, would probably work pretty well. If it doesn't, then be gone with the shroud and put in a bigger fan.

My 2 circular lincolns.

 

[rustbucket]

It lines up well - the problem is that I have one of the arctic silent coolers with the funky shaped fans, so it doesn't actually create any kind of seal, just chills in the general vicinity...