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Fans for a computer cabinet?

Z

Zyzzyva100

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Feb 26, 2001
Messages
1,204
I just built myself a shuttle SFF computer and in getting a new desk, I got a cart to put next to it that I now have some some networking equipment in, and I put proceeded to put the shuttle in the bottom of the cart, with the printer sitting on the very top.

Now while this works very nice, when IKEA designed this cart, Im pretty sure that they didn't intend for very warm running computer components to go inside of it. Hence, if I leave the doors to it shut, the temperatures skyrocket. Just opening the doors help, but I like the fact that the doors help to muffle some of the noise, and it also just looks nicer to be all contained in one place.

So, I'm having my dad send me a couple of the holesaws that are sitting at home, and I am going to make a few fresh air and exhaust holes. I think the main thing is that I need a way for the hot air to escape. Im thinking that I will even just make the hole in the back lineup with the exhuaust of the shuttle ICE system, so that the hot air is just going right out the back.

Anyway, I also want to put some fans into there in order to move a bit of air out. I know that some 120 mm sized fans running fairly slowly even, will help to move that hot air out, and get some fresh air in. With that said, does anybody know where I can buy some fairly quiet fans that will run off AC, OR what would I need to rig up a couple of DC fans so that I can have one control point for the entire cabinet that then goes to AC. I want these fans to be totally seperate from the computer, and I would like to do this without it looking completely ghetto rigged.

Any suggestions? Cliff notes of above: I'm basically just looking to make my own mini "rack enclosure", and I need some fans to exhaust the hot air out of it, that I can run off AC, not DC from the computer.
 
The_Dark_Hacker said:
why dont you want them hooked up to your computers?
Click to expand...

Because I don't want any more load running on the shuttle power supply. Im sure I am close to maxing it out.

Also, I don't want random shit running out of the case, and that would involve me cutting into the case. Cutting up the enclosure would be much easier. I'm sure that someone has done this before. I have even seen AC computer like fans before, I just can't remember where.
 
Oh, you are awesome. I guess now I just need to figure out how to figure how to wire these all up, but that should be easier now that I have some AC fans to choose from. Thanks.
 
I usually just cut apart an old extension cord. Even a light-duty one should handle all the fans you're going to use. Just wire them in parallel and you should be set. You should also be able to throw a potentiometer in line with the fans if you're worried about noise.
 
If you have some case fans, and a spare power supply lying around, you can also mod a p/s to run without being attached to a mobo, etc. Can't remember where I found it, but it's simply a matter of cutting two wires from the bundle going to the atx power plug, then either twisting them together, or running them thru a simple switch. Once you do that, the switch turns the p/s on and off, and all the 4-pin molex connectors are then available for running fans, etc.

Should be fairly easy to find it.....google, eh? :)

Oh, and as far as having a p/s laying around, most of us probably have 'em......especially from those Powmax cases we bought, and took the POS power supply out of!! LOL :p

btw.....I've got 3 or 4 of those myself :cool:
 
Nivram said:
If you have some case fans, and a spare power supply lying around, you can also mod a p/s to run without being attached to a mobo, etc. Can't remember where I found it, but it's simply a matter of cutting two wires from the bundle going to the atx power plug, then either twisting them together, or running them thru a simple switch. Once you do that, the switch turns the p/s on and off, and all the 4-pin molex connectors are then available for running fans, etc.

Should be fairly easy to find it.....google, eh? :)

Oh, and as far as having a p/s laying around, most of us probably have 'em......especially from those Powmax cases we bought, and took the POS power supply out of!! LOL :p

btw.....I've got 3 or 4 of those myself :cool:
Click to expand...

Actually I don't have a psu laying around, otherwise I would have done that. But quite frankly that woudl take up more room that its worth. A couple of ac fans, a potentiometer and maybe an isolating amplifier, and im good. Good thing the guy that lives across the hall from me is an EE grad student.
 
scrap all that.
couple of realtively quiet 120mm fans mounted in the bottom of the cabinet as intakes. Wire them up with a 12V AC-DC power convertor (wall wart). Use something like a mini-DIN headphone jack coupler through the cabinet wall.
And at the top / back of the cabinet, remove the top 1" of the back wall.
The whole thing will breath, the rising hot air will be pushed out the back of the cabinet, and it will be invisible and nearly silent.
 
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