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Side Panel Fan Mod Done Differently?

F

FireBean

Gawd
Joined
Apr 12, 2010
Messages
994
I'm trying to mod my newly acquired 700D because the air-cooling on the video cards is insufficient. I'm going to be slapping a pair of 120-180mm fans adjacent to where the video cards would be. Now, I HATE having fans attached to the side panels because the wires are a hassle and sometimes get caught in the fans. Pictured below is what I'm trying to do. Granted this is a 800D, but it's close enough.

Fans1.png

Fans2.png


How would I go about making the hole(s) on the side look nice, and be able to incorporate some kind of dust filter? I'm sort of lost on how to do this. I've also considered incorporating a Side Windows as well, but I have not though too much on this yet.

I have also thought of mounting this 250mm fan that will sit center mass over the motherboard, but then there is the wire issue again. Are there there some kind of wire connectors out there that would allow to me to keep the wire attached to the panel, and they make contact with another set of wire on the chassis. So that when the panel is closed, it makes contact and supplies power to fans. I have not seen anything like this, but does it exist? Included below is another picture of what I'm trying to say. (I love Google sketch-up!) The contacts would be spring loaded so compensate for imperfections.

Connector.png
 
For the holes, getting a 4" hole saw would be perfect for a 120mm fan. They also sell screw in or magnetic attach dust filters at FrozenCPU and some other places.

If I were doing this, I'd do the following.

1. Get a piece of sheet metal, and bend it into the "L" shape you have there.
2. Mask the entire thing with painters tape, then measure out the two 120mm (or whatever) fans and spacing. Mark your centerpoint of each fan so you know where to drill.
3. Cut the fan cutouts with the hole saw.
4. Match this to the side of the case (measure twice, cut once!)
5. Add magnetic filters to the outside of the case.
6. Find a way to secure the L bracket to the center separator on the 700D. I'd use something easily removable, thumbscrews and a bolt maybe, due to its location.

A lot of the case mod guys would probably give you better advice.
 
Redbeard said:
For the holes, getting a 4" hole saw would be perfect for a 120mm fan. They also sell screw in or magnetic attach dust filters at FrozenCPU and some other places.

If I were doing this, I'd do the following.

1. Get a piece of sheet metal, and bend it into the "L" shape you have there.
2. Mask the entire thing with painters tape, then measure out the two 120mm (or whatever) fans and spacing. Mark your centerpoint of each fan so you know where to drill.
3. Cut the fan cutouts with the hole saw.
4. Match this to the side of the case (measure twice, cut once!)
5. Add magnetic filters to the outside of the case.
6. Find a way to secure the L bracket to the center separator on the 700D. I'd use something easily removable, thumbscrews and a bolt maybe, due to its location.

A lot of the case mod guys would probably give you better advice.
Click to expand...

Thanks Red...

@2: I do see alot of modders use masking tape, and other than marking stuff off, is there any other reason to use it?
@4: Not sure How I'm going to measure for this. Got any ideas?
@5: I've seen those, but I was hoping for something more elegent, but beggers can't be choosers :D
@6: I was just going to drill and tap for a thumb screw.

I'd LOVE to hear more suggestions though. Or pictures to help my poor imagination.
 
2 - helps keep from scratching the paint around the cut, as well as gives the centerpoint of the hole saw a bit of texture to keep from slipping.
4 - I'd make the L bracket first, cut the holes, then lay it over the inside of the side panel as a cutting template. Trace with a pen. To gauge how far from the back of the case, I'd just use a tape measure. Or you could install the L bracket, coat the backside with a thin coat of paint, and then carefully attach the side panel, and push it into the paint and it will create a kind of guide. But this is messy and can be inaccurate.
 
Limited on time at the moment. I do ALOT of planning before I do anything. =)

I'll keep it posted in here. I might do a mod log.
 
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