X-Qpack extra cooling

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w00ty

Weaksauce
Joined
Jan 30, 2006
Messages
96
I need some recommendations on improving my X-Qpack cooling - dont want Water Cooling though.

I do already have a ZALMAN 7700Cu installed on my cpu but its not dropped my cpu ('3700+ amd San Diego') temps as much as i was expecting it to, leaving it at about 29-30ºC when idle and 42-43 on full load.

When I have my case without the cover, temps drop about 7-8ºC which is what I'd like to get with the cover on.

So I would like to know what sort of extra fans you've added to your Qpack and where exactly in the case do u recommend to put them, as i dont really know much about all this "positive pressure" and stuff like that.

Thanks in advance
 
Couple of methods.

Reverse the 120mm fan so it blows are into the case. This is called positive pressure, your forcing air into the system, instead of extracting it. If you reverse the fan I would get a filter for it, so you don't fill your case with dust.

The other method would be to cut holes in you side panels or the plexi glass windows and mount fans on them. The best would be to place 1 fan on each side of the case towards the front. This way each fan blows on the front of the motherboard, and one side is drawn over the CPU heatsink and extracted buy the 120mm fan. The other side is blown along the video card and extracted by the PSU.

You can get a fan that fits in your front drive bays also. These usally aren't that great though.

Just remeber the more fans you add the louder your system will be.
 
if reversing the fan is an improvement, why do they still put the fan on the exhaust position ?
 
w00ty said:
if reversing the fan is an improvement, why do they still put the fan on the exhaust position ?
Click to expand...

It's not a system-wide improvement. Having the fan exhaust the hot air keeps everything cool-ish. Having the fan suck in air, and then the CPU fan promptly pulling it down, means the rest of the components in the case get CPU-warmed air.

On the PSU that the X-QPACK comes with, paired with SOME components (high-end stuff), that could well be a problem. If you are running low- to mid- level components, or replaced the PSU, you should be good to go, though.

This is, by the way, what I did - reversed the fan and put a filter over it. Not specifically to reduce temps, but to reduce dust buildup. The stock configuration is 'negative pressure' - two fans sucking air out of the case, so the air inside gets closer to a vacuum (not MUCH closer...but somewhat so), and air is sucked into the case to fill the lower pressure area via all those holes all over the case, space between panel fittings, space around drive bay devices, etc. All kinds of tiny entrances you cannot filter all of.

With the 120mm fan sucking air IN, though, there is more air coming into the system than going out, and you have a 'positive pressure' system - air sucked in at one point, and the higher pressure in the case pushing the exhaust out all the holes, cracks, and spaces.

Since dust is the #1 PC hardware killer, and comes into the system from a single point that way instead of hundreds, you've got a single point you need to put a filter on, and you are set. In my case, I took it an extra step and ducted the PSU fan up away from the 120mm intake to make sure it wasn't sucking in air freshly warmed by the PSU:

 
dderidex said:
It's not a system-wide improvement. Having the fan exhaust the hot air keeps everything cool-ish. Having the fan suck in air, and then the CPU fan promptly pulling it down, means the rest of the components in the case get CPU-warmed air.

On the PSU that the X-QPACK comes with, paired with SOME components (high-end stuff), that could well be a problem. If you are running low- to mid- level components, or replaced the PSU, you should be good to go, though.

This is, by the way, what I did - reversed the fan and put a filter over it. Not specifically to reduce temps, but to reduce dust buildup. The stock configuration is 'negative pressure' - two fans sucking air out of the case, so the air inside gets closer to a vacuum (not MUCH closer...but somewhat so), and air is sucked into the case to fill the lower pressure area via all those holes all over the case, space between panel fittings, space around drive bay devices, etc. All kinds of tiny entrances you cannot filter all of.

With the 120mm fan sucking air IN, though, there is more air coming into the system than going out, and you have a 'positive pressure' system - air sucked in at one point, and the higher pressure in the case pushing the exhaust out all the holes, cracks, and spaces.

Since dust is the #1 PC hardware killer, and comes into the system from a single point that way instead of hundreds, you've got a single point you need to put a filter on, and you are set. In my case, I took it an extra step and ducted the PSU fan up away from the 120mm intake to make sure it wasn't sucking in air freshly warmed by the PSU:

Click to expand...
I flipped my QPack's case fan also, and I plan on putting a filter on it. I saw that my Liberty's fan would blow hot air out, so I reversed that too. The Liberty has got to be one of the easiest PSU's I've ever modded. :)
 
M4rk said:
I flipped my QPack's case fan also, and I plan on putting a filter on it. I saw that my Liberty's fan would blow hot air out, so I reversed that too. The Liberty has got to be one of the easiest PSU's I've ever modded. :)
Click to expand...

how are your temps? i'm thinking about doing the same thing, would you recommend it?
 
aiya said:
how are your temps? i'm thinking about doing the same thing, would you recommend it?
Click to expand...
Sorry, I still haven't picked out a mobo for my QPack yet. It's sitting on my computer room floor staring at me blankly. :(

I'm a procrastinator. I'm not going to buy just any current mATX mobo, I'm going to wait for eVGA to toss out their SLi mATX for retail. ;)
 
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Looks clean how you make that duct?
 
Had one of these kits back in the day. Unused for a LONG time, but the duct was in my spare parts bin.

It's a *perfect* fit for Enermax PSUs, btw - almost unreal how well designed it was. Fits the stock X-QPACK PSU pretty well, too.
 
at about 29-30ºC when idle and 42-43 on full load
Click to expand...

That seems pretty damn good.
I'm at 40ºC when idle, and 47ºC on full load.
As long as I'm not breaking 50ºC on load, I'm tickled.

Of course I run my 120mm rear fan at 800 rpm, cpu Zalman fan at 1400 rpm, and use an Antec Phantom 350 (fanless), but man is it quiet. Like a mild wooshing sound. I normally don't turn up the fans for gaming, but could bring the temp down by about 8ºC if I think of it, since the game sound drowns out the fans.

Your bits won't burn up at those temps.
 
M4rk said:
Sorry, I still haven't picked out a mobo for my QPack yet. It's sitting on my computer room floor staring at me blankly. :(

I'm a procrastinator. I'm not going to buy just any current mATX mobo, I'm going to wait for eVGA to toss out their SLi mATX for retail. ;)
Click to expand...

oh haha, its cool man. we're all procrastinators at some point when it comes to computer parts. :D
 
dderidex said:
It's not a system-wide improvement. Having the fan exhaust the hot air keeps everything cool-ish. Having the fan suck in air, and then the CPU fan promptly pulling it down, means the rest of the components in the case get CPU-warmed air.

On the PSU that the X-QPACK comes with, paired with SOME components (high-end stuff), that could well be a problem. If you are running low- to mid- level components, or replaced the PSU, you should be good to go, though.
Click to expand...

so basically, i imagine the problem with qpacks stock psu is its poor fan efficiency? which would mean hot air wouldnt be pulled out of the box enough to keep the rest of the components cool?

anyway im gonna replace it with liberty 400 or 500 in a week or so

ty for ur replies!
 
could you please tell me how each fan works there? i mean pulling air in or out the case?
 
My side, bottom and rear fans are intake fans, and I have 2 fans on my PSU for out....EZ
 
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