I'm planning on making a few modifications to an old midi tower ATX case, in order to build a new "silent" PC (using all passive components and two 120mm case fans).
My plan so far is as follows:
- Create a metal panel that separates the case into an upper chamber (where the PSU, DVD and FD are located) and a lower chamber (where the MB, CPU, RAM, NB, GPU, and HD are located).
- Cut two 120mm holes in the separator panel, and mount two 120mm fans, blowing upwards, on the "lower chamber" side.
- Cut a small hole in the separator panel for the PSU, DVD and FD cables to pass through.
- Cut two 120mm intake holes in the bottom of the case, directly below the two holes in the separator panel.
- Replace the standard feet with 50mm high wheels.
- Seal all the holes, gaps, etc. in the case where air can flow in or out, or where air can flow between the upper and lower chambers, including the gaps around the DVD and FD, the cables passing through the separator panel, and the front bezel cables passing through the front of the case, but excluding (obviously) the newly cut 120mm holes, and the hole where the PSU is mounted.
*** Please note that there is an updated version of this diagram further down the page ***
The list of components I'm planning on using is as follows:
*** Please note that there is an updated version of this component list further down the page ***
- PSU : Antec Phantom 350W (passive)
MB : Gigabyte GA-K8NPRO-SLI (passive NB)
CPU : AMD Athlon64 3000+ S939 (Venice) + Scythe NCU-2005 CPU cooler (passive)
GPU : Gigabyte GV-NX66T128VP Nvidia GeForce 6600GT (passive)
HD : Samsung SpinPoint P120 Series - 250GB / SATA 3.0Gb/s / 7200rpm
Fans : 2 x Nexus 120mm Real Silent case fans
- Optimise airflow / cooling:
The idea being that by modifying the case, air would enter the case via the intake holes at the bottom, flow through the lower chamber (negative pressure), pass through from the lower chamber to the upper chamber via the fans, flow through the upper chamber (positive pressure) and exit the case via the PSU, the air would be moved through the case by two 120mm fans in parallel (approx total of 74CFM), and the PSU would be located in a separate chamber. I am assuming this will result in better airflow / cooling and therefore reduce the temperatures of the MB, CPU, RAM, NB, GPU and HD.
- Reduce noise:
The idea being that by modifying the case, the two fans will be located in the middle of the case, instead of on the edges, and all unnecessary holes, gaps, etc. in the case, especially those at the front, will be sealed. I am assuming this will reduce the amount of noise that can escape from the case.
Here are the questions I have so far:
- Are the assumptions I've made above in regards to optimising airflow / cooling and reducing noise correct?
- Will it actually work, i.e. will all of the components stay within a reasonable temperature range?
- Will it run as silently as possible given the selected components (i.e. a 3000+ CPU and a 6600GT graphics card)?
- If you answered no to any of those questions, what would you recommend I do differently?
- Can I get away with less airflow, or will I require more airflow?
- Would I be able to get away with even hotter components (e.g. a 3500+ CPU and a 7800GT graphics card)?
- What size, shape, etc. should I make the intake holes in the bottom of the case? By default I'm just planning to cut two 120mm holes (to mirror the holes for the fans), but I'm open to suggestion here.
- Given the intake holes are on the bottom of the case, instead of the front, will dust be more of a problem than it would be normally?
- Seeing as the NCU-2005 weighs a reasonable amount, should I look into creating some sort of support for it (especially seeing as I plan on moving the PC around, taking it to LAN's, etc.), or would that be totally unnecessary?
- Would the whole thing work just as well without the separator panel and with the fans mounted, blowing upwards, at the bottom of the case (i.e. is my current plan needlessly complex)?
Or if anyone has any further questions, please feel free to ask.
Thanks!