Is removing my rear case fan a bad idea?

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Shining Arcanine
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Is removing my rear case fan a bad idea?

Post by Shining Arcanine » Sun Dec 26, 2004 1:01 pm

My system specs are:

Intel 2.4GHz P4 Revision C w/Thermalright SP-94 and 80mm Ultra Quiet Panaflo Fan
Intel D875PBZLK Motherboard
1GB Corsair TWINX3200LL Rev.1.1 DDR400 RAM @ 2-2-2-5 timings
Western Digital 200GB Caviar Special Edition (orignal loud version) - Shock Absorbers installed
Western Digital 36.7GB Raptor (orignal loud version) - Shock Absorbers installed
ATI AIW 9700 Pro w/VGA Silencer Rev. 3 - set to low
ATI TV Wonder Pro
Creative Audigy 2
Samsung 52x26x52x8x CD-RW/DVD-ROM Combo drive
Thermaltake 480watt variable fan speed PSU - dial as low as possible
80mm Ultra Quiet Panaflo Fan - Rear Case Fan

Putting my hand in the path of the air coming from the rear case fan the air feels cool while the air from the VGA Silencer and my PSU is rather warm. I suppose the air that used to go the rear case fan from the hard drives is now going to the VGA Silencer. So I'm wondering, do you guys think that removing the rear case fan would be a bad idea? If so, should I undervolt it?
Last edited by Shining Arcanine on Sun Dec 26, 2004 1:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Ralf Hutter
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Post by Ralf Hutter » Sun Dec 26, 2004 1:08 pm

1) Try removing it (or turning it off) and see what happens to your temps.

2) Try undervolting it and see what happens to your temps.

Both are easy to do, safe and will provide you with first-hand knowledge of the workings of your system.

Shining Arcanine
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Post by Shining Arcanine » Sun Dec 26, 2004 1:36 pm

My main concern with removing/undervolting my rear case fan is compromising my PSU's reliability since I can't monitor its temperature.

My CPU's idle temperature is 33 degrees celsius, how much of a rise do you think would be possible without risking my PSU?

MikeC
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Post by MikeC » Sun Dec 26, 2004 2:13 pm

Shining Arcanine wrote:My main concern with removing/undervolting my rear case fan is compromising my PSU's reliability since I can't monitor its temperature.

My CPU's idle temperature is 33 degrees celsius, how much of a rise do you think would be possible without risking my PSU?
You shouldn't even think about it. The PSU will ramp its fan up if it gets too hot anyway. Usually, reducing case airflow to lower noise is getting to the balance point where the PSU fan still does not ramp up.

Shining Arcanine
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Post by Shining Arcanine » Mon Dec 27, 2004 7:18 am

Thanks for the advice. I removed the fan and there was a drop in noise output. :D

Now I'm hearing an extremely high pitched noise (WD signature whine perhaps?). Does anyone know how to get rid of or reduce it without spending a significant amount of money?

Ralf Hutter
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Post by Ralf Hutter » Mon Dec 27, 2004 2:53 pm

Shining Arcanine wrote: Does anyone know how to get rid of or reduce it without spending a significant amount of money?
Read the DIY articles in the Storage section of the main site, or some of the sticky posts in the Silent Storage forums for some good basic tutorials.

Shining Arcanine
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Post by Shining Arcanine » Tue Dec 28, 2004 7:45 am

Thanks.

By the way, today I was playing Rise of Nations and my PC's overheat warning went off. I ignored it mistaking it for the UPS's power outage warning and kept playing. Then when there was alot of activity my PC froze and for the first time my case was warm to the touch. I reinstalled the rear case fan (undervolting is in order) and things seem to be fine. I hope I didn't damage anything.

Shining Arcanine
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Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2004 2:02 pm

Post by Shining Arcanine » Mon Jan 03, 2005 4:05 pm

Some custom made cables I ordered came in the mail today. Each one is a panaflo fan tail with a molex connector soldered on and a sleeve. I ordered them rather than making them myself because I don't know how to solder.

Instead of ordering a 92mm ultra quiet panaflo fan as I had orignally planned, I decided to use a 92mm high speed panaflo fan remisicient the time I asked overclockers for advice on building a quiet computer. After installing them along with the 92mm high speed panaflo as my new CPU fan, the only things I can hear seem to be my high drives. Best of all, no more high pitched noise. To think, I blamed my western digital hard drives for that when it was really a bad panaflo fan.

Edit: I spoke too soon. The whine is still there, I just didn't notice it at first. :(

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