Installing Nexus 120mm

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PaneTrez
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Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2005 6:17 pm

Installing Nexus 120mm

Post by PaneTrez » Mon Jun 06, 2005 12:18 am

I just bought 2 Nexus 120mm fans because i heard they were so great! Unfortunately, the screw hole for the fan is as deep as the fan itself, so my old screws to hold the fan to the case won't work. Do i need to find a 25mm screw in order to install these fans to my case? Thanks!

m0002a
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Re: Installing Nexus 120mm

Post by m0002a » Mon Jun 06, 2005 12:27 am

PaneTrez wrote:I just bought 2 Nexus 120mm fans because i heard they were so great! Unfortunately, the screw hole for the fan is as deep as the fan itself, so my old screws to hold the fan to the case won't work. Do i need to find a 25mm screw in order to install these fans to my case? Thanks!
I use nylon screws and nuts, which you can get from Home Depot or Lowe’s or any good hardware store. I believe that the #6 (6/32) x 1.5" is the size I used last time. The nylon screws provide better isolation than metal.

I also use some rubber washers for the screw heads, and use some GE 100% silicon caulk to provide isolation from the case. I lay down a bead of silicone about 1/8" thick and let it set up for about 30 minutes, so that when I mount the fan the caulk is still resilient, but no so soft that it squeeze out. But don't tighten the screws too much.

If you are not in the US (please indicate location in your profile) you obviously can use the equivalent metric size screws.

Michael Sandstrom
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Post by Michael Sandstrom » Mon Jun 06, 2005 1:02 am

It is also possible to cut out the fan corners with a saw or a utility knife. Cutting is easy due to the soft plastic of the 120mm Nexus.

m0002a
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Post by m0002a » Mon Jun 06, 2005 2:35 am

Michael Sandstrom wrote:It is also possible to cut out the fan corners with a saw or a utility knife. Cutting is easy due to the soft plastic of the 120mm Nexus.
I had to cut out the fan corners on my Nexus to fit on a Thermalright XP-120, but that seems like an awful lot of work which could be avoided by using screws about 35mm long.

Slaugh
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Post by Slaugh » Mon Jun 06, 2005 8:48 am

Take a look at this thread: The Nexus 120mm fan corner cutting guide...


This is how I install my Nexus using foam and cable ties:

Image

Just Dude
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Post by Just Dude » Mon Jun 06, 2005 12:03 pm

Too bad I didn't know/thought about the elegant cable tie solution, before I went bananas with a big hacksaw Saturday night!
Just for the record: Small orange plastics all over the living room - ended with minus 1000 WAF points.... :roll:

m0002a
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Post by m0002a » Mon Jun 06, 2005 1:04 pm

Just Dude wrote:Too bad I didn't know/thought about the elegant cable tie solution, before I went bananas with a big hacksaw Saturday night!
Just for the record: Small orange plastics all over the living room - ended with minus 1000 WAF points.... :roll:
Don't they have long screws in the UK?

There is actually a small flaw in the zip tie technique. Even thought the fan is cushioned by foam, the zip tie should have some kind of foam or rubber washer. The isolation is no better than the weakest link.

Also, I like the fan to be flush against the case so that no air is comes in through the gap between fan and case.

Just Dude
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Post by Just Dude » Mon Jun 06, 2005 1:11 pm

m0002a wrote: Don't they have long screws in the UK?
eeh, probably. Still new on finding stuff here - recently moved from Denmark....

StarfishChris
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Post by StarfishChris » Mon Jun 06, 2005 2:08 pm

m0002a wrote:
Just Dude wrote:Too bad I didn't know/thought about the elegant cable tie solution, before I went bananas with a big hacksaw Saturday night!
Just for the record: Small orange plastics all over the living room - ended with minus 1000 WAF points.... :roll:
Don't they have long screws in the UK?
Yes, if you're looking in the right place :) Wouldn't bolts be better for this? You could potentially avoid contact with the case, unless that's what you're talking about.

teejay
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Post by teejay » Mon Jun 06, 2005 2:11 pm

Just Dude wrote:Small orange plastics all over the living room - ended with minus 1000 WAF points...
:D :D :D :D
That's my second Yoda-quote in one week and I'm still probably the only one who thinks they are funny. LOL at your living room decoration technique though...

StarfishChris
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Post by StarfishChris » Mon Jun 06, 2005 3:03 pm

You would've been okay with an orange carpet... or hoovered them up before the wife sees them!

m0002a
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Post by m0002a » Mon Jun 06, 2005 3:10 pm

StarfishChris wrote:Wouldn't bolts be better for this? You could potentially avoid contact with the case, unless that's what you're talking about.
They are actually called machine screws, which are like bolts in that they require nuts to secure them. As I have posted before, I use nylon machine screws and nuts, with rubber washers and 100% silicone caulk.

Just Dude
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Post by Just Dude » Mon Jun 06, 2005 11:32 pm

StarfishChris wrote:You would've been okay with an orange carpet... or hoovered them up before the wife sees them!
Oh, I cleaned up and all, but I still got a lot of :roll: ...!

Anyway, it turned out fine - I mean the nexus fan fits nicely on the XP-120 now... :D

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