Does anyone use pci-sized air-vents or 'aeroslots'?
They seem to be an easy way to increase case ventilation, but on the other hand they would also cause more noise to escape!
Any thoughts or comments?
Does anyone use pci-sized air-vents or 'aeroslots'?
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Yes I have bought these. Partly it's because my local PC hardware store stocks them see http://www.scan.co.uk/Product.aspx?WebProductId=782928.
I think a lot of people fit them just because they look better. (But the back of the case is not on view??). There are one or two reports that users with hot running graphics cards found that they reduced temperatures. For example here http://cover-review.blogspot.com/2009/0 ... d-pci.html.
You can of course get the same effect for nothing by simply taking off the existing PCI covers.
I think a lot of people fit them just because they look better. (But the back of the case is not on view??). There are one or two reports that users with hot running graphics cards found that they reduced temperatures. For example here http://cover-review.blogspot.com/2009/0 ... d-pci.html.
You can of course get the same effect for nothing by simply taking off the existing PCI covers.
I use one which came with my Accelero S1 Rev.2 (passive VGA cooler). It's installed in the pci slot below the card and reduces temperatures of the card significantly. If you only have well-cooled active components then I suspect these vents would make little or no difference.
It's also worth pointing out that they dramatically increase the amount of dust which will be sucked into the case.
It's also worth pointing out that they dramatically increase the amount of dust which will be sucked into the case.
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bonestonne
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living in a house with a lot of dust, i will definitely agree, the vents do allow lots of air to be sucked in (i also rely on negative air pressure to cool my rig). Most of the dust is stopped by the front filters on my Cooler Master Elite 330, but the one slot that I have with a vent is actually as Hammy noted, for the Accelero S1. Yes, it definitely helps reduce temps, but with 3 fans running, I don't notice a noise leak, however I do notice that compared to other areas of my case, there's more dust by the PCI cards. It used to be just the audio card, but now the firewire card as well.
If there was a way to filter this area, for example, taking all the covers off, but clipping the air filters over the open area, it would prove to be an effective solution, but it's largely made different by the fact that it's a source for noise leaks. if a case is split into chambers, this wont have much of a negative effect, for example the P18x from Antec. If you split the case up with a divider between the GFX card and the CPU heatsink, you could get away with a division with little noise, and better ventilation.
in my opinion, they're really made for the "newbie" modders, who just see it as ventilation slot covers...or people with more money than brains, thinking they need a slot filler there. if you take all the unused covers out, you get better circulation than the covers give you, while reducing the number of places dust particles can build up (such as between the case and the covers). it's almost like spending money just to spend it, not giving much purpose.
If there was a way to filter this area, for example, taking all the covers off, but clipping the air filters over the open area, it would prove to be an effective solution, but it's largely made different by the fact that it's a source for noise leaks. if a case is split into chambers, this wont have much of a negative effect, for example the P18x from Antec. If you split the case up with a divider between the GFX card and the CPU heatsink, you could get away with a division with little noise, and better ventilation.
in my opinion, they're really made for the "newbie" modders, who just see it as ventilation slot covers...or people with more money than brains, thinking they need a slot filler there. if you take all the unused covers out, you get better circulation than the covers give you, while reducing the number of places dust particles can build up (such as between the case and the covers). it's almost like spending money just to spend it, not giving much purpose.
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xan_user
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I use one in an OLD hp 350mhz i have as a NAS, it has the power supply fan in the middle of the tower, so heat collects at the top of the case where one of the HDDs is. (I think they designed it that way so the drives would fail quicker..) there is an audio break out panel at the very top rear of the case, which I swapped for an undervolted slot blower. Now the drives run nice and cool, and its still whisper quiet.
me too
I have a cute little mATX cube case, but the ventilation is pretty non-existent, and I have a video card in there that vents into the case, so I was running it with the side panel off for a while. I finally just pulled the unused slot covers out of there, (and, in the interest of full disclosure, I also pulled off the 5.25 and 3.5 bay covers that weren't in use) and now it's running a lot cooler, and I have the panels back on. I suppose a mesh would be nice, but eh, just pulling them was cheaper.