Loading up a P180 with Nexus fans; expect mounting problems?

Enclosures and acoustic damping to help quiet them.

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BoB-O
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Loading up a P180 with Nexus fans; expect mounting problems?

Post by BoB-O » Tue Sep 20, 2005 7:59 pm

Hey all,

I'm getting a P180 that I intend to load up with Nexus 120mm fans. Before you go crazy, I'm just looking for a quieter computer than this crazy loud workstation I have. The 4 Nexus fans won't even come close.

That said, I bought a nexus mount kit, but it only has 8 of the long iso-mounts. Will I need more than this, or should I use the blue grommet + zip tie method?

Thanks!
BoB

Lubb
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Post by Lubb » Wed Sep 21, 2005 3:50 am

The top fan is only held in with two screws in the rear corners, and it has hooks to hold the front two corners. The Nexus fans have the closed-in corner holes, so (to avoid modding the case) you will need to trim open two of the corners on one of your fans for this.
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I put Nexus in mine, I just used the regular screws but they are still quieter. And the lower-chamber black fan-mounting thing is rattling now, so I have to wedge something under that or take it out.....
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I notice however that very little air comes out the top of the case, it seems. Even with the fans on full-voltage, I feel some air out the back but none out the top. This is not the fans so much, I got the same thing with the stock Antec tri-cools as well. The front filters are slowing air down somewhat too.
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Shadowknight
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Post by Shadowknight » Wed Sep 21, 2005 5:16 am

The only fan you can use rubber mounts on is the rear exhaust, you can't use them on the mounting brackets and slide them into position.

Last night I pulled out the PSU chamber bracket and remounted my Nexus using bluetack; it made a noticable difference in noise vs. hard mounting in a quiet room with an already extremely quiet system.

Ackelind
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Post by Ackelind » Wed Sep 21, 2005 6:07 am

I mounted my nexus fans with the longer sticks from the Nexus kit. The back fan is easy, for the top fan i had to bend the hooks just slightly and mount the fan using only two sticks. I had it like that for a while, but then I removed the top fan completly and blocked the top vent, making my computer much more silent!

JonV
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Post by JonV » Wed Sep 21, 2005 6:14 am

I have two Nexuses in my P180, one at the back and one in the lower chamber. Both were mounted with no problems whatsoever, using the long rubber mounts from the Nexus kit. With both at 5V and the case under my desk, it's an inaudible system.

Remember to cover up the top hole if you don't have a fan there.

BoB-O
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Post by BoB-O » Wed Sep 21, 2005 8:02 am

What about the front intake fan?

JonV
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Post by JonV » Wed Sep 21, 2005 8:17 am

BoB-O wrote:What about the front intake fan?
There are four normal holes in the metal behind the bracket, so there should be no problem.

ronrem
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Post by ronrem » Thu Sep 29, 2005 11:54 pm

I'd give thought to any plan reqiring more than 2 120 Nexus fans+PSU fan.
$ seems to defeat the purpose of paying extra for a Nexus-then more to undervolt...then having 3 more case fans-and I'm guessing one on the CPU and one in the PSU.

There's no mention of the system,if its an Overclocked Prescott maybe a lot of cooling is a must. With the right PSU,and a big Scythe heatsink,an A64 should be doable running a single 120 case fan and a 120/140 in the PSU helping. A case you OWN can be modded to let more air in. An overlooked option is to cut an inlet in the floor,adding "feet" to give a few inches clearance. You can filter it. You have more inlet area and that offsets any resistance from filters and indirect airpaths. A fresh air feed duct is another easy mod-plumbing pipe,PVC or even copper comes in many diameters,you can get T's,90 or 45 degree elbows etc.

Ackelind
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Post by Ackelind » Fri Sep 30, 2005 2:05 am

With an A64 3000+, overclocked to 2.25GHz and using the scythe ninja, you can get away with only one nexus fan at 5.5V at the back. That is how i run my current system, even with a passive 6600GT.

klankymen
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Post by klankymen » Fri Sep 30, 2005 3:37 pm

JonV wrote:I have two Nexuses in my P180, one at the back and one in the lower chamber. Both were mounted with no problems whatsoever, using the long rubber mounts from the Nexus kit. With both at 5V and the case under my desk, it's an inaudible system.

Remember to cover up the top hole if you don't have a fan there.

i've heard that nexuses have starting problems at 5V because theyre allready so slow.

so you have em at 5.0V all the time? and do you ever start up your system and have one nexus just refuse to start, because it doesnt get enough power?

Myth!
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Post by Myth! » Sun Oct 02, 2005 7:12 am

i've made fresh air tunnels with sheets of transparency plastic (overhead projector stuff). you can make any diameter cylinders, chopped cones, or even rectangle one end or both ends different. And it lets light through if you have a window.

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