Case Fan Recommendations?

I am looking for recommendations for a quiet 80mm case that provides good air flow. My CPU temp drops 10 degrees when I remove the side of my case. What is the ideal air flow in CFMs for the XP2500+? AMD won't give any recommendations. So far, I've been considering Enermax UC-8FAB, Vantec Stealth SF8025L, Panaflo, and Antec Smart Cool. Any recommendations?
Barry

 

All good picks. You can also look at Cooler Master. If you shop at Newegg or something similar and buy in some quantity, price comes down considerably. Round cables may help you too - especially if things are pretty cramped up inside your case.

Intake the front, exhaust the back. There are also slot based exhaust fans available as an add-on but don't use them as a substitute to an 80mm back mounted exhaust.

 

I know they are all good, but they range from 27cfm to 47cfm. What would be ideal for my system. I don't want to have more than I need, only adding more noise, but want to make sure I have enough. I run about 50 degrees with the case open and 60 degrees with the case closed. I have pulled all the cables out of the way, so there isn't much to block the air flow. I've read tests that show that there is no significant cooling by adding both an intake and exhaust fan, that exhaust fans are fine by themselves. I know that 85 degrees is the maximum for the XP2500+, but what is the ideal operating temperature?
Barry

 

Then you better read some more Dad.

Personally, I'd call this intolerable.

But, the last thing you need is my two cents. I'll just chill out ....

 

I have a 2500 Barton (333 FSB) cruzing at 2.0 Ghz (same as a 2700) and holding 48*C with This case.

I'm planning on adding a better processor heat sink and fan and then step it up some more.

 

I guess 50 degrees when the room is warm isn't out of order for this CPU. At night it drops to 41 degrees. I know I need to cool the room down. What is the ideal temperature for this Barton 2500+? I'm not going to buy a new case, but would like to get a quality case fan. You recommend the Thermaltake ones. The A1420 has 21db @ 32cfm. The A1214 has 27-39db @46-53cfm. The A1357 has 17-48db @ 20.55-75.7cfm. Which one do you feel will handle the job without overpowering me with noise? Do you feel they would be better than the Antec Smart Cool which has 34db @41cfm or the Panaflos which have 32 or 38.2db @39.6 or 46.9cfm?

 

Please tell me more about making this blow hole and the ideal air flow through it. Is this in addition to other case fans? I already completely opened up the case behind my fan, so there is no obstruction to the air flow.

 

I have a constant issue with temperature. I live in southern Arizona, and the room where my machines are is rarely under 80 degrees Fahrenheit (even at night) in the summer months. I have one machine running an Athlon T-Bird 1.2 and it would run at nearly 52 degrees Celsius. Removing the case covers and using a desktop fan blowing into it lowered the temp to about 40 degrees Celcius. I tried more case fans, which helped, but the real gain came with a Swift Tech unit designed for use by "over clockers ". It would give me about the same results with the case closed, and some extra case fans installed. Usually runs no more than 42 to 44 degrees C now. The downside with this unit, other than cost (somewhere in the $70 range), and the fact that you may have to remove your mother board to install the unit on spring loaded stand offs, is the NOISE. It is VERY LOUD. I plan to install a variable voltage power supply to run this fan at the lowest speed possible for the current temperature being sensed.

On a second machine, I have a T-Bird 1.33. On this machine, I have installed a ThermalTake Volcano. I added extra 42 cfm case fans, but found them extremely loud, so took the case covers off, and disconnected them. Interestingly enough, this Volcano fan does a VERY GOOD job all by itself, with no case fans except the one in the power supply.

The idea of the "blow hole" is excellent. When operating the machine with the case back off, you can feel a real draft coming from the Volcano. I think I will take the suggestion made previously, and cut a hole for an 80MM fan blowing out, but running at a reduced voltage to lower the noise level.

Maybe I am getting "cranky" in my old age, but the noise thing is becoming an issue. I have ordered on of the new mini-ITX boards that is extremely low power. It uses a small, relatively silent fan for the CPU. Not a "gamers" board, but at 1 GHz, should handle most of my desktop work.

Any way, that is my $0.02 worth.

 

I decided to go with two Thermaltake A1357 (Smart Case Fan II) fans, one intake and one exhaust. It keeps my case temp within 2 degrees C of ambient. My CPU with the Vantec AeroFlow VA4-C7040 stays 13-14 degrees C above that. I've decided against using Cooler XP and enabling CPU HALT Command to cool it more. Cooler XP uses too much of the CPU's resources, and I understand that the HALT command can create instability in the computer. I found that duct taping up all the openings in the front of my computer (preventing heated air from being circulated through the intake fan) reduced my case temps 1-2 degrees below what they were when they were open.

 

I just installed the Thermaltake Sub zero on my 2500 Barton and I'm very happy with it.

http://thermaltake.com/products/subzero/subzero4g.htm

 

What are your temps with the sub zero?

 

40*c at idle and about 50 to 52 running America's Army.
Im going to try the 120 mm Blow hole because I think it can be better.

 

It is important to remember when comparing another's results with various coolers and configurations, that the temperature drop is relative, not absolute. In other words, how much drop compared to the ambient room temperature is a good way to compare one configuration against another.

To illustrate my point, in the winter months in Arizona, my Athlon 1.2 GHz never gets above about 36 to 40 degrees Celcius. But then the room temperature is in the 15 to 22 degree Celcius range.

 

So True. That is the reason I gave my temps in relationship to ambient. I have the same problem in the high desert of Southern California.

 

looks like currently the room is 25*C and the CPU temp is 42*C
Running at 200 Mhz FSB with the 2500 running at 3000 (Or 2.10 Mhz)
The Sub zero hasn't even kicked in to high gear

 

Thanks for the info. My temp differential is less, but then I don't overclock. If my Vantec AeroFlow doesn't keep it cool, I'll consider the Sub Zero.

 

Here's one for the books. Last night I wanted to try something diffrent. I flipped the fan on the heat sink over so it was sucking heat off instead of blowing air on (made sence to me).

Dropped another 4*C to 38*C! .............. Go figure?

 

Next thing Im going to try is ducking that hot exaust out of the case with a large peice of PVC tubing.