EggXpert

Dear Eggxpert folk

I am not a gamer...but I interested in HTPC type technology.

I desperately need a new case...for cooling reasons.  I have an old case which I modified...and has served well....but it is still not cooling to the level that I would like.  I've been leaving my PC on 24/7 ...and don't like what I'm seeing.  Nothing terrible, but a little higher than I like...and have had some memory issues

I want something with at least one 120mm fan in the front and one in the rear.  I like the Antec 900...but the Antec 900 and up seem like a little overkill to me.  I want something reasonable in size and silence for a desktop (ATX size) machine.

I'm looking at the Antec 300....seems almost ideal to me.    Just from looks, I like it better than Cooler Master 690.

Thoughts?...Recommendations?  All opinions welcome.

What are your temps now? And what case do you have your hardware in at the moment? If you’re not stressing anything out at all and just watching a movie and not gaming then there should be no real heat issues at all. The 300 with what you are listing for hardware is fine as well.

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My MB temps are running 33-35 pretty consistently (about 20°F over ambient) and CPU varies...but probably averages (with moderate work) around 40 (about 30°F over ambient).

I'm not so sure I can improve that tremendously...but as you are aware I've had memory issues...and that got me looking at my memory...and HD ... I do think that I can improve flow through the case (with a new case).

I have an old PC Power & Cooling case...it's been great for 10+ years? Been able to add a side fan.   Fairly flexible and durable.

I'd even keep it if I could fit a 120 in the front and back....but 80's are about it.

The Illusion will save you shipping costs but it glows blue.

I hope ventilation was responsible for your higher temps. (undefined), and that this will cure it.

I note the inconsistency of showing interest in HTPC and wanting to add fans. 

edit based upon your response to tracer:  Intel optimal interior case temp. is 40oC (104oF).  So in effect you are attempting to make it too cold...though not a problem other than a waste of time and resources.  I will attempt to find the link and link back.

edit 2: Upon further reading of the document I retract the optimal temp and reword that what Intel is shooting for is a 5oC above ambient room temp. on the air reaching the CPU fan inlet.

From the document: "One key goal is to achieve a temperature rise from external ambient to the processor fan heatsink (Trise) of 5 °C or less (or 40°C inlet to the fan heatsink at the typical maximum external ambient temperature of 35°C)."

I would consider 35oC ambient a worse case scenario for running electronic equipment.   

I would ask that your current case has plenty of space around it to draw in room air, that its interior is known to be clean (particularly the CPU heatsink) and that it is not currently residing within a sealed area such as a home theater cabinet? I am not terribly concerned with those temps. you report.  But if you really want a new case -- get one. 

edit 3 -- well I hate to keep updating, particularly when I am showing myself wrong, but the latest I can find on Intel's web site: "Intel also recommends that you use a chassis that can help maintain an internal ambient temperature below 40°C when using the Intel Core2 Quad processor, the Intel Core2 Duo processor, the Intel Pentium 4 processor and the Intel Celeron D processor based on 65nm or 90nm process technology."

And, "The critical thermal objective for processor cooling is to achieve a temperature rise from external ambient to the inlet of the processor thermal solution fan to be less than 5 °C during a worst case system power load.  This would equate to a 40°C fan inlet at the maximum recommended room ambient temperature of 35°C.  By meeting this objective, fan heat sink solutions should have adequate boundary conditions to properly cool the CPU and provide sufficient airflow to nearby components."

--Above paragraph is from Intel Doc on mini-ITX case design.

Well the The Illusion  is a great case even for cooling

2 X 120mm fans front.

1 X 120mm fan rear

1 X  140mm fan Top

Which will be well better then what you have now.

As for your temps on the CPU as for 40c (104f) for the dual core that you are running that is very warm if that was in idle. That can be brought down a bit with one a better case and two a better HS&F. As for the 33-35c temps on the mobo that is the NB temps and that is fine where they sit they can be usually higher then that most of the time.  

Right now I have 8 X 120mm fans running in my system and it helps.

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Thanks "dudes".....

I'm running ASUS K8M2-7MB5S 70mm HSF ..... It's "adequate"....and I don't plan on taxing my CPU...but I do like it cool....I'm thinking the case ought to improve that ...a little.

Same philosophy....simple...reliable....any recommendations for a better HSF?

Thanks for all the research FN.

Like I said...I think my case is "adequate"...but I am concerned about airflow around hard drive and over memory...I don't think that is adequate...or could be improved.

That's why I thought an Antec 900 or 1200...while "groovy", would still be overkill for my needs..into the foreseeable future.

I welcome and appreciate any comments !

The 1200 would be way over kill for ya there papa, the 900 not so much.

God there FN more edits then anything there. As for the edits why are you referring to Intel and not AMD? He has a AMD 5000+BE the temps between Intel and AMD are different.

http://support.amd.com/us/Processor_TechDocs/31412.pdf

-55C (-67F) - 85C (185F). Page 49

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Best I can determine from AMD...the max operating range for X2 is 55 to 65°C.

I'm not so worried about the CPU temp as getting flow throughout the case.

Just been playing with the MB fan settings and CPU seems to be hovering closer to the MB temp now....consistently less than 40...like mid-lower 30's

Kind of like the temps outside.

Well the Antec 300 would help with air flow for your hardware your putting in to it. But if you want the CPU that low in the 30's get a aftermarket cooler to help, the stock coolers that come with any CPU is really not that great.

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thanks Tracer.... I'm not probably going to have the time to OC my CPU...  so I don't need much, but I would like a little "headroom".

Recommendations?

I use this on my 6000+ ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 64 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler - Retail and it does the job quite well and I do not over clock at all.

 Sensor Properties:
      Sensor Type                                       ITE IT8716F  (ISA 290h)
      GPU Sensor Type                                   Diode  (NV-Diode)
      Motherboard Name                                  Gigabyte M57SLI Series
      Chassis Intrusion Detected                        Yes

    Temperatures:
      CPU                                               16 °C  (61 °F)
      CPU #1 / Core #1                                  36 °C  (97 °F)
      CPU #1 / Core #2                                  33 °C  (91 °F)
      GPU Diode                                         50 °C  (122 °F)
      Seagate ST31000333AS                              35 °C  (95 °F)
      Seagate ST31000333AS                              36 °C  (97 °F)
      WDC WD5000KS-00MNB0                               38 °C  (100 °F)

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Nice recommendation.  In a way, I'm sorry I didn't go with something like that instead of one that blows the heat back down on to the MB

I was kind of in a hurry...and hadn't built anything in 3-4 years when I built this one.

Got it..and made the switch.   Sweet case.  I'm seeing averages drop 4-5°C for MB & processor.

Learned a few things...even though I thought I had been to the circus and saw the elephants.

Standoffs:  I discovered that I had some that were threaded to accept fine threads for MB screws...and some that were threaded to accept coarse threads.  I found a screw loose...and thought what in the wide, wide world o' sports is a goin on here.  I wonder how many of the "MB won't boot" issues are caused by this....loose screws floating around MB.

Then MB didn't want to boot....oh great!... Not sure what the final answer was but pulled the CMOS battery and powered up without keyboard...then it seemed to start working (after plugging KB back in).  Of course this was after I pulled about everything else out.  Holy Strange Sheet,  Batman.

edit:  I didn't have Beep codes in the manual ..and no computer...doh!..."never again"

edit2:  Hmmm...just looked up the beep codes...

... I'm sure the video card (PCIe 16) wasn't bad....I thought I had it seated properly....like I said, I did move it.   .. and I only got that if I removed both DIMMs of RAM...doesn't make sense to me...beats me.

So I spent like a day (all total), but cleaned it up ...moved graphics card away from North Bridge.... played a bit with fan settings.

Papa Homer...the eggxpert...."not so much"