would it be pointless to mount a fan onto one of the sides of my computer if it doesnt have "ventilation" behind it? Also i hear about people saying they will put fans on the top of their computer. How do they do this? Do you go to a hardware store and have your case cut?

Indeed when we add fans we cut a hole in the case to allow for the air flow. Without doing so the fan would only serve to stir/mix the already warm air in the case... not pull fresh cooler air in.

Check this out:
http://guides.pcapex.com/modding/diy:_blowholes.php

Oh, and Welcome to PimpRig!

thank you =) now i need some tools hehe

Do some research here in the forums to find the best airflow solution for your needs and your case. Search for threads similar to this one:

http://forums.pcapex.com/showthread.php?t=9692

You should also consider how much space you have available for fans and if your case can accomodate a fan larger then 80mm. Larger fans such as 92mm and 120mm move a lot more air and typically generate a lot less noise. I replaced 5 80mm fans in my case with 2 120mm high-flow fans by Sunon. They move more than twice as much air as the fans they replaced while running at about 2/3rd's their full speed... Needless to say, they've really brought down my case temps.

If noise is a concern, you should look into a baybus/rheostat/fan controller to control the fans' speed:
http://www.xoxide.com/5fanco1.html

Quote: Originally Posted by CRE ... Check this out: http://guides.pcapex.com/modding/diy:_blowholes.php ...

There are many different levels to acceptance on PR: being regarded as a regular, getting a custom title awarded, having people use an abreviation of your nick, getting on to the staff ... but when people start posting links to your articles you know you've really made it - thanks CRE


BTW Dan' - when I wrote that article, holesaws for metal weren't available in the UK, my comments about them were based on what was available, which were only suitable for wood & plastic.

Since then, you can get them for metal here (albeit expensively), so we've nearly caught up with the US there /

Quote: Originally Posted by Jonny English having people use an abreviation of your nick,

There's a thought , and what might that be? CR? LOL! Thanks Jonny!

Holesaws are wonderful for cutting yer holes. Fast, easy and clean cuts! I got lucky and needed one for work.... made my 120mm fans VERY easy to install. But yes, the large ones are very pricey.

holesaws are only good if you know what you're doing. I've seen alot of bent panels and cracked acrylic. However, if you do it right, its hard to beat a holesaw on neatnes and clean cut.

danbanger, you really should cut a hole behind a fan. If you just stick it to the side of the case, all your going to do is make your computer louder.

If you have access to a drill press then slap the holesaw in there, it will make even a better cut.

Cool I found out one of my friends has a Dremel that he used to use on his RC cars. A question I have is the bigger fan the better right? I will try to put a 120mm on the top of my case. Another question is the plastic layer used to cover the edges, where do I get that?

For a blowhole you don't need molding (the rubber stuff you are refuring to) but I would STRONGLY recomend a fan grill (many can be found at www.frozencpu.com along with quite a few modding suplies). Here is a formula to take into consideration for fans and sizing.... the bigger the fan = more CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute) at less db(Decibels, noise level). However of course you can always turn up the bigger fans to get even more CFM but with the more noise. In lamens terms a larger fan at the same rpm will ALWAYS have a higher CFM and cool better.

Banger, if you do go with a 120mm fan, an old cd makes a perfect size template for your fan hole.

Quote: Originally Posted by jinx© Banger, if you do go with a 120mm fan, an old cd makes a perfect size template for your fan hole.

That's just too cool JINX...I did not know that!...I might even have one or two of those around...lol

If you cruise the auto-parts section at Wallys, look for "door edge trim".
Install it on the edge of the hole you cut with a hair dyer to soften it and it has adheasive already in the groove to hold it into place...at 2.97 for 2-3' sections?....a deal.

If you are going to use a dremel on your metal case here is the best method for cutting a blow hole with a dremel.

Once you master this method of cutting....The sky is the limit with what you can do with a dremel.

But of course this is just my opinion.