To start off, I know nothing about the "proper" setup for cooling.
Current setup:
Case: Lian-Li PC60USB with 4 blowholes - 2 front (intakes), 1 top (not used) and 1 rear (exhaust)) (32C idle 40C stressed)
Case fans: Enermax 80mm fans plus 1 7000rpm fan inside case pulling air from intakes.
CPU Heatsink: GlobalWin CAK-II 38
CPU: Duron 750Mhz (42C idle 50C stressed) Planning to upgrade to an AMD Barton 2800+
Video Card: GeForce 4 Ti4200 (53C idle, 58C stressed)
Sound Card: TerraTec Aureon Space 7.1
Hard Drives: 4 Maxtor 80GB 7200RPM
RAM: 1024MB PC3200 DDR

I would like to drop my temps by 10 degrees, if possible, especially since I will be upgrading my CPU. Right now my fans are all on max speed and kind of loud. I had to add the 60mm fan to help pull cool air from the front fans to pass the hard drives. I hope this makes sense. If more information is needed just ask. Any help in reducing temp and noise would be grateful. Thanks.

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A new concept that has been goin on around here is to turn around your fan above your video card too bring in air into the case. And use a fan for your blow hole on top,heat rises so thats the best escape for it.
I do not see why you would need an extra fan pulling air over your hard drives you allready have 2 blowing over them.

You also have some hot temps on your CPU, if upgrading to the 2800+ you will definitly want to invest in a new HSF(heatsink) combination.



The 60mm fan you placed on the otherside of the HDD, isnt really doing much that i can see ( and a 7000rpm 60mm is one hell of a whiner! )

Your HDD's in the lower front bay (if front of the fan's shouldnt be blocking all fo the airflow, but i can see how they might impede it a little.

Lokies idea of reversing the back fan and adding a top blowhole is not a bad one. Also what i like doing and recommend if you dont mind cutting would be to add a side panel intake (perfeably 120MM) located over the general vicinity of the CPU and VPU This will do alot to bring down your temps.

EDIT - And as for noise control. get rid of the 60mm fan. and Look into getting a good baybus/rheobus to control the speeds of your fans when not in hard use (check out the one BigAkita Just reviewd, on the front page )

i would add a top blowhole and add a side intake on the video card like scapegoat said. and if you have an extra pci slot you could add a homemade or a store bought pci slot fan.

I think scapegoat covered it well. All good advice. If you aren't comfortable cutting up a expensive case though. At least ditch the 60 and mount a fan on that blow hole you have. And as lokie said reverse the rear fan and try that. It works very well on the Antec cases when a blow hole is present. I'd think it would work for you. Easy enough to try both ways and see anyway.

I am surprised at your system temps...32-40. Either your sensor isn't terribly accurate. Or your ambient temp is very high. Upper 80's or lower 90's Farenheit. All the fans in the world won't cool a system well in a hot room. Something to think about.

And in addition to a rheobus or baybus for noise control. You can grommet mount your fans using small rubber grommets. Or mount dynamat extreme or akasa paxmate to the walls of the case. Both methods will decrease vibration noise. Especially in a aluminum case. Fan noise won't go away but it will be lower pitched and less irritating. The latter method can raise case temps slightly though.

Quote: I do not see why you would need an extra fan pulling air over your hard drives you allready have 2 blowing over them.

If I don't have the 60mm fan in place, my temps rise by 8-10 degrees. It appears that my intakes do not have enough CFM to pull cool air past 4 hard drives. That is why I have the 60mm fan in use. I thought about replacing the front and rear fans with Thermaltake SMART CASE FAN II (80x80x25) and cutting the top hole to fit a Thermaltake 120x120x25. If needed I could cut a hole in the side panel to fit the same 120mm fan. Also looking at cutting the front panel airholes and placing fan grills and portholes. Same with removing the rear fan grill.

Quote: Look into getting a good baybus/rheobus to control the speeds of your fans when not in hard use

I'll start looking into purchasing one.

Quote: You also have some hot temps on your CPU, if upgrading to the 2800+ you will definitly want to invest in a new HSF(heatsink) combination.

Am looking at the Thermaltake Volcano 10 .

Quote: am surprised at your system temps...32-40. Either your sensor isn't terribly accurate.

Chassis and CPU temp are taken from the BIOS and the video card temp is taken from a temp sensor placed on the back side of the graphics chip.

Thanks for the help so far. Trying to get the best possible setup without the feel of living next to an airport.

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All good stuff there

heres what one of our own pimps, FUBAR, did with his Lian Li



Something like the blow holes up front is what you want

And Instead of the Volcano 10, Check out the ThermalRight Line of Sinks (SK7 , SLK-800 & 900)

http://www.thermalright.com/slk800.html

You will thank us later

Yeah, I like those duct! *packs up case and ships it to Fubar* Any recommendation on a fan for that heatsink? one thing I notice about this case, is it is not easy to arrange the wires neatly. This is off the subject, but what it that in the middle 5 1/4 bay?

Yes, I am wondering as well-looks like a CD player from a car, but it's too small. What be that, yo?

Quote: If I don't have the 60mm fan in place, my temps rise by 8-10 degrees.

You need to get rid of that 60mm. Seriously. It can't be doing much. The only air it is pulling through is the hot air that comes off your drives. Plus 60mm fans are annoying. That temp increase may have to do with (changes in) ambient temps. They can affect case/cpu temp more than you might think.

Quote: Any recommendation on a fan for that heatsink?

I'm gonna agree with scape on this one. Nothing out there can touch Thermalright as far as air cooling goes (maybe swiftech). A bunch of people here will probably recommend the Thermalright SK-7. Great performance, and its cheap. Only 20 bucks at www.svc.com

I believe the thing in the middle drive bay is a graphic equalizer from NewQ. Not positive though. I'm sure someone here knows more about it than I do.

You are correct, that appears to be a NewQ Equlizer

http://www.newq.com/

As for a Fan to go on the Thermal Right Series , (the SK7 and SLK 800 ) support 70MM and 80MM fans, so a good High flow fan is what your looking for, the thermatake Smartfan II works well as well as a high flow Panaflo, I also like using my YS TECH 70MM TMD on my SK7

If you have a little extra to spend you can get the SLK-900 which supports up to a 92MM fan.

i think Thermalright should be a sponser and give us some stuff to test out, because we pluge them alot but yeah go with the Thermalright series i love my SK-7 muahahahahahha.......Muhahahahaha............MUAHA HAHAHAHAHA