Hey everyone,
I'm helping a friend build a computer, and he wants to use the Cooler Master Wave case (good review with pics at http://www.amdmb.com/article-display.php?ArticleID=254). I also love the case, but am worried about the cooling abilities of the 2 front intake fans. There's an 80mm blowhole in the top, and I was thinking of trying to get him to use a heatpipe cooler for his CPU. Does anyone have any good links to Heat Pipe how to guides? Any other advice? He doesn't want to water cool, which I can understand (though I am) but it just doesn't seem like air cooling in that case is efficient.

Were you thinking of building a heat pipe cooler? It isn't something you could home build if that's what your thinking. There are a couple of good heat pipe hsf's, most notably the Thermalright SP-94 for intel. You still need good airflow for any kind of heatsink. Zalman is making a passive heatpipe case, but it has heat pipes specially designed to work with it. The heat pipe is attached to the case itself which is finned for better heat dispersion.

If I had that case I'd probably install a 120 side fan over the vid card area. Reverse the rear fan to pull air in and replace the top blowhole with a 120.

They use a heat pipe in the shuttle cases no? It would be hard, you need a copper block attached to the CPU, then you need channel drilled into the copper block, then the pipe goes into the channel, then a heat sink goes on top, so the pipe is sandwiched between the copper block and the heat sink. Next you need the copper pipe, (as short as possible) attached to a simmilar block-pipe-heatsink setup somewhere else in the case, probably on top because hot air rises. If the unit is made correctly, the pipe should transfer heat to the secondary heatsink.

Catch my drift?

Looks like you might just squeeze two 80 mm fans in the back with some creative dremel work...

The front situation could possibly be fixed by hole-sawing that bezel with the little holes, and sticking some foam draft-stop stuff to seal the fans against the back of the bezel...

Heat pipes will only move the heat to another place inside the case unless the pipes just happen to put the secondary sink up to that 80mm fan in the back, that's how they work in the Shuttles, making for a one-fan case (then they ruin it by sticking a wind-tunnel sunon in it BTW). So unless it's a custom heat-pipe, or a ducted fan mod is added, you'll still have heat issues.

If you tried to make your own heat pipe, you'd have to find out what fluid they fill 'em with...

AntiM is on the right track, more fans *grunt grunt* LOL

Thanks for the replies. I went digging around last night and found an old Maximum PC issue (January 00 I think, the P4 cover story) where they had a "how to build a heat pipe" guide. Pretty detailed, but I don't think I've got the skills necessary. They just filled their heatpipe with water, which is what I'd do.
My idea wasn't to build a heat pipe heatsink, but to build a heatpipe leading from the CPU to the top blowhole.
My best bet will probably be to install a 120mm fan over the video card area.