Something different...

[xmastree]

Yep, I think I'll do that.

Well, that's the easy part done.

Next is to cut a hole in the side and fit a grille. I saw one in the local computer shop, slightly expensive, but it's flat rather than made from wire. That means I don't need to be too perfect cutting the hole, as the grille will hide any rough edges. That must be worth the extra cost...
It won't line up exactly, since the case clips onto those hooks on the bottom, but it will be close enough.

Regarding the other one, the 386, I took it apart a little today. Damn, that thing is built like a tank (14kg without disks and psu). Funny thing is, when I removed the disk tray, I found a picture of a 'vette on the motherboard.



Bizarre.

[DaveW]

Regarding the other one, the 386, I took it apart a little today. Damn, that thing is built like a tank (14kg without disks and psu). Funny thing is, when I removed the disk tray, I found a picture of a 'vette on the motherboard.



Bizarre.

Not as bizzarre as you might think-people have been putting custom etchings onto chips for years. Nw the chips are so small that you can only see them under a microscope, and a whole cartload of people got fired when they found mickey mouse and so forth engraved onto their chips.

Check out this link.

This has been going on for years. There's a whole ton off them; i guess in your case the chip wasn't small enough for it to go unnoticed!

-Dave

[xmastree]

I've heard of the hidden art on chips before.
It's not on a chip, it's part of the silk screen overlay on the motherboard. About 1" wide. And it's hardly hidden, it's right next to the revision label sticker.

Anyway, back to my cooling problem. I've realised that an external fan on the back is a bad idea, since you tend to grope around there feeling for cables...

Also, with my intake behind the power switch, I can't help thinking that most of what that pulls in will be exhausted by my 'over the slot' fan at the back. Which still leaves the CPU in stale air.

With that in mind, I'm planning to move the rear fan to the right side, next to the PSU, like I suggested in post #3.
That should give a nice crossflow of air, and give the CPU cooler something better to work with.

[XcOM]

i currently have the best setup at the moment for my server (n the process of doing a wite up on it)

its in a desk, with a HUGE 120 fan over the HDD's and a 1.3GHz P3 fan on a P3 650

[xmastree]

120mm fan? Hmm... I think a couple of 80s will be enough. the problem with 120mm ones is that they only seem to be available in 220V, which would be ok but there's no 220V outside of the power supply.
Although I could use a relay to switch them, driven from the chassis fan header on the motherboard.

Also, I had another idea for something to include. I have a bluetooth adaptor which I never use. The front panel usb uses one channel of the onboard header, I think I'll connect another extension cable to the other channel on the header and fit this bluetooth behind the plastic front panel.

Edit: Did it. Next step I guess will be to fit a window in the computer case so the light shines through. I took the cover off to get more light from it.

Edit 2: Well, I found a suitable plastic window. The good news, it's elliptical so it will match the other lights. The bad news, it's elliptical so it will be more difficult to make the hole...

[Canada's Own Falcon]

With that in mind, I'm planning to move the rear fan to the right side, next to the PSU, like I suggested in post #3.
That should give a nice crossflow of air, and give the CPU cooler something better to work with.

Fans on the rear of the case should always vent outward (or, inward if that's the direction your psu vents) and vents on side/front should always vent in. If you have a vent on the top, have it vent the same way as the psu if it has vents on the front (The side closest to the Optical drives) or have it vent in if the only psu intake is on the bottom. (this gives crossflow over the RAM.) The top vent isn't always needed in a horizontal case, usually it just kills air behind the optical drives.

[xmastree]

Well, I have it venting in behing the power switch, and out through the PSU and the right side, between the PSU and the CD drive (that was before I read the above...). Presumably it will be drawing in somewhere else too.

Once I refit the cover, I'll see how it runs.

The exhaust half done

The intake, finished.

I was about to buy the biohazard ones, until I noticed that they're not finger-proof. So I got spiderman instead.

Those screws came from an old PSU, the ones which hold the cover on. I had to cut off the two nearest the front as they fouled on the chassis when I tried to fit the cover.


Edit: So, after running for a few hours, including a lot of google Earthing, it's sitting at 51 deg C, compared with the 67 originally. That'll do nicely.
Also, the air from the side exhaust feels warmer than it was when coming out through the rear slots. But that's very subjective.

Damn, this thing's about finished...

[XcOM]

thats quite impressive, but personally 50 is still tooooooo hot for me, i won't settle for anything over 45 under load, my machine runs at 36 under load (Adv)

[DaveW]

Nice looking job on the fan! Finishes up pretty well.

-Dave

[xmastree]

Nice looking job on the fan! Finishes up pretty well

Until you look at it from the inside...
That's why I chose those rather than this kind:

Since that would need me to be much neater with my cutting.

The stealth bluetooth is in, with its window. It's not so bright though. I suspect the window is too far from the light source to effectively transmit the light.

I need some kind of clear plastic rod, or to mount the bluetooth nearer to the front.

OTOH, I need to put this into service, so I'll probably just leave it as it is.

Edit: Or, mount a normal LED in place of the surface mount one, arranged so that it's just behind the window. Great idea, until you're a bit careless aligning it and rip off one of the pads it was soldered to...

So, with the aid of a magnifying glass, I was able to find the teeny weeny track connecting to the damaged pad, and solder some very thin wire to it. Then I soldered the good leg back on to the good pad and buried the whole thing in epoxy, for strength. There's some free play in the thin wire, so once it's set I can adjust it by bending the good leg without breaking the delicate one.

Am I ok?

I can't resist an opportunity to try some extreme closeup photography, so:

And finally, the bluetooth lens (small one on the right). Nice and bright now.