Can I turn my case upside down?

[wakytime]

I want to mod/upgrade my case cooling, and thinking about inverting my case so the PSU will be on the bottom (like new cases today) instead of the top (as it is today). I plan on taking the PSU air intake thru the new bottom of the case (like new cases). This change also inverts everything else including the motherboard. I do plan to add new inlet and exit fans. Anybody ever try this or have any concerns about inverting a case as I propose?

P.S. With this build, I do not play games and over-clock, but do have a low-end graphics board.

Thanks

 

[Oli_The_Anarchist]

I can't see any problems with that, unless anyone else can, I have never tried it but I could imagine anyway in which turning the PC upside down would effect anything

 

[Ironsounds]

Hello... Typically,The only thing position of a case will affect would be a DVD drive...
Try changing the Air Flow direction on the PS and case Fans too.
Experiment, MOD, and learn.

 

[PsyKhiqZero]

I agree with Ironsounds, the disk drive will likely be the only issue. But considering your rig isn't pulling any serious work loads why bother modding the case at all? If your worried about thermals, a simple side case fan should be more then enough.

 

[wakytime]

One of the reasons for the proposed mod is to add a bigger intake fan so my case will be under (filtered) positive pressure. Right now even with a side fan, I'm under negative pressure pulling in air and dirt from every crack and hole.

 

[Ironsounds]

Hello... I understand your Clean theory... but air flow in and out is needed for typical cooling... Even if you don't OC, keep a hand and eye on your temperatures. In the Industrial environment we will cut, simple open cell foam blanks, and we installed and service them a on regular basis. The Foam can be bought at a typical supply store and customized to your case, for your Intake fans.

 

[wakytime]

@ Ironsides- agreed. No problem now; new fans are intended to be better. I'm considering a fan controller to manage the flow/pressure.

Since hot air rises, I didn't want to create any unknown heating problems since my CPU will be towards the bottom and the graphics board will be above it with the case flip.

 

[jsmithepa]

Well for one a PSU designed for upper will exhaust air, so to place it on the bottom it needs to SUCK in air, and so the same PSU, u need to open it up and flip the fan over. Natural convection dictates, always SUCK bottom and EXHAUST TOP, if you try to force invert this, your system cooling efficiency will lower.

Despite bottom PSU seems to be in vogue, I don't like this configuration, as the air sucked in by the PSU is already "pre-warmed." I don't like blowing pre-warmed air into my box.

 

[wakytime]

@ jsmithepa or anyone: jsmithepa noted a bottom positioned PSU sucks in pre warmed air and blows into the case or box. This confuses me as my Corsiar PSU exhausts out the case back.

At the top my PSU sucks in pre warmed air from the case and exhausts it out the back. If I put my PSU on the bottom (in vogue today) then the air intake comes from under the case and is therefore cooler, raising the cooling efficiency of the PSU cooling system. With a bottom mounted PSU the Power supply does not exhaust case air, which should help significantly in creating a positive pressure in the case as I desire. At least that's the way I understand it. Anybody have a different perspective on this?

 

[jsmithepa]

@ jsmithepa or anyone: jsmithepa noted a bottom positioned PSU sucks in pre warmed air and blows into the case or box. This confuses me as my Corsiar PSU exhausts out the case back.

So if you move your Corsiar to the bottom of the case, without any modification, the PSU'a fan exhausts toward the bottom/rear of the case. So where the intakes are coming from? Let say top, top-rear, top-front. Because why? just imagine your box and draw arrows where the air moves, you want to aerate the whole inside of the case no? Go that picture? So basically the air goes TOP to Bottom.

What I said before and repeating again, Top to Bottom air flow is not NATURAL. Without assistance, hot air NATURALLY MOVES TOWARD THE TOP. So for efficiency proposes, you want to HELP nature, not fight against it.

I have not even look at positive/negative pressure, that has to do with how much air ur pushing in vs how much air pulling out.