My cooling options

[Myrmidon1989]

First of all I would really only like to say this once. I'm going to include some rules and parameters and I do not want people arguing with them. I need a workaround for them, I don't care if it's messy, if it's noisy, a headache or expensive. I just want a work around and would be genuinely appreciative of any help.

So my gaming case currently has a 120mm intake fan, a basic CPU heatsink/fan combo, my PSU serves as the only exhaust fan and I have my 2 little fans on my graphics card. Now here come the parameters.

I cannot get a new case. It's complicated but I cannot get a new case.

My current case only has a mounting for a single 120mm fan with grating behind it. There is nowhere else to mount or fix any kind of fan, short of purposefully drilling holes and creating my own grating.

I cannot get a bigger/better CPU cooler, it relates to the case and I can't change the case because of the horrendously long story which I'm not going into. I cannot get a better CPU cooler.

So I want things running cooler and don't have many options due in large to the above. The only obvious first step is taking out the very basic 120mm fan and replacing it with a "better" 120mm fan.

The grating for the fan accommodates the 120mm fan but also has a little bit of vertical grating beneath which I think could theoretically mean I could attach at least 1 very small 40mm fan to support it. I know neither of the options is going to yield massive results but it's all I can do at present.

As far as I can tell I only have 1 port on my motherboard for plugging in a fan. Are there adapters for this sort of thing so I could somehow link up more than 1 fan to the same port?

Assuming there are leads me onto my next question. Can fans simply be fixed, hung inside a case simply for the purposes of creating more airflow whilst not really acting as an intake or exhaust? Could I in theory create my own mountings by simply drilling holes in the side panels or bottom so I could attach a fan to operate as additional intakes/exhausts?

Appreciate any help. I know my problem is really bloody awkward but I can't do anything about it. I would just like a workaround regardless of how insignificant it might seem to others.

 

[profoundnoah]

You can test to see if adding a better fan would make a difference by running your system with the side panel off. If you see better temps, then there's definitely gains to be had by increasing ventilation. Could you link us your case? It would be far easier for me to get a scope of the issue if I could see its specifications. Also, there is a way to add multiple fans per header, via a fan splitter. There's a myriad of them out there, so find the one that best fits your use case. http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-3020427/connect-multiple-fans-header.html

 

[Myrmidon1989]

You can test to see if adding a better fan would make a difference by running your system with the side panel off. If you see better temps, then there's definitely gains to be had by increasing ventilation. Could you link us your case? It would be far easier for me to get a scope of the issue if I could see its specifications. Also, there is a way to add multiple fans per header, via a fan splitter. There's a myriad of them out there, so find the one that best fits your use case. http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-3020427/connect-multiple-fans-header.html

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stone-Windows-Intel-320GB-Computer/dp/B01MEGOSCM

I'm pretty sure this is the case I have. I've always struggled to find details about it online as it has nothing on it aside from STONE. It was a budget gaming build, built by a friend 2 years ago. Basically office computer shell but more gamery inside.

And fuck it. I can't get a new case because (believe me I've consulted places on this) a new PSU, cables wouldn't be long enough, a new mobo as mine wouldn't be compatible with new cases. I can't take anything of this stuff apart myself and places like PC World charge £30 per part. The simple 30min task of taking my stuff out of 1 box and putting it into another box is over £200 which I refuse to pay as it borders on the bloody corrupt.

I've tried this thread in other places before and no one will help me they just tell me to get a new case and I'm getting sick and tired of diverting them back to the topic. I really cannot get another case.

 

[profoundnoah]

Again, I must say that adding fans could probably help with that case since it appears to have subpar ventilation. Are you experiencing thermal throttling at all? Or are you just doing this for the sake of more airflow?

 

[Myrmidon1989]

Again, I must say that adding fans could probably help with that case since it appears to have subpar ventilation. Are you experiencing thermal throttling at all? Or are you just doing this for the sake of more airflow?

I'm concerned about temperatures when gaming. Mainly my CPU is 50celcius at times on idle desktop, my 4 cores seem to rise and fall between 43-52ish. In sort of a "game lobby" where I'm actually in a game but not doing anything as such my CPU can be about 63-68ish. Makes me worried that its getting really really hot during intensive gameplay but I have no way of really checking as I have to minimise.

My CPU has a basic stock cooler/heat sink, the fan and heat sink is immaculately clean because I have an electric comput-cleaner and literally just out my machine twice a week. The thermal paste is also done correctly and the whole thing is seated and locked. Ideally I would just put a big ass cooler on my CPU but I can't because there are too many wires and cables in the way, literally everything from my top mounted PSU hangs down over my CPU cooler blocking me from adding extra height to it in the form of a bigger cooler, I literally have the cables as tucked out of the way as they could possibly be with multiple zipties, so the cooler isn't obstructed and my fan can blow over it but the cabling is still in the way enough to prevent me getting a taller cooler on there.

 

[profoundnoah]

Is it possible for you to download a temperature monitoring software such as HWinfo? It'll store the maximum temps so you can check how hot your CPU gets after a session of gaming. 50 C is a bit concerning at idle, but if you dont get dangerous temps under load, it's not too worrying.

 

[barnack]

You could always limit game's cpu usage. I do that during summer (i've a really huge temperature difference here, which doesn't allow me toplay during summer days while i can run games as a beast pc would during winter).
First option is limiting FPS/steps. You could do from ingame settings when available, or enabling vsync. If not available you can get to your gpu settings and reduce fps dedicated to a specific program. FPS are not just about your graphics card, since the amount of frames rendered is proportional to the amount of steps per second (not always equal, but proportional). Games have some cpu work during rendering, so capping fps will avoid cpu usage spikes.

Another option is running a software like BES Cpu limiter, to find manually your balance between cpu usage and cpu temperature.

Hardware-wise, if your case is really that bad you should consider using it with the side panel off by default during the warmest periods of the year; just remember to clean dust more frequently. Removing the side panel could also allow you to place fans that push or pull air from or to the side of your pc, giving better airflow in some critical areas like motherboard's heat sink; but that depends a lot on how your pc looks inside.

If temperature is your main concern while power consumption isn't you could always take in consideration TEC modules (aka peltier modules), but you really to ask someone expert on the topic for that. (i never used one although i might in future)