Question Need help installing Case Fan

[iSpextor]

Hey guys,

So the other day my old case fans (stock fans that came with the case) started rattling, etc. and at the end of the day I decided to have them replaced.

Coming to the actual problem now.. I ordered a pair of Noctua NF-P12 fans. Great product really, but I couldn't even get to install the damn thing. Why? Because the "screw holes" on my case are waaaaay too small to fit the silicone things in, let alone the metal screws (short thick screws, pretty standard ones apparently). The holes for case fans in my case are like 2 times smaller than those things though and I can't install the case fans if my life depended on it.

Tried to order a new pair of Case fans hoping they'd provide a nicer installation method (smaller screws) but it's the exact same problem. Then I also tried to fiddle around with my screwdriver (gonna sound stupid now) and attempted to expand the hole in the case a bit, but I stopped that quickly as it didn't even work properly..

Any ideas?

 

[jay32267]

Hey guys,

So the other day my old case fans (stock fans that came with the case) started rattling, etc. and at the end of the day I decided to have them replaced.

Coming to the actual problem now.. I ordered a pair of Noctua NF-P12 fans. Great product really, but I couldn't even get to install the damn thing. Why? Because the "screw holes" on my case are waaaaay too small to fit the silicone things in, let alone the metal screws (short thick screws, pretty standard ones apparently). The holes for case fans in my case are like 2 times smaller than those things though and I can't install the case fans if my life depended on it.

Tried to order a new pair of Case fans hoping they'd provide a nicer installation method (smaller screws) but it's the exact same problem. Then I also tried to fiddle around with my screwdriver (gonna sound stupid now) and attempted to expand the hole in the case a bit, but I stopped that quickly as it didn't even work properly..

Any ideas?

I would drill the holes.
Just be careful to keep the metal chips away from the electronics.
I either throw a clean rag over all the electronics....
...or if you are drilling steel you can put a magnet near the tip of the drill bit when you are drilling to collect the particles.

 

[Barty1884]

What case do you have? Are you sure you're attempting to screw into the mounting holes & not ventilation holes?

It would be pretty strange for a modern(ish) case not to support 120mm fans....

I would drill the holes.

Let's establish what they're working with and that it's not a basic oversight before we go breaking out the drill, shall we?

 

[iSpextor]

What case do you have? Are you sure you're attempting to screw into the mounting holes & not ventilation holes?

It would be pretty strange for a modern(ish) case not to support 120mm fans....



Let's establish what they're working with and that it's not a basic oversight before we go breaking out the drill, shall we?

I'm prett, sure it's a Sharkoon VG-5 W case. I'm pretty positive I am screwing it in the right holes since the fan would theoretically line up to those holes and those holes were used for my stock fans as well.

 

[iSpextor]

I would drill the holes.
Just be careful to keep the metal chips away from the electronics.
I either throw a clean rag over all the electronics....
...or if you are drilling steel you can put a magnet near the tip of the drill bit when you are drilling to collect the particles.

I would love to just force it like that too, but I don't really own a drill or something like that, so I don't think I have that option..

 

[bignastyid]

Post a pic of where you are trying to mount the fans. Also if it does come down to modding the case, never ever do such a mod with the components still installed. Before such a mod you would need to strip the system.

 

[Barty1884]

I'm prett, sure it's a Sharkoon VG-5 W case. I'm pretty positive I am screwing it in the right holes since the fan would theoretically line up to those holes and those holes were used for my stock fans as well.

Can you reuse the screws that were holding in your stock fan(s)?

Post a pic of where you are trying to mount the fans. Also if it does come down to modding the case, never ever do such a mod with the components still installed. Before such a mod you would need to strip the system.

Yeah, this would be very helpful.
120mm fan mounts are standardized, and while tolerances for holes can vary (usually depending on the pricepoint of the case), it would be very strange that the "stock" screws fit just fine but screws shipping with Noctua fans don't.

 

[iSpextor]

Post a pic of where you are trying to mount the fans. Also if it does come down to modding the case, never ever do such a mod with the components still installed. Before such a mod you would need to strip the system.

Can you reuse the screws that were holding in your stock fan(s)?



Yeah, this would be very helpful.
120mm fan mounts are standardized, and while tolerances for holes can vary (usually depending on the pricepoint of the case), it would be very strange that the "stock" screws fit just fine but screws shipping with Noctua fans don't.

I have tried reusing the previous screws but they're too short. It turns out the stock fans were 20mm thick and these Noctua ones and the other ones I got are 25mm thick. Thus, the screws don't reach the holes

 

[iSpextor]

Post a pic of where you are trying to mount the fans. Also if it does come down to modding the case, never ever do such a mod with the components still installed. Before such a mod you would need to strip the system.

https://imgur.com/a/CIsGzQU

Tried my best to mark it haha

 

[bignastyid]

Do you have a fastener store(fastenal, tacoma screw, etc) or a hardware store? You could likely just take one of the old screws there and get a longer one with the same thread.

 

[Karadjgne]

You can use standard 6/32 screws, you'd be looking for 1-1/4" in length. The head doesn't matter as much, but pan-head or mushroom head work best as they don't sink into the rubber corner grommets. They can be found cheap at any hardware store in brass or tin or black, your choice.

If you really stress the thread counting, take the old screw with you and it'll match up to the appropriate nuts, or most hardware stores have a pre-designed board with different nuts mounted so you can test fit yours. But 6/32 is pretty standard for those. 25mm is 1", so you'll want 1-1/4 long.

 

[iSpextor]

Do you have a fastener store(fastenal, tacoma screw, etc) or a hardware store? You could likely just take one of the old screws there and get a longer one with the same thread.

That would be like an hour away from where I live but if there's no other way I guess I could give that a shot.. but if I got a screw like that but just longer, wouldn't that be a problem too? Since the screw is thinner, so is the rest of the screw and not just the tip. That would mean it would fit nicely into the case and hold but if the fan started vibrating it would bounce around on the screws since the holes of the fan have a bigger diameter than the screw. Hope you understand what I'm trying to say xd

 

[Darkbreeze]

You are going about this wrong. The screws are not supposed to screw "into" the case. They are supposed to come from the other side of the case panel and screw INTO the fan. That is why they are fatter and have such a coarse thread, so they don't tear out the plastic of the fan frame. Very minimal enlargement of the holes in that panel should be necessary to use either the fat screws that the fans came with or the rubber screws, which might not require ANY enlargement at all. Obviously, you COULD also use longer screws and screw into the case, but I don't think it's the best way of ever mounting fans.

The rubber screws are probably the better option and if you insert them through the holes in the case front panel and then pull with pliers on the long rubber nipples, I think you will find that when stretched out, those rubber "screws" as they are called, will become VERY thin in the area where it needs to "pop" into those existing screw holes at, and then you can fit them through the four holes on the fan where it will rest up against the case panel and again pull them through using needle nose pliers until the second portion "pops" through the holes in the fans. It does not need to reach through to the second set of holes in the fan.

There are actually a few different ways to attack the use of these. I prefer to put them in the case first, and the fan second, as sort of seen here, but even for other locations such as front and rear panels too. Others prefer to put them in the fan first and depending on the application and location one way might work better than the other for any given person.

I've used them with holes that were about the same size or maybe even smaller, than what I'm seeing on the front of your case.

 

[Barty1884]

Good spot DB!
I couldn't fathom what the thickness of the fan had to do with anything - but now it makes sense.

 

[iSpextor]

You are going about this wrong. The screws are not supposed to screw "into" the case. They are supposed to come from the other side of the case panel and screw INTO the fan. That is why they are fatter and have such a coarse thread, so they don't tear out the plastic of the fan frame. Very minimal enlargement of the holes in that panel should be necessary to use either the fat screws that the fans came with or the rubber screws, which might not require ANY enlargement at all. Obviously, you COULD also use longer screws and screw into the case, but I don't think it's the best way of ever mounting fans.

The rubber screws are probably the better option and if you insert them through the holes in the case front panel and then pull with pliers on the long rubber nipples, I think you will find that when stretched out, those rubber "screws" as they are called, will become VERY thin in the area where it needs to "pop" into those existing screw holes at, and then you can fit them through the four holes on the fan where it will rest up against the case panel and again pull them through using needle nose pliers until the second portion "pops" through the holes in the fans. It does not need to reach through to the second set of holes in the fan.

There are actually a few different ways to attack the use of these. I prefer to put them in the case first, and the fan second, as sort of seen here, but even for other locations such as front and rear panels too. Others prefer to put them in the fan first and depending on the application and location one way might work better than the other for any given person.

I've used them with holes that were about the same size or maybe even smaller, than what I'm seeing on the front of your case.

I have tried using those rubber screws but (even though the holes look big in the picture, they aren't really) I can't even fit the nipples through. Not even halfway to the point where I can grab them with tweezers

I have tried inserting the screws from the front and from the back but I get the same results. Sometimes even worse results when I come from the inside of the case because the area around the holes (on the other side of what you see in the picture) have some rough metal around them. I'm afraid the rubber screws will get cut while pulling. In fact, it even happened as I was attempting to put in the rubber screw as you said..

Sorry if I didn't explain myself very well, hope it's understandable

 

[Darkbreeze]

So then, in either scenario, you probably need to enlarge the holes slightly. Slightly being the key, because while you can always make the hole bigger, you can never again make it any smaller if you go too big to start with. You might even be able to insert a small Phillips head screwdriver in there and simply work it side to side and up and down enough to enlarge the hole enough for the nipples to pull through. I'll tell you, so long as there are no cutting edges, you can pull EXTREMELY hard on those rubber screws, making them stretch to the point where they are very small in diameter, without them breaking. Any cutting edges and they break almost immediately.

This VERY well outlines some of the differences we try to point out in terms of why it's worth paying a little more for a quality case that tends to come with finished or rolled edges and other examples of better overall finish quality that is lacking on cheaper budget case models. Initially it might not be that big of an issue, but anytime you need to DO anything IN or TO the case, it usually becomes glaringly apparent.

 

[SkyNetRising]

It turns out the stock fans were 20mm thick and these Noctua ones and the other ones I got are 25mm thick.

I see another problem there.
If original fans were 20mm and new ones are 25mm thich, you probably will not be able to put frontpanel back there.

 

[Darkbreeze]

You also might be able to use your existing screws by starting them into the holes in the fan frame that will be right up against the case panel, WITHOUT putting them through the holes that are further away, so that they don't have to be as long. This will require starting them through the holes at an angle until they are through enough to straighten them out and then you will need to use a screwdriver that is small enough to fit through the outer hole in order to reach the head of the screw through the holes. Like this:

 

[Darkbreeze]

I see another problem there.
If original fans were 20mm and new ones are 25mm thich, you probably will not be able to put frontpanel back there.

That is possible too. Easily checked though if you simply unplug everything, stand the case on it's back panel, lay the fans on the front case panel and then see if the actual front panel can be installed.

 

[iSpextor]

I see another problem there.
If original fans were 20mm and new ones are 25mm thich, you probably will not be able to put frontpanel back there.

That is correct. I figured there may be a problem with that but looking at the panel I thought a few millimetres don't really matter. Turns out, after attempting to close the panel with the fan in-between it really is too thick.

I just purchased a pair of Noctua NF A12x15. Those are 15mm thin. Unfortunately, 20mm thin fans seem to be a Unicorn among fans but I figured if it's just a tad thinner it shouldn't lead to any problems. The product will arrive on Saturday and I'm curious to see the results.

However, I'm pretty sure I will still have to face the challenge of having such small screw holes..

 

[Karadjgne]

Reuse the original screws, mount the new fans exactly the way the old ones came out, you'll just have an extra 5mm of turning since now the original screws will be quite long enough.

I'd not worry that the diameter of screw holes is too large for the screw, once tightened, the anti-vibration rubber on the corners will settle all that, especially considering they are Noctua fans and about as vibration free as a fan can get. It takes very little pressure to hold those fans still.

Those original screws have probably the exact same thread pattern as what a radiator uses, 6/32, and thats what's used to attach fans to rads, not the far thicker diameter coarse thread stubby screws.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Of course you will, because fan mountings are standard across the industry and Sharkoon simply do not adhere to the standards, much as many budget hardware manufacturers do not in one way or another.

If this was a Corsair, Fractal design, Thermaltake, Phanteks, Silverstone, Deepcool, Cooler Master, Antec or any other major case manufacturer, those fan holes and locations would be standardized to accept industry standard 25mm thick fans and standard screw or rubber mount fasteners. This is a BIG part of the reason why I always try to steer people away from brands like Sharkoon, iBall and many others, simply do whatever they want because they are typically targeting markets where they can because there is little widespread availability of more global brands.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Reuse the original screws, mount the new fans exactly the way the old ones came out, you'll just have an extra 5mm of turning since now the original screws will be quite long enough.

I'd not worry that the diameter of screw holes is too large for the screw, once tightened, the anti-vibration rubber on the corners will settle all that, especially considering they are Noctua fans and about as vibration free as a fan can get. It takes very little pressure to hold those fans still.

Those original screws have probably the exact same thread pattern as what a radiator uses, 6/32, and thats what's used to attach fans to rads, not the far thicker diameter coarse thread stubby screws.

It's a Sharkoon case. I doubt very much there that is ANY extra room between the front steel panel and the cover to allow a 5mm thicker fan to be used. There was probably already less than 2mm distance as it is, if that, between the original fans and the mesh front.

 

[Karadjgne]

Op is getting 15mm slim Noctua fans, that'll replace the original 20mm Unicorns. Which means re-using the original case fan screws, they'll be 5mm longer than necessary, but be the correct thread and will not require making the holes bigger. They'll also have slightly better clearance under the case front.

 

[Darkbreeze]

I don't disagree with that. I thought you meant trying to use the existing Noctua fans.