HDD placement and case manual GPU precaution questions

[phait]

Won't be assembling this entirely until Monday when all my parts are here, but I was thinking...

1.) I've got a new Cooler Master 310 Elite. Since I'll be putting a 120mm fan in the front (I have one for the side but am going to test using it - may not need it), I don't want too much obstruction from the HDD. So I put it on the bottom, as you can see.

But I placed an old dead hard-drive in the 3.5" bay to test that placement and am wondering if that's a bad spot to put an HDD, since there is no cooling in front of it?

I can tell you in my last case I had no front fan and no real issues.

2.) The case manual states that GPU card should not exceed 8.7" inches to avoid damage to case and GPU.

My 5770 is 8.25" and I will upgrade to a 5850 later, which is like 9.5" to 10". When I went into the case to measure, I have 11" of space available from the brackets to HDD cage. I don't see the problem according to the case manual...

 

[Modelworks]

Provided the case has enough air flow through it you don't need to cool hard drives with fans. The case manual appears to be in error , if the card fits then it fits.

 

[phait]

Manual with an error? You don't say

Thanks.

 

[faxon]

the front fan on the case IS the fan cooling the hard drives as well, i would leave it in, it's definitely good for your drives if nothing else, but it also lines right up with where your GPU will take air in from if it's a blower design like a ref 5870 or 5850, which will give it a source of fresh air to cool the card with, which is also good.

 

[phait]

Right, I just wasn't sure how much more an HDD would impede the flow - even though the "cage" (non-removable) isn't very open. I only have one drive, I will get another when I have more money. But I don't need like 3, 4 or 5 drives.

 

[zagood]

One hard drive isn't going to make a difference - the biggest airflow problem with that case is the HDD bracket itself.

 

[ehume]

That HD cage is so restrictive it's hard to see how adding a HD would impede airflow much more than that cage is already doing.

That's why I took the HD cage out of my case: