Really thin 120cm fan?

[GeneralOreo]

For whatever reason Antec decided to only allow an optional fan on the top HDD cage, and not the lower one. To further cement the P182 as a first class case, they installed a fan right in the middle of the lower chamber and right up against the power supply and all its cables.

Wonderful.

Mine doesn't work because of what's pushing against it, and my only chance of cooling the lower chamber is to put a fan between the lower air filter and the HDD cage. It has to be really thin to fit though.

 

[Quiksilver]

I don't know of any 120mm fans that are smaller than their standard size (25mm). The largest thin fan I know is 15mm think 80mm fan. If you need something thinner; the thinest I know of are 10mm and ranging from 30mm to 70mm.

You should check frozen cpu:
http://www.frozencpu.com/cat/l1/g36/Fans.html

Find a fan size that will work and see if they have it, then check other sites like jab tech, performance pcs, etc.

What exactly do you have pushing against it anyway? I mean couldn't you just move that pbject?

 

[JBDan]

Originally posted by: GeneralOreo
For whatever reason Antec decided to only allow an optional fan on the top HDD cage, and not the lower one. To further cement the P182 as a first class case, they installed a fan right in the middle of the lower chamber and right up against the power supply and all its cables.

Wonderful.

Mine doesn't work because of what's pushing against it, and my only chance of cooling the lower chamber is to put a fan between the lower air filter and the HDD cage. It has to be really thin to fit though.

http://img340.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pc018ly1.jpg]

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This is an old pic, but you get the idea. I just stuffed the extra cables (ones I'm not using)underneath the psu. If your fan is down there then stick them on top. Vice versa if fan is on top. I also took the braket thingy out that holds the fan. Used silicone plugs to attach fan. Maybe you have a boat-load of HD's down there and some really stiff PSU cables, but I don't think you should have any problem using a 120x25mm fan down there. The majority of PSU cables you will use will take an immediate turn upwards into the main upper chamber.

[EDIT] What kind of PSU you have?

 

[Bluefront]

Jabtech has 120x20mm Yate Loons available. I have several.....not bad. But that's as thin as a 120mm fan gets......one you can find anyway.

The alternative......four 60x15mm fans glued together, and wired together in parallel. This has been done before, and no reason it wouldn't work ok. I'd be worried about vibrations however, but the whole thing could be rubber-mounted.

 

[GeneralOreo]

^I'll try those Yate fans, hope it fits.

Originally posted by: QuiksilverX1
What exactly do you have pushing against it anyway? I mean couldn't you just move that pbject?

The PSU's cables coming out of it.

Originally posted by: JBDan

[EDIT] What kind of PSU you have?

It's a Silencer 750 Quad. The way it looks now is nothing like the picture you posted, it's way longer and it's non-modular, there's like a 2 inch think of cables coming out and they won't budge a centimeter.

 

[zorrt]

Picture of case

What I did was moved the rails on the lower cage to allow the cage to sit further back towards the case, you will need to drill new holes into the cage. I also removed that square useless thing, just drill out the pop rivets and it will drop off. I then just screwed on a standard 120mm fan. The fan is only being held on by 2 screws but it holds up very well. I also put foam padding around the fan to minimise any vibrations, my fans are Nexus @ 800rpm so they foam padding is more than enough. If you want to do it properly you will need to drill additional holes to hold up the fans. I can't be bothered doing that though.

 

[Daverino]

I don't get it. I'm looking at my old P180, without the benefit of routing cables behind the mobo and there's a ton of clearance between the lower fan, which I did not replace, and the cables coming from the power supply. Can you post a pic of the problem?

 

[Zepper]

The PC Power and Cooling Silencer 750 Quad is 1.6" deeper (at 7.1") than the standard ATX PSU form factor (5.5" deep). There's your answer.

.bh.

 

[jonmcc33]

Originally posted by: Daverino
I don't get it. I'm looking at my old P180, without the benefit of routing cables behind the mobo and there's a ton of clearance between the lower fan, which I did not replace, and the cables coming from the power supply. Can you post a pic of the problem?

I had a OCZ PowerStream 520 in my P180. There's no way in hell that a fan would fit with that PSU installed. Do some thinking next time. Not everyone has the same power supply that you do...

 

[Daverino]

Originally posted by: jonmcc33

Originally posted by: Daverino
I don't get it. I'm looking at my old P180, without the benefit of routing cables behind the mobo and there's a ton of clearance between the lower fan, which I did not replace, and the cables coming from the power supply. Can you post a pic of the problem?

I had a OCZ PowerStream 520 in my P180. There's no way in hell that a fan would fit with that PSU installed. Do some thinking next time. Not everyone has the same power supply that you do...

Wow, do you feel it necessary to shit in every thread you come into? Relax buddy, you've made few friends in the past few weeks. . .

I asked why it wouldn't work and got the answer I was looking for, thanks Zepper. I believe from the SilentPC review, they put the fan in the middle to reduce noise, as opposed to on the upper bay where it's in front. Just eyeballing it, I wonder if it's possible to jerry-rig a slim 120mm fan in the front lower bay without the modifications zorrt made. Certainly could get a 90mm fan in there.

Funny that Antec never mentions that it doesn't support larger PSUs well. I guess they assume you will buy and Antec PSU for your case.

 

[JBDan]

Originally posted by: GeneralOreo
^I'll try those Yate fans, hope it fits.

Originally posted by: QuiksilverX1
What exactly do you have pushing against it anyway? I mean couldn't you just move that pbject?

The PSU's cables coming out of it.

Originally posted by: JBDan

[EDIT] What kind of PSU you have?

It's a Silencer 750 Quad. The way it looks now is nothing like the picture you posted, it's way longer and it's non-modular, there's like a 2 inch think of cables coming out and they won't budge a centimeter.

Aha! 750 pcp&c. Well, you could try a fan mod placing a 120mm in front of the lower HD cage. I have seen it done with good results. Zorrt accomplished this moving the HD cage rails, but I have also seen someone use the upper HD cage for the lower compartment. Let me try to find that link where someone accomplished this with little work. I guess another option would be to use your upper HD cage for HD's. Either way you'll be fine

 

[Zepper]

Just get a wire grill for the fan and you can let the PSU wires bump up against that.

.bh.

 

[jonmcc33]

Originally posted by: Daverino
Wow, do you feel it necessary to shit in every thread you come into? Relax buddy, you've made few friends in the past few weeks...

Then don't act so arrogant in lack of understanding how someone could have a problem with a power supply in the lower chamber. It has been well documented that people have an issue with the lower chamber. That's why I have repeatedly stated that it's flawed, the fan should have been put up front and Antec never improved that with any new revisions.

Originally posted by: Daverino
I asked why it wouldn't work and got the answer I was looking for, thanks Zepper. I believe from the SilentPC review, they put the fan in the middle to reduce noise, as opposed to on the upper bay where it's in front. Just eyeballing it, I wonder if it's possible to jerry-rig a slim 120mm fan in the front lower bay without the modifications zorrt made. Certainly could get a 90mm fan in there.

Funny that Antec never mentions that it doesn't support larger PSUs well. I guess they assume you will buy and Antec PSU for your case.

Why would Antec state that you might have a problem with one of their most popular selling cases? That would be like Ford selling a Mustang saying the car is governed at 75MPH. Who would buy it then?

People here can act like the P180/182 are great cases but they are all the same and usually with revisions a manufacturer will improve something. Antec didn't improve crap on that case.

If I were Antec I'd move the HDD cage from the lower bay towards the middle and then put the 120mm fan up front. The door is thick enough and sound proof enough to deaden most noise that the TriCool fan on low might make. It would be better also for power cables and allow ANY power supply to fit without a problem.

Then I'd have those front vents completely reworked to not restrict any airflow.

Maybe then it might be a good case.

 

[geofelt]

Is a lower chamber fan really necessary? www.silentpcreview.com in it's review of the case, thinks not. http://www.silentpcreview.com/article741-page6.html The hard drives do not get very hot, and the psu fan seems to take care of things.

 

[Daverino]

Originally posted by: jonmcc33

Originally posted by: Daverino
Wow, do you feel it necessary to shit in every thread you come into? Relax buddy, you've made few friends in the past few weeks...

Then don't act so arrogant in lack of understanding how someone could have a problem with a power supply in the lower chamber.

I said I didn't understand the problem and asked for a pic. That's arrogant? I'd say that's par for the course in these forums. Someone had a problem installing the front 120mm and I happily took a pic of my case and showed him how. I post here with the intention of trying to help and you crap all over me calling me 'arrogant' and telling me to 'do some thinking.' Seriously man, you have issues. And nobody appointed you thread-cop, so if you can't keep it civil don't bother posting.

Regarding the OP. Another option might be to put a fan on the other side of the chamber. The stock fan looks like it could be installed on the other side, but there'd be no room for the HD cables. A standard thickness 120mm, though, could work. I thought about installing the HDs backwards so the cables are at the front of the case, but I can't see any way to do that without cutting away part of the metal frame. Maybe there's a way, but I'd have to tear apart my case in order to find out.

 

[GeneralOreo]

I'm not going to bother with a fan in front of the lower HDD cage anymore - I'm getting a whole new power supply and this time I should be able to use the fan in the middle of the chamber. Right now I'm thinking Enermax Ifiniti 720W model, it's 20mm shorter than the PCP&C one I have and part modular.

 

[jonmcc33]

Originally posted by: geofelt
Is a lower chamber fan really necessary? www.silentpcreview.com in it's review of the case, thinks not. http://www.silentpcreview.com/article741-page6.html The hard drives do not get very hot, and the psu fan seems to take care of things.

They used SATA hard drives on either side of the cage...

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article741-page5.html

Put 4 PATA hard drives in there and the temps will climb well into 46-48C range if not higher. Sure, hard drives can run hot but I prefer to keep mine as cool as possible. My hard drives are at 30C and 29C respectively in my Antec 900 with a 1200RPM 1200mm fan in front of them. They are Seagates which usually run 3-4C hotter than other drives.

Heck, even without the fan they will climb only 4-5C. Shows you how superior the cooling of the Antec 900 is over the P182. If SPCR got 43C out of SATA hard drives spaced apart and I get 30C with 3 hard drives stacked with a low RPM fan which do you think is more effective?

 

[Ozoneman]

Originally posted by: GeneralOreo
I'm not going to bother with a fan in front of the lower HDD cage anymore - I'm getting a whole new power supply and this time I should be able to use the fan in the middle of the chamber. Right now I'm thinking Enermax Ifiniti 720W model, it's 20mm shorter than the PCP&C one I have and part modular.

I and others have used the Corsair 620 which we have found fits real well in the P180/182 cases. It is a very good PSU.

 

[Ozoneman]

Originally posted by: QuiksilverX1
I don't know of any 120mm fans that are smaller than their standard size (25mm). The largest thin fan I know is 15mm think 80mm fan. If you need something thinner; the thinest I know of are 10mm and ranging from 30mm to 70mm.

You should check frozen cpu:
http://www.frozencpu.com/cat/l1/g36/Fans.html

Find a fan size that will work and see if they have it, then check other sites like jab tech, performance pcs, etc.

What exactly do you have pushing against it anyway? I mean couldn't you just move that pbject?

You can put a fan on the lower front intake next to the filter. Check this thread, Page 21, post no 411.

http://www.hardforum.com/showt...wer+fan#post1031555109

 

[JBDan]

Originally posted by: Ozoneman

Originally posted by: GeneralOreo
I'm not going to bother with a fan in front of the lower HDD cage anymore - I'm getting a whole new power supply and this time I should be able to use the fan in the middle of the chamber. Right now I'm thinking Enermax Ifiniti 720W model, it's 20mm shorter than the PCP&C one I have and part modular.

I and others have used the Corsair 620 which we have found fits real well in the P180/182 cases. It is a very good PSU.

I second that for the fit and the quality. The HX620 is what use as well. It's also modular.

 

[jonmcc33]

Originally posted by: Ozoneman
You can put a fan on the lower front intake next to the filter. Check this thread, Page 21, post no 411.

http://www.hardforum.com/showt...wer+fan#post1031555109

Just some FYI, you can click on the number and it will open that particular post in it's own separate window. You can also link directly to that post.

http://www.hardforum.com/showp...31555109&postcount=411

I didn't like what I read there though. He just wedged it in there? If it's not secure with screws or even rubber/silicone grommets then it can vibrate and make noise. Not a good idea IMO.

 

[de8212]

Originally posted by: JBDan

Originally posted by: Ozoneman

Originally posted by: GeneralOreo
I'm not going to bother with a fan in front of the lower HDD cage anymore - I'm getting a whole new power supply and this time I should be able to use the fan in the middle of the chamber. Right now I'm thinking Enermax Ifiniti 720W model, it's 20mm shorter than the PCP&C one I have and part modular.

I and others have used the Corsair 620 which we have found fits real well in the P180/182 cases. It is a very good PSU.

I second that for the fit and the quality. The HX620 is what use as well. It's also modular.

thirded.

 

[GeneralOreo]

Thanks for recommending the HX620 guys, just looked into it and it sounds like a really good power supply, I'm seriously considering that one now.

Edit: did some more research, will definitely be buying the HX620 now.

 

[Daverino]

Originally posted by: de8212

Originally posted by: JBDan

Originally posted by: Ozoneman

Originally posted by: GeneralOreo
I'm not going to bother with a fan in front of the lower HDD cage anymore - I'm getting a whole new power supply and this time I should be able to use the fan in the middle of the chamber. Right now I'm thinking Enermax Ifiniti 720W model, it's 20mm shorter than the PCP&C one I have and part modular.

I and others have used the Corsair 620 which we have found fits real well in the P180/182 cases. It is a very good PSU.

I second that for the fit and the quality. The HX620 is what use as well. It's also modular.

thirded.

fourthed. It's a SeaSonic at heart and you can't go wrong with that.

 

[zorrt]

Originally posted by: JBDan
Zorrt accomplished this moving the HD cage rails, but I have also seen someone use the upper HD cage for the lower compartment. Let me try to find that link where someone accomplished this with little work. I guess another option would be to use your upper HD cage for HD's. Either way you'll be fine

Didn't think the upper HDD cage would fit, maybe I should of tried that instead of drilling Oh wells too late now. Using upper HDD cage for the HDD blocks too much airflow IMO.

Originally posted by: GeneralOreo
I'm not going to bother with a fan in front of the lower HDD cage anymore - I'm getting a whole new power supply and this time I should be able to use the fan in the middle of the chamber. Right now I'm thinking Enermax Ifiniti 720W model, it's 20mm shorter than the PCP&C one I have and part modular.

Personally I don't like running the fan in the middle as the results are minimal but hey, not everyone likes cutting up an expensive case aye. Just for comparisons sake, without a fan hdd reached 49 degrees, fan in the middle drops to around 44 - 45, fan at front hovers around 38 degrees. I've also removed the door that covers the filters, with the doors on temp were around 40-41 degrees or there abouts.