Airflow - is it really that impotrant?

[richard_cocks]

I would ask this in the OCing forum, but I am not interested in OCing reallyand I have a feeling they would exaggerate the importance of good airflow.

I am just concerned about the overcrowded nature of my system.

To get my hard drives out they scrape along the top of my ram modules, and the ide cables are all everywhere and half the time seem to block my CPU fan.

My system doesn't report to ever be too hot, but I have a voodoo3 in currently and even 5 minutes after being off I have burnt myself on it.

I am only using the voodoo3 because my TNT2 locks up the system when I try and use it.

All this can't help for airflow and power distribution cables to get to the motherboard have to go right over my CPU heatsink and fan.

So are there any things I can do to help all this?

I am wodnering which cables it is safe to cut off (such as excess ribbon cable) and also, if I just have a standard CPU and one case fan would it be better for my case fan to blow in or out?
The case fan is close to the cpu fan.

On a kind of related topic, which computer cases do you recommend? I really would prefer one with drive casings that don't require removing the ram and nearly CPU heatsink too :O

[rextex]

Yes the airflow is important.You can increase the airflow by mounting an additional case fan for exhaust if possible.Also an intake fan, and even a fan that mounts in one of your expansion slots.
The fact that the Voodoo gets hot enough to burn you isn't good.I don't have a Voodoo and don't know if it has a heatsink but I would recommend trying to get or make one is its running that hot.See the link at the main Sysopt.com page for making one if you are so inclined.
As for cases: I think that may be your best overall solution.Get a new quality case with plenty of room for everything and extra fans or holes for them.For brands: I'm no expert on the subject and do suggest reading the Overclock sites for case reviews if you're really wondering what ones are what.Get a case approved for your CPU if you have AMD or P4.You will need the extra cables /features of the power supply for P4.
Here's a link that is easy to shop and compare compatability of a system.Just choose componts and start building a comparative system from the CPU or Motherboard and select the link "Build a system with this", etc. :

http://www.directron.com

[dmoltrup]

Components in your system should never burn you. They should never be outside the "uncomfortable" range. If your system isn't covered under warranty, and you are interested in preserving its life, you could try upgrading it. Putting it into a larger case, re-routing and possibly modifying your IDE cables so they aren't as wide. (There are other past posts on here about how to do this). If your computer is under warranty, or you aren't comfortable modifying your system, try routing the cables away from your processor and keep them out of the way.

If you have/or have access to a digital camera, take a few pictures and post them here.... We could probably give you some tips on what to do.

[Jimstep]

I just built a new system back in October/November time frame. I ended up with a tower case that has 5 case fans plus the power supply fan. The front fans blow into the case and the rear fans exhaust the heat out the rear of the case. On of the case fans is mounted in the 3.5 inch drive bay to keep cool air flowing over the harddrive.

I was looking for functionality in a case. The cover comes off with a flip of a lever. The 3.5 inch drive bay comes out with a flip of a lever. The 5.25 inch devices have clips attached to them so they slide in and out of the case with no tools. The floppy/tape drive bay slides out with the spin of two very large thumb screws.

These attributes are important to me, because I am always getting into my case a lot.

Cheers!

[richard_cocks]

The warranty ran out a few weeks ago, but sicne I've had my entire PC apart several times since then I am not worried. My PC case seesm open more than it is closed.

I'll look up the cable modding posts, sound interesting, I'll take a look through the archives.

Jim, what case did you get and where did you get it from, also how much did it cost?

I am now serisouly thinking about upgrading my case, but I also need a new graphics card, and have no job, but I'll dig around and beg my parents.

If I keep ugrading I suppose it will save me ever having to really buy a whole new system thanks to AMD using socketA for all their processors meaning after those I'll upgrade my mobo and still have functionality until I can afford a new CPU too.

Thanks for all the advice, and I'll get thread mining now