Help cooling a barcade

[GoYouSalukis]

I am working on a barcade: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=133809.new;topicseen#new

I'm trying to figure out a cooling strategy. I have a decased older HP laptop. It has two cooling fans on the bottom of the mother board. They intake from the bottom and exhaust to the rear and side. My first thought is to line up the rear of the MB with the rear of the case, cut matching holes on the bottom of my case and then cut a rectangular opening in the rear panel that lines up with the rear exhaust. Does this make sense? I would have to put some bumpers on the bottom of the barcade so that the fans will get airflow. I also plan to put one or two cooling fans in about the middle rear, or up high on the case. Should they be exhaust, intake, or one of each?

Thanks

[PL1]

Use the fact that heat rises to your advantage.

Identify components that will generate heat. (MB, PSU, monitor, etc.)

Fan(s) above the heat source should usually blow out.

Fan(s) at the heat source can go either way, depending on the desired air flow path.

Fan(s) below the heat source should usually blow in.

Position fans so that the exhaust does not loop back around to the intake due to:
1. The angled back of your build being placed near a wall/obstruction that traps/reflects a downward angled exhaust fan or
2. The intake and exhaust being too close to each other

Don't make a cooling system pushmi-pullyu -- balance your intakes and exhausts.


Scott

[GoYouSalukis]

Thanks Scott, those are some good tips.

I guess my plan is to put an exhaust fan at the top, and an extra intake fan at the bottom along with the two motherboard fans.