Cooling - case or no case?

[s_busby_uk]

Is it better to have a case in your cabinet with the usual fans and the like housing your computer components to cool everything down or just to have it all out in the open? Or perhaps to have the case and connect a pipe from the cooling outlet of the case to an outlet in your cabinet build?

[Richardgregory]

I think PCs are designed to cool properly with best the case on - that is as well if the ambient air temperatures are within reason.

[s_busby_uk]

Yeah this is what I figured, but if the case expelling hot air into the rest of the cabinet and the fans in the case are drawing that hot air back in, then that doesn't seem too efficient to me. Better to have the air being pulled from outside and expelled directly back outside no? so some kind of ventilation tubing apparatus?

Has anyone tried this?

[drventure]

It doesn't matter really. As long as the cabinet itself is ventilated adequately, you shouldn't have any problems.

Just get a couple of those big ass PC fans ala



Put em on the back and put a couple vents up front and you should be fine.

Plus the large fans move more air at slower RPM's so they're quieter.

(ok, I'm half kidding about that fan, it's over the top large, but a couple 6-8in ones should do the trick)