Computer heat issues inside cab?

[2PacMan]

I have my computer inside my cab, and it is pushed all the way to the front left side of my cab.  The front vents of the computer tower are close to the wall of the cab, but not up against them.  The fan blows out the back and is unobstructed.  I had to leave the back of the cab off cause my TV sticks out a little too far, but i have the cab pushed almost up against the wall, about 6 inches from the wall.  It seems as though the air is circulating fine, i don't feel any warmth inside the cab...but do you think the computer is cool enough by the way i have it set up?  Or should i put another fan in the cab itself?  I was originally going to do this, but now that i can't put the back of the cab back on, i;m wondering if it's necessary.  Most computers will just shut down if they start overheating, right?  And that won't cause damage?  Should i just go with it, and then if it overheats, then get another fan, or should i just get one now??

[Goz]

Sorry if this makes me sound like an --I'm attempting to get by the auto-censor and should be beaten after I re-read the rules-- but have you read any FAQ's, used search, or checked out the project arcade book? This is a general question and has been asked and answered tons of times.

-Goz

[RayB]

Or for that matter, have you bothered running any temperature software so you actually know what kind of heat is going on in there?

Does your tower have the sides on it? It sure doesn't need to if it's inside a cabinet. Take both sides off.

[2PacMan]

Well, my motherboard is screwed into one side of the tower, so i can't take both sides off, and i think the side that i can take off is the one that's up against the left side of the cabinet wall.

I'm not sure how to run temperature software? My friend built my computer for me specifically for MAME, so it's missing alot of stuff like a disk drive, and other software, so i'm not sure if it even can run it.

I've been on this board for months, and i've rarely seen someone ask questions about temp control other than just general ones.

[Goz]

I did take the nice approach. 

There are a large number of posts however that refer to placement of pc in a cab whether to case or decase and they do answer your question.

Hit up the Motherboard Monitor webpage though as suggested as it is a great answer to your question.

-Goz

[2PacMan]

Could you give me a link to the post (or posts) that specifically address my question?  I know i can't decase the motherboard, so that's not an issue.  And secondly, knowing the max temp. my motherboard can safely run a won't really help me either because i don't know how to figure out what temp my motherboard is running at when it is on.

I was told that if you sit your tower in the middle of the cab, with the back off the cab, you should be fine with no additional fans.  Well, my tower is more towards the corner, which hinders the air circulation some. And the back is off, but it's nearly up against the wall.  So while air can circulate through the space between the cab and the wall, it might not be optimum.  I did not find any previous posts that specifically addresses my CASED tower's placement in the cab and the back-off up against the wall positioning.

[RayB]

The problem with posting links to threads is that sometimes you really have to dig to find the relevant threads. Either Gozur can spend 20 minutes digging through the threads for you, or you can do the 20 minutes of digging yourself. That's why people often harp on about searching.

Basically, your motherboard is attached to a part of the tower frame, no? And then on that side is a case side. You should be able to remove that side too. Heck, you should also be able to remove the top, but that requires finding some bolts and unscrewing them (it's worth doing though). You don't really need a case at all, but it's convenient, so strip it down to the bare minimums and you should be just fine.

Temp software: Are you running windows? Download AIDA32 (free).

Lastly, if the back of your tower is against a wall, and you're concerned, then flip it around. Heck you can even lie the case on its side.