computer building - Case front fan blocks HDD bays

08
2014-07
  • Vaindil

    I'm building a new computer with a friend at the moment, but we've installed the front fan and discovered that it blocks access to all of the 3.5" bays. Any devices we put there stick way out for the screw holes to line up (we had to mount the SSD backwards for its holes to line up).

    The fan is on the inside of the case with the screws on the outside going in (that's the only way the case works for it to be installed).

    Did we do something wrong? Does this case just have a really crappy design? This is the case in question.

    • Answers
  • Darth Android

    The harddrives should be no where near the front fan (an inch or two of clearance). The drives should be mounted with the connectors facing the interior of the case, and protruding an inch or so out the back of the harddrive cage.

    You should be using the back and middle holes for mounting drives, not the middle and front holes. You can see where the tool-less mounting brackets should be in this image:

    RaidMax SuperViper Case Without Side panel

    Here is an image of how much the drives should stick out into the interior of the case:

    RaidMax SuperViper Harddrive Installation Closeup


    • Related Question

    should case fans blow air into or out of the case
  • Jonathan.

    Well there's not really much more to ask than the title, so which way should fans blow?


    • Related Answers
  • RJFalconer

    The point is to remove heat from the case so:

    1. heat rises, so fans at the top of the case blow the hot air out and fans at the bottom blow cold air in.

    2. fans near hot components (CPU, Power supply, high end graphic cards) blow air out because you want to remove the hot air - not spread it around.

    3. you have to have good airflow where hot air is continually removed and replaced with cool air - so, fans at one side (usually the front) blow air in while fans on the other side (back) blow air out.

  • Gilles

    The really important aspect of cooling is good airflow. Most cases have a front-to-back airflow: air goes in at the front and out at the back. Reasons for this direction include the location of the power supply unit at the back (a major heat generator, so its air must be evacuated directly) and the preference not to blow hot air towards the user of the computer.

    The airflow is usually achieved by having an outtake fan at the back, often another outtake fan on the power supply unit, and sometimes an intake fan at the front. As mentioned before, a PSU outtake is often required, and two fans in the same direction provide more airflow than one in each direction, which explains why outtake fans are more common. Another reason to prefer outtake fans is that intake fans tend to accumulate dust (which isn't a concern if you're willing to dust the inside of your computer often).

    If you're interested in the topic, I recommend reading articles at Silent PC Review, one of the few hardware sites where people measure other things than frames per second. The site is about reducing noise, but since fans are the main source of noise, they discuss airflow a lot. The very question you ask has been asked on their forum (“Case Fans - Blow In, Out or Combo?”), with no consensus answer.

  • AndrejaKo

    Well usually fans in front and at the side of the case blow air inside while fans at the top of the case and at the back blow air outside. Fans which are in expansion card format usually blow air out too.

    Some people even place side fans in such way that they blow air directly in CPU cooler fan.

    Also, take a look at this question.