Gaming PC in Cabinet = Overheating Risk?

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jstumpf

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Feb 14, 2015
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Hello! First off, I'd like to apologize if this is in the wrong location as I am looking for some quick advice and help.

I just recently purchased my first gaming desktop (decided to go with a pre-built) and I am now wondering about where I am going to store it when it comes. I have this cabinet in my desk that measures 22 deep x 10 wide x 24 tall. It has 4 holes drilled in the side that measure roughly 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Two are in the back panel (top and bottom) and the other two are in the left side panel in the same locations.

Now, this is where I've reached an issue. I'm not sure if it will be safe to store my PC in here without it beginning to "hotbox" and lead to it's untimely death. I'm looking for feedback as to whether or not it will be safe to store my desktop tower in here without it overheating and frying.

These are some of the specifications on my desktop that may help you fine people reach a verdict faster:

AMD FX-4300 Quad Core Processor 3.8GHz
8GB SDRAM DDR3
Processor: 3.8 GHz PowerPC G4

Hard Drive Size: 1 TB
Hard Drive Manufacturer: SATA III
Hard Drive Type: Serial ATA-600
Hard Drive Speed: 7200 rpm

Case Size (LWH): 19.6 inches, 7.6 inches, 16.8 inches

And this is the specs of the power supply that I upgraded to (600w):

7/4A Input Current
50-60Hz Input Frequency
115/230V Input Voltage
70% Efficiency Typical Load

Please do not think that I am attempting to brag or show off the specs of my build, I am very new to the Gaming PC scene and do not know which of the specs will affect the overall temperature and result of where I can store it.

Any insight as to whether or not it would be safe to store it in this cabinet would be greatly appreciated. A picture of the cabinet can be found here for reference: http://i.imgur.com/02vJ1Dv.jpg

Thank You!
 
Solution
synphul
Any pc will generate heat, the main culprits being the cpu, power supply, hard drive, the voltage regulators on the motherboard and the graphics card. Even if you don't overclock it, it's normal for these parts to create heat. In most scenarios the heat isn't a problem when it has good airflow but having it tucked into a fully enclosed cabinet will more than likely trap heat. Even if the front is open (no door or door open), the sides, back and top being closed off will tend to cause heat to build up with nowhere to go.

I'm guessing the holes are for routing cables to the pc, 4 2.5" holes I doubt will be enough to allow it to vent properly. You can try monitoring your temperatures using something like coretemp or hwinfo64 and so long...
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synphul

synphul

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Mar 11, 2011
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Any pc will generate heat, the main culprits being the cpu, power supply, hard drive, the voltage regulators on the motherboard and the graphics card. Even if you don't overclock it, it's normal for these parts to create heat. In most scenarios the heat isn't a problem when it has good airflow but having it tucked into a fully enclosed cabinet will more than likely trap heat. Even if the front is open (no door or door open), the sides, back and top being closed off will tend to cause heat to build up with nowhere to go.

I'm guessing the holes are for routing cables to the pc, 4 2.5" holes I doubt will be enough to allow it to vent properly. You can try monitoring your temperatures using something like coretemp or hwinfo64 and so long as it's not overclocked or run for long periods at a time it may just get warm and remain below dangerous temp levels.

I would start there, testing it out and seeing how it actually does for temperatures in the cabinet with your room temps (ambient temps can play a big part in it). If it does get too warm, a couple of options. Either try to place the case in another location where the cords and cables will all still reach like on the desktop or under the desk if there's room. Another option if you're comfortable with it would be modifying the desk. If you have access to a power drill you can get bits called hole saws in different sizes (made for making holes in the 1-2"+ range vs a regular drill bit) to allow for more ventilation. Somewhere near the upper portion of the back of the cabinet or near the exhaust vents of the power supply and rear exhaust fan. About the only things I can think of outside of more expensive cabinet ventilation fans (like larger scale pc fans, somewhat expensive) or using a different desk. Hope this helps.
 
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Solution
J

jstumpf

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Feb 14, 2015
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4,510


Thank you both for the feedback! I have since found out that the upper piece of my desk (it has 2 cabinets that were the main culprit of why my PC wouldn't be able to fit under there) is detachable. So I think I'll just be playing it safe and having the PC on open air on my desktop. That being said, however, is it going to generate any large amounts of heat from the bottom that could possibly leave burn marks in my desk? I don't think that will be a problem for the wall it is near as it will be 6 inches away from the wall, and exposed to open, free-flowing air from all others sides besides the bottom.
 
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synphul

synphul

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Mar 11, 2011
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No it won't burn your desk. The kind of heat it generates, if you have a dvd player or something like a receiver box for satellite tv or something along those lines try placing your hand on it when it's running. It will usually be warm to the touch. With steady heat like that in an enclosed area like inside of a closed up cabinet it will allow the heat to build and heat up the air the pc would be using to 'cool' itself. That can raise temps of the cpu or graphics card by as much as 20c just by affecting the surrounding air. The same way hot air from a heater wouldn't 'burn' you but you wouldn't want a heater blowing on you in the middle of summer instead of an a/c. The components themselves will get hot but not enough heat to damage things outside of the case. If you were able to run the cpu without a cooler in the way and placed your fingertip against it, then you might get burned. Same with the chips on the graphics card, but you'd have to touch them directly while they're under load.
 
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