Case Breathing Room

[eclectasy]

I have a CM Storm Sniper CPU Case. It has 140mm intake on front, 140mm exhaust on the top, and 80mm exhaust in the back. I want to put it into a case holding area of my desk, but It's kind of a tight fit. How much breathing room is enough for proper airflow? The front would be completely exposed but the top and sides would only have a few inches of space between the wood and the case.

 

[theAnimal]

The front and top fans are 200mm and the rear fan is 120mm.

I wouldn't recommend putting the case in an enclosed space. Is there any ventilation at the rear of the desk or would it be possible to cut a hole in it?

 

[eclectasy]

Okay, yeah that's what I meant =P

Yes, I forgot to mention there is a hole in the back. The hole in the back has the same dimensions as the entire space.

Basically, the top would have about 4-6 inches, The sides would have an inch on either side (but since one side of the case is sealed off I could push that up against the side of the desk and give 2 inches on the mesh side), and the back would have 3-4 inches to the wall.

 

[theAnimal]

As long as the air can get out the back it should be OK, just keep an eye on the temps.