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Dust filters?

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Scykoh   08-28-2009 at 04:25:39 AM

So, I'm in the market for a Cooler Master HAF 932 case. The problem is none of the intake fans have any dust filters. My question is, is there any way to just purchase dust filters, and put them on yourself? Or is there nothing I can do about this?

The front intake fan is 230mm, I'm going to replace the side panel 230mm fan with 4 120mm fans, so I'd like to have a dust filter for each, and the power supply intake fan, well.. that one sounds a bit iffy, but if you guys know it's possible to add one there without modding, that'd be pro.

So basically, first off I want to know, can I add all these dust filters? If I can, what are some good dust filters for 120mm and 230mm sizes?

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Bronze CPUs badge Twoboxer   08-28-2009 at 05:20:44 AM
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Try here:

http://www.frozencpu.com/cat/l2/g4 [...] lters.html

then try google.

Though its hard to understand why you would want to take a case with very good air flow, and create more noise trying to jam more air in with no assurance you can get it out of the case (and therefore not into the case either).

Reply to Twoboxer
Scykoh   08-28-2009 at 06:21:38 AM
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I won't claim to know what the heck I'm doing. Is more fans not better? I've had comments about it before, but they were basically saying "you don't need that much" but never said that it'd make things worse.

If there's a good reason not to put all those fans in, please explain. =)

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Silver CPUs badge JohnnyLucky   08-28-2009 at 06:42:46 AM
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I have the Coolermaster HAF 932 case. The case has excellent ventilation, air flow, and cooling capacity. A technical review of cooling capacity revealed the stock fans are excellent. There is no need to replace a 230mm fan with four 120mm fans. All you will get for your effort is more noise.

More fans are not necessarily better. Those large 230mm fans run at lower rpm but move just as much air as several higher rpm 120mm fans. The lower rpm's also result in less noise than several higher rpm 120mm fans.

I am not a big fan of dust filters. The problem with dust filters is that they restrict air flow. As the filters become clogged with dust particles the air flow becomes further restricted. On top of that the HAF is well ventilated. By ventilation I mean there is an lot of perforated mesh that allows air to enter and exit the case so you will still get dust inside the case. I find it very easy to just blow everything out with a can of compressed air. I usually buy triple packs of compressed air when they are on sale.


Message edited by JohnnyLucky on 08-28-2009 at 06:46:11 AM
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Bronze CPUs badge Twoboxer   08-28-2009 at 06:42:54 AM
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Sure. I already gave you one reason. I hope you didn't miss it.

Another. The air pressure blowing in from the case side is now way stronger than any other air flow. It will "bounce" off the vid card area, and exert pressure in all directions. Part of that will want to go through your disk drives and out the front of the case. But there are fans there blowing in. What will happen? In a standoff, next to no air may move past your disk drives creating a heat trap.

It may turn out like puting a fan on one side of your disks blowing in, and one on the other side blowing out.

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Scykoh   08-28-2009 at 07:04:08 AM
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I really appreciate the help and information guys, that's why I'm here. I don't plan on buying this PC for a couple months, so I'm just really putting a puzzle together at the moment.

So, I'll leave the side fans alone. Do you think there'd be harm in replacing the top fan with 120mms? (Other than noise) my case is going to be on the floor, and I'd like to have the LED fans on top 'cause it'll look cool. =p

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Bronze CPUs badge Twoboxer   08-28-2009 at 07:42:22 AM
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Only "harm" might be more noise or less airflow if you choose the wrong fans. Read some fan reviews and compare specs to the stock case fans.

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Silver CPUs badge JohnnyLucky   08-28-2009 at 07:48:21 AM
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Take a look at this Coolermaster 230mm fan with blue led lights:

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/ [...] DL-L1.html

Here's the Coolermaster 230mm fan with red led lights:

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/ [...] DL-L1.html

You can even get one without any led lights:

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/ [...] -07AK.html

Reply to JohnnyLucky
Scykoh   08-28-2009 at 08:28:44 AM
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So I've looked up the fan specs, and the stock 230mm fans are only 75CFM, so it'd be fairly easy to do better with 120mm. Those 230mm fans Johnny linked are very, very nice however. 150 CFM, and of course being 230mm, it's very quiet. And considering I'd have to buy a whole lot of 120mm in place of a 230mm, it's roughly the same price too.

So I need to know what some good 120mm fans to look at are, then I can start comparing the noise to CFM, and decide what will work for me, I'm not 100% about keeping things quiet, but I don't want something that's going to rattle windows either.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835103063 seems like a good fan, decent CFM (I'm aware it's only 70) and fairly low noise (I'm aware it's a bit higher than it says) but if you guys know one better, without shooting the price up, then let me know. =)

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Bronze CPUs badge Twoboxer   08-28-2009 at 08:32:45 AM
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What speed do the stock case fans run at?

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Scykoh   08-28-2009 at 08:38:14 AM
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700 RPM 19 dBa 75 CFM are the specs on all 3 of the 230mm stock fans, the 140mm exhaust fan in the back is 1200 RPM 17 dBa 57 CFM, but I'll probably leave that one as is.

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jimishtar   08-28-2009 at 06:42:38 PM
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there was a similar post. anyway, use stockings (get one from wife or girlfriend or sister), mosquito net, kitchen aspirator filter, but best of all works aluminium mesh. i use these, very fine ones, doesnt affect airflow but keeps the dust out. can find it in a workshops or toolshops, stores like that.

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