Cooling.

I'm building my own computer and I have everything picked out, and one last thing I would like to know before I order everything is weather or not my pc will overheat.

So the case I plan on getting is a AeroCool Vx-R (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811196035) I was going to order 2 other fans along with it but I'm not sure if that will be enough.

My hardware in that I will have in there is-

CPU-AMD Phenom II X3 720 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819103649

GPU-EVGA Nivida GeForce 8800GT

PSU-BFG ATX12v 2.2 450Watt

RAM-G.SKILL 4GB - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231193

MOBO-ASUS M4A78T-E - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813131366

Optical Drive-SAMSUNG Black DVD\CD Burner - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827151187

Hard Drive-Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822136320

I would like to have a case and cooling system that can support better hardware, so when the time comes when I want to upgrade my GPU, I don't have to get a better case, fans etc.

Also, here are the fans I am planing on getting.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835103063
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835220014

So, should I not have a problem with this case and fans?

------------------------------ ~People need to stop trying to change the world, and do there best to keep it the way it is~
-Bigboss

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For that price, I would get an Antec 300 or a CM. The CM 690 is a great case for airflow. It's $70 w/ free shipping at newegg. As for the fans, both are good, but if you have a low budget, Zalman ZM-F3's and Petras Yates are great performers. Just don't mount them horizontally.

Are you gonna use the stock HSF?

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to ShtBrix

ShtBrix wrote :

For that price, I would get an Antec 300 or a CM. The CM 690 is a great case for airflow. It's $70 w/ free shipping at newegg. As for the fans, both are good, but if you have a low budget, Zalman ZM-F3's and Petras Yates are great performers. Just don't mount them horizontally.

Are you gonna use the stock HSF?

I was going to go with the Antec 300 at first but... I thought that other case looked cooler lol.
However it would seem that since I care more about performance than looks, I should go for the Antec.

The HSF that comes with the CPU? I was planing on it.
Should I not?

------------------------------ ~People need to stop trying to change the world, and do there best to keep it the way it is~
-Bigboss
Reply to OceanWolf

You forgot to mention which cpu heatsink you intend to install. The case is only 7.7 inches wide . Those tall tower style cpu heatsinks won't fit. If you are going to install a tower style cpu heatsink look for pc cases that are at least 8 inches wide.

Edit - The retail versions of cpu's come with a stock cpu heatsink and fan. Just about all of the veteran posters here recommend a third party cpu heatsink for improved cpu cooling. here's a link to a web site with information about cpu heatsinks you might want to look at:

http://www.frostytech.com/top5heatsinks.cfm

I'm not too crazy about the BFG 450 watt power supply. It's okay for a tight budget but it's not a exactly a high quality power supply. Here's a link to a technical review over at jonnyguru.com:

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.p [...] y&reid=135

The general rule of thumb is that a high quality 500 to 550 watt power supply with sufficient current (amps) on the 12 volt rail(s) can easily power just about any single video card made. Corsair, PC Power & Cooling, and Seasonic have reputations for high quality power supplies that are stable and reliable. For those on a budget the Antec Earthwatts series of psu's would be a good choice.

I checked several references for power consumption. Luckily a single 8800 GT video card doesn't use much power. Neither does the rest of your system.

The Corsair VX450 is one possibility:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817139003

The Antec Earthwatts 500 is another possibility:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817371007

Since you mentioned case fans and cooling, I accidently found an animation this morning depicting classic fan placement and airflow over at the Lancool website. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see the animation:

http://www.lancoolpc.com/en/produc [...] =62&g=spec

Message quoted 2 times
Message edited by JohnnyLucky on 09-01-2009 at 04:19:29 AM

Reply to JohnnyLucky

JohnnyLucky wrote :

You forgot to mention which cpu heatsink you intend to install. The case is only 7.7 inches wide . Those tall tower style cpu heatsinks won't fit. If you are going to install a tower style cpu heatsink look for pc cases that are at least 8 inches wide.

Edit - The retail versions of cpu's come with a stock cpu heatsink and fan. Just about all of the veteran posters here recommend a third party cpu heatsink for improved cpu cooling. here's a link to a web site with information about cpu heatsinks you might want to look at:

http://www.frostytech.com/top5heatsinks.cfm

I'm not too crazy about the BFG 450 watt power supply. It's okay for a tight budget but it's not a exactly a high quality power supply. Here's a link to a technical review over at jonnyguru.com:

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.p [...] y&reid=135

The general rule of thumb is that a high quality 500 to 550 watt power supply with sufficient current (amps) on the 12 volt rail(s) can easily power just about any single video card made. Corsair, PC Power & Cooling, and Seasonic have reputations for high quality power supplies that are stable and reliable. For those on a budget the Antec Earthwatts series of psu's would be a good choice.

I checked several references for power consumption. Luckily a single 8800 GT video card doesn't use much power. Neither does the rest of your system.

The Corsair VX450 is one possibility:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817139003

The Antec Earthwatts 500 is another possibility:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817371007

Since you mentioned case fans and cooling, I accidently found an animation this morning depicting classic fan placement and airflow over at the Lancool website. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see the animation:

http://www.lancoolpc.com/en/produc [...] =62&g=spec

I would like to get a new GPU and PSU, but sadly, I already own them from past mistakes, and since I've had barely any usage on the GPU, I would like to use it for at least a year before upgrading.
The CPU I'm getting comes with a HSF, I was just going to use that one.

So, according to that animation, the Antec 300 would be a better since it has a top vent.

Message edited by OceanWolf on 09-01-2009 at 04:25:28 AM

------------------------------ ~People need to stop trying to change the world, and do there best to keep it the way it is~
-Bigboss
Reply to OceanWolf

Yes. The Antec Three Hundred is an extremely popular case with gamers on a budget. Ventilation, airflow, and cooling are very good.

Reply to JohnnyLucky

http://www.frostytech.com/top5heatsinks.cfm

This is a good list but, the AMD listings are only for the AM2 socket, the Phenom II X3 720 is a AM3.

------------------------------ ~People need to stop trying to change the world, and do there best to keep it the way it is~
-Bigboss
Reply to OceanWolf

OceanWolf - Frosty Tech has technical reviews of heatsinks for AM3 cpu's:

http://www.frostytech.com/heatsink [...] tsinks#985

Reply to JohnnyLucky

This seems like a nice HSF.
http://www.frostytech.com/articlev [...] cleID=2419

Well it work in a Antec 300 case with an 720 CPU?

------------------------------ ~People need to stop trying to change the world, and do there best to keep it the way it is~
-Bigboss
Reply to OceanWolf

You're in luck. The Antec Three Hundred case is 8.1 inches wide. The Coolermaster Hyper 212 cpu heatsink will fit in the case and it is compatible with the AM3 motherboard socket. I've used it in several builds and results are very good.

I would make one recommendation though. CPU's usually come with some sort of thermal compound already applied to the surface that comes in contact with the heat sink. The compound is usually not the greatest. Third party heatsinks usually come with their own thermal compound also. One normally removes the original compound from the cpu and applies the compound supplied with the heatsink. Sometimes the compound is good and sometimes it is not so good. It just depends on the brand.

My own personal preference is for IC Diamond 7 Carat Thermal Compound. I've used for several years and have always experienced excellent results:

http://www.innovationcooling.com/

That's it for tonight. I need my beauty sleep. Pickle brine alone will not help me keep my good looks.

Message edited by JohnnyLucky on 09-01-2009 at 06:35:45 AM

Reply to JohnnyLucky

Thanks for the help.

------------------------------ ~People need to stop trying to change the world, and do there best to keep it the way it is~
-Bigboss
Reply to OceanWolf

Do you live next to a frys store? They have the antec 300 and the Coolermaster 212+ for a cheaper price than newegg.

Reply to Ragsters

I don't live near a Frys store.
The nearest one to me is in Renton WA, but that's at least a 7 hour drive.

------------------------------ ~People need to stop trying to change the world, and do there best to keep it the way it is~
-Bigboss
Reply to OceanWolf

Read and heed: if you don't implement these changes,
then tell others about Sidewinder's "bolt-thru-kits"
-- very cost-effective:

http://www.supremelaw.org/systems/ [...] arning.htm

http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/lgbowiscsp.html

http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/lga13sobbowi.html

Occam's Razor: the simplest solution is always the best solution.

MRFS

Reply to MRFS

JohnnyLucky wrote :

Since you mentioned case fans and cooling, I accidently found an animation this morning depicting classic fan placement and airflow over at the Lancool website. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see the animation:

http://www.lancoolpc.com/en/produc [...] =62&g=spec

http://www.lancoolpc.com/en/produc [...] =62&g=spec

That animation is a step in the right direction.

HOWEVER, the air coming off the lower 3.5" drive cages
should not be BLUE (symbolizing cooler intake air)
if one or more hard drives are installed there.

Also, for a superior "stack effect" (hot air rises)
one of the best and most neglected places for
intake fans is the bottom panel, ideally two (2)
such fan grills: one for the PSU and one to
intake cooler air from below the bottom panel
(where cooler air congregates).

See the Cooler Master HAF-922 and HAF-932
for superior fan grill placement:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811119197

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811119160

MRFS

Reply to MRFS

mrfs - First, modern hard drives do not generate very much heat. Compared to a cpu and gpu the amount is not very much. The new eco friendly drives are pretty amazing. Second, the hard drive cage in the Dragon Lord series can easily be rotated 90 degrees to improve air flow. Third, the case is extremely well ventilated similar to the HAF 932. The ventilation allows the multiple exhaust fans to draw air from other areas and helps to avoid hot spots. Fourth, I was not recommending the case. I just liked the animation. It's the first animation I've seen of classic air flow. Fifth, I have the HAF 932. It is a huge case. I even did a 932 case mod just about one year ago. I does not appear as if the case is within the OP's budget.

About those bolt through kits. Not necessary with the Coolermaster Hyper 212. It comes with it's own bolt through kit.

ragsters - The Antec Three Hundred is on sale at newegg.com for $54.99:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811129042

Reply to JohnnyLucky

Yes, I understand your preferences.

For myself, I prefer to mount multiple hard drives (e.g. 2x)
in the upper 5.25" drive bays, in order to maximize the
flow of cooler air directly to the CPU, RAM and video card
i.e. from intake fans in the bottom and left-side panels.

Thus, the philosophy I have adopted is to prevent
interior components from being warmed by air
exhausted by other components, whenever possible.

(One could argue that this philosophy might lead
to some overkill, and I won't argue that point.)

Also, my office plans are to migrate to SSDs when
they can support an interface speed of SATA/6G:

I'm leaving our HAF-932's lower 3.5" drive bays for those SSDs,
mounted with 2.5"-to-3.5" brackets.

Thus, a fast RAID controller will add more heat to the case interior,
so a little "overkill" now is part of my future upgrade plans.

I mentioned the HAF-922 and HAF-932 specifically
because of the 2 fan grills both have in their
bottom panels. Other case manufacturers
are beginning to recognize the advantages
of offering such fan grills as further options
for mounting intake fans -- just options,
mind you.

With enough exhaust fans properly placed,
it may not be necessary to add an intake
fan in the bottom panel, as long as the
fan grill is there to permit cooler air to
enter from under the bottom panel.

To each his or her own

MRFS

Reply to MRFS

In the 932 case mod I installed a CM 4-in-3 hard drive device with 120mm fan in the upper drive cage. I lined up the 4-in-3 with two cpu heatsink fans and the rear panel exhaust fan. The results were incredible. I removed the lower drive cage. In the open space below I used flexible plastic chrome tubing to hide cables. Looked pretty good with an all black interior.

Gee! Looks like we're getting off subject. Have to consider the OP's budget.

Message edited by JohnnyLucky on 09-02-2009 at 06:26:49 AM

Reply to JohnnyLucky

Thanks for advice guys but I went with the Antec 300 and Cooler Master Hyper 212 plus.
My budget isn't vary high on a case so the antec seems to fit the bill, and I wasn't really planing on getting a anther HSF so, I just went with the 212, because I had enough money in my budget for that, but nothing higher.

Thanks again.

Message edited by OceanWolf on 09-02-2009 at 07:48:06 PM

------------------------------ ~People need to stop trying to change the world, and do there best to keep it the way it is~
-Bigboss
Reply to OceanWolf

Good Choices!

Good Luck!

Reply to JohnnyLucky

Focus On

Forum CPU & Components : Power Supplies, PC Cases & Case Mods - Cooling.