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I have a system built in an Antec P182 case, with an Intel Q9550 CPU on an Asus P5Q Deluxe motherboard. I am looking to upgrade the cooling and could use a few pointers.

Background: The CPU is not overclocked. The computer is used partly for batch-processing still photographs, with thousands of images per batch; no gaming, though. At the moment, I'm staying away from water- or other fluid-based cooling systems (leak paranoid).

(1) Out of the box, the case came with three 120mm fans, whose speed can be controlled only by adjusting a dipswitch. On high they are a bit noisy, but on low they don't offer enough cooling for large photo batches. Does the P5Q Deluxe support automatic control of fan speed? If so, can anyone recommend a variable-speed fan to use for this?

(2) The CPU, which just has the standard Intel fan, seems to me to run a bit hot, and also unevenly: at boot, cores #0-1 run at 34 C, and #2-3 at 38-40 C. (I haven't yet determined whether the "sidedness" of the temperatures is due to my installation of the fan.) Can anyone suggest a better cooling solution for the CPU, without going to a fluid system?

(3) I'm in a dusty environment. Can anyone suggest a good material for filtering the intake air, something that will get the dust out without obstructing the air flow too much?

Many thanks,
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Thanks for the recommendations, Niklas.

The PC is not locking up. CPU temperature exceeds 50 C under load, though; maybe that's okay (I don't know), but it does make me a bit nervous. Probably I will put in an aftermarket CPU cooler.

Fan controller is an interesting idea, but I'd rather do it through the motherboard if I can. How can I tell whether my motherboard supports fan speed control? Asus's documentation seems to suggest it does, but it's not 100% clear.

The CPU fan connector has four sockets (ground, power, "in," and PWM), so that I think does support it. The three case fan connectors have three sockets each (ground, 12V, and rotation).

Thanks again.
 

tkgclimb

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