Advice Fan configuration

[wolfeeh]

In the next couple of days the bits for two new pc's arrive and i'm curious, has anyone built a gaming pc with an exhaust-only fan configuration?

The Mrs & I both smoke so i'm wondering if the exhaust only config would prolong the lives of the pc's

 

[Aada]

You will want at least 1 in take fan, especially if you are using one of the newer graphics cards.

 

[Kryten]

You'll still be drawing fag-shit in so it won't make much of a difference. Just make sure you have/fit filters too and invest in a can of compressed air to blow it all out with once every few months. Keep airflow up, prolong the life of everything.

 

[wolfeeh]

Looking at reviews of the NZXT phantom, by default the side fans are configured as intakes so i'm contemplating leaving them like that and having the cases side-ways on the desk (it's a deep desk) with that side pointed towards the wall (8-12 inches of clearance). Graphics card is an asus GTX 560 Direct CU II, its cooling is pretty good anyway from what i've seen of the kid's (there's some temp-logging program on his computer). i was already planning on giving them an air-dusting at least once a fortnight.

 

[Raven]

An exhaust only system would not be any good, you need an intake to bring cool air in. In saying that the case will still draw air in anyway, though not enough imo. It will draw air in through the disk bays, gaps in the case etc, not something you can use a filter on.

 

[wolfeeh]

Meh. i'm hoping the easy tear-down-ness of a desktop tower + liberal use of an air duster will keep them going a long while then... tbh I think my laptops have died because of the sheer impossibility of dusting them through.

 

[Zenith.UK]

They're not impossible, just a little more effort than desktops.
I can undo 6 screws and get access to the mainboard, gfx card and heatsink/fan assembly of my laptop. I've burnt out one gfx card in the past and I'm thankful I made a point of getting a laptop with a discrete gfx card. A can of compressed air and maybe even cleaning and changing the CPU thermal paste can help extend the life of a laptop very well.

For your desktop, others have already stated the obvious that exhaust only fans have to suck their air from somewhere. If you can get filters for your air intakes then you should be able to slow down the gunking up that smoker's PCs tend to get. You'll still need to give it a bit of love once in a while and clean out the fans and filters, but filters should make it easier to maintain.

 

[Yaka]

my linux box is exhaust only, but then again its very well ventilated (my drill came in handy), one 200mm pwm fan in the roof the air comes in from the vents near the cpu/ram area and the hdd cages.

and laptops arnt impossible to dust. i had to clean 2 very extremely dusty lappys which i had to open to clean out but was very rare

 

[wolfeeh]

for laptops read macbook & macbook pro. i know for a fact it takes a genius bar tech over an hour to pull the pro apart and about 90 mins to put it back together again.... i'm not a genius bar tech, nor do i have the relevant tools....nuff said.

turns out that the 2 x 120 mm side air intakes are filtered.