Help needed modifying the Silverstone TJ06 to fit DFI mobo

Enclosures and acoustic damping to help quiet them.

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velvet45
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Help needed modifying the Silverstone TJ06 to fit DFI mobo

Post by velvet45 » Wed Mar 16, 2005 7:27 am

I am in a bit of a dilemma here. I have this case to build my new nf4 system but I bought it before I realized I would have a problem fitting a heatsink inside the cooling tunnel. This case uses an upside down mobo mounting BTX style with a long cooling tunnel at the bottom running from the front to back and out of the case. The problem is the CPU socket is too high on the Ultra D to fit a HSF inside the lower cooling tunnel.

There is no clearance using the cooling tunnel with any HSF combination. The upper edge of the tunnel stops right in the middle of the CPU socket on the PCB. This tunnel was designed for a board with CPU near the edge of the board not the middle of the board like on the Ultra D. Ok, no problem just dispense with the tunnel. But, now I have a strange airflow situation in that I can still use the front intake fans (there is both a 120mm and 80mm on front), but what to do about the rear exhaust 120mm fan? The exhaust fan is too low to provide an exhaust for the CPU HSF as it is designed only to provide an exit for the airflow inside the tunnel. Hmmm........what now?

I guess I could just remove the rear fan as it will provide little if any benefit other than possibly sucking cool air right out the back of the case without allowing it to circulate up to the hotter components.

Another option would be to turn the lower rear exhaust fan into a second intake but now you have airflow coming in the case from the bottom front and back with possible air turbulance where the two currents meet. This would also mean I have far more intake flow than exhaust as the case has only the upper PSU area for exhaust.

If not using the tunnel, I will definately have to punch another exhaust on the upper back of the case as there will not be enough exhaust for all the heat rising off of the CPU and other hot components (there is room for a 92mm hole behind the HDD cage just below the PSU).

My own thoughts here are to use an XP-120 and not worry about the airflow through the bottom of the case other than to just run the bottom front 120mm for intake -dispensing with the other fans. It would sure be great though to be able to use the tunnel and a tower type HSF to be able to leverage that extra cooling power- darn! what to do? I am open to modifying the tunnel and notching it out, but at best the upper half of the heatsink will still be outside the tunnel allowing most of the heat to escape and much of the cool air flow to bypass the sink.

Please give me your thoughts if you have any good ideas. I am counting on you guys to come up with a real hot (I mean cool!) solution...lol

Thanks!

frankgehry
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post picture

Post by frankgehry » Wed Mar 16, 2005 8:36 am

V,

Can you post a picture of the problem. Its kind of hard for me to visualize what's going on.

Anyway, can you modify the tunnel by adding a larger section or using a flexible piece of duct to connect to ends of the tunnel that would allow you to relocate the tunnel over the heatsink. I could host the picture if you can take one. Send me a PM and I will send you my email message. I will just look at the review for now. - FG

velvet45
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Post by velvet45 » Wed Mar 16, 2005 10:08 am

F,
here is a couple pics of a similar system with same mobo in this case- of course this person got around this problem by watercooling so they were able to leave the tunnel in.

http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/attachm ... =438&stc=1

http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/attachm ... =437&stc=1

http://www.dfi-street.com/forum/attachm ... =436&stc=1

Also, note the fact that the exhaust fan had to be mounted outside the case to accomodate the Karajan audio card riser!

Tibors
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Post by Tibors » Wed Mar 16, 2005 10:27 am

The CPU is only a few cm to high for using the original tunnel. So I'd construct my own tunnel. To give the roof of your DIY tunnel some more space to decline, you could mount the rear fan outside the case.

This won't work with an XP-120, as that cooler is too wide. But with most tower type coolers it will work.

ShockWave
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Post by ShockWave » Wed Mar 16, 2005 1:22 pm

velvet45 > I just wanted to thank you for your informative post. Since I'm buying the exact same motherboard as you have, I'd quickly encounter the same issues with the cooling tunnel (which I'm already not fond of due to the ugly appearance of it) and the audio riser fit. These problems aren't found on the other choices I'm considering, which completely disqualifies this case from consideration.

As for what to do about your cooling duct problem, I'd recommend you pick up some light gauge galvanized or aluminum sheetmetal from a hardware store (in the plumbing department) and form your own (the same metal found in ducting in homes will work just as well in your case). You'll need some tools to cut and bend it, but the design can be kept very plain and functional (and thus easier to manage).


- ShockWave
Last edited by ShockWave on Wed Mar 16, 2005 6:04 pm, edited 2 times in total.

frankgehry
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tunnel mod

Post by frankgehry » Wed Mar 16, 2005 1:28 pm

V,

I was thinking of cutting the channel and using some of the same material - it looks like clear acrylic - to build a piece that fits over the heatsink. Acrylic is pretty easy to work with. - FG

velvet45
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Post by velvet45 » Thu Mar 17, 2005 8:20 am

Tibors, Frankenghery, and Shockwave: you guys are great and I really appreciated each of your comments and ideas.
I realize this case is not ideal for this motherboard and I am trying to salvage this build without selling off the case and starting with something else. I am really starting to doubt the need for the tunnel at all as long as I can maintain a good airflow through the case. However, some tests have shown up to a 6C greater CPU temp without the tunnel so it may be worth the extra effort to figure out a way to use it.

I am looking at what might be the best tower type sink with the horizontal fins to maximize cooling. The Hyper 6 is probably the best tower cooler out there so it might be worth looking into. I have read the reviews and am afraid of the weight and there is also some complaints in the difficulty getting it mounted -supposed to be very stiff and hard to push into position. The AC 64 is another possibility but is a rather low quality cooler in comparison to the others in this class.

I may look at modding the tunnel and adding some plexiglass to try and incorporate the cooler into the tunnel. Maybe I can somehow just raise the tunnel off the bottom of the case a few centimeters and buy the necessary clearance. In this case I would need a cooler that is narrow rather than wide in diameter.

Thanks again for all the great ideas and comments!

Lwood
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Post by Lwood » Thu Mar 17, 2005 8:35 am

This thread has excellent information on making a duct in a HTPC using styrene. You might find it helpful

wooglin
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Post by wooglin » Thu Mar 17, 2005 8:36 am

Hit the acrylic with a heat gun? Could you hand-form it after heating it up a wee bit?

Tibors
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Post by Tibors » Thu Mar 17, 2005 8:56 am

velvet45 wrote:The AC 64 is another possibility but is a rather low quality cooler in comparison to the others in this class.
I beg to differ. It might be low price, but it certainly is not low quality. The mounting method is sturdy and easy to use. It even includes a fan quiet enough so you can actually use it. And just look at how they sleeved the fan wire. They were able to get to that low price because: the heatpipes and fins are not polished till they shine; it doesn't include mounting stuff for five different sockets; the design is simple but effective; it doesn't come with a shroud you have to ditch anyway in the tunnel of the TJ-06.

velvet45
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Post by velvet45 » Thu Mar 17, 2005 9:13 am

Tibors, I stand corrected sir!
You make an excellent case for the AC 64. Perhaps I dismissed it too quickly. I am going to look into it. I must say the only disappointing thing about using this or another tower sink is that I will not have the flexibility of using a 120mm fan or my own choice of fan- at least not without some modding or jerry-rigging.

I need to look again at the maximum cooling capacity for the AC 64- I understand it cannot compete with the XP-120 or Hyper 6 but it may be enough to push the system. I am going to be running an A64 3000 with Gskilll LE memory so will be hoping to keep it cool while running at maximum performance ( I have hand picked the CPU stepping- CBBHD 0443 MPM often hit 2.7Ghz on air at 1.5V or less).

Devonavar
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Post by Devonavar » Thu Mar 17, 2005 12:09 pm

If you haven't already, take a look at our review of the Freezer 4. This is IDENTICAL to the Freezer 64 in all respects except the mounting system.

One point that isn't mentioned in the article that came up in the forums is that it's unclear exactly what kind of heatpipes are used in the Freezer series. If they don't have wicks, it's possible that our review was more positive than it should have been because we tested it in the most advantageous setup for that heatsink.

Personally, I'm inclined to think that the orientation of the Freezer is not likely to make a big difference (I have faith in Arctic Cooling's engineering ability), but we won't know for sure until somebody actually tests this and posts the results.

Also, you're running a relatively cool chip, so as long as you're not planning to overclock too much I think you should choose your heatsink by fit rather than performance. Price could be an issue too.

Best of luck!
Devonavar

joshd2012
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Post by joshd2012 » Sat Mar 19, 2005 7:33 am

I'm using a TJ-06 and I am buidling a custom wind tunnel out of aluminum sheetmetal. It is less of a tunnel, and more of a squared off divider, but it serves the same purpose - isolate the CPU heat from the rest of the case. I'll post pics when when I get my last cable and I can start my cable management (damn square 4pin 12v cable won't reach the mobo). Look for something Monday or Tuesday.

velvet45
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Post by velvet45 » Sat Mar 19, 2005 1:29 pm

Joshd: sounds interesting, please post some pics so I can get an idea of your design. Which cooler are you going to use?

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