PCI Fan or upgrade case fans in order to cool PCI card?

[dougw03]

Hello,

My Ceton cablecard tuner is getting way too hot and I have one of two options, upgrade two case fans in my Antec Fusion (tricool fans) or add a PCI fan cooler. My main problem is my HTPC sits in a TV stand with only one hole in the back and open in the front. Combined with a fanless ATI 5450, things get really hot. Do you suggest getting some fans with higher CFA ratings or adding a PCI fan above the ceton? The pci/pciE slot configuration is Ceton | Empty | Empty | ATI 5450. If I get a pci fan, should I get intake or exhaust? I'd like to minimize noise in the process. Thanks

[Just an ordinary rabbit]

Can you move the Ceton card into a different slot? If so, maybe try experimenting to see if it runs cooler in different positions.
Adding a blower-type fan (or 2?) exhausting air in between the cards would probably help a good deal, although I don't know how you would find a quiet one, there aren't many SPCR folks using them.
Have you tried reversing the side exhaust fans to intake air? It might help to force air past the PCI cards.

[dougw03]

Can't move the ceton. Can I voltage mod a PCI exhaust fan? I haven't tried reversing the directions, I figured the case was designed for that airflow direction and not mess with it. Furthermore it's in a stand so I'm not really sure what kind of air it'll be able to pull in

[Just an ordinary rabbit]

I would expect that you should be able to undervolt most PCI blower type fans, although I have no idea what they will sound like, especially the really cheap ones which will probably have noisy bearings.

[cordis]

I think Scythe makes just what you're looking for:

slotrafter http://www.scythe-usa.com/product/acc/0 ... etail.html
kama stay http://www.scythe-usa.com/product/acc/0 ... etail.html

Since both of these are brackets to hold fans, you can use the quietest fan you can find. You may want to open up some of the empty slot covers to allow air to flow out, or get some grilled slot covers. BTW, which ceton tuner are you using? I have the quad tuner, but I've never noticed it getting hot. How can you tell if it gets too hot?

[dougw03]

Wow thanks! That scythe 80mm bracket would be perfect if I could power the fan off the PCI slot, but I can deal with running the wires. I bought two panaflo fans. Do you think one would be sufficient? Can I have one fan blowing on my video card and one blowing on my ceton or will that screw up the airflows? My ceton was hovering around 80 C when I was recording multiple streams. Idle was high 60's. I cranked my tricool fans to medium and that brought them down to 55C at idle, but its way too loud.

BTW I'm using the quad tuner, if you go in the network config page and click one of the tuners, then click the second tab "tuner" and you'll see a temp for each tuner. Ceton says they should be less than 60C.

[cordis]

Yeah, the tricool fans are probably worth replacing. Wherever you get the bracket from should also have some scythe fans, pick up a couple of those, swap those out. In terms of the fan directions, I'd probably try one facing each first, just to see what would happen. It could be noisier, you might create some kind of vortex and the increased turbulence could get noisy. If one facing each way doesn't work, then I'd point them in the same direction as the fans on the side. If you can focus some air flow toward the tuner, that will probably pull some air over the video card, and reinforce the flow out of the side. I'm not that familiar with the antec fusion, but it looks like it has a bunch of scattered air inlets, and those big exhaust fans on the side. It might work with the fans pointed in, could be worth an experiment, but I'd try with the original orientation first.

[Fire-Flare]

Another thing you can do to lower temperatures is to install an exhaust fan in the TV stand. Prevent hot air from building up.