Solo ducting solution - replacement grill required?

adventurer · Post by **adventurer** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 7:27 am

hi all,

building a system for myself and based in Bangkok, Thailand. Have managed to procure most of what I want with some difficulty, and have been following the Thailand build article on the site fairly closely.

I have a solo case with a neopower430. I was planning to do the dcuted mod to the front of the case. The problem is its almost impossible to get the grill type of material to the top 2 face plate replacement.

My question is if I duct to the front of the case, is there enough air supply from the side ducts? If not, can anyone think of some alternative ways of handling the front that would look good but be easy to procure/build.

thanks

theyangster · Post by **theyangster** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 3:55 pm

there was someone who did that too, I almost like that look better

the air restriction should not cause much of an effect, after all, your main components rely on the same side ducts.

Anodyne · Post by **Anodyne** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 2:16 pm

I found that CoolerMaster now has a web store where you can purchase replacement parts for their cases. Their 'Stacker' series of cases have mesh drive bay covers - A person could probably easily mod one of these to fit nicely in a Solo drive bay.

http://www.coolermaster-usa.com/PartsSh ... ront+Panel

I haven't tried this myself, but I just got a Solo myself so I may be looking into it. I'll probably try it without the mesh first, to see if the side vents breathe well enough.

RAFH · Post by **RAFH** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 2:32 pm

The SOLO doesn't rely on the 5.25 bay openings for supply air. It gets all the air it needs from the slot around the bezel.

I installed a baffle between the upper area and the lower area, right where the crossbrace is. It effectively isolates the 5.25 bays and the PSU from the 3.5 bays and the main motherboard area. I do have one of the bays open and it draws air, but if I block it, the temp of the PSU doesn't change any. I assume it just pulls more air through the bezel slot and whatever leaks there are. To date my PSU temp has never deviated and the whole system is very quiet.

I did install 2 - 92mm Nexus fans at the intake. I replaced the TriCool that comes with the case with a Nexus as well. The Nexus was noticeably quieter than the TriCool but the TriCool could pull a bit more air. I preferred the quiet as it was cool enough. I do have SpeedFan monitoring my temps and controlling my fans, it works very well. The noisiest item in my rig is the Zalman, I can hear when it revs up as the CPU heats up. Its not very loud, someone talking normally in the room is more than enough to drown it out and if there were normal fans in the rig, I doubt I would hear the Zalman. I do hear the two Raptors seeking now and then as well, but again, its not bothersome and I am easily bothered.

Anodyne · Post by **Anodyne** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 7:58 am

Thanks for the input, RAFH. One question: Have you bothered to remove the rear grille from the 120mm fan mount? I have read a few posts where folks have done that to reduce turbulence, and I did that with my current Antec SX630 because the 80mm grille was really restrictive, but I'm not sure it would be that benficial to the Solo. The Solo's rear grille looks to be much less restrictive than my SX630's was. Also, I would need to go out and buy a Dremel - but I'm ready to do that if it would noticeably help.

nightmorph · Post by **nightmorph** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 10:54 am

Anodyne wrote:Thanks for the input, RAFH. One question: Have you bothered to remove the rear grille from the 120mm fan mount? I have read a few posts where folks have done that to reduce turbulence, and I did that with my current Antec SX630 because the 80mm grille was really restrictive, but I'm not sure it would be that benficial to the Solo. The Solo's rear grille looks to be much less restrictive than my SX630's was. Also, I would need to go out and buy a Dremel - but I'm ready to do that if it would noticeably help.

You don't have to buy a dremel if you don't want to. It can be done just with tin snips; check out some results in this thread.

RAFH · Post by **RAFH** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 12:02 pm

Anodyne - yes, I did snip it out. I didn't go the deluxe route and grind it out, I just used a pair of moderately heavy wire snips. The metal is actually pretty soft and the 'struts' involved are small in cross-section. Took me maybe 5 minutes. With a little care, you can reduce the sharp points to a minimum. There is rubber edging you can buy but I don't have any kids or animals about so it would only be my parts getting slashed. I haven't replaced it with anything yet, might not ever.

Also reason for using the snips instead of grinding is I didn't have to remove the rig to avoid shorts. I would still be very careful doing it. I set the case on a counter with the side the grille was on down so any slivers that might happen would fall out vs in.

I also cut out the grilles for the front intakes as well. Those of course do not any additional protection.

As for how effective it was to remove the grills, hard to say. It does look like I got a minimal temperature drop, maybe 1C, but that's within the normal variation of the temps anyway so ... ...? Noise-wise, again, its a toss up. All I have to go on are my ears and they have been through too many rock concerts. However, that said, yeah, I think it made a difference. What I am saying is I wouldn't expect a lot but it will help and given how easy it was, why not? I dislike the look of that hex grilling. anyway.

Here's a picture of the grill cut away:

Anodyne · Post by **Anodyne** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 12:31 pm

Yeah, I used tin snips to remove the grille on my SX630, but I didn't like how raggedy it looked...maybe I should have taken a little more time and been more careful! If I remove the Solo's grille, I was going to go the Dremel route and get the rubber edging just to make it look neater...but then again, my computer sits under my desk in a corner, so I never see the back anyway!

Anyway, thanks for the feedback. I might as well go ahead and remove the grille; It can't hurt and this would be the time to do it anyway (before I move my system into the new case).

Post by **Ralf Hutter** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 7:46 am

RAFH wrote:There is rubber edging you can buy but I don't have any kids or animals about so it would only be my parts getting slashed. I haven't replaced it with anything yet, might not ever.

Here's a picture of the grill cut away:

and:

Anodyne wrote:maybe I should have taken a little more time and been more careful! If I remove the Solo's grille, I was going to go the Dremel route and get the rubber edging just to make it look neater...but then again, my computer sits under my desk in a corner, so I never see the back anyway!

Jeez! Come on you guys, you know you want to make it look nice! 50Â¢ worth of rubber C-channel and it'll look spiffy, and be safer.

Here's something to think about:

Go for it, you know you want to!

L3thal · Post by **L3thal** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 8:31 am

Kinda reminds me of mine Ralf.

The P-150's/Solo's are classy cases...the back fan holes look so much better without jaggy edges. I tried the Red Wiss M1R's, and they are too big...the Dremel is the only tool I've found that will get into the tight corners of the fan holes in these cases.

[img=http://img355.imageshack.us/img355/1308/picture001largesc0.th.jpg]

Anodyne · Post by **Anodyne** » Sun Nov 12, 2006 12:30 pm

Jeez! Come on you guys, you know you want to make it look nice!

Ha! You're too right; I had already gone out to my local Advance Auto to buy some C-channel before I even read your post...

50Â¢ worth of rubber C-channel and it'll look spiffy, and be safer.

...except the only C-channel I could find there was $6 and came in a pack with enough for me to mod a dozen cases!

...bought it anyway

RAFH · Post by **RAFH** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 12:58 pm

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I will probably get around to it one of these days. Just there are several hundred other chores around here with a lot more priority and most of them have Honey marks on them as well. If the lady ain't happy, nobody around here is happy. So, maybe you should take it up with her. Meanwhile, mine is in another room I make a point not to go into. The part that shows looks just fine:

You can see my little BlackBeauty there peeking out from behind the slats. The view the other way is of Kaneohe Bay and the Pacific Ocean. This is where I work and yes, that's my bed in the foreground so I do have a very short commute.

jaganath · Post by **jaganath** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 1:34 pm

The view the other way is of Kaneohe Bay and the Pacific Ocean. This is where I work and yes, that's my bed in the foreground so I do have a very short commute.

Shoot, you've just described my personal version of paradise. Shame I live on the other side of the world....

noneedforaname · Post by **noneedforaname** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 3:25 am

Ralf Hutter wrote:
RAFH wrote:Jeez! Come on you guys, you know you want to make it look nice! 50Â¢ worth of rubber C-channel and it'll look spiffy, and be safer.

Go for it, you know you want to!

Yep, I really do. So here comes a silly question. Where do I buy some rubber C-channel? Maybe I should ask what it's typically used for, so that I know where to look...

Thanks.

Post by **Ralf Hutter** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 7:45 am

noneedforaname wrote:
RAFH wrote:Jeez! Come on you guys, you know you want to make it look nice! 50Â¢ worth of rubber C-channel and it'll look spiffy, and be safer.

Ralf Hutter wrote:Go for it, you know you want to!
Yep, I really do. So here comes a silly question. Where do I buy some rubber C-channel? Maybe I should ask what it's typically used for, so that I know where to look...

Thanks.

Here's one place I've been getting it from. Mcmaster.com also sells it under part number 8510K11.

Anodyne · Post by **Anodyne** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 9:32 am

You can find it at auto parts stores (as I did) but you'll pay through the nose (as I did). I should have had more patience and ordered from the e-tailer Ralf lists above.

Back to the original topic, I'm planning on attempting the duct mod on my new Solo by simply installing a foamcore panel below the PSU. It looks like when I do this, it will separate the 5-1/4" drives - two above (inside the duct) and one below. I have two optical drives, and I'm wondering if it would be better to place both in the upper bays (so that they are both inside the duct path) or split them so that one is in the lower. Does anyone think it will make much difference either way?

It seems intuitive that it would be better to keep the drives out of the duct as much as possible. I don't think they put out much heat, but I'm on the fence as to whether it is better to dump what heat they do create into the PSU area or the CPU area.

RAFH · Post by **RAFH** » Sat Nov 18, 2006 3:25 pm

When I did mine baffle / ducting, I just used some stiff cardboard I had lying about. I have it set up so the entire 5.25 drive bay area is isolated from the motherboard area. I wanted to keep the PSU separate from whatever else. My reasoning was the Opticals don't get used that often and they don't put out that much heat, maybe 15 watts at most. I haven't notice their making any difference to the PSU which sits rock solid at 40C. It has never changed.

Anyway, I was mostly interested in isolating the sound of the CPU HSF and any blow back noise from the exhaust fan. It seems to work, but I believe your solution of using foam might work better. Just a bit harder to do.

I have some photos of mine on one of the threads here. Take a look.
I'd definitely be interested in seeing how yours comes out, I might be tempted to 'upgrade'.

Anodyne · Post by **Anodyne** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 9:29 am

I wanted to keep the PSU separate from whatever else. My reasoning was the Opticals don't get used that often and they don't put out that much heat, maybe 15 watts at most.

That was kind of my thinking, too. The foamcore I plan on using is not for sound absorption, it's a stiff 1/4" craft board with two layers of cardboard and a foam interlayer (apologies if you knew that already; I couldn't tell from your post). I do have some true craft 'foam' that I may try to use first, though: It's about 1/4" thick and not as stiff as foamcore but might work. Basically I'm just trying to use a stiff material that will be easy to work with.

RAFH · Post by **RAFH** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 3:28 pm

Yeah, I am familiar with foamcore, great to make models with as well as backing for presentations. It should work well for what you are doing, only problem I see is making tight corners, usually the best technique is to offset your cut, so you cut the cardboard on one side the thickness of the board different from the other side, it makes like a pocket for it to fit into. We would also cut the cardboard long and then score it and dig out the foam then use the 'tabs' so created to reinforce the corner.

Regular foam is good too, just not as stiff and certainly not as clean. The hard surface of the cardboard makes cleaning it easier, the foam just disintegrates when you rub it.

Love to see the results when you get it done.