TR Forums

So, its been a while. I've kind of been enjoying the new computer. It can run everything I have at 60 fps without trouble (Not that it is great or anything, but I haven't really kept up with the gaming scene, so the games I've been playing are Fallout 3 [with mods], Civilization 4 (I have 5, but am not tired of 4 yet, and I just got all the expansion packs in the Humble sale), and Boarderlands (Ok, bored of that one, though at least it looks prettier now). Oh, and Dust. 2D game, sure, but fun.

ANYWAY. the humming on the two fans I have is pretty annoying, so I'm determined to replace them with the larger one I have, since even if it has a bit less airflow, almost all the time, even when I'm gaming, my power supply fan isn't even coming on, and I can't hear the cooler fan inside the case.

Herein is where I'm an idiot. So, I go to open the case. The only workspace I have is my desk. I don't turn my monitor away. I'm removing the rather stubborn front panel when it comes flying off and dings the face of my brand new monitor, leaving a short (4 mm?) scar. *headdesk* Now, I got lucky, and I can't find it when the monitor is on-- unless I go looking for it, even moreso then the one dead pixel it has. I guess I just nicked the anti-glare coating or something. Anyway, I got damn lucky, and learned a lesson about prepping my workspace.

Anyway, don't want to take my motherboard, et al. out of the case again. So I look and see if the font and back will come off the same way the top came off when I cut a hole for the power supply fan. No dice. So much for my plan to get new holes drilled in it. However, determined that I was going to get SOMETHING out of damaging my monitor (At the time I was pretty sure that section of the monitor was going to glow white forever), I kept poking around, and checking on the front side audio dohicky I was given by the school tech guys (It is really annoying climbing under my desk to plug in my headphones each time; To save money I didn't get a sound card or speakers, and this case doesn't have front side audio.

In case anyone wants to see the dohicky or the useless front side panel I have: http://imgur.com/a/oH5oJ

So I was trying to screw this thing in to fit in the floppy or CD port, though I'm a bit worried about it only being supported on one side, and of course it doesn't work. Then I realize it needs a nut. I don't work with my hands much (At least not in this way; I'm a chemist, so if you want me to mix things, grind things, measure things down to the miligram, perform an air-sensation reaction or work with a vacuum line, I'm great at it. Screws don't come into it much. Anyway, I realized there are lots of holes under where the fans are, I just need to get a nut of the right size and I can mount the fan through the hole and into the nut to hold it in place. Not ideal perhaps, but it should hold it securely.

Sadly mounting the second fan on the back would still require holes drilled in the case, and even I know anything involving metal fillings and a computer are bad news.
Also: I now get the 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' bit. >.>
Once I get these fans in, this thing isn't getting opened again for a good, long time.
Unless I see a really good sale on some speakers, and decide to get a sound card....I'd like some speakers, but they are NOT cheap.

You might want to put rubber washers on all places where the fan screws touch the case to cut down on noise, too, if you haven't already done that.

1) You do realize that you don't need a sound card to use computer speakers?
2) This $1.67 cable is all you need to solve your front panel audio problem. If you get speakers down the road, some models have a 3.5mm jack on the main speaker that you can plug headphones into.
3) I winced when I read about your monitor. Good to hear you didn't wreck anything too badly.

Canageek wrote:

Now to get some holes punched in the case for some less noisy fans that don't freaking glow. Why would you want glowing fans? I turned on the light in my power supply, so I could see when it was spinning but at least I can turn it off if I want to have the computer download a game while I sleep, or somesuch.

I used to have a case that had lights everywhere that most could be turned off.... the only ones that had no switch were the fan lights.
Cool when your younger. Annoying now. I look back at that case and how gaudy it is.

I have a nice sleek Corsair Carbide 400R http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139008
Love the case, just wish it was 1" shorter

FireGryphon wrote:

You might want to put rubber washers on all places where the fan screws touch the case to cut down on noise, too, if you haven't already done that.

Thanks for the advice! I'll see if I can score some from the machine shop guys.

DPete27 wrote:

1) You do realize that you don't need a sound card to use computer speakers?
2) This $1.67 cable is all you need to solve your front panel audio problem. If you get speakers down the road, some models have a 3.5mm jack on the main speaker that you can plug headphones into.
3) I winced when I read about your monitor. Good to hear you didn't wreck anything too badly.

Yes, but I don't have to open the case up to just add speakers. Thus I'd only have to open it up if there is a sale on good speakers, FOLLOWED by a sale on a sound card (Since I'm not going to get one if I don't already have speakers).
Also: .....nope, for some reason I didn't even think of that. I'm going to go order that and feel really dumb. Thanks.

Arvald wrote:

I used to have a case that had lights everywhere that most could be turned off.... the only ones that had no switch were the fan lights.
Cool when your younger. Annoying now. I look back at that case and how gaudy it is.

I have a nice sleek Corsair Carbide 400R http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139008
Love the case, just wish it was 1" shorter

Yeah, I'd love a case like that. I had one, but I got the wrong size of motherboard for it (Both free at the TR dinner), so I'm making due with scavenge.

IT WORKSSSSSSSSS.

I was only able to use 3 of the screws due to the honeycomb pattern in the grill, and I couldn't use the washers, but after a brief bit when booting the new fan isn't even running right now, so the only sound my computer is making is the CPU fan, which sounds annoying, but given that the computer is damn near silent, I can live with that. I don't actually know computers COULD be this quite; I mean, my LAPTOP makes more noise then this. Now, when I game the case fan will turn on, as will the power supply fan, but I'll have my headphones on then, so who cares?