Help me cool a video card from the rear

hardware_failure

hardware_failure

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Mar 21, 2008
Messages
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So I have a Dell optiplex 3060 SFF. I managed to get a GTX 750ti low profile in it but I had to rip the fans off to get it to fit - and it just barely does!

Anyway as one can imagine it gets really hot. I was thinking I could cool it from the rear blowing thu the heatsink. There are a few challenges tho. 1) The space is cramped and awkward. 2) as far as I can see on the MB there are no fan headers. I have 3" in height to work with. I do have sata power to a SSD and a y splitter handy, so I do have sata power I can use. See pics below:
s-l1600.jpg

750ti_3in.png


Anyone have any ideas of what model of fan I can use for this (and how to power it with sata?)

Thanks so much for any ideas/feedback.
 
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Okay thanks those are some great ideas - tho Im not sure I follow 100%. Not sure why I would need the fan controller or the 4pin fan hub. However I actually happen to have spare 4pin fan hubs on hand.
I REALLY like that fan (NF-A4x20) and its only 15$ on Amazon, that fan looks perfect. Also I really like the idea of this cable with the controller:
sata_fan.png


Im wondering if there is a way to get just a cable like this and the fan and would that work?

Thanks for the reply...
 
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Can you mount a fan to the exterior of the case and put a fan guard over the opening?
 
You could turn it into a "blower" style card. Mount a radial fan in front of the card and cover the top of the finstack so the air gets pushed all the way through and out the vents in the I/O bracket.
 
hardware_failure said:
Okay thanks those are some great ideas - tho Im not sure I follow 100%. Not sure why I would need the fan controller or the 4pin fan hub. However I actually happen to have spare 4pin fan hubs on hand.
I REALLY like that fan (NF-A4x20) and its only 15$ on Amazon, that fan looks perfect. Also I really like the idea of this cable with the controller:
View attachment 564065

Im wondering if there is a way to get just a cable like this and the fan and would that work?

Thanks for the reply...
Click to expand...
That was a worst case scenario suggestion that covers most bases (neither mobo fanheader nor software/bios tweaks needed) but isn´t great in anything in particular (hello jack).

Wanting to use that cable lets me believe you don´t have a spare fan header. You can sata power it and daisy chain with the included doubler or yellow crimps if you want it neat. That´s 100% fan speed all the time which does not sound great. They are inaudible up to 600-800 rpm.
Tunable (one setting) with the included low noise adapter .. to a point. That impedance adapter does not play well with many daisy chained fans. That´s a 4x 120mm P12 observation.
I don´t know how the little ones will fare.
 
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Thank you all for the great ideas!

I just ordered these, will be here tomorrow:
stuff.png


So I guess I will see how quiet/loud it is at stock. I am a bit of a quiet computer snob.
The NA-FC1 looks really nice but its like $25 and thats adding up to this cooling solution costing more than the card it self (its not like this is a gaming computer or a prime rig for me, just a side project)
If needed maybe I can find more of a poor mans way to slow the fan, even if its not adjustable.

I like the cardboard duct idea, thats great!

Thanks again everyone, looking forward to see how this works out.
 
Okay I got the NF-A4x20, its adorable!

Question: should I mount it flush like this:
flush.png


Or leave a gap and shroud it like motqalden suggested?
gap.png


Thanks!
 
So the sata to 4 pin adapter came in and I hooked up the fan. GINORMOUS difference idle, from 55o ish to like 25o ish. Full load went from 90o ish to 70o ish.

I really like how this nautica fan came with not just 1 but two levels of rpm lowering (silenting) adapters. Very cool. (pun intended?)

Thanks everyone... still working on best way to mount it, shroud it etc, then I have alot of cables hide out of the way heh.

Fun project so far!
 
Well, its done!:

Used the following stuff: Thanks Pikachu! (I dont play pokemon, but the kids have buckets of cards)
stuff.png


First step:
start.png


After trimming card fit perfectly between pcb and heatsink:
onst.png


And then a crease for another card part to also slip in between and finish the shroud:
crease.png


Finished!
final1.png


Temps arent really much better than when first adding the fan (adding the fan made the huge difference) but it looks cool and was fun 😎
 
Pokemon cards is a nice material choice. Not sure when I'll need it, but thanks in advance. I've got a shit ton of Magic cards (got them for free, nearly all commons and ultra commons, had fun sorting and cataloging, don't care to actually play).
 
hardware_failure said:
So I have a Dell optiplex 3060 SFF. I managed to get a GTX 750ti low profile in it but I had to rip the fans off to get it to fit - and it just barely does!

Anyway as one can imagine it gets really hot. I was thinking I could cool it from the rear blowing thu the heatsink. There are a few challenges tho. 1) The space is cramped and awkward. 2) as far as I can see on the MB there are no fan headers. I have 3" in height to work with. I do have sata power to a SSD and a y splitter handy, so I do have sata power I can use. See pics below:
View attachment 564058
View attachment 564059

Anyone have any ideas of what model of fan I can use for this (and how to power it with sata?)

Thanks so much for any ideas/feedback.
Click to expand...
Replace the front fan to something that's high static pressue. The front fans on those SFF are pretty weak, quiet, but weak.
 
NattyKathy said:
You could turn it into a "blower" style card. Mount a radial fan in front of the card and cover the top of the finstack so the air gets pushed all the way through and out the vents in the I/O bracket.
Click to expand...

Blower from the rear, brilliant.
 
Carlyle2020 said:

3 to 5 NF-A4x20​

1x na-fc1
https://noctua.at/en/na-fc1
2-4 of those extension cables they pack with every fan, if you want the controller installed outside

1x "4 pin fan hub" of your choice
https://www.amazon.com/Motherboard-Splitter-Internal-Extension-Computer/dp/B08VH9TSS7/ref=sr_1_9?crid=2WTCZBEVFU24Z&keywords=4pin+fan+hub&qid=1681423256&sprefix=4pin+fan+hu,aps,164&sr=8-9


Thick vhb tape for anti vibration (lots of fake m3 vhb tapes out there so no link)
View attachment 564060

! For you i suggest almost no gap
Click to expand...
You going to recommend fans that are worth way more then the card itself lol?
 
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hardware_failure said:
Temps arent really much better than when first adding the fan (adding the fan made the huge difference) but it looks cool and was fun 😎
Click to expand...

The reason the temps aren't much better is likely because the exhaust area is so restricted. Once the air goes through the fins, it hits a solid wall and has to turn 90 degrees. With the door installed, it'll have to do additional turns to get out of that tight corner.

If you cut a slot out of the back of the case for more air to escape, you'd probably get better temperatures. You could probably just cut the sides of the slot the card is in to make a box opening. I wouldn't go all the way to the PSU opening to retain at least some structure there to keep the case rigid.
 
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