HTPC Cooling Part III.

About a year ago I wrote about how I solved the problem of my HTPC overheating. Well, after recently upgrading RAM to 4GB it seemed like a good idea to come up with a better solution. So I did.

Mod #1: Cable ties! The existing fan was perfect so I used cable ties to attach it to the heat pipes.

Fast, easy, neat and works like a charm!

Mod #2: Case fan also needed silencing. On the first try I used a thermistor. Have yet to see, if this is a satisfying solution.

HTPC Cooling

I finally got my hands on one Scythe 100x100x12mm slim fan. It turns at roughly 1000rpm and practically cannot be heard. It only moves 15 CFM which means that the PC now gets hotter than before - approximately 60C . This is quite alright as far as I'm concerned so I'll leave it as is (for now).

AT5IONT-I fanless? Forget it!

Last night we watched a full HD movie and were in for an unpleasant surprise. Just when the movie was about to end, the computer turned itself right off. I suspected overheating so I checked the temperature readings in BIOS and they were extremely high (79C)! To solve the problem I temporarily mounted a slim 60mm AMD stock fan above the heatsink. Since it doesn't cover the whole heatsink, a real solution would be getting a slim 100mm fan which I'm going to have to order from the UK.



Conclusion: The board obviously cannot rely solely on passive cooling, at least not in a slim desktop case. You will have to provide for adequate ventilation or face potential problems with overheating.