To fan grill or not to fan grill...that is the question

[Setix]

Ok so heres the question:

I'm finally down to assembling my rig and have dual loops. The case is a cosmos s so i know i can mount 1 rad on the underside of the top and I'm also mounting one off the rear.

On each rad I have 6 fans in push/pull.

Should I use fan/rad grill covers, and if so how much does the pattern of the grill play in restricting airflow?

[seeka12]

Before answering the question we need to know what are the fans used ?

[SoulsCollective]

I always use grills, primarily because if you don't some idiot will stick their finger in there. As to what type, the cheapest simple wire grills are also, paradoxically, the least restrictive of airflow and the quietest (as the circular pattern of the grill follows the natural air patterns produced by the fan, minimising turbulence).

[Setix]

Ah right sorry...

The fans in push are Scythe Gentle Typhoon AP-15s

The pull fans are Cooler Master 120mm Red LED Case Fan - (R4-L2R-20CR-GP)

[Conumdrum]

The grills can reduce airflow, the more open the holes the better the airflow. The standard top mesh is pretty free flowing.

On the back, go with the 120mm filters like this on the pull side if you have a dust problem. Snap off, rinse the filter material, snap back on.
http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/12filfanguar.html

And this on the other side,
http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/fanguards.html

Dunno what your plan is for the top rad, but since it's all covered and we don't stick out fingers in the case much when running, just go nekkid fans or some black wire grills.

[Setix]

The fan filters seem like a good idea in theory.

I would think that the reduction in airflow would be around 50% with those. does anyone have any solid numbers?

Also the XSPC 360 rad I have for the rear is mounted with the koolance mounting bracket

I would have to drill out holes in the filter guard to mount it to the bracket..

...I wonder how much trouble that would cause...I would need extra long screws to get the fit right

[shazza]

Here (http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=209801) is some data on airflow restriction for fan filters and grills - may give you some ideas.

[kinghong1970]

got kids? if so, use grill...

[Alexandr0s]

got kids? if so, use grill...

dito for drunk friends :rofl:.

[Aphellyon]

And cats... ;)

[Setix]

yeah i have cats....and they get into everything...

[shazza]

yeah i have cats....and they get into everything...

Then at the very least you'll want grills on the outside fans. I had a bird (a large quail) fly onto the top of my Mountain Mods cube - no grills on fans. Fortunately, it was okay, after being a bit stunned.

[ballzD33P]

Then at the very least you'll want grills on the outside fans. I had a bird (a large quail) fly onto the top of my Mountain Mods cube - no grills on fans. Fortunately, it was okay, after being a bit stunned.

lololz, thats f'in crazy. tell me you took a few pics...

[Waterlogged]

lololz, thats f'in crazy. tell me you took a few pics...

:yepp:

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showpost.php?p=3764455&postcount=575

[shazza]

Leave it to Waterlogged to find the pics - and in that post, I mistakenly said it was a dove (in my excitement) - when it is obviously a quail. And, for the record, there was a second one that unfortunately flew straight into a plate glass window, and didn't make it. Wild birds in house = bad news, grills or no grills.

[iandh]

Leave it to Waterlogged to find the pics - and in that post, I mistakenly said it was a dove (in my excitement) - when it is obviously a quail. And, for the record, there was a second one that unfortunately flew straight into a plate glass window, and didn't make it. Wild birds in house = bad news, grills or no grills.

Oh, man, that just reminded me of a story from my drafting class in high school.

My drafting teacher kept a .22 rifle hidden in the stock room (YES, in a SCHOOL, in CALIFORNIA), and when school was out he would poke the rifle out of the cracked door and pick pigeons off the top of the gymnasium.

One day we were in class and we heard "whump! WHUMP WHUMP!", and turn around, and there's two prints of spread eagled (in the most literal sense) pigeons plastered across the window... you could see the whole damn outline of them, feathers, wings, legs and all. They hit so hard it almost shook the classroom.

We found both of them dead on the ground at the base of the window.

We thought it was like the birds were trying to get revenge for the death of all of their buddies, and my drafting teacher left the bird prints on the windows until the end of the school year (they were skylight windows and too hard to clean, and were sheltered under the eave of the roof), he said, "as a warning to all the other birds".

Sad but funny as hell.

[Setix]

Wow...Quail...um...

So yeah I'm definitely going to filter the pull and do a grill to prevent my cats tail from becoming a nub.

I have been looking at performance pcs and holy crap they have some expensive fan grills...

..I know this is xtremesystems, but $60 for a fan grill.....yeesh

[Alexandr0s]

Wow...Quail...um...

So yeah I'm definitely going to filter the pull and do a grill to prevent my cats tail from becoming a nub.

I have been looking at performance pcs and holy crap they have some expensive fan grills...

..I know this is xtremesystems, but $60 for a fan grill.....yeesh
Yup, MNPCTech grills are quite expensive ;).

Just get the el cheapo $3.50 AC Ryan fan filters. As you can see in Shazza's link they actually perform very good compared to other more expensive grills/filters.

[Setix]

I went ahead with the A.C Ryan MeshX filters for all the push fans.

For the rear rad, I added the MNPCTech honeycomb plate to present a nice finish. 3 black wire grills for the pull fans.

On the interior push fans I opted for the mesh filter and the wire grill...we will have to see how that looks...

I was so close to ordering the 3d Nautilus plate from MNPCTech for the rear rad, since it reminded me of the window behind emperor Palpatine, but I just couldn't do $180 bucks for fan grills.

Should have my work log up soon, since Nils just sent my rivets so I can start reassembling...cheers

[overclocking101]

I use an AC RYAN 3X120 rad grill with the bar like pattern and it makes the fans whistle so to speak. quite annoying but now I have the cutout on the top of my case and HAVE to use it. I reccomend trying something else before an AC RYAN rad grill

[Waterlogged]

Leave it to Waterlogged to find the pics - and in that post, I mistakenly said it was a dove (in my excitement) - when it is obviously a quail. And, for the record, there was a second one that unfortunately flew straight into a plate glass window, and didn't make it. Wild birds in house = bad news, grills or no grills.

Well, you know me shazza, I'm like a garbage can of info that doesn't seem to get emptied. :rofl:

[Captain_Harlock]

Oh, man, that just reminded me of a story from my drafting class in high school.

My drafting teacher kept a .22 rifle hidden in the stock room (YES, in a SCHOOL, in CALIFORNIA), and when school was out he would poke the rifle out of the cracked door and pick pigeons off the top of the gymnasium.





Are you kidding. Back when I was a kid in my high school, we had an indoor rifle range. Right under the cafeteria. We also had a fully stocked armory. Of course it was for ROTC, but it got me to join up. I mean lets be honest here. How often does one get to go and shoot .30-06 during school on a regular basis. Really was my favorite class, lol. Of course this was almost 25 years ago.

[Alexandr0s]

I use an AC RYAN 3X120 rad grill with the bar like pattern and it makes the fans whistle so to speak. quite annoying but now I have the cutout on the top of my case and HAVE to use it. I reccomend trying something else before an AC RYAN rad grill

AC Ryan produces several rad and fan grills/filters.

Their meshx filters proved to be quite efficient and still allowed air to flow through it. I know the rad grill you're speaking of, and it's of a totally different design than the meshx filters.

[Serpentarius]

well actually, a grill-less fan is very enticing (maybe it's just me) to finger prod it

maybe it's the spinning rotor .... but i admit i cant resist to touch it ...

and so, fan grill is a MUST! ... to protect (self) itchy fingers (must touch it)

[Levish]

#11,14 or 17 is what I would use in my house. Cat hair, Bird feathers and general NYC dusty air = clogged fans/rads in no time otherwise