[mythtv-users] OT: cooling M350 case (was: What's the frontend of choice these days?)

[Brent Bolin]

On Mon, May 24, 2010 at 1:35 PM, Richard Morton
<richard.e.morton at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Richard, I would be interested to hear how you plan to modify the M350 case
>> for a larger/slower fan.  I was hoping I could run my single-core Atom
>> passively-cooled, but it stutters with 1080i content after a few minutes and
>> I figured out it was the GPU temperature.  Since placing a supposedly quiet
>> 40mm fan inside, the stutters are gone, but the fan[1] is too noisy.
>>
>> I originally bought this case to mount on the back of my 46" LCD TV, but I'm
>> thinking of storing it in a closet and running an HDMI cable through the
>> attic.  This means I could creatively use a Dremel and cut out a hole to
>> top-mount a 80mm, 92mm or 120mm fan.  I like the idea of a slow-moving
>> Scythe 120mm fan, but it might be too big.
>>
>> What do you think?
>
> Well; I am not too happy with the noise level. It looks like there is
> thickness to add a much larger fan, typically these are much thicker
> than the space available; but I found these:
>
> http://www.quietpc.com/gb-en-gbp/products/92mmfans/kaze-jyu-slim-1000
>
> just 2 mm thicker than the current standard unit.
>
> I have also looked at axial fans (sometimes called centrifugal
> fans)... but generally they are even noisier.
>
> R
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I have the same case.  Here is the motherboard I'm using -

ZOTAC IONITX-A-U Atom N330 1.6GHz Dual-Core Mini ITX Intel Motherboard

Until recently I was running it with no fan.  However it was running
warm.  Never saw any of the stutter your talking about in regards to
heat.  Have 3 of these motherboards, running as front ends.

I'm using them for OTA HD viewing 90% of the time.  I've never had any
luck with running them with VDPAU.  Always gets stutter or
pix-elation.  Interesting to note my ripped DVD's work fine with VDPAU
enabled.  I just leave it at "High Quality" profile.

Any way the stock fan 80x80x10 was very loud and that's why I removed
it.  I got a link to this site from somebody on the list -

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/9349/fan-582/Noiseblocker_NB-BlackSilentFan_XM1_40mmx10mm_Ultra_Quiet_Fan_-_2800_RPM_-_11_dBA.html?tl=g36c437s1124

I purchased two of these fans.  Extremely silent running fan.  One fan
did OK, but  also used the second one to.  Just an FYI the Zotac
motherboards come with a "Zotac" label clip that's attached to the
heat sink.  I also removed it to increase air flow.  It just pulls
off.

DISPLAY=:0 nvidia-settings -q gpucoretemp

  Attribute 'GPUCoreTemp' (brent:0.0): 47.
    'GPUCoreTemp' is an integer attribute.
    'GPUCoreTemp' is a read-only attribute.
    'GPUCoreTemp' can use the following target types: X Screen, GPU.

Some what unrelated two weeks ago I also replaced the tiny little 2.5
sata drive in the box with a SSD drive.  So it even runs cooler.

I did not mount the fans to anything.  They are just lying on top of
the heat sink.  I was able to push the power wires down into the heat
sink that keeps it pretty snug.  Also they are blowing down into the
heat sink not up and away.  Got better results with this.  Could
determine by running the command above.

The dual core mother board has pins to allow to cpu fans.

Hope this helps.