Some thoughts about case fans.

[clshades]

One thing I was thinking about today just based on ease of working around on and cleaning etc. I'm surprised someone hasn't come up with a magnetic system for case / radiator fans. Recycled HDD magnets would work. Lord knows I have a bunch of dead HDDS laying around ;) Never mind all the IDE drives i'll never use again. All you would really need is flat steel screws and then some way of shaping and attaching the magnets to the fans.

Thoughts?

[JD]

You mean using magnets to attach fans to the case? I don't think that's the greatest idea having magnets that close to other components...On a radiator, maybe, but within the case, no.

You can get fans with removable blades which makes cleaning rather simple. Also most cases have filters on intake fans now-a-days which also helps make cleaning easier.

[ipaine]

Just so I understand what you mean, are you talking about attaching fans to the case with magnets?

Basically as kind of like some sort of "quick release" method for ease of cleaning?

[Shadowmeph]

Hmm Magnets and PC Hardware are not a good Mix , you could always just use Velcro tape strips that is what I did when I was on Air

[ilya]

Magnetism issues are a little blown out of proportion here, you'd need very strong rare earth magnets touching the actual hardware to cause any issues. Magnets on the case are honestly a non issue.

Gelid Wing fans will hold their own weight and stick to steel cases without much difficulty. (only on one side of the fan though) The magnet they use to hold the bearing is very strong. Enermax fans with their "Twister" bearings will stick as well, but on the other side of the fan.

[Soultribunal]

Originally Posted by ilya

Magnetism issues are a little blown out of proportion here, you'd need very strong rare earth magnets touching the actual hardware to cause any issues. Magnets on the case are honestly a non issue.

Gelid Wing fans will hold their own weight and stick to steel cases without much difficulty. (only on one side of the fan though) The magnet they use to hold the bearing is very strong. Enermax fans with their "Twister" bearings will stick as well, but on the other side of the fan.

Gotta agree with ilya on this one as well. There are a lot of magnets in case doors and sometimes side panels (old TT cases) that have never caused an issue. Unless you are taking a magnet right beside your HDD or on some components on the board you should be fine.

ST

[clshades]

Originally Posted by ipaine

Just so I understand what you mean, are you talking about attaching fans to the case with magnets?

Basically as kind of like some sort of "quick release" method for ease of cleaning?

Yep pretty much. I water cool so when I wanna get in there and blow out the rad it would make it nice to just yank it off blow it off and put it back on again. And magnets holding fans in place really isn't going to affect any other parts. You'd need HDD quality magnets stuck on the top of working/running hdd to screw anything up.

And I mean magnets in place of screws. I have some dead hdds I might take them over to Brains place and try making a proto type. You wouldn't want weaksause magnets imo.

[Soultribunal]

Yeah that sounds like it would work and its actually a pretty good idea, However aren't most Rads made of Alumium and therefore not a Ferrous Magnetic Metal? Or are you going to put anchor points on the rads for the Magnets to attract themselves to?

Let us know how it works out!
Brain is a pretty cool mad scientist too here,


ST

[chrisk]

I think a good solution would be a 'quick release' plastic or even metal system. I have wondered why case makers/rad makers would not develop a mountable plastic shroud that attaches to the case, holds the rad and fans in place, and with some clamps released the rad and fans would be detached.

[Soultribunal]

Originally Posted by chrisk

I think a good solution would be a 'quick release' plastic or even metal system. I have wondered why case makers/rad makers would not develop a mountable plastic shroud that attaches to the case, holds the rad and fans in place, and with some clamps released the rad and fans would be detached.

I agree 100% on this Chrisk, TT and Ultra had them for Fan Holders on their cases, made it really easy to swap out or pull out and clean vs having to thread thme in with fan screws.

ST