Operation HAF Baked! Cooler Master HAF 932

[Lithotech]

Panic in a Cooler Master HAF 932!

I had pulled the system out of it's previous case this last long weekend. The plan was to leisurely assemble in the HAF over the three days, adding some extra red lighting and sleeve all the fan tails and FP wires.

Saturday morn, I suddenly needed into my work records and email, so I set about just getting it booted as quick as possible.

Actually, chuckling while I worked, I spent extra time getting the wiring as messy as I could. I figured a few more minutes wouldn't hurt, and it would be funny to post pics of a rats nest mess.

That sort of backfired. I think no one got the joke. It's damn hard to make this HAF look a mess, no matter how much I tangled the wires. I think people just figured it looked normal! Hmmm, one guy did say I could clean it up a bit... :rofl:

Might have looked worse if I had the FP wires hanging in there... forgot about that...

Anyways, the first pics are an intentional mess. The system went in very easily and quickly, it was actually harder to get it out of the old P180 (had to remove fans to get at the EPS connection, etc etc). Later on, I rewired it and again it took very little time even though at this point I was in no hurry.

Still have some red cold cathode and LED fan to add, as well as a red LED laser I am sure I have here somewhere. Then sleeve all the fan tails and FP wires, rerouting some under the mobo. A 120mm intake fan in 3x of the drive bays was planned, but seriously only needed for the red LED -- more airflow is rediculous at this point!

I had a fan controller for this too, but find I don't need it. The HAF case fans at full speed are as quiet as my P180 is with the fans at low speed. Also, they spin at such a low RPM that I wouldn't want to slow them down farther. It runs very quiet indeed.

LED lights on:

Back side clean & tidy:

Reroute cables:

Beside the P180 for size comparrison:

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[BrainEater]

Gj man !!

Nice desk setup.

:thumb:

 

[Mr. Gruntsworthy]

im jealous... when i get my own place, i want a sick setup like that

 

[miggs78]

Well Litho, I guess you got us all lol.. Thought you'd be in a hurry to get the setup up and running, I didn't know you were intentionally making it a rat's home lol.. :haha:

But that looks neat, how low do those fans spin at anyway, just curious when you said lower rpm, I am also looking to dig this case, you're pics make me really go for this and dis the Cosmos S...

Great stuff Litho, oh and howdy unk:

 

[sswilson]

Can we get a look at the backside now that you've re-routed the cables?

I was comparing the "clean backside" pic to the "reroute cables" image and trying to figure out where the PSU cables at the bottom/right were going.... I'm guessing the "clean backside" pic was taken before you cleaned up the cables?

 

[Lithotech]

Gj man !!

Nice desk setup.

:thumb:

Thankee!

This desk is huge! Old, and weighs a ton, but very solid and, ummm, huge! Got it free out of an office that was demolished. Got the carpet too, which is now in our basement. The side that attaches on the right is lower than the rest of the desk, originally to hold a typewriter. A typewriter is something secretarys used to use before computers were around. LOL. :rofl:

Don't think I would ever replace it unless we moved into a newer house and it wouldn't fit.

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[Lithotech]

im jealous... when i get my own place, i want a sick setup like that

Never too early to start collecting furniture etc for your own place. Garage sales are a great start, just don't buy anything that you don't really want or need, is weak or flimsy, overpriced, or broken. Otherwise, you will have way too much junk to move, and end up selling a lot of it at your own garage sale!

My wife and I have been collecting our furniture for 20 years! I remember a phone call once...

Them: "Hi! So, what's new at the ****'s house?"

Me: "Nothing! Everything here is used!"


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[Lithotech]

Well Litho, I guess you got us all lol.. Thought you'd be in a hurry to get the setup up and running, I didn't know you were intentionally making it a rat's home lol.. :haha:

But that looks neat, how low do those fans spin at anyway, just curious when you said lower rpm, I am also looking to dig this case, you're pics make me really go for this and dis the Cosmos S...

Great stuff Litho, oh and howdy unk:

Hahahah, I was in a hurry, but that is besides the point! It's all good, a laugh now is as good as a laugh last weekend. :rofl:

I was suprised, it really is harder than you'd think to make it look messy in that case. When I was first done, I was thinking, Hmmm, this doesn't look bad enough!

The front and top fans (230mm) are spinning at 650rpm and 750rpm. I think they are rated at 700rpm, I'd have to double check to be sure.

The back exhaust fan (140mm) spins at 1050rpm.

The CPU HSF is an Antec Tri-Cool at the medium speed, 1100rpm.

The side panel fan I am getting no rpm off the mobo header it is in. It'll be in range of the other two I am sure, but I'll try to remember to test it on another header and get back here with the result.

The vid card is currently an 8800GT that I was having temperature problems with in the TJ04 and P180 (no side panel fan). While racing, even if I left it idle in the lobby/pits, it would spike to 80C for a bit then BSOD. I sped the stock fan up to 60% in the NV control panel (auto is 30% and it would not budge higher at 80C), and temps would then run in the 60's and spike to 70C and never BSOD. The fan is has a horrible whine at anything over 50%, but at 60% seemed to be less annoying than a bit higher or lower.

(There appears to be a problem with the bump material used in the NV core's substrate, a very very large topic that I would go into here, and I think it affects my card. Regardless, the card runs fine into the 70s, but doesn't like hitting 80c.)

Tested last night with the fan at auto 30%, the HAF's side panel fan kept the card in the high 60s with one spike to 74C. It definately helps. Good for now. No, I will not be changing the stock cooling, it will just delay it from dying and add extra cost to a card I know I will be RMAing. I'm putting a 9800GTX in the HAF soon, and will put the 8800GT back in a system with no side panel, and will beat the crap out of it till it dies.

The air coming out of the exhausts seems about average for say a 1200rpm 120mm fan. But since the area of the exit grating is so much bigger, I am sure the CFM is off the charts. The sweet thing is it is very quiet. My eVGA 680i stock north bridge fan is the noisiest thing in the case, and the only thing you can really hear even when set to 40% speed. The only noise you hear is air, these big fans themselves are making no sound at all.

I admit I am impressed. I sort of wanted a fan controller though, and may still use one for the CPU fan, and then add another intake fan in the remaining drive bays, one more on the bottom of the case by the psu, and can fit the fourth controller to a 120mm that will still fit up top in front of the 230mm blowhole. I am sure I don't need more fans, but what else to do with a 4 port controller? Plus, I want more red LED in the front. I have a red CC tube to add, and maybe will try using the fan controller to adjust the brightness. Will see...

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[Lithotech]

Can we get a look at the backside now that you've re-routed the cables?

I was comparing the "clean backside" pic to the "reroute cables" image and trying to figure out where the PSU cables at the bottom/right were going.... I'm guessing the "clean backside" pic was taken before you cleaned up the cables?

Yes, good point. It was not forgotten about, and has been on my mind. I wanted to finish the cables first though, because that big wad of spares is still loose under the HD area. Plus, there will be extra wiring for the CC lights and fan controller -- the reason I will prolly have to pull the mobo.

I was originally going to post a messy backside for in contrast to the clean frontside.

I'll get one today of where it is currently at. Keep in mind I still have no idea what I am going to do with more wires back there, it's a pretty loose mess right now and still, the side panel goes on without any resistance from buldging wires. Testiment to the outward flare in the side panel affording lots of room.

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[Lithotech]

HAF Baked Backside:

Tried to get a couple angles showing the gap between side panel.

Farcry From Goal! :doh: :rtfm:

:rofl:

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