filtering fans?

[escher]

my case has several low-rpm fans installed in effort to keeping my cpufan's speed down thus reducing noise. i have 2 side fans that i added that help cool the fsb/cpu/vidcard, 2 front intake fans, 2 exhaust fans, and the obvious others like vid card/psu/northbridge/etc. i need these because my machine is usually running upwards of a 500mhz overclock, but obviously that comes with some major cooling needs to keep stability when the voltages are raised...

anyway, it's not THAT loud unless i crank up the fans with my fan controller. the problem is i have to clean out the dust like once every 2 months otherwise the temps begin to rise. so much air is flowing inside my case that it gets dusty fast! what is the best way to filter the air coming in? any material you guys use that works good?

thanks a ton

[bailey]

well my case has built in filters so it not a problem with me.
but for you all I can say is to keep them clean, if you live in the coutry and have dirt roads, its gonna be a lost cause.
you could try to install some kind of filter over the incomming air , but then you would have to keep changing them all the time too, plus it would restrict the air flow some,

the other thing to do would be to lower the room tempature and then you could slow down the fans.
another one is to turn your computer room into a clean room.
that would elimate having to clean the fans ,
lots of choices

[enhanced08]

i too was thinking about adding filters to my fans, how much would they reduce the airflow? cooling isn't an issue for me right now, but i'll be OC'ing my machine soon and then i'll need some cooling.

[escher]

at the local Microcenter i found something today that fit this purpose really well. i got these high-flow mesh-metal air filters for my intake fans. they come in 60mm and 80mm sizes and they barely reduce the airflow....a little loss in airflow is worth it in the longrun because dust is gonna heat up your machine much worse and possibly even cause other problems. so far the ambient air temp in my case is no higher than it was before i installed these filters. obviously they will have to be cleaned occasionally, but it's a lot easier than cleaning out the whole case.

[morriswindgate]

The problem with using filters is that from the moment they are installed they start to clog, and you have no way, other than visually, of telling how clogged they are.
It is actually safer to just clean the case.
Finally are you sure that you need all the fans you have?

[escher]

i actually disabled one of the front intake fans when i installed the filters, because it really wasn't needed. i figure if i can see how long it takes em to get clogged up and just remember to clean em out on regular intervals then it should be alright.

[shrimps]

I dont use filters. they tend to collect too much dust and soon blocking the air flow. I find it more difficult clearing the filter than cleaning the inside of the case.
All i do is just use a compressed air and start spraying. take the fan off the heat sink and spray the heatsink a lil. use a mini portable vacuum here and there and walaaa, its clean.

[QuickSilver]

I just take mine out to the garage and take the air compressor to it. It works good, just make sure you turn the air pressure down or you might dammage something.

[Evanin]

My computer is in a clean room. A small cold room that is next to the garage, no heat, lol. Tends to get to cold sometimes but bi-weekly I vacume and dust the room to keep it clean and thus a clean computer.

[escher]

i wish that were an option, but i live in an "effeciency" space and its basically just one big room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. lol

[shrimps]

u mean a studio?