PC Modding

Why would anyone go and ruin everything... let’s just take things one step at a time, everything can be sorted out eventually... I’ve certainly held my own share of prejudices regarding various topics in the past...
One such example involves the headache of dealing with individual LEDs—specifically the HDD activity light and the power switch indicator. When I was first wiring up those little lights, I didn't fully grasp the implications until I actually attempted to plug and unplug them while the machine was running. It might seem like a trivial detail, but believe me, it can lead to some serious trouble if you aren't careful.

Raymond Hernandez14 said:Look at this, folks:

Why on earth do you have a magnet sitting right next to your hard drive??

If that thing is even actually a magnet (that little yellow bit just below the drive)

That magnet isn't even particularly close to the hard drive... besides, the drive itself is mounted on rubber gaskets. I actually made sure to place small rubber washers between the screws and the HDD while tightening everything down to ensure zero vibration transfer. Everything is completely dampened, so the magnetic field isn't going to penetrate much, nor is the magnet particularly powerful to begin with.
I basically just slapped it in there without thinking about it at all!😁😁

Raymond Hernandez14 said:The magnet isn't even that close to the HDD... plus, I have the drive mounted on rubber grommets. I actually put some little rubber washers between the screws and the hard drive when I was tightening everything down to dampen any vibrations. They absorb everything, so the magnetism shouldn't really reach it, and besides, it's not that strong anyway.
I just threw it in there without thinking much about it!😁😁

Just take it out; you're more likely to cause trouble than anything else.

Well, let’s look at the facts... people keep making these claims, yet the drive has been sitting there for months without a single noticeable change in performance or stability. The only thing worth mentioning is when I’m downloading large files overnight; the temperature creeps up to about 37–39°C. It’s a bit questionable if you ask me, but it isn't exactly a catastrophe—I just put a small fan nearby to cool it down, and it drops right back to 25°C.

On which side should I place the plexiglass if I'm building a transparent panel—should it go on the outside or tucked in the middle?
It might sound like a bit of a silly question—I know, I know—but honestly, what else can I really ask?

Terry Wilson3 said:If I am building a transparent panel, should I place the acrylic on the inside or the outside?
It might sound like a silly question, but I figured I would ask.

Standard practice is to put the acrylic on the inside. You certainly can mount it on the exterior, but you will find it much more difficult to finish properly to get that clean look.

Alright—I just picked up a 50x50 cm sheet of plexiglass from Home Depot for $13
!

Are you planning on cutting or drilling fan holes directly into the plexiglass?

Edward Peterson70 said:Are you planning on cutting or drilling fan holes into the acrylic?

Yes, I am—I'm thinking about drilling some holes to mount LED fans, though I haven't quite decided between 80mm or 120mm yet (any recommendations there?)
Since my workspace is roughly 18 by 16 inches, I’ll probably cut out a section about 14 by 12 inches and then fit a piece of plexiglass roughly 16 by 14 inches over it.

Terry Wilson3 said:I'm thinking about drilling holes for some LED fans, but I'm stuck on whether to go with an 80mm or a 120mm setup. Which one would you recommend?
Since my panel is roughly 17 by 16 inches, I plan to cut out an area about 14 by 12 inches and then install a sheet of Plexiglass measuring approximately 16 by 14 inches.

Go with the 120mm.

Have you actually tried cutting or drilling through Plexiglass before?
It’s definitely not as straightforward as it looks.

You have to take it slow here, because if you speed up even slightly, those cracks start appearing like they’re about to snap. Mine is at least 4 mm thick, but even then, it’s still a damn grueling job.

Are you planning on using a jigsaw or...

The acrylic was a solid half-inch thick—so, yeah—I tried to drill some holes through it, but... well, let's just say things didn't go quite as planned! I'm heading out to pick up a replacement now, haha

Which one of these would you guys recommend??

or maybe

I’m leaning towards the second option—it seems to be what you all were suggesting earlier, right??

Exactly, except the second one isn't lighting up in the photo.

I think I’ll go with this second one—it offers better airflow and hits about 2000rpm
compared to this one at 1300rpm.
Sorry, I just realized—otherwise, I wouldn't have even asked!

ThermalTake is honestly pretty mid, bordering on straight-up trash. On the other hand, Corsair is top-tier, whether you're looking at their LED fans or just any of their cooling gear in general.

Look, here is my recommendation... I currently have three of these units installed in my rig, and I can tell you from experience that I am more than satisfied with them.

I used to run a ThermalTake setup, and frankly, those fans were significantly louder than what I am using now.😁

As for Corsair, I haven't had enough hands-on experience with their hardware to give an informed opinion.

Raymond Hernandez14 said:Look, here is my suggestion... I currently have three of them in my build and I can tell you I am extremely satisfied with them...
http://www.newegg.com/p/product...07&ID=A0705004

I used to have a ThermalTake unit, and those were definitely louder than these...😁

As for Corsair, I don't really have any hands-on experience with their products...

What about Xilence? I've heard they're pretty decent.☕

Were you using a 120mm TT fan? I have one of those, and it sounds like a jet turbine in terms of both airflow and noise.
"In a vacuum," meaning when the fan isn't inside the case, it's quiet—but once I actually install it, it gets incredibly loud.

Edward Peterson70 said:Xilence? I’ve heard they actually perform quite well ☕

Were you using a 120mm LED unit on that ThermalTake case? Personally, I have one right now, and calling it a "fan" is an insult—it’s more like a jet turbine in terms of both airflow and sheer racket.
To be clear, when it's just sitting on my desk, it’s relatively quiet, but once I actually mount it into the chassis, the noise level becomes absolutely obnoxious.

YES, there is nothing strange about that observation... haha. I am telling you, when you actually measure the decibel difference between these units, the gap is significant—up to 4 or 5 dB. With my current setup, the CPU stays cool while the fan spins at roughly 900 RPM at a mere 12-14 dB, whereas the other unit hits over 18 dB even at a lower speed of about 1000 RPM. There is a very real, measurable difference in how loud they are!