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Installation:
I started the install like any good
hardware project; with the easy stuff! To replace the front fan on
the Ultra Grid case you must first remove the front panel. The old
fan is held in place by four screws from the front and sits behind a
black mesh screen.
To achieve the maximum silencing I went
ahead and used the sound dampening silicon mounts. After first
trying things without the screen, I decided to keep it for the
aesthetics. I am sure you will agree from the image above that the
fan is still pretty visible in good lighting.
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Here is a closer look at the silicon
mounting thingies. They are pretty easy to thread through with
some
needle-nose pliers to do the dirty work! |
The AUXFAN3 plug on the Fatal1ty is
located between the PCI-E slots almost at the back edge of the board.
To reach I had to use the U.N.L.A. extension which effectively reduces
the front intake to 600 RPMs. I guess that's one way to reduce
noise! Fortunately there was no noticeable effect on the system or
drive performance.
The original plan for the CPU heatsink
included using 1 or 2 of the Noctua NF-R8 fans to cool my
AeroCool GT-1000. With the motherboard already removed, I
realized the GT-1000 does not currently support AM2! Looking
around the shop for a suitable replacement lead me to this AeroCool
X-Fire heatsink.
Features:
-
Powerful superconductor
heatpipe technology.
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Nickle plated copper base and
heatpipes with aluminum fins.
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Low weight and easy to
install.
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12cm fan with quad white LEDs
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Height: The height including
fan is 4"
Specifications (Minus the
fan):
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Heat Pipe: Dia 6mm x 2 x
(L)312mm
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Fin module Dimension:
(L)118mm x (W) 46mm x (H) 22mm (2 modules)
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Total: 50 +/- 1 Aluminum Fins
I am sure the included AeroCool fan is very pretty and
effective, but is is rated at 23.53 dBA! The X-Fire design
includes rubber grommets between the fan and the heatsink so with a
simple fan replacement for the NF-S12-1200 we are back in business!
Did I mention the X-Fire uses the stock mounts? <sigh>
Installing the back fan and power supply is much
easier with the motherboard and components out of the way!
The back fan install looks pretty stock if you don't
notice the color difference where the screws should be.
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