Better Case Ventalation for Passive HTPC

Hi everyone, first poster here, so please be kind...

I'm putting together a combination HPTC/ middle of the road gaming rig and would sure appreciate some advice.

To keep the noise down I started the build by choosing the new Asus HD6770 DirectCU Silent. According to published specs the only sub $350 cases that would fit this beast of a GPU is a Silverstone CW02 or the Thermaltake DH103.

The rest of the build is:
Asus p8Z68 Deluxe/Gen3
Intel i3 2390T (2.7Ghz/35w)
4gb Gskil RipJaws
Prolimetech Armegeddon (passive)
Kingwin Stryker STR-500 (passive)
Ceton Infiniti 4
HTI Omega Claro Halo XT sound card
Intel 311 SSD Cached
Samsung EcoGreen F4 (EGF4) 2GB
Plextor Px-B940SA BlueRay Burner
Win 7

So after alot of debate, and the approval of the wife on the looks, I settled on the CW02, mainly because on the DH103 the PSU sits right next to the CPU cooler (and the Silverstone looks better..).

But the biggest limitiation of the CW02 is it doesnt have any provision for case ventilation or a case fan on the top of the case like the Thermaltake does.:down: But what it does have is a 120mm fan that can blow directly on my fanless 35w CPU cooler.. and a cool air vent right next to it instead of a psu fan. I'll be pulling air out of the case from the front under the hard drive cages with 2 92mm Noctuas.

So here comes the question. Obviously I need to direct some cool air on to that passive Asus video card. I was thinking of placing a fan in the top using something like the Silenx cabinet cooling system, but would appreciate any new ideas.

What would the best way to direct some cool air on to this massive GPU heatsink?

Best way would be to bust out the drill and put a hole in the top of that case. Cover it with a fan grill and roll out. But its up to you. Looking at sites like performance pcs or that kind of thing will give you an idea of whats out there. Don't rush head first into cutting an expensive case, take the time to plan it out

Quote:

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Originally Posted by diluzio91

Best way would be to bust out the drill and put a hole in the top of that case. Cover it with a fan grill and roll out. But its up to you. Looking at sites like performance pcs or that kind of thing will give you an idea of whats out there. Don't rush head first into cutting an expensive case, take the time to plan it out

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measure for two days.

cut once.