Just received the new case I ordered, i.e. COOLER MASTER HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN1-GP from Newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197 This may be the nicest case I have ever had. In a different post, I had extolled my Enlight cases for their track loaded drives and ease of installation thereof (see my post http://www.pcqanda.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=2&topic_id=542095&mesg_id=542095&page=). The Cooler Master beats that by far in that the 5.25" and 3.5" are tool-less installs. Rails are available for a 3.5" floppy drive, should a floppy drive be installed. My Enlight cases are well sealed, causing overheating without special ventilation procedures. The opposite is true of the Cooler Master which has 1 x 120mm rear fan, 1 x 200mm Red LED front fan and 1 x 200mm top fan. One side panel is ready for an additional 200mm fan, but without installing a fan, there is a large open mesh screen that makes me wonder how susceptible it will be to dust/cat hair entry. I need to look into adding a filter there or perhaps closing it off completely. User comments at Newegg suggest frequent dusting & cleaning. I may try to reinstall the contents of my Enlight case into the new case this weekend. Wish me luck.
#1. "RE: New Case is in" In response to bobbo (Reply # 0) Sat Apr-28-12 03:13 AM by MSU
Well of course those big ass fans are going to draw a lot of air...along with dust and cat hair You want the cooling, you need the airflow. Is there a filter on the front intake fan? That thing does have a pretty nice system for mounting drives. The next time I need a case I'll certainly be looking for one with that type of system.
#2. "RE: New Case is in" In response to MSU (Reply # 1) Sat Apr-28-12 03:14 PM by bobbo
Quote:
Is there a filter on the front intake fan?
I believe there is. A Reviewer comments "the front 200mm fan has a great filter". Just checked,.. no filter on the front 200mm fan. An omission in my new case?
#4. "RE: New Case is in" In response to bobbo (Reply # 2) Sat Apr-28-12 03:53 AM by MSU
Well that will certainly help. Maybe you can get some of that open cell foam used for AC and furnace filters and somehow mount it on the inside of the side panel as a filter. Or just resign yourself to cleaning it out once in a while
edit: I was just looking at the NewEgg page. The second item under the video mentions a transparent side panel. Did it come with that? If it did and you're not planning on putting any fans on the side you can just use that instead of the mesh one and take care of crap coming in through the side.
#6. "RE: New Case is in" In response to MSU (Reply # 4) Sat Apr-28-12 02:40 PM by jbmcmillan
I have the Haf 932 case which is very similar only bigger and it has the best air flow of any case I have ever owned and I just clean it out once a month.The front grill catches a lot of dust that I just blow off frequently.The side panel opening I have a fan on it and it catches quite a bit on the outside which is easy to clean off.The fans in the case move a LOT of air.
I emailed Newegg regarding the filter. Their response follows:
Quote:
We apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused you. The filter is not included in the standard packing contents. We only guarantee the information in Details and the pictures. The manufacturer could put extra accessories in different batches of products. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide the filter to you.
I just ordered the NZXT case I posted about in that original thread. Newegg offered a 20% off coupon this weekend on it, so my decision was based solely on price (shipped for less than $44) I will also keep you guys posted on what rig I decide to transfer in there. I'm thinking of getting rid of the monster Gateway full tower but might do a double swap if the case is really nice.
I've been using a HAF 922 case for a long time now and I really do like it. It is the quietest case I've ever used and sitting about 2 feet away from me on my computer desk I don't even notice it. I'm impressed and would have no reservations recommending the case to anyone.
There's no filters but it's not much of a problem for me since the tower sits up on my computer desk and I don't have a cat. Just looked though and it is time to blow the dust out.
I think the lack of a filter is because they put in an LED lighted fan. It's not very visible though but there is a switch on top of the case to turn the light off and on.
I'm wondering how easy that thing is going to be to service. The front of the case is held on by screws and seems it would be a bit of a hassle to remove.
The front of the case is held on by screws and seems it would be a bit of a hassle to remove.
Once its installed, it won't be removed. I have a powerful vacuum cleaner that I expect will clean the filter through the front grid,... at least that's what I hope will work.
#20. "RE: New Case is in" In response to bobbo (Reply # 19) Mon Apr-30-12 01:36 AM by MSU
On my Antec case the filters are each behind a grilled door on the front. You open the door and the filter has two tabs that release it for removal.
On my CoolerMaster you have to remove both side panels and then four screws holding the grill in front of the filter. The four screws are recessed inside a hollow vertical rail and I invariably drop at least one inside the rail and have piss around to get it back out. So all I do is shut the computer down, remover the one side panel (3 thumb screws) stick a pencil in the fans so they don't spin freely, and blast it from behind (inside the case blowing out) with my air compressor. Blows all the dust right out the front.
I just finished blowing the dust out of my case. Too much trouble to take the front panel off so, like you I just blow air through and suck up the debris with the vacuum. Gets the job done for me.
Which Cooler Master do you have? Your description doesn't quite match my model HAF 922, and there are only 2 thumb screws to remove a side panel. I'm concerned about the recessed screws, as I'm a bit fumble fingered at times and fear dropping one into the hollow vertical rail as you describe.
Oh, I didn't mean to imply that yours was the same as mine. I gave those details about my case to illustrate the reason I blow the filters out the way I do. Mostly to point out that if the vacuum doesn't do the job, since it looks like it won't be easily accessible, that there's another option to clean the filter out.
I'd mentioned in your other thread that mine is a CoolerMaster ATCS, but an earlier version than they sell now.
The filter arrived. Installing required quite a bit of effort, and I'm not really happy as to it's location. I had to install the filter i.e. ModRight FilterRight 200mm Black Aluminum Fan Filter, Cooler Master HAF, behind the fan, as the provided hardware precluded installing in front of the fan. There were no installation instructions provided. I have yet to transfer the innards of my current computer into the new case but as the weather warms up, I'll have to do it fairly soon so as to take advantage of the cooling aspects of the case.
I think all aftermarket filters mount behind the fan. That's the way to aftermarket ones on my generic cases mount too. It still works pretty good at keeping crap out of the interior of the case that way. The only real downside is that the fan blades will still get gunked up after a while and need cleaning off.
I had a flash of brilliance, and was able to put the filter in front of the fan, using the hardware provided. The bolts provided were not quite long enough to pass through both holes on the front and back of the fan housing. I just attached the nut on the bolt behind the hole on the front of the fan housing. The fan and filter are now securely installed. At the FrozenCPU web site, one of the reviewers super gluing the filter to the front of the fan, another dismantled the filter mounting and also super glued just the mesh to the front of the case.
My NZXT case came in this week and all I can say is it's a great case for the everyday price of $54.95 and even better for the 20% off I got. Highly recommend!!
You want the cooling, you need the airflow. Is there a filter on the front intake fan? That thing does have a pretty nice system for mounting drives. The next time I need a case I'll certainly be looking for one with that type of system.
I like it.
