In GPU Upgrade – Size Matters! I related how I upgraded my graphics card without carefully considering its size, and later decided to strip down the computer.
Well, I finally finished, and it’s not something I will be doing regularly because it’s a two-day job – two or three hours to disassemble to the bare metal, wash the case in soap and water, dry out in the sun, and clean every component of dust.
Reassembly took nearly eight hours, and frankly, I was relieved when I finally hit that power button. As I’ve added to the computer over the years, it’s become a mess of cables – RGB, SATA, power, and fan cables, extensions – not to mention 240mm water cooling.
However, apart from wanting the cleanest PC case in Buenos Aires, I wanted to find a way of using the GPU support bracket that came with the card. It’s very high quality, made of steel, has a magnetic foot, and can be screwed directly into the card and case for maximum support because the card itself weighs 2.34 kg (5.16 lbs), so I was determined to make this fit!
Cooler Master Storm Trooper Full Tower
Fortunately, the case is a modular design with two HDD cages that can be inserted side or front with the option of adding a 120mm cooling fan to each. However, the case was designed with DVD drives and HDDs in mind, hence the two vertical pillars. In the end, I simply moved the cages around and left out a bracket that would otherwise prevent the tall GPU support bracket from being fixed to the back side of the case. I also removed the useless plastic tool tray from the bottom of the case, so that the foot of the support could rest at the bottom. Job done!
The card itself has a steel backplate screwed to the rear IO bracket and runs to the end of the card, so I wasn’t concerned about sag, but this is an extra precaution. Fully loaded, the case weighs 25kg/55lbs, so it’s just as well that it has a sturdy handle at the top because moving it around is quite a task.
Stop The Dust!
In spite of the fact that this case has three very effective dust filters and with the front being a huge dust filter, it’s surprising how much dust gets in. My setup is two 120mm front fans pulling air in, two 120mm pulling air in through the top radiator, and one 120mm exhaust fan at the rear. It’s very effective, but over the years, the dust really builds up, as you can see from the AIO radiator.
I’m glad I did this job, and soon after, I was enjoying my favourite games with the RX 9070 XT, and will be writing on how the card performs in comparison to the RX 5700 XT in a future article.
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I’ve got just three words Marc. “Positive Air Pressure”. You need to achieve that or as close as possible. You’ve got too much intake and not enough exhaust. That’s why it is filling up with dust and will again in a few months depending how dusty the environment the case is sitting in. To be perfectly honest you would have been better off buying a new modern case and upgrading from the old clunker. The day I ever remove everything to wash the actual case itself is the day I give up computing !
But I tips me lid to you for dedication above and beyond !
Cheers
Reg
Morning Reg
New full tower cases don’t accommodate enough HDDs and I certainly wouldn’t describe the CM Storm Trooper case as a clunker, with all due respect, lol.
I get enormous satisfaction from stripping a PC down to bare metal and giving it a thorough bath, then drying it out in the sun.
Which case do you use by the way?
Cheers
Marc
AMEN. even with my case that I leave the side panels OFF; I still have exhaust fans pumping as there is also a cavity behind the case under my desks CPU compartment. Though I don’t mind cleaning thigs out, I do not consider it FUN in any way, it is a necessary chore.
Recommendations for ventilation in pc cases emphasize positive pressure air flow. So a definite no if exhaust fans diminish the delicate balance between the two.