Gaming Cooling Fans

[ZombiePosessor]

I'm so paranoid about RROD, like most people who buy cooling fans. First off, let me say that I keep my 360 in an open, cool, ventilated environment. Right now its 58 degrees outside and I have the windows open with fans in them, and oscillating fans blowing all over the living room. On hotter days, I keep the AC on about 60, so its always cool when I'm playing the 360. But, I fear that a cool room is not enough, and I want to have maximum heat dissipation/airflow.

So I'm going to buy a cooling fan, and I've been looking at the Whipser Max, because of the size of the fans. It is internally powered thru the 360's power, which I've heard is bad for the PSU, which could end up screwing up and giving me a RROD.

I haven't seen any externally powered cooling fans, only talk of them.

My question is, which is better for the 360 as far as not causing RROD through heat issues, only because of the fan itself and the way they're powered? Internal or External?

 

[SkankyYankee]

First off, Nyko 360 is crap. it actually impedes air flow. makes your 360 run twice as loud and is made from 3 cheap ass computer fans and I think it actually caused my first RROD. Your external air flow idea is right on the money. I play mine on a book turned lengthwise so the air holes on the bottom get more air. If you warranty isn't voided yet make sure you could get it fixed by M$ for free if possible if it happens. It took less than 2 weeks for them to get it and send it back. If it is already voided get a talismoon whisper fan. best solution so far. If you are REALLY paranoid about RRODs you can get kits to replace the thermal bondinjg with arctic silver and so forth.

 

[ZombiePosessor]

First off, Nyko 360 is crap. it actually impedes air flow. makes your 360 run twice as loud and is made from 3 cheap ass computer fans and I think it actually caused my first RROD. Your external air flow idea is right on the money. I play mine on a book turned lengthwise so the air holes on the bottom get more air. If you warranty isn't voided yet make sure you could get it fixed by M$ for free if possible if it happens. It took less than 2 weeks for them to get it and send it back. If it is already voided get a talismoon whisper fan. best solution so far. If you are REALLY paranoid about RRODs you can get kits to replace the thermal bondinjg with arctic silver and so forth.

Cool, thanks for the reply. I'm pretty capable of building PCs, so I figure I could add thermal compound myself, I hadn't thought of it. You say Whisper fan if my console's voided, which it is. This is +1 towards the Whisper Max fan...

 

[Prime]

I have two whisper fans running off a dc adaptor at 12v, they replaced the original 360 fans at the back. The special thing about this adaptor is you can change the volts so that i can lower it when I'm not doing any intense gaming. 12v is loud but i don't mind.

I still have the two original 360 fans, I plan to mod them and install them where the product 'core cooler' is meant to go then have them running from the 360's mobo fan header. I also plan, when i have time, to cut out the mesh at the back from the metal casing, That will let more air in and out.

If you want to do the 12v fan mod you could wire it to a dc adaptor which gives off 12v or solder the wires to a 12v point in the 360. (one is located on the underside near the psu part)

 

[deathfisaro]

Externally powered all the way.
Just because when you turn off your 360 with some USB device hooked up that is recharging, 360 fan keeps spinning. It makes me think there's unnecessary heat created by the PSU powering a USB device.

I know fans are not monster power-eaters, but the fact is 360 fan keeps spinning to cool down its internals.

I believe the bottom of 360 is air intake, and the rear is exhaust. There are fans designed to be attached to the bottom of 360 and blow air into it, don't remember if it was USB powered or not.

 

[754boy]

I believe the bottom of 360 is air intake, and the rear is exhaust. There are fans designed to be attached to the bottom of 360 and blow air into it, don't remember if it was USB powered or not.

Well I can say with reasonable certainty that the 360 does NOT have an air intake. The way the internals are designed leads me to believe this. There is that white fan cover thingy that sits over the mobo. Looks like its made specifically to channel hot air out of there. Besides, if there was an intake, it would also suck in a lot of dust that would clog shit up. My PS has intake fan on the front and that thing gets dusty as hell.....and dust builds up inside my PC, causing me to have to clean it at least once a month.

 

[deathfisaro]

Oh I see. Then it's just an open space that happens to become the air passage when rear exhaust fans draw air out.
Intended intake point or not, there is a fan that blows air into the console.