Blowhole Guide

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Blowhole Guide

The Blowhole, or Suckhole, is one of the most predominately used case mods in the book. They are relatively easy to make, and the best addition you can make to improve airflow.

Most of us overclock, so naturally we NEED the coolest system temperatures that can be concocted with our small brains. Air-cooling is the easiest and most cost-efficient method, albeit some venturing into using chemicals or water cooling; but it is difficult to cool an entire case with water...think about it. So unless you have access to some kind of chemical, we will stick to good 'ole air cooling in this project.

The Blowhole/Suckhole

The goal is to create the lowest system temperature possibly (hopefully a bit under room temperature) without breaking the sound barrier. So, the basis is to place the fans in positions that allow maximum airflow, and does not defeat the purpose of the entire case cooling modification.

To obtain the best airflow possible, the fans should be positioned in a manner in which cool air is always being brought in, and the hot air exhausted. There are four places that fans could be used to better airflow: in the lower part of the front bezel, on the case door opposite motherboard, on the rear panel, and on the top of the case. The fans in the front bezel need to be blowing air into the case; developing a duct system would work even better, but as long as it's blowing in, it'll work. The side door holes could go either way...best bet would be to try the fans both ways and see what works better. On the rear panel, the most common locations are directly behind the CPU, and above the PSU. Unless you have a Genie or Lite-On, you probably only have room for a 60mm behind your CPU. The exhaust above the power supply is good for moving out the hot air created by the PSU, and also the drives. The world-renown Blowhole is mounted to the top panel, and exhausts the rising hot air from your case. To some, it may seem redundant to have the exhaust above the PSU and the Blowhole, but it really does help with case temperature.

Tools and Materials

Once you have decided where you are going to place the fans, and what size fans to place, it is time to choose what materials you will need. First and foremost, you have to decide which tool you will use to cut the holes. There are five tools that will work for the job (excluding laser cutters, plasma cutters, etc.) : Dremel, Rotozip, Holesaw, Jigsaw, and Hydraulic Punch. For most people, the Hydraulic Knock-Out Punch is not in the price-range to just put a couple holes in a computer case, but if you are so inclined, go for it. The Dremel and Rotozip are both rotary spiral saws, but the Dremel is less powerful and geared more towards small intricate designs. The Rotozip is a freakin' hoss...powerful, lots of torque, but it lacks a good metal cutting bit, making it tough to cut the holes. Dremel bits CAN be used for the Rotozip, so that eliminates that problem, although the Rotozip is quite a bit more expensive than the Dremel. It is also recommend that you use either of those tools to clean up the edges of the hole you make. Holesaws are cool, they are easy to use, and make near perfect circles. They are a bit pricey, but do an excellent job. The last, and most versatile tool, is the jigsaw or sabre saw. When paired with a metal cutting blade, these puppies will have no problem cutting through your case. It is a little tough to control, and holes usually don't come out perfect, but hey, they work.

All right, you've decided on which tool to use to cut the case, let's see what else we need.

• Holesaw, Dremel, or Jigsaw
• Drill
• Metal Punch
• Pencil/Marker
• T-Square
• Ruler or Measuring Device
• Blowhole Template (not needed, but useful for measuring)
• 120mm Fan, 92mm Fan, 80mm Fan, or 60mm Fan
• Assorted Filters and Grills
• Fan Screws
• Rubber Washers (Grommets)
• Safety Glasses

Not really a whole lot of materials needed, just make sure you wear those glasses before you start hacking away. I'd like to mention the rubber washers; I use those to place on the case panel between the case and the fan to cut down on vibration and fan sound in general.

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