AdviceShould I leave back panels open for increased airflow?
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AdviceShould I leave back panels open for increased airflow?Posted:

Colgate-
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I removed my back panels(gpu slots) in order to increase air flow in my case. Is this a good idea or should I put them back on?
#2. Posted:
Saki
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Ideally you want your air flow to be positive sucking in from the front and exiting out the back exhaust fan(s). Taking off the PCI-e slot covers will introduce an air 'leak' that will impede your air flow efficiency. While most of it is coming through the front up and out the back, now some of that air is trickling through those slots instead of staying on its original path.

In real world applications will it make a difference? Probably not by much. But if your concern is maximum air flow I would keep the covers on.

Here's a crude example of what I mean


#3. Posted:
Metaverse
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Unless you're doing something like Folding@Home or Bitcoin Mining, and your machine is extremely hot, I would recommend leaving all panels on. If you're having a lack of airflow, clean your filters or buy a better case/fan setup. I personally love my water cooling setup since it makes my GPU and CPU silent even under 100% load. What Saki said above was also true and very helpful. I'd find some other PC airflow guides online.

Kind regards!
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