computer case with "blow hole" opening/fan on top... necessary?

[Siberian]

when using the AMD XP2400, do you think it is necessary to get a case with the extra opening and fan at the top or are plenty of people running cool enough with just a side fan and the rear fan?

I have a couple of cases picked out and they don't have an opening on the top of the case, however they do have side fan openings and the standard rear fan.

And even if I do use the top fan, will that be too loud?

Opinions?

[Allen Hallada]

Depends on the fan they use. The Maxtop case I listed on they "Best System for under 1k" thread uses a 90mm fan on top so it moves more air at lower speeds and runs quieter. Also if it is on the top it doesn't have to work as hard to remove the heat. To me it is the only case that really makes sense. You should have an intake opening on the bottom front for letting cool air in, and an outlet exhaust at the top for maximum airflow exchange in the system. This Maxtop case also puts one over the CPU area on the side of the case and the people who have reversed this side fan so that it blows in reduced case temps around 10-20F. That is a pretty significant finding. I would have thought it would have worked better as an exhaust which tells me that there is a need for intake fans for more airflow.
Allen [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]