Motherboard Duct Experiment

Will a motherboard duct better direct the airflow inside a small form factor PC to cool it's components more efficiently and quietly? A quick experiment to answer this question.


Cut from two pieces of thin cardboard.

Roughly what the duct looks like.

The duct height runs just above the ram and is wedged between the CPU heatsink and it's 92mm fan. The duct extends from the rear of the case (where it is sealed just above the 120mm case fan) towards the front of the motherboard where it is left open.

Top view.

Here the case side panels are installed, the duct is taped to the panel to form a seal.



Airflow is blown down into the duct by the CPU fan as well as drawn in from the opening at the front of the motherboard (left side in the photo) and drawn out through the rear case fan. The case side panels also has intake vents that coincedentally fall inside the duct height and will provide additional fresh air intake.

The duct fits closely to the 120mm case fan, but hopefully should not be overly restrictive for airflow.








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