Last time I described how my mini-ITX PC was overheating.

A little more about the S120 case.  It has open grills on both the left and right sides of the case.  So the only way to effectively cool the case is move air across the case.  The stock solution moves air from the left hand side, across the SO-DIMMs, the I/O chip and CPU and out the right side via the twin 60x60x10mm fans.

This results in a lot of noise for very little airflow.

After a couple false starts, I took the plunge and decide to create a "stovepipe" that would suck cool air in through the grills on both sides of the case and exit it out the top.

A few measurements and searches revealed a thin 120mm fan would generate a lot of air flow at reasonably slow RPMs and low noise.

All I needed was holes in the metal shield and plastic lid.

Here's the recipe for my solution:

• Milwaukee 49-22-4105 19-Piece Master Electricians Ice Hardened Hole Saw Kit
• Scythe Kaze-Jyuni Slim Slip Stream 120mm x 12mm Fan - 2000 RPM
• 120mm Rubber Fan Silencer
• 120mm Fan Filter
• 4 Heavy Duty Fan Screws (all from FrozenCPU.com)
• BAND-AID® Brand Adhesive Bandages

As you can tell, a hole saw is involved. 

So let's see some pictures:

1. Cut a hole in the metal shield.  This took a while but the hole saw was up to the task.  (Do they really harden the metal in ice?).  I actually screwed the metal shield into a piece of wood before starting to cut the hole, otherwise the shield will spin and you'll probably get hurt.  The shield has plenty of pre-existing holes so this is a good move.

2. Create screw holes in the shield.  Using a nail punch is a good way to start the hole as the metal is so thin.

3. Cut a hole in the plastic lid being careful not to scratch the surface.  Do this on a hand towel or rag that is clean and you can throw out after you drill through it.

4. Attach the fan.  I attached the fan underneath the shield with a rubber gasket between the two.  The fan filter fits on top.
5. Snap on the top of the filter to hide the screws.
6. And we're done!
7. Finally, apply a Band-Aid to your thumb and wipe down the metal shield and plastic lid in case any blood was left behind.  Yes, I accidentally touched the hole saw with my thumb.  Don't do that.

You may disagree, but I think the end result looks fine.  The case lost a little sleekness but it now makes a gentle woosh if you let the fan run at full speed.  And according to SpeedFan, the CPU and case temps are now around 42C.

Next up... iSCSI booting using EtherBoot/gPXE.