Silverstone has just released a new video about the positive air pressure they are using in the previously tested Fortress FT01 case. Silverstone's engineers used smoke to show the air circulation within the chassis which looks very impressive. We have tested this feature before with turning the large upper fan around that it exhausts the air. The temperatures were worse which shows that possitive air pressure indeed helps this case with good cooling.

 

Wouldn't this be a nice addition to our chassis-reviews? We will see what Santa Claus is bringing this year.
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  • JesDer - Friday, December 19, 2008 - link

    As already stated, the real reason for positive pressure is for dust control. What this video shows is that you don't need an exhaust fan. The one problem I see is that without that back exhaust fan the video card exhaust is actually pulling hot air from around the CPU cooler which could actually raise the GPU temp a little.
  • jmke - Friday, December 19, 2008 - link

    that this case with the front and top fans, doesn't need an additional exhaust fan. But noise wise it would be much more interesting to have NO front fan, and only one in the back; it all depends; need more movies taken with all different fan layouts to really make any sort of conclusion.

    cool test nonetheless, funny how they didn't use their own CPU cooler:)
  • Sunraycer - Friday, December 19, 2008 - link

    Oh yeah. You could increase the positive air pressue by using higher CFM fans on intake vs exhust as well, no?
  • Sunraycer - Friday, December 19, 2008 - link

    Like Straightpipe, I thought the point was to have air only entering the case through the intake fan and not the misc holes. I would agree with geekfool that it would make more sense to spray around the case, though it would be much harder to see what's going on. Where I get lost is why take out an exhust fan to demonstrate positive air pressure. Taking out an exhust fan should increase the positive air pressure shouldn't it?

    I think they needed a little more explanation in this video...
  • StraightPipe - Friday, December 19, 2008 - link

    I thought the main point of Positive Air Pressure was for dust control. Basically a case has lots of seams and cracks where air can travel in and out (like the extra drive bays, I/o panels, door, etc). Ideally you should have a dust filter on every intake fan. In a case with a positive enviroment the extra pressure forces its way out of those gaps, so no dust gets in the case (without passing through the filter). In a negatie air pressure enviroment those gaps leak air (and dust) into the case from many non-point sources. That way you end up with lots of dust inside.

    It's a great idea, but it's kind of hard to get most cases to be positive. for example my case at home has lots of exhaust fans. there's a 120MM blowing hot CPU air right out the back panel, the graphics card blows out through two PCI slots, and the PSU also blows out. The only place for air to enter the case is at the bottom of the front panel. If all the drive bays are not in use I often like to add an additional 120MM on the front of the case. IT can often be put just below the oprical drive, yet still behind the front panel.


    Well my point was that they need to have the case inside a smokey room to prove that the positive pressure is keeping air from entering through cracks. Or show a bad case where the smoke pours in from the outside through unwanted gaps. They want all the air flowing into the case to go through the filters, but this video doesnt really demonstrate that.

    At least it's better than last months Video. It was just shots of the case fans running, and nothing happening.
  • mindless1 - Saturday, December 20, 2008 - link

    It's not very hard to make many cases positively pressurized, remember you are not forced to use all those exhaust fans and can opt to run the exhaust at especially low RPM.

    What is more difficult on many cases is to have the front filter panel large enough that it provides effective levels of filtration without excessive reduction in airflow.

    Why do they need to prove anything? It's your case, given that case config it is easy to choose the fans and/or fan RPM via controler to have to have it be positively pressurized. It's not about proof as-in burden on them, it's about offering a product where you still make the decisions how to use it.
  • RagingDragon - Sunday, December 21, 2008 - link

    If you want to experiment with negative vs. positive pressure, it's easy enough detach and remount a fan to switch it between intake and exhaust. Switching one or more fans should be enough to convert any case between positive and negative pressure.
  • afkrotch - Tuesday, December 23, 2008 - link

    Or just make all the fans blow into the case. BAM! Positive pressure. Get air spitting out everywhere.

    This just seems like a worthless PR attempt to sell a case most ppl won't buy.
  • Spivonious - Friday, December 19, 2008 - link

    The smoke was still removed without the back fan, it's just the video cards took care of it.
  • evilspoons - Friday, December 19, 2008 - link

    I don't get what the video is telling us - it almost looks better to me with the rear fan off (the smoke goes more places - i.e. the cold air goes more places - before it exits the case.

    Does this mean I should be farting around with the fans on my Antec 900, or am I ok with the 200 mm blowing upwards, the rear 120 blowing out the back, and two front 120s blowing in?

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