DIY Guide for Installing 250mm Side Panel Cooling Fan

Note: This tutorial is used with permission from the original author

Here is a mod guide to help cool your PC with a massive 250mm cooling fan in your side panel, similar to Cooler Master’s HAF series and Thermaltake Element series cases. You can install the fan as Intake or Exhaust, depending upon your individual needs. The case we’re using for this guide is a Lian Li PC-7plus B midtower. You can install a 250mm size fan in any case that has 12″ x 12″ of free space in the side panel.

Supplies & Tools Needed:

1. Thermaltake 250mm Silent Case Fan Products Model: TT250FAN, but you can find other brand 250mm fans HERE
2. Fan Dimension 250 x 250 x 30 mm
3. Rated Voltage DC 12V
4. Fan Speed 600RPM ±10%
5. Airflow 67.69CFM
6. Noise 15 dBA
7. 4 Pin Molex connector

List of Supplies Needed:

1x 1′ x 1′ sheets of Mnpctech Honeycomb Modders Mesh	4x Mnpctech #10 x 5/8 self tapping fan screws
4x Mnpctech PC fan silencing grommets	1x 6ft Mnpctech PC U-channel computer window molding, (cut down to 27″)

Tools Needed:

1. Power drill
2. 1/4″ drill bit
3. Jigsaw with 18 TPI cutting blade
4. Dremel or Rotary Tool with 1.5″ Dremel cutting wheel
5. Measuring Square or Ruler
6. Pencil or Pen
7. 3M brand Green Painter’s Masking Tape 233+ or equivalent, it doesn’t leave residue on panel.
8. Center Punch
9. Phillips Screwdriver
10. Rounded Hand File
11. Medium grit sandpaper
12. “SEM brand Self Etching” Primer
13. “Plastikote brand Black Enamel paint

Note: If you’re installing a 200 or 230mm PC cooling fan in you side panel, Mnpctech offers this laser cut fan grill Laser Cut from 1/4″ thick Black Cast Acrylic.

1.	Finding placement of the 250mm cooling fan in left side panel. We’ve positioned the fan 4″ from the rear edge and 7″ from the bottom edge of the panel.
2.	Trace the outline fan with pencil onto the panel after applying 3M brand Green masking tape. The masking tape also prevents scratches while cutting the fan hole.
3.	Here is traced outline of Thermaltake 250mm cooling fan. Mark fan mounting holes!
4.	Using center punch to mark 1/4″ drill holes for the PC cooling fan silencing grommets.
5.	Using 1/4″ size drill bit to drill holes for PC cooling fan silencing grommets.
6.	Before we can using Jigsaw to cut the 250mm fan hole, we first make an incision for the Jigsaw blade with Rotary tool using 1.5″ cutting wheel for Dremel brand or any Rotary Tool.
7.	We’re using this styrofoam cushion to prop the panel so we have clearance below for using the Jigsaw.
8.	Cutting 250mm fan hole with Jigsaw (use 18 TPI cutting blade).
9.	That is one big hole!
10.	A 12″ x 12″ sheet of Honeycomb Modders Mesh will provide excellent ventilation.
11.	Cut down to 10″ x 10″ panel to serve as a grill for 250mm fan.
12.	Let’s paint the Modders Mesh Black to match our color scheme. Scuff the surface of the mesh with medium grit sandpaper to promote adhesion for the “self etching” primer base coat
13.	After applying SEM brand “self etching” primer, we apply 3 coast of Plasti-kote Black enamel paint.
14.	4x PC Cooling fan silencing grommets are ready for installation.
15.	FYI: You can use a micro flat head screw driver to help gently pry the grommet into 1/4″ hole.
16.	Finishing the edge of the 250mm fan hole with PC U-channel computer window molding (cut to 27.5″ length).
17.	Our 250mm fan hole is finished and ready for installation of the fan!
18.	The best screws for mounting cool fans are #10 x 5/8 self tapping fan screws which are available in Black anodize or Stainless Steel. You can mount your 250mm fan as your system “Exhaust” or “Intake” cooling fan for your video card(s), depending on individual hardware cooling needs.
19.	First lay down the Modders Mesh sheet (after the Black enamel paint has cured!)
20.	Remove a small portion of the mesh around the mounting holes accommodate #10 x 5/8 self tapping fan screws.
21.	Mount the 250mm fan as an Exhaust, to pull warm air out from inside your computer case or Intake fan, depending upon your own case and system.
22.	Very nice, could almost be factory made?!

Source: Bill Owen from MnPCTech