I am going to be assembling a new system when all the parts arrive and I have a couple of questions regarding cooling. I am going to be installing an Intel E6750 Core 2 Duo CPU and my present case does not have a side vent opening. Will this be an issue as I see in the CPU instructions that it shows a side vented case.Also there is nothing in the instructions about using thermal grease between the CPU and fan. My present case is a Touch EN7327 with 2 fans on an Enermax 430 watt PS and 2 80mm fans in the case.
TIA Paul

Hello Manutd,

Cooling is almost never a problem unless you are overclocking. Also, if you have a very small, cramped case, you need to keep a close eye on things.

A typical setup would be an intake fan sucking air from the outside at the front of the unit, an exhaust fan blowing air out of the rear of the case, then your CPU and power supply fans. In a mid or full tower case, that is usually more than enough. I have that setup in a mid tower and an 8800gts and everything runs just fine. I have the stock CPU heatsink/fan and case fan. I added a 10 dollar 80 mm intake fan and a nice Antec power supply with 2 fans.

Unless your fans are just terrible, or you didn't apply the thermal paste correctly, that should be a good setup.

Now I know what everyone is thinking when I say this, but I'm just saying it is sufficient. You can ALWAYS use more cooling. It will never hurt. But if you don't have a side vent, it is nothing to worry about.

Best thing to do is just run the system the way your case allows for, then keep an eye on your temps and search online to make sure your temps are within normal levels. If they are high, then you know you need to look at better cooling. You could then maybe pick up better fans and/or a better heatsink/fan for the CPU.

Hope that helps!