The layout design of the power supply compartment in an open desktop chassis should be centered around the three core principles of "independent cooling, optimized airflow, and dust isolation." Through structural innovation and detailed optimization, heat accumulation can be reduced while balancing cooling efficiency and hardware compatibility.
While traditional bottom-mounted PSU designs can improve cooling through independent bottom airflow, they also suffer from rapid dust intake and high maintenance costs. Open chassis can leverage the "left-right compartment" architecture by relocating the PSU compartment to the side or back of the chassis, creating a completely independent cooling zone. For example, the Huntkey MVP Apollo chassis relocates the PSU to the right side of the compartment, isolating it from heat sources like the motherboard and graphics card via a metal partition to prevent heat crosstalk. This design not only frees up internal chassis space but also allows for independent intake and exhaust fans for the PSU, creating a vertical airflow with "bottom intake and side exhaust," allowing heat from the PSU to be directly discharged outside the chassis, reducing accumulation within the chassis.
Airflow optimization is key to reducing heat accumulation. Open chassis must adhere to the principle of "short heat flow, wide channels." Design the air inlet and outlet of the power supply compartment to minimize the path and increase the cross-sectional area of the ventilation openings. For example, the power supply compartment of the Kyushu Fengshen Xuanbing 70 chassis features a completely hollowed-out bottom design with a pull-out dust screen, ensuring smooth airflow while allowing for quick removal and cleaning via magnetic or snap-on mechanisms. Furthermore, a "cross-row" heatsink fin layout can be used within the compartment to increase airflow turbulence and improve heat dissipation efficiency. If the chassis supports a liquid cooling system, the PSU can be integrated with the exhaust duct, leveraging the powerful exhaust fan to accelerate the flow of hot air within the compartment, creating a combined "water cooling + power supply" heat dissipation duct.
Dust isolation is a challenge in open chassis design. Traditional bottom-mounted PSU cases draw air directly from the bottom, allowing dust to easily enter the PSU through the mesh, reducing heat dissipation performance. Open chassis address this issue with a "double-layer dust-proof structure": a coarse-mesh filter on the outer layer traps large dust particles, while a fine-fiber filter on the inner layer captures fine particles while maintaining airflow. For example, some high-end chassis feature removable dust-proof modules on the air inlet of the power supply compartment. Users can regularly replace the filter based on ambient dust levels to prevent clogged filters and insufficient airflow after prolonged use. Furthermore, dust guide grooves can be added inside the power supply compartment to direct dust adhering to the dust collection area at the bottom of the chassis, reducing dust accumulation on the power supply components.
Hardware compatibility is another consideration in power supply compartment layout design. Open chassis must reserve ample space for power supply installation, supporting various power supply formats such as standard ATX and SFX, and ensuring smooth installation of long power supplies (such as extended ATX). For example, the power supply compartment of the Fengshen Xuanbing 70 case is 242 mm deep, accommodating most high-end power supplies on the market. Furthermore, the side panels of the power supply compartment should be removable to facilitate cable management and hardware expansion, preventing cable entanglement and heat dissipation due to limited space. For chassis that support vertical graphics card mounting, the layout of the power supply compartment should also consider the mounting position of the graphics card bracket to ensure that the weight of the graphics card does not place pressure on the power supply compartment structure, maintaining overall stability.
The power supply compartment layout of an open desktop chassis should be designed to achieve an efficient heat dissipation system through independent compartments, optimized airflow, dust isolation, and hardware compatibility. This design not only reduces heat buildup but also improves internal air quality, extending the lifespan of hardware and providing a stable operating environment for high-performance desktop computers.
