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What happened is I received today (or was it yesterday? I must be up too late) a large shipment of computer parts. I assembled them, got the computer working along with a POST beep as well. Though as I assembled the computer I noticed the case had no fan installed and there was no fan to be seen anywhere around. Then I realized that the rather large 120mm intake fan on the bottom of the power supply was right next to the main board, and that would suck up any warm air floating around the main board. I haven't yet installed windows, I'll do that tomorrow (or will that be today? I must be up too late) so I haven't yet a chance to push the computer, but from the BIOS menu I have seen the CPU temp start at around 38 Celsius and rise about 1 degree every 3 or more minutes, slowing down as it warms, and the highest I have seen it is at 45C. I know that is rather low and a good temp. Anyway, I have been running the comp without the side cover off to let convection do its thing until I get a case fan. Tomorrow I shall be ordering a case fan and once I receive that, I shall use the side panel. But what I am wondering is if I should or should not be using the side cover while I don't have the fan, or if it doesn't matter.

Specs:
AMD Athlon triple core @ 3.2GHz (I think, but it may be 3.4)
nVidea GTX550ti 1GB, DDR5
8GB DDR3 RAM
450 Watt PSU

Thanks in advance for any input you give! I would also like to inquire about whether I shall get 1 fan for the back or one the front as well as one for the back. I'm not sure about the dimensions of fan the case will accept. Each corner of the fan vent area has two holes, so the vent seems like it would accept two different sizes. The holes further from the center, when measured diagonally seem to be about 100mm apart. So if anyone could recommend a fan size that would be great as well! Thanks!

EDIT:
Actually I just turned it on again, and it started out at 26C. Then it steadily rose about 1 degree per 10 seconds and then leveled off at about 40C and higher, then it rises only very slowly. So I suppose it is just the BIOS keeping the temp at a target level. Should I be playing intensive games before I get this new case fan? Looks like the CPU fan is doing a mighty fine job itself.

I have also noticed that the air being blown out the back and the heat sink itself feels much warmer with the cover on that without.

I have also noticed that the fan blows air towards the CPU, and I think it should be the other way around, based upon research. Anyone know whether the fan should be blowing air to the CPU or sucking air away from it? It seems like blowing the air to the CPU just blows the CPU's warm exhaust all over the rest of the main board. Is this the way it should be?

Get fans, dont play games or anything intensive otherwise you'll probably cook your lovely new computer. Are you sure you got a decent case if it has no fans?

Antec always do amazing cases, look through on there site.

There all pretty high end, low budget cases. I have the original 900 and its never done me wrong.

Interesting... Well my case cost me about 17 dollars brand new, though it was on sale. Still a cheapo. But I like the overall build quality, it seems rather nice, but it's just rather sad that it has no fans... Well I have noticed a rather large difference with the panel on and off, with it on the CPU idles around 2 degrees higher than with it off. I suppose that a fan will lower the temp a lot more with the panel on.

Again another thing that baffles me is the fact that the fan blows onto the CPU, and not away from it. I feel warm air getting blown all over the main board and the north bridge passive heat sink becomes unbearably hot to the touch. I don't feel that that is normal. Well hopefully the case fan will solve everything.

Hey, just a quick question, is 66 C too hot for a GPU? (GTX 560 TI)

I wouldn't think so. Most IC's are fine up to the 90's range.

Thanks, I was worried....

Haha computer cooling can get particularly scary.

the side panel is there for a reason. It creates a closed space which acts like a tunnel. Dont worry about front case fans for such a mid range system. The CPU fan, GPU fan and PSU fan are designed to suck in air and push it at speed over the device. The combined suction will draw cold air in from the front of the case.

The warm air is then expelled from the back of the PSU.