different case fan sizes

[andreadebiase]

Hi everybody I have a technical question regarding case fans. When I read, "80mm case fan...." what does that mean exactly? is 80mm the exact distance between the screw holes? (implying a square shape). I need to buy two fans for the front and rear of my new case, the front panel has screw holes that are exactly 72mm in square and the rear has screw holes that are 50mm in square. Now, I have seen several fans of 50mm in size but I have a hard time to find the 72mm. Do you know of any place where I can find them? Someone told me that if the case is ATX form (and it is) then any fan should fit! but how is it possible to match an 80mm fan on a socket that has holes 50mm apart?
Thanks

[Paleo Pete]

Check the diagonal measurement, and go look at a few fans at Radio Shack or CompUSA, or somewhere like that, and maybe copy the screw locations on the case onto a sheet of paper so you can match them.

That should be easy, hold the paper over the fan hole and rub a pencil over each hole, it should leave an imprint of the hole. Bring a small tape measure too, that will help.

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