Case suggestions

D

Dart

I'm looking at buying a new case, any tips or suggestions?

I'm replacing my heatsink, I had a corsair self-contained water cooler, but it wasn't keeping my temps low enough with my 8 core 4ghz AMD processor. The model not working well is the Corsair H60.

I'm looking at putting a Frio Thermaltake push-pull 120mm setup, with replaced fans for silencing. I'm going to replace the 105cfm 2500rpm fans with 2000 rpm 70cfm Cooler Master fans which run almost silent when turned down at idle (using the motherboard fan speed controls). I have an Asus motherboard with Fan Xpert, so I set it to max out the fans rpm as soon as I hit a processer temp of 55C (temp it would hit as soon as it's got a load). Turned down they run about 1400rpm and very quiet for general use and browsing.

The reason for a new case is that the new heatsink requires mounting the heatsink onto the motherboard BEFORE mounting the motherboard inside the case, as my case has no rear access to the motherboard for mounting the heatsink pieces after mounting the motherboard. Seems all the new design cases have a hole so this risky operation (with such a heavy heatsink) is not involved at all, which I feel is mandatory playing with a heatsink that could very easily fracture the motherboard.

I'm not overclocking, but with these 8 core processors they run very hot, and start causing lockups around 65C.

Any recommendations on cases with big rear holes for this mounting operation?
 
I have the Fractal Design R4 (although my machine is air cooled). I am satisfied with it. The Antec P183 and Silverstone FT02B are also solid options.
 
Quote from Doobs789:

I have the Fractal Design R4 (although my machine is air cooled). I am satisfied with it. The Antec P183 and Silverstone FT02B are also solid options.
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Wow that Siverstone is cool looking... I can't figure out where the power supply goes in it though? On the top?

I'm going to complete air cooling, the self-contained water cooler really didn't seem to work very well. It sort of worked, but it didn't perform well. I even had it with push-pull, using two 120mm fans. Still temps kept rising and rising. :(

I'm running a long video card in the first PCI Express slot, I had an Antec case before that was really nice, sound deadened and solidly built. Unfortunately it didn't clear the video card, by about 3mm. So that my be a concern with the P183 too.
 
I just used a few Antec 300 cases that I picked up at Fry's. (Seems they are now updated the model to 302?)

http://www.frys.com/product/6977417?source=googleps&gclid=CJnd9K6Z87sCFUzZQgodhh0Arg

You can open the side panels on both sides. Accessing the bottom of your motherboard (to mount/adjust/change your CPU cooler mounting plate) is easy, without needing to disconnect cables and take out your motherboard.

Pictures of my build: (First page and last page)

http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?threadid=195662
 
Looks like those Antec Three Hundred Two's are in stock at our local Micro Center, I might give them a look tomorrow. Interesting how they have a fan mount under the cpu, to cool it from the back, or so it appears.

One thing I don't particularly like about that way of mounting hard drives is it doesn't have a way to mount a SSD drive without adapters. That can be overcome, but I'd really like it if the case had trays for the drives to mount a little drive in.

I also would kinda like to try intake fans, and see if it brings down my cpu temps. Looks like a lot of cases don't have a place for those.

Nice photos of your setup Bolimomo. Love your x6 pci-e motherboard! Mine has 4, which are going to all be used by the looks, by video cards.
 
Quote from Dart:

Looks like those Antec Three Hundred Two's are in stock at our local Micro Center, I might give them a look tomorrow. Interesting how they have a fan mount under the cpu, to cool it from the back, or so it appears.
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?????

There are 2 fans that came with the Antec 300 case. One is in the back. And one is actually on the top of the case (if it stands up right).

There are 2 additional, smaller fans, which came with the Cooler Master CPU cooler.
 
Quote from Dart:

http://www.microcenter.com/product/383857/Three_Hundred_Two_ATX_Mid_Tower_Gaming_Computer_Case

Fourth picture, top right. Look at the fan mount through the hole in the motherboard mounting plate.
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I see. It looks like in 302, they added one more grill - making it 3 grills instead of 2. I don't think they have 3 fans. The fan blowing to the bottom of the motherboard doesn't make sense. The air pressure just blows the air back. Besides, the gap between the motherboard mounting bracket and the side panel is very small. Not enough to fit a regular size 130mm fan unless they make some extra thin versions.

I think one fan blowing to the back. One fan blowing to the left. And that one sucks hot air from the top of the CPU cooler. And the grill facing the right side is just for air circulation - grill without a fan. That's what I think.

The new design looks okay... but only if you don't have another computer placed side by side with it. In my case that wouldn't work. I do have 2 of them placed side-by-side.
 
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