New Case Advice

[GlCustard]

Hi,

I need some advice. I’m looking for a case option(s). I have an ATX Mobo (ASUS X99-DELUXE/U3.1 LGA 2011-v3), Intel Core i7-5820K Haswell-E 6-Core 3.3 GHz (over clocked), EVGA 1080Ti (overclocked), custom water cooling loop with a 3 - 120mm fan radiator (XSPC RS360) (and it doesn't fit, pic below). I have a PrimoChill CTR Hard Mount Phase II High Flow D5 Enabled Reservoir and Pump - 120mm . It’s made for mounting to the back of the case but with the amount of space in the case, I have it mounted on a bracket to the floor.

I have a fairly large case right now (NZXT Phantom PHAN-001BK Black Steel / Plastic Enthusiast ATX Full Tower) but a ton of room it taken up by the 5.25 bays and it’s not really built for having a radiator in the case… I had to remove a lower HD bay to put the pump and res in.
I have a Blue Ray Player but… I so rarely use it, I’m thinking I’ll forgo the CD bays next time.

I should say that though I have 5 drives right now, when I buy a case, I'm moving to a large NVMe SSD and a few standard SSDs. Probably will not get a standard drive again.

Anyway, the actual questions are:
1) What case should I buy?
2) Should I drop to a duel radiator instead of a triple?
3) Should I keep my case but drop to a Duel radiator, so it fits?



As you can see, the radiator sits partly on my blue ray player and it doesn’t look nice there. The case is built to have the hoses leave the case from the back, up and into a slot where it would connect to a duel radiator on top that is covered with part of the case (refer to case specs if you’re interested). I’m not really interested in having the hoses leave my case.

 

[Alaric]

Is there enough space up top to mount the radiator, with the fans attached from under the top tray? I'm trying to sort out a loop in the small version of your case (Phantom 410) and having the same issues. I'm looking at mounting the rad from the top and the fans from inside the case.

 

[bigtallanddopey]

I don’t know that case personally but you have the rad kind of in their so there is space for it internally.

Can you not just drill some extra holes, attach the rad to the case and then have the fans in a push configuration. Ie. Pushing air from the inside of the case through the radiator? It’s a little bit of case modding but not too drastic.

 

[GlCustard]

Is there enough space up top to mount the radiator, with the fans attached from under the top tray? I'm trying to sort out a loop in the small version of your case (Phantom 410) and having the same issues. I'm looking at mounting the rad from the top and the fans from inside the case.

Unfortunately, Not with a triple rad. I could have the hoses leave the case (out of the grommets in the back), route them up and to the top... but the case is only built for a duel rad. Do I want to lose the cooling by dropping to a duel rad and do I want hoses leaving my case? No on the hoses but about the rads... I'm not sure how much difference it will make right now.... I'd like to have a case where the triple rad works b/c at some point, I"m planning on upgrading my CPU to an Intel Core i7-6950X 10-Core (or higher depending on whats available at the time), and i'm sure it will crank out the heat.

 

[Alaric]

There is an upper chamber above where the rad is mounted now, with a relatively roomy chamber covered by the peaked top. The one I'm doing claims room for a 280 mm rad, but I'll have to mount the rad in the rig and the fans in the top in a pull config. Can you do it that way?

 

[GlCustard]

I don’t know that case personally but you have the rad kind of in their so there is space for it internally.

Can you not just drill some extra holes, attach the rad to the case and then have the fans in a push configuration. Ie. Pushing air from the inside of the case through the radiator? It’s a little bit of case modding but not too drastic.

I don't mind case moding. I've done it already to get to get the res in there.... I'm not sure I want to push/pull just due to room...I could make it work if I took the fan out of the top and moved the cd drive down.... I'm not sure about the aesthetics though. The position of the Rad is as high up as it can go so.. adding a few more inches lower for the other set of fans...might looked to cramped. I'm bad at visualizing though. Thoughts?

- - - Updated - - -

There is an upper chamber above where the rad is mounted now, with a relatively roomy chamber covered by the peaked top. The one I'm doing claims room for a 280 mm rad, but I'll have to mount the rad in the rig and the fans in the top in a pull config. Can you do it that way?

OH I see, what you mean. Since I'm worried about routing the tubes out of the case, put the rad inside with the fans up top. That is a great thought (feeling dumb for not thinking of it ). The question then is, A) How much do I lose in heat removal and B) once I upgrade my CPU will I need to go back to a triple and get a case?

... great thought though!!! really adds to the options.

 

[Alaric]

I've been trying to figure out how to get a custom loop in this case for a couple months as I collect parts. I've only got 25 mm up top, so I have to put the fans there because the rad is 30 mm. I used a dual bay res in the top two ODD bays, with the ODD in the bottom. They're $20 if it leaks. LOL I'm hoping for room for a push/pull with the fans, but the 280 rad will be cutting it close. That's why I got a red rad, to blend in with the red case.

I wouldn't think you'd lose much with the fans pulling, but I'll let someone who has more experience in execution field that one while I sort out my blivet.

edit: Do you have clearance up top to hide the rad in there? The 410 has cutouts for the fittings in the top, visible in the manual diagram I posted.

 

[GlCustard]

I've been trying to figure out how to get a custom loop in this case for a couple months as I collect parts. I've only got 25 mm up top, so I have to put the fans there because the rad is 30 mm. I used a dual bay res in the top two ODD bays, with the ODD in the bottom. They're $20 if it leaks. LOL I'm hoping for room for a push/pull with the fans, but the 280 rad will be cutting it close. That's why I got a red rad, to blend in with the red case.

I wouldn't think you'd lose much with the fans pulling, but I'll let someone who has more experience in execution field that one while I sort out my blivet.

edit: Do you have clearance up top to hide the rad in there? The 410 has cutouts for the fittings in the top, visible in the manual diagram I posted.

It supposed to work on my case with a duel fan but as I have a triple, I haven't actually looked.

The case I'm really considering buying is the Lian Li PC-O11, but it doesn't look like it has a spot to mount a video card vertically. I raelly like the look of the CORSAIR Obsidian Series 500D but its a mid tower... so if I ever go to an eATX board, I'm sol.

 

[Alaric]

Our very own MonsterMawd (MNPCTech) may have your GPU solution here https://mnpctech.com/vertical-gpu-video-card-installation-mount/

And I managed to completely miss the fact that your rad is a triple.
It's a shame these cases have no room for a rad in the front. Seems like they wasted a lot of space in these things.

 

[Scu84St3v3420]

Hi,

I need some advice. I’m looking for a case option(s). I have an ATX Mobo (ASUS X99-DELUXE/U3.1 LGA 2011-v3), Intel Core i7-5820K Haswell-E 6-Core 3.3 GHz (over clocked), EVGA 1080Ti (overclocked), custom water cooling loop with a 3 - 120mm fan radiator (XSPC RS360) (and it doesn't fit, pic below). I have a PrimoChill CTR Hard Mount Phase II High Flow D5 Enabled Reservoir and Pump - 120mm . It’s made for mounting to the back of the case but with the amount of space in the case, I have it mounted on a bracket to the floor.

I have a fairly large case right now (NZXT Phantom PHAN-001BK Black Steel / Plastic Enthusiast ATX Full Tower) but a ton of room it taken up by the 5.25 bays and it’s not really built for having a radiator in the case… I had to remove a lower HD bay to put the pump and res in.
I have a Blue Ray Player but… I so rarely use it, I’m thinking I’ll forgo the CD bays next time.

I should say that though I have 5 drives right now, when I buy a case, I'm moving to a large NVMe SSD and a few standard SSDs. Probably will not get a standard drive again.

Anyway, the actual questions are:
1) What case should I buy?
2) Should I drop to a duel radiator instead of a triple?
3) Should I keep my case but drop to a Duel radiator, so it fits?

View attachment 200241

As you can see, the radiator sits partly on my blue ray player and it doesn’t look nice there. The case is built to have the hoses leave the case from the back, up and into a slot where it would connect to a duel radiator on top that is covered with part of the case (refer to case specs if you’re interested). I’m not really interested in having the hoses leave my case.

If you do go new case and custom loop is the deal breaker and you really want to be able to use your 360 or maybe even larger or multiple. This is a great one:

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352080&ignorebbr=1

 

[habbajabba]

New box. I looked at the top of the case and other than putting 3 120's there (or 2 280's) blowing down, it's a terrible case design for that rad, or any rad really. As big as it is there's no room for front intake rad air flow unless you can move the hd tray completely out of the way.

 

[GlCustard]

New box. I looked at the top of the case and other than putting 3 120's there (or 2 280's) blowing down, it's a terrible case design for that rad, or any rad really. As big as it is there's no room for front intake rad air flow unless you can move the hd tray completely out of the way.

I assume you talking about my current box (NZXT Phantom)? If so, then yea, not a good case for my rad. Duel raid up top would work great. It is not meant for any rad size up front but it does have plenty of air flow from all sides. I've had this box for a while and its a great case for air flow.. just not for the triple rad.

 

[GlCustard]

Has any of you done anything with the LIAN LI PC-O11 Dynamic?

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112583

 

[Scu84St3v3420]

Has any of you done anything with the LIAN LI PC-O11 Dynamic?

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112583

That is another great choice for custom liquid cooling loops... For me it would be between the O11 and the Define R6 for a custom loop, both are designed with custom liquid cooling in mind.

 

[GlCustard]

That is another great choice for custom liquid cooling loops... For me it would be between the O11 and the Define R6 for a custom loop, both are designed with custom liquid cooling in mind.

I ask b/c I think I'm narrowing it down between the LIAN LI PC-O11 Dynamic and the LIAN LI ALPHA ALPHA 550X (https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIAFST6V10078)

I really love the look, shape, and size of the PC-O11 minus one tiny thing. There isn't a real vertical GPU option. There is, but it replaces all the Horizontal slots. I'd have to give up my sound card and 10GB NIC if I were to use it. I MUCH prefer the look of the PC-O11 but the 550X has a vert option that keeps all my horizontal options too....

Anyone have any thoughts on that?

 

[Scu84St3v3420]

I ask b/c I think I'm narrowing it down between the LIAN LI PC-O11 Dynamic and the LIAN LI ALPHA ALPHA 550X (https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIAFST6V10078)

I really love the look, shape, and size of the PC-O11 minus one tiny thing. There isn't a real vertical GPU option. There is, but it replaces all the Horizontal slots. I'd have to give up my sound card and 10GB NIC if I were to use it. I MUCH prefer the look of the PC-O11 but the 550X has a vert option that keeps all my horizontal options too....

Anyone have any thoughts on that?

See for me personally, the 550 vs the O11 is like the difference between a spoiler on a honda civic vs one on a formula one car, one is looks the other is functionality... the O11 is the easy winner for functionality vs the 550X. The R6 I linked has a similar feature to the 550 for vert mounting your GPU, but has the functionality to go with it... Again the O11 and the R6 are the two best examples I've seen to date for custom loop cooling solutions. Also this case should get a mention as well:

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA2F84SR9163

I would personally chose between the 303 C, PC-O11 Dynamic and Define R6 based on my needs, but at the end of the day it's going to be what best suits your needs.

 

[GlCustard]

This is the GPU riser mod for this case (or at least one the made by them). There are 3 PCI-E slots at the top... I haven't seen a picture of anyone doing it yet but does that mean it can leave room for my 10Gig NIC and Sound card and still be able to use the vert riser?


All the pictures I've seen of people using riser cables, also include a lower Rad (which I'm not planning on doing). The lower rad and Vert riser, block all PCI slots. I'm hoping that this mod will actually allow some use of the top slots.

Has one one seen a picture of this in use?