SUMMARY: Adding a BE Cooling double radiator to the InWIn Q500 results in a very nice self-contained water cooling system.
I like the InWin Q500 tower case a lot; I like the roominess and the slide-out motherboard tray. I also like the price – I can usually find these at a local computer show for under $100 with a good 300 watt power supply. Other cases may have slide out drive rails etc., but for the price I think this is a solid buy.
I always thought about converting one to water cooling, and when Ed Stroligo asked me about water cooling, we decided to add it to his Q500. I looked at the case for a while with different radiators and configurations (radiator in the front, a “blow hole” fit etc.) and finally decided the easiest and simplest was a rear mount.
I found that BE Cooling’s twin radiator was a perfect fit for rear mounting – I actually had room left over! Here’s how I did it:
- Place the radiator on the fan.
- Position the fan and radiator on the inside back of the case, allowing for power supply and hose clearances.
- Trace the 120 mm fan’s outline on the inside back of the case.
- Find the center of the outline just traced.
- Drill a center hole and then draw a circle on the back of the case to fit the fan’s diameter.
- Use a jig saw with a metal blade to cut out the circle.
- Drill four holes corresponding to the fan’s mounting holes; drill some holes for zip ties to mount the radiator onto the bolted fan.
- Bolt the fan to the inside back of the case.
- Using zip ties, mount the radiator to the bolted fan.
That’s pretty much it – I did add a 90mm fan to the front as well for added intake air. This installation is compact and has a lot of cooling potential for it size.
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