First off i will put the entire system spec down so you have a better understanding of what im dealing with. This is my main gaming rig, in the house i also have a media server, laptop and 2 HTPC's but im happy with their configs atm. Corsair 800D case Intel i5 2500k cpu Asus P8P67 Evo mobo 8GB Corsair Vengence (Why are these so damn tall!?) MSI GTX 570 Twin FrozR II Corsair HX520 PSU (Very faithful psu which is why i have so much faith in corsair products) Intel X25-M 80GB SSD Samsung F3 1tb hdd Corsair h100 mounted in the roof with 4x 120mm noctua fans in push/pull config (Idle cpu temp @ 26-30) 1x 120 sharkoon at the rear 1x 140mm xigmatek at the bottom 1x Corsair 140mm (i think..) on the hdd's Zalman ZM-MFC1 plus fan controller I also have a Corsair H50 sat here that ive just upgraded from to the H100 The way im thinking atm is bigger isnt always better, the case is HUGE, dont get me wrong its a pleasure to build in as its so easy, and its easy to hide the cables etc but its massive. I dont really use the sata hotswap as i have an external docking station should i need to check any customers drives etc, although im putting together a "test" pc so to speak out of spare bits i have for that. Im thinking i can sell the 800D and the Asus P8P67 Evo mobo and buy a nice smaller case and a nice MATX mobo. Now case wise i havent really looked at anything, mobo i really like is the Asus MAXIMUS IV GENE-Z . Anybody recommend a smaller case, only requirements are it looks tha' bomb and is well made, im used to the likes of silverstone/lian li etc so quality is a must for me, dont worry about price, i just want the system to be nice. It must have good airflow as i like to keep temps to a minimum, i understand theres a fine line to be drawn between case size and airflow, so a happy medium would have to suffice. CPU cooler..will i be able to use my H100 in a smaller case ? I have seen a few smaller cases with a h100 fitted, only fitted with 2 fans though instead of the 4 push pull i have atm...i could always lose the 4 fans and replace them with 2 better fans ? Or use the H50 i already own..as you can see i dont like getting rid of stuff Apologies for the long post guys/girls, just feel its easier to offer advice if you know the full story !
Depending whether you like the style, the Fractal Arc Mini can fit a H100 in the roof. I've just bought one for my next build and will probably use a H100 for the cooling. Neil
Will it fit with 2 or 4 fans on it ? Considering im using noctua fans now i could probably buy some decent fans and get away with just using 2 ?
A Lian Li A05N* would allow you to have an ATX or mATX mobo in pretty much the size of a mATX case. You should be able to fit the h100 in the roof or floor of the case (I haven't seen anyone do it with that particular unit, but I have seen 240 and 360 rads in the roof, and 240 rads in the floor). It is a nice quality case, not Lian Li's best (slightly flimsy roof panel is my main gripe about it) but it can be a pain to do cable management in unless you want to start doing custom length leads. EDIT- Actually, found someone who did do a h100 in the roof- http://www.overclock.net/14704249-post1724.html
The silverstone ft03 is the best matx case IMO and the gene-z looks pretty good too. The cooling won't be much worse (if at all) compared to your 800d and your 570 should fit. Edit: need to remember to read thread fully a h100 will probably not be possible but the h50 would
What coolers can you get away with in the FT03, i was looking at that, its an interesting design. Suppose i could flog the H100, only had it a few weeks.
There are some pics over on overclockers.co.uk forum of an Arc Mini with a H100 in the roof. Looking at the space with a Maximus IV Gene you could probably put 4 fans on there. Clicky: http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?p=19880258 Neil
Yeah ive been looking at that, its a shame you cant use the rear 120mm fan if you fit a 240mm rad in the top..wonder how it would go if you had the tubes at the front end of the case instead of the rear, might be able to fit the rear 120mm fan there then.
I did this last week. Went from a full ATX set up to the Gene Z and FT03. Couldn't be happier once I'd resolved an issue with incompatible RAM - your Vengeance RAM is what I ended up with. I'm not sure if the H100 would fit - I've gone back to air cooling after getting fed up with a H80 in my old Fractal R3. That said, a H80 would probably fit in the top 120mm fan bay, with one fan on the 'outside', but still under the grille on top of the case.
You could try with the tubing at the front of the case, I don't see any reason why it would be a problem. Alternatively get something like a Scythe Slipstream which is only 12mm thick in the back of the case. Neil
For price the fractal design arc mini is excellent. If you want to go all out there is nothing but the FT03.
Builds dont look as neat in the FT03 though, and theres no way to mount the H100, it just looks as though its too cramped imo
Nowt wrong with FT03 builds, all the cabling is hidden behind the motherboard just like every other case...just happens the HDs are there too.
