Case advice for dual 280mm radiators

CageyH

CageyH

CageyH

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28 Nov 2011
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Does anybody have any experience with fitting dual 280mm radiators in a PC case?
I currently have them fitted in an R5,but it is a tight fit. I am after a bit more space to make maintenance and fiddling easier.

I am not into RGB, and don’t particularly want a windowed case as I went down the water cooling path in order to have a quiet PC.

I am currently cooling a lightly overclocked i7-6700k and a Sapphire RX480 Nitro + OC 8 Gb.
The radiators are an EK CE 280mm and a Hardware labs GTS 280mm. Fans are a mix of EK Vardar and Noctua, with the GTS in push mode and the EK in push/pull.

Clearance is tight in the R5, with only a couple of mm spare above the motherboard where the GTS is fitted. It is a similar story at the front, where the EK CE only just fits below the ODD cage where my mechanical HDDs are stored.

There are two additional fans in the case, both Noctua redux 120mm. The exhaust is a really tight fit in the case, and can only be fitted using the Noctua silicon mounts, as the screw holes do not align.

I was thinking along the lines of the Enthoo Primo, but to be honest, the less I spend on the case, the better. It is tucked under the desk, out of sight.

I am looking for a case with good storage capacity for mechanical HDDs and SSDs. It has to fit the twin radiators, and have space for the EK pump/res combo, and allow me to fit a few more fans to possibly improve the airflow.

My priority is quiet water cooling if at all possible.
Does anybody have any suggestions of what to look at?
 
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I forgot to add, I will be using the R5 for a music streamer/HTPC build.
This is the main reason for looking for a bigger/different case.
 
If it's designed to be quiet and you need some, can't go wrong with bequiet cases. They're roomy but not massive, and come with sound insulation. I have a Pure Base 600 with a 360mm in the front and a single 120mm in rear. There's room for a 360mm radiator in top although I haven't checked RAM/motherboard clearance.
 
Might be a stupid question, but have you considered upgrading to the Fractal R6 TG case?

I've had both the R5 and R6 (recent upgrade). The R6 definitely has a better layout and is larger, only problem might be the mechanical hard drives and perhaps clearance at the top by the motherboard.

Otherwise the Phanteks Evolv ATX TG is always a good choice ;0
 
Yes, I have considered the R6, but discounted it as I don't think I will gain much over the R5. Please correct me if I am wrong.
I only currently have two 3.5" HDDs, which I think will fit in the R6? There is also a 2.5"and an M2 SSD.
It all fits in the R5, just.....

44325447041_374ef4ca5c_z_d.jpg


It is very tight between the front radiator and the ODD bays, the fans and the I/O shield of the motherboard and the fans and the memory.

Since this picture was taken, I have added a second Noctua Redux 120mm fan in the bottom. The cables are also a little tidier. As far as the performance goes, I love it as it is almost silent!
It is not pretty, but as I don't have a windowed case, I don't care. :eek:
I also realise that I could make the loop simpler as the loop order does not matter, and I will change that when I change the fluid, add a drain and a fill port in there somewhere.
This is part the reason of looking at a new case, as if I have to change things about, I may as well do the job properly.

As for the Phanteks, I was looking at the Enthoo Primo, as the radiator clearance looks awesome. As for the suggestion for the Evolv ATX, it is not one I had considered, so thanks for the suggestion. I shall go and have a look at it now.
I also considered the 750D Airflow, a Thermaltake Core X9 and the Corsair Air 740. I have enough space between my desk and my Trak Racer RS6 to sneak it in.
 
Nice setup. You'd be able to accommodate all of your drives in the R6 with the alternative water cooling layout. Also the shroud is very nice for keeping the cables and drives tidy. You might want to stick a tape measure next to your R5 to see how much room you will gain with the R6. Like I said, I was surprised at how much an improvement it is, both in terms of quality and space. It is heavy though ;0 (sign of reliability lol)

The 750D is old, but still a goody ;0. I got a beater off gumtree, that I had intended to mod, but never got around to it. Definitely has a decent amount of space and is very open. But the build quality is nowhere near as good as Fractal. It feels flimsy in comparison.
 
Also meant to mention that the Corsair Air 740, might be a problem with the thickness of the radiators, depending on where you would like to place them. I also remember from the KitGuru review that space is tight in the rear for mounting a pump / res. But I like the case too ;0
 
I think you are right about the Air 740, so that is removed from my list.
I also think the the Core X9 could be tight between the motherboard and a radiator in push/pull mode.
 
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I had another look at the R6. It seems a little better but I still have concerns about HDD storage, or the lack of if I want to fit my current loop. Sure, there is enough for now, but one of my drives is almost full, so I will be needing another soon. It is a shame as I really like my R5.
I looked at a Dark Base 900 as well (due to lack of window) and it seemed that tomfit radiators, you need to remove HDD storage space. Only a few manufacturers seem to have got the balance right for my needs - at a sensible price point.

I think I will end up with either a Core X71 or a Phanteks of some type. I just wish they had ones without windows!
 
The core X71 looks interesting. I could mount a 280mm 45mm radiator in the lower chamber, blowing hot air out of the side of the case and a 280mm radiator in the top of the case in a push config.
I believe that the PSU can still be mounted in the lower chamber. This means I could keep the drive cages at the front, and mount the reservoir/pump horizontally below the motherboard?
More research is required. It does not look as nice as the Phanteks case though...
 
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After much reading, I am going to order the Enthoo Primo.
I don't need to compromise with anything with this case. Everything else just seemed awkward or compromised to fit what I want in, or I did not like the look of it. ;)
 
Good choice mate, you'll have plenty of room :). I would love to get that case, but I just don't have the space at the moment...

Phanteks cases are great in my opinion, normally very well thought out for water cooling. Send a pic once it's complete ;0
 
I just checked the dimensions of the R6 vs R5 and there is very little in it.

The R5 is 232 x 451 x 521 mm
The R6 is 233 x 465 x 543 mm

Not enough difference to upgrade to an R6 if you want more space. Starting from scratch, yes, why not.

The Enthoo Primo is 250 x 600 x 650 mm.

The biggest decision now is what colour combo?
I am quite tempted by the Black/White version.
 
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I have ordered the black/white Primo SE.
Just need to sort out some soft tubing now.

I am thinking of some black tubing. Either Tygon of some type or some UV reactive stuff.
I am not interested in hard tubing yet, as it all seems a bit labour intensive, and requires new fittings.
 
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Yes hardline is more labour intensive and can be more difficult to drain / maintain etc. But does look nice I think.

Can't say that I've ever used Tygon, however I've used UV dye before in the past almost light up the entire room ;0.
 
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