Case and Cooling options

marcus2704 · 30 May 2015 at 20:13

My current spec is as follows -

nVidea GeForce Titan Z
Intel Core I7-4790K
EVGA SuperNova G2 850W '80 Plus Gold' Modular Power Supply
Gigabyte H97M-D3H Micro ATX motherboard
16GB Corsair Vengeance RAM

I would like to buy a new case and proper cooling components for my existing kit. I have done basic builds in the past but am by no means an expert, and would like this one to be that extra bit special and am hoping you can help finalize my build.

I like the look of the Corsair Carbide 540 High Airflow ATX Cube Case Arctic White case which I have seen in rigs elsewhere on OCUK that look great - https://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-168-CS&tool=3

Assuming that choice is a good one, I also need cooling and was looking at Corsair Hydro H100i GTX 240mm High Performance Liquid CPU Cooler - https://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-032-CS

Are these good choices for case & cooling?
Is it worth replacing the stock fans with alternates?
Is there anything else I should add to the list, for example cable management?

I appreciate any feedback

mahius · 30 May 2015 at 23:23

Go for the H110i instead, bigger rad and just all round better performance for literally a quid more. The Carbide 540 comes with AF140 fans which are pretty good. Consider getting more to fill the other slots.

Edit: Titan Z? Is that even a thing? I've never heard of such a card before. There's the original Titan, Titan Black and Titan X I know of. I would have expected the Titan Z to be the next Titan after the Titan X. Or maybe a Titan Y first?

Verk · 30 May 2015 at 23:52

Titan Z was a thing. Basically 2 titans on one card.

Noxvayl · 30 May 2015 at 23:58

I love the new Fractal Design Define S, awesome case for water cooling and without any drive cags in the front you can have exceptional air cooling as well.

So long as Silverstone, Coolermaster and Corsair don't release something similar I will be buying that as my next case.

MrMD · 31 May 2015 at 00:30

mahius said:
Go for the H110i instead, bigger rad and just all round better performance for literally a quid more. The Carbide 540 comes with AF140 fans which are pretty good. Consider getting more to fill the other slots.

Edit: Titan Z? Is that even a thing? I've never heard of such a card before. There's the original Titan, Titan Black and Titan X I know of. I would have expected the Titan Z to be the next Titan after the Titan X. Or maybe a Titan Y first?

It got forgotton because a few weeks later AMD launced the 295x2 for less than half the price

marcus2704 · 31 May 2015 at 09:54

mahius said:
Go for the H110i instead, bigger rad and just all round better performance for literally a quid more. The Carbide 540 comes with AF140 fans which are pretty good. Consider getting more to fill the other slots.

Edit: Titan Z? Is that even a thing? I've never heard of such a card before. There's the original Titan, Titan Black and Titan X I know of. I would have expected the Titan Z to be the next Titan after the Titan X. Or maybe a Titan Y first?

Thanks Ill change for the H110i instead.

With the two front fans and rear fan included, the H110i at the top, would there be any other slots for more fans?

I bought the Titan Z privately a short while back, nice card

marcus2704 · 1 Jun 2015 at 12:45

Noxvayl said:
I love the new Fractal Design Define S, awesome case for water cooling and without any drive cags in the front you can have exceptional air cooling as well.

That really is a nice looking case!

I would be looking at getting that along with an H110i CPU cooler.

The case comes with two Fractal Design Dynamic GP14 fans, are these quiet and should I purchase any additional fans for this case?

Is there anything else that should be on my shopping list?

Noxvayl · 1 Jun 2015 at 14:19

I have no experience with their fans, but I have not read anything to say they are loud. The case is designed with sound dampening so sound was a key design condition, I expect them to be silent.

At the very least I would get some more 140mm fans to mount in the front of the case to make sure you have more air coming in than going out.

marcus2704 · 1 Jun 2015 at 16:17

Noxvayl said:
I have no experience with their fans, but I have not read anything to say they are loud. The case is designed with sound dampening so sound was a key design condition, I expect them to be silent.

At the very least I would get some more 140mm fans to mount in the front of the case to make sure you have more air coming in than going out.

Thank you so much for your help

I believe I am getting there but once again my indecision has caused me to change my mind about the case again.. this forum is deadly, once you make up your mind on something you spot another amazing rig that sends you back to the drawing board again

My plan is to buy:
NZXT H440 Midi - Tower Case - White £89.99
Corsair Hydro H110i GT 280mm Extreme Performance Liquid CPU Cooler £99.95

This would compliment my existing components which are:
nVidea GeForce Titan Z
Intel Core I7-4790K
EVGA SuperNova G2 850W '80 Plus Gold' Modular Power Supply
Gigabyte H97M-D3H Micro ATX motherboard
16GB Corsair Vengeance RAM

Am I all set, or is there anything else I should add to the list?

Danny75 · 1 Jun 2015 at 16:26

Why don't you buy an overclocking (Z97) motherboard, so that the H110i GT cooler doesn't feel pointless?

For the price of that AIO, you could buy a Z97 mobo and a decent air cooler.

Noxvayl · 1 Jun 2015 at 17:02

I have to agree with Danny75, you can get the Noctua NH-D15 which is a high performing air cooler that runs more silent than AIO liquid coolers for less than the Corsair Hydro H110i.

His motherboard does allow overclocking btw, so no need to change that.

If you want very silent operation and very good cooling performance air coolers are better than AIO solutions like the Corsair hydro series. And by better I mean keep the CPU within 1 or 2°C of the very best AIO coolers while producing less noise, and don't forget they are significantly cheaper than AIO coolers.

marcus2704 · 1 Jun 2015 at 17:05

Danny75 said:
Why don't you buy an overclocking (Z97) motherboard, so that the H110i GT cooler doesn't feel pointless?

For the price of that AIO, you could buy a Z97 mobo and a decent air cooler.

I am able to OC my motherboard, but is a Z97 upgrade still worthwhile?

I picked out the below, mainly due to the white/black aesthetic which is in keeping with the theme I want for my build:

MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition Intel Z97 (Socket 1150) DDR3 ATX Motherboard
https://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-279-MS&groupid=701&catid=5&subcat=2811

Noxvayl · 1 Jun 2015 at 17:34

marcus2704 said:
I am able to OC my motherboard, but is a Z97 upgrade still worthwhile?

No, not worth spending money on a Z97 board. The one you have is more than good enough to overclock your CPU.

It is worth considering an air cooler though, less expensive and produce less noise than AIO liquid coolers while performing pretty much the same (within 2°C).