Case recommendations!

[xPETEZx]

So I am thinking I might benefit from a more air-flow friendly case than my current Fractal Design Define 7 Compact.

I currently have it setup with 4x QL140mm fans (2x front 2x top) and 1x QL120 at the back.

Temps on system in sig are fine, (81 CPU / 71 GPU ~give or take) but the GPU fans tend to spin up to 1500-1600rpm, which gets noisy.

I am thinking a case which has intake fans directly below the GPU would help this.

Ideally Id like to re-use as many of my QL fans as possible. So things like the 4000D or 5000D would be out, as Id need a bunch of 120s to make the front look good.(I know you can fit 2x 140, but it doesn't line up with the cut outs properly..)

However one case that would fit the bill is the Corsair 680x.
I would be able to re-use all 4x of my QL140, going with 2 in the bottom and 2 in the top. (+3 new fans in that come with it in the front...)


Anybody have the 680x and can comment on it? It seems ideally need to remove the front glass on it.
I like a compact case, which I know the 680x isnt. But perhaps my hardware is just too hot for a small case now...

Any other suggestions for a case would be very welcome

 

[xPETEZx]

I have a 680x and have replace both front and top glass as temps with them are dire
I got a couple of replacement panels from Coldzero and now is perfect

How does it look with them just removed?

Got any pictures you could share with your replacements?

 

[xPETEZx]

If you're looking to increase airflow, I'd have thought your number 1 criteria would be a mesh front instead of glass.

How about the Lian Li 215. Looks like it has everything you asked for.

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/lian...ower-argb-tempered-glass-black-ca-78k-ll.html

Interesting!

The pictures show 2 fans mounted on the PSU shroud, but the description makes no mention of those as mount options.

With a PSU mounted right below, cant imagine they get much air anyway?

 

[xPETEZx]

Just found the Antec P120, which looks like a nice case. The fact it comes with no fans isn't an issue for me at all, a plus if anything.
But the lack of a front USB-C port seems a glaring omission on a premium product.

 

[xPETEZx]

I personally wouldn't bother trying to modify a poorly designed case to fit your needs, just buy a case that works out of the box.



Would just look into a 0-11D instead personally.

I like the O11D, but it wont fit my Dark Rock 4 Pro cooler. (I think the XL might... but thats massive for no good reason for me...)
It also doesnt take 140mm fans as far as I can tell, so id need to sell my 4x QL140s along with the case...

With the noisy / temps on the VRAM of this 3090fe... I am tempted to finally do a custom water loop. If I did that Id love to use an 011D with the side distro plate and 2x360 rads.
Just not sure I can stomach the near £1k+ cost to do all that... :|

 

[xPETEZx]

Meshify 2?

Yea I have thought that... its everything I love about the Define 7 (same insides) but with mesh front.
Such a shame the front panels cant just be swapped :|

 

[xPETEZx]

Many a case with mesh front will help thermal performance although the 140mm setup you're aiming for naturally narrows the field a bit, not that i think that's a bad thing (that's my preference to). Another consideration might be the BeQuiet Silent Base 802, even if the bottom intake isn't as good as the Meshify 2 it could be argued you may not need the additional bottom intake quite as much with a front mesh case anyway (and i think the build quality overall should make it a serious contender).

I kinda dismissed the 802 when I originally was looking for a case. But Perhaps I was too hasty. Looking at it again now... it does not look a bad option.
Im not a fan of large cases, but this would allow the option of going custom loop down the road without having space issues...

I am about to order new thermal pads for my 3090fe, see if thats enough.

 

[xPETEZx]

I'm fairly sure it would fit, it's quite a deep case. Have you read the dimensions? That cooler isn't that big.

I looked on PC part picker completed builds, and filtered by Dark Rock 4 PRo and O11d, and no results.
If I include the XL, then I get some results.

The regular 11D cant fit a 120mm fan on the rear either, as its too narrow. My current case has a 120mm at the rear, and the glass only just closes.

 

[xPETEZx]

O11 XL will fit. Tried, works.
The second outer fan, if installed offset, to allow taller RAM, still allow installation.

Yea I saw the XL fits. But I am not a fan of large cases at all. Especially when they are not filled, not a fan of the "lost hardware" look. (Hence going with the 7 Compact originally )

I think ill try re-pad my 3090, see if that brings noise / temps down enough that I keep the Compact.
Next step would be to see if I could get filters cut into the front panel. (Have some custom design ideas... just not sure how cheap it is to get done.)

Lastly, if a re-pad and open front don't help (or I cant get an open front done) I think ill go down the route of doing a full custom water loop in an regular O11D. As often as they are done, it looks awesome with that side distro plate and 2x 360 rads.

Thanks for all the ideas so far.

 

[xPETEZx]

Welp, decided to run a quick set of 2x tests.

First, I left the case stock with front panel on. Ran 30 minutes of Prime95 & PureRayTracing Bench on loop. (Heaven wasnt getting GPU hot enough fast enough...)

Recorded numbers. Let rig cool down for another 30 minutes, then ran the same tests again with the front panel removed. Interesting stats below:

https://ibb.co/nrHHtP4

So the GPU temps don't change much, 2 degrees on max and average. GPU fan speed drops 100rpm, so again not huge.

CPU gains a fair bit of a drop, 9 degree of max and 6 degree off the average. Nearly 10%! And the CPU fan speed drops 15% on the average.

nVME also gets a nice 5%~ drop in temps.

Im not sure why, but the chipset gets the biggest temp drop of all. Still the fan does not kick in on either run, so this one isnt so important to me.

My main goal is silence. So the much lower CPU fan RPM are the biggest welcome here.

I am still not 100% set on a case yet, but the front runners are:

Meshify 2 Compact. (Possibly wait for the white one next month?)
Silent base 802
Lancool II Mesh (Kinda annoying the USB-C is £11+ extra...)

 

[xPETEZx]

Chipset temperature: Issue is the 3090.
Even watercooled, depending on what task or how close to 100% the GPU works or it's memory, more precisely, the heat around the 3090 irradiates, serious.
For benchmark, when was on air, pushing the GPU fans to "jet" mode (100%), the GPU would boost nicely and temperature for GPU Core was nice, very nice. Even the Backplate, if the airflow is excellent you can get away without throttling, but the area next to the GPU, there's only so much you can do.
At the time I was using the O11 AIR, 12 Fans, but even the airflow almost a wind tunnel, wasn't fast enough to avoid the area next to the 3090 to be affected.
I only decided to go back to a custom loop because I'm obsessed with low temperatures. For my CPU any good cooler or the excellent Arctic Freezer II was more than enough.
Sadly I wasn't too patient waiting for an AIO for GPU. Now there's few very interesting options around.

Back to the case options, specially as you need to keep your GPU nice and cool (as possible), I would recommend a case with bottom intake.
Just make sure the bottom intake allows plenty of air in, as some cases don't make proper use of it (O11 regular size) or my previous Phanteks Enthoo Primo.
The Lancool II mesh should be a great case, same for the Lian Li Lancool 215.

I keep toying with idea of doing my first full custom loop.

Id like a case with fans direct below the GPU, but those are kinda few. Lancool II Mesh is one of them, but not sure how much cool air those fans get, given the PSU is in the space right below them. Also not sure I like the glass back side. And that the USB-C is extra.

Also feel bad buying new case when I already have one... Im very lazy with selling (cant be bothered with eBay!)
Have had a decent monitor on FB market for a month and just nothing but silly offers :|

 

[xPETEZx]

Finally made a decision.
Order a Lancool 2 Mesh Performance from OCUK just now. Kind of sucks you need to buy the USB-C connector separately but eh... £108 all in isn't bad value.