High end case for watercooling?

Hades

Hades

Hades

Man of Honour
Joined
19 Oct 2002
Posts
29,751
Location
Surrey
I'm thinking of moving to watercooling. One option is to fit a kit to my CM 111 (external rad, etc). Or another is to consider a different case and try to fit it all inside. It needs to be something similar in quality to the 111.


Radiators

I'll be cooling a dual core opty, chipset and gfx... all overclocked of course. So a single rad won't be sufficient. It needs to be able to take a dual 120 rad or possibly two single 120's.


Size

I'd prefer it similar in size to my 111 as it's sitting under a small desk at the moment. I've got about 50cm clearance in height although if the right case demanded it then I'd just buy a new desk too :) (or rip this silly drawer off!)


Price

Not really an issue for the right case.


Can anyone recommend anything?
 
Last edited:
Thanks. I thought as much. One of the problems I have with the 111 is I need an external rad hanging off the back and spoiling its looks... and to cut two holes in it for the tubes. That's almost heresy to cut up an old ATC :)

Good lord I just looked at the current CM range and they are all damn fugly :eek: How the mighty have fallen :(

I take it you're not a fan of the Tt Tai Chi which seems to get decent reviews?
 
Last edited:
Yewen said:
HAHA!
I seriously recommend you avoid the Tai Chi at all costs, especially the one with built in 'kettle/water cooling'. :p
Click to expand...

I missed this the first time through...

Read, understood, and acted upon (won't buy one!) Thanks.
 
I considered a radbox but the 500 idea is very interesting. I'd probably still have to cut a pair of holes in the 111 for the tubes though. I've found a place selling one for £57 (not looked long). Is this a fair price or are they cheaper now? Obviously don't tell me where, just roughly how much would be considered expensive for this discontinued item.

Doesn't the 500 only have 80mm fans though? Ideally I'd like 120mm rads so I'm assuming you mean cut it up? Wouldn't that be just as criminal as cutting the 111? It's an old skool ATCS after all. Even if it is a pint sized one?
 
This is tempting. Time is the problem for me. I don't have that much apart from evenings so it would take years to make it :) But very tempting nonetheless.

Wouldn't the Silverstone SG-01 be a better candidate as it's smaller? Or another alternative similar in size to the 500 could be the TJ08. More money though. But I like the size of the SG-01.

I had a quick look at the TJ07. It's a pity I don't like the front styling as otherwise that looks a superb case for watercooling. The two side 120mm fans look perfect.
 
Just noticed the TJ08 has two 120mm fans already so customising it would be easier than the 500.

ANother thougth crossed my mind - with the Silverstones there are USB ports and audio ports on the front. It would be fairly simply to connect them up from the main PC and use them as a breakout box. So that would make the mini PC not only a radbox but an LCD display, a USB hub and an audio breakout box.

I like this idea. I like it a lot :)
 
USB should be fine. The 111 is on the floor and the 500 could sit on the desk above it. I like the power button idea.

I may give it a go. I was thinking about making a radbox anyway and this is a good starting point. I think the SG-01 is out. I'd need a pair of 120's.

Would you suggest a seperate power supply in the small PC? I was thinking more along the lines of running a cable from the 111. And what about the res and pump? In the 500 or the 111?

This is probably all a pipe dream. I really don't have the time and I've never modded a case or setup watercooling :)

I assume you're not planning to cut up your 500 when it arrives? Or are you planning this project?
 
There would be plenty of room in the 500 for a twin cooling loop too: one for the CPU and one for the gfx card(s) and chipset. Apart from price is there any reason to choose the 500 over the TJ08 which already has the two 120mm fans?
 
Yes all good points. The 120mm fan issue is that I wouldn't have to mod the case to fit a twin 120 rad. Instead I could just get two single 120 rads and mount them.

I've also noticed that the 500 and TJ08 are almost identical in height and width, but the TJ08 is not as long. This could be another advantage because the smaller the better really.

Still tempted by that 500 price though.
 
Good lord you've got me thinking now about buying two 500's to sit either side of the monitor: one with the PC components and one as the cooling unit. Only reason it seems a bad idea is I love the 111 too much :D

Hmmm, going to have to think this one through a bit. It sounds like too much work for me but it would be good if someone adopted the idea. Probably the only way to reasonably get a decent rad in there though is to mount it in the top or side.

Thanks for the excellent discussion. I'll sleep on it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom