Picking a Case

dill

dill

dill

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Joined
22 Oct 2014
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2
Hello everyone,

I just wanted to ask a question that I've been thinking about a bit lately. (sorry if it's a stupid question but bear with me)

I'd like to preface this by saying that I've done a few successful WC builds in the past, my latest one being in a Fractal Arc Mini, so I know how getting everything set up works. However, for me, the most frustrating part of any build, is picking a case.

I look at pictures and other builds and think about where to put radiators/reservoirs etc... and think I have it all sorted... except there's always complications. e.g. a hard drive cage that's slightly bigger than I thought, or the fans have clips instead of screws or something like that. I inevitably have to do a bit of modding or compromise in areas to get everything to fit.

My question is, is this just part of the process or am I doing it wrong. I feel, (just by looking at this forum and other sources) there's people out there that can achieve much more professional looking results. When I do things I feel like I'm just sizing things up by eye and making a "best guess" whether it will go together or not.

Is there a more scientific method of doing things that I'm just missing or is it just trial and error and a bit of informed guesswork?

Again, sorry if this comes across as stupid.

Matt.
 
I guess you just figure out how much rad space you want/need and then use that to narrow down your options. Having a good idea of what you want to achieve is pretty useful with making that decision and like you say, the willingness to mod if necessary is always a plus point, as cases that tick every box for every person are rare.
For example, I'm currently using a test bench and will probably end up doing a scratch build as I can't find anything I really like.

Looking at what other people have done is a good way to get ideas
 
Pretty much every case is modded slightly for a watercooling build. The wide range of options for WC parts makes designing a case for everyone impossible without it being stupid huge.

For example my H440 has 3 holes drilled in the bottom for mounting my pump and reservoir and I have snapped off a chunk of plastic from my front panel so that it will go on.
 
Dunno bout you but £200 for a case still seems like a small fortune.

Not to mention that full towers are stupid massive to me :)
 
MilanoChris said:
No modding needed in my Phanteks Enthoo Primo, I have one triple and one quad rad in there right now.
Click to expand...

Using one 560 Phobya radiator 4x140mm low rpm fans externally free standing here, far easier to build better cooling, easy to maintain and cheaper to build.

Alphacool NexXxoS XT45 560mm Quad Radiator : Full CopperDimensions (LxWxH)607mm x 144mm x 45mm for about £90 with
4xAerocool Dark Force Fan - Black - 140mm £6.98 inc VAT each.

If you put the fans set to Pull its a quiter optain than Push due to the air not being forced through the rad.

Look at the money saved when mounting the rad externally alone something like a Raijintek Agos Midi Tower - Black £39.95 inc VAT
would do the job, compared to a Phanteks Enthoo Primo Full Tower Case £199.99 inc VAT mentioned above.

Its well worth considering making your custom loop far cheaper option to build.:)
 
Disco_P said:
Dunno bout you but £200 for a case still seems like a small fortune.

Not to mention that full towers are stupid massive to me :)
Click to expand...

If you consider that there's nothing to match it for radiator space and features without spending a lot more, it is a relative bargain.

OLDPHART, that is true, but not everyone is happy running external rads :) I'm cool with it myself, but you can see the appeal of having it all in the case.
 
ive got a fractal arc midi 2 and to fit 2 x 240mm rads and accomodate the pump and psu cables the only mod i had to do was drill holes for the bottom hdd cage in between the existing mounting options. was hoping i could get a 120mm in the rear as i already had one but it wouldnt fit with the 240 in the roof. i wouldve gone for a much bigger case but at the time i was limited by height so my choice was more along the lines of getting the most radiators in a case under 480mm high and the fractal was the best option.

the fractal case also has offset rad mounting in the roof so it easily clears the motherboard (which can be a problem on some cases) and allows for a thick rad and push/pull if your ram isnt really tall.
 
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