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Best case for gaming and water cooling?

C

CrossFireXT17

Junior Member
well I'm going to be building a computer later this year and I decided Iwould start lookin around at stuff and watch for price drops and what not. Right now I'm just trying to find a good case I can use to be like a "hard core" gaming machine. I was hoping for a side window and also a screens omwhere (For fans, temeperature, whatever). I also am going to be using SLI and hopig to water cool it all. Does anyone have any recomnedations? I want something that looks pretty sweet, and newegg seems to hvae cases that I've been seeing for like the past 5 years
 
maybe a thermaltake armor or a coolemaster stacker, both around $140. Full tower, lots of room, should be great for water cooling. If you've got $$$ to drop, go witht the lian li v2000 full tower. Best cooling available. Looks good too. By the way, welcome to the forums!
 
yea that thermaltake armor was actully the first one I was lookin at, and it didn't have a screen or anything, but I know I've seen screen addons that I guess I coul dbuy if I really wanted one that bad. Newegg had it high on its recomendation but then I googled it just now and got their main site http://www.thermaltake.com/xaserCase/armor/va8000swa/va8000swa.htm and that makes it look really impressive to me. Do you have any recomendations for water cooling supplies?
 
from my exp with thermaltake cases, i'd never buy another of their products again, unless they change their entire line of products to products with good quality and perform as expected. thermaltake and lian li shouldn't even be compared.
a beautifully looking, great cooling, and great quality case i'd look into the full tower cases from lian li
 
dont forget to check out the gigabyte aurora case. It has some nifty water cooling features built in.....

if you have a big budget, then i say check out the lian li V series and maybe even the Silverstone Temjin case.
 
Once I've gotten some other minor toys out of the way I'm going to bust out with one of these babies. All the room I crave PLUS ready-mounting of my 120.3. No cutting or meatballing needed.
 
Originally posted by: HardWarrior
Once I've gotten some other minor toys out of the way I'm going to bust out with one of these babies. All the room I crave PLUS ready-mounting of my 120.3. No cutting or meatballing needed.
Click to expand...

EYE HAYCHOO HW. Ive been eyeing that case for a while. Its hella expensive and if i had to chose that or the tai chi i think i would end up killing myself.

Personally, id ignore louis. He obviously hasnt tried any of the higher end TT cases. The armor is hands down one of the best cases i have ever owned. Its hugh, with lots and lots of room. The ability to also allow it to handle 11 bays plus 3 hard drives in the rear next to the psu makes it one of the most upgradable cases in the market. And ive had quite a FEW LL's to back this statement up. Compared to the same price ranged LL's the armor will win hands down in features and build. Only when you get to the expensive 170+ dollar LL's will you see noticible better build quility. But then again, put the tai chi with the server class LL's and the Tai Chi is a far better case for its value.

Also, the tai-chi screams watercooling more then any lian li's do. Just make sure u dont get one with a watercooling setup included, and just custom it. The side doors allows you to mount a 3x120mm radiator on the side door. The side door is hydrolic so it doesnt come off. I made a server for my dad's work with the tai chi. Inside i had more then enough room to cool 2 AMD's 1 video card and have the radiator + rez + pump mounted on the side door.

Also louis u have no experience in watercooling so how can u give advice on a case? Stop flaming products that u have no idea or concept of. Your just confusing the even more confused.
 
Originally posted by: tw33ter
this is the case for my watercooling I'm about to get.
Click to expand...

Unless it's radically different from the 75B expect to loose at least a couple of bays and not be able to use a shroud.

 
you might want to consider the thermaltake shark as well. Its gotten probably the best reviews out of any thermaltake product and I just found out it is full tower. It has that honycomb side that would be ideal for routing water tubing.
 
Originally posted by: HardWarrior
Originally posted by: tw33ter
this is the case for my watercooling I'm about to get.
Click to expand...

Unless it's radically different from the 75B expect to loose at least a couple of bays and not be able to use a shroud.
Click to expand...

I'm not planning on using a shroud anyway, and I only have 1 hard drive, 1 dvd burner, 1 dvd-rom and a floppy lol

PC-75B

Mine is going to be similar to that one with the rad up top, but with my psu at the bottom, with my hd below the floppy in the same bay area. My rad will be reversed with the tubes at the rear of the case, instead of at the front like in the pic. I'm taking out the case speaker (i never hook it up anyway), and putting both my pumps down in the bottom front area.
 
Originally posted by: tw33ter
Originally posted by: HardWarrior
Originally posted by: tw33ter
this is the case for my watercooling I'm about to get.
Click to expand...

Unless it's radically different from the 75B expect to loose at least a couple of bays and not be able to use a shroud.
Click to expand...

I'm not planning on using a shroud anyway, and I only have 1 hard drive, 1 dvd burner, 1 dvd-rom and a floppy lol

PC-75B

Mine is going to be similar to that one with the rad up top, but with my psu at the bottom, with my hd below the floppy in the same bay area. My rad will be reversed with the tubes at the rear of the case, instead of at the front like in the pic. I'm taking out the case speaker (i never hook it up anyway), and putting both my pumps down in the bottom front area.
Click to expand...

Just to let you know, he didnt install his video card in that picture. From the looks of it i dont think he is going to use a video card because the tubes apear it will kink if a video card is placed inside.

MAKE SURE U MESSURE 10X and CUT ONCE. well maybe not 10x but u get the idea. Once your set on your tube layout thats it! the only way you can change it is by changing the tube on the area you want to change. ALSO VERY IMPORTANT, once u setup your fans on the radiator, its going to be a PITA to change the fans as in push or pull config.

Other then that you'll have lots of fun. :]
 
alright sweet thanks for everything guys.... is there anything else u would recommend my case to have in order for it to be excellent for gaming?
 
If you are buying all the water components separatly, make sure you buy top of the line components. Go through the cases and cooling section of the forum. I remember coming across a thread in which someone suggested a top of the line configuration. Ill post the link if I find it.
 
It was this thread.
Originally posted by: TrevorRC
Since you don't pay [or care about] your electricity bill, here's what I'll suggest....
1) HD20 pump from Aquadirect ~100
2) Storm CPU block ~80
3) MP-1 GPU block ~45
4) If looks don't matter, grab a monster-core. MCR320 [Or one of the new HWLabs radiators] and a radgrillz] ~70
5) 1/2" ID tubing [3/4" OD!] Tygon or Primoflex... whatever you'd like. Just don't go to Lowe's.
6) 1 high-amperage single-rail PSU [PM me for a link.] ~150
7) 2 320W peltiers. ~50, most likely less.
8) Proper insulation/cold plate/etc.. ~20 bucks + a few hours of labor [yours.]

This would get you sub-zero [WAY sub-zero. Not quite phase change, but getting close.] You'd want to voltmod your GPU for this, too. This would be the best possible water-cooled [peltier cooled] system money could buy. Quiet too, if you used the right fans.


Then again, for an extra ~350 you could buy a phase system. Up to you.
If you wanted to cut the cost down a bit, drop the PSU and peltiers, then up the radiator to a PA 120.3. That's shave off a good 170 dollars. I just figured I'd stretch the budget 😉

Anything else?

--Trevor
Click to expand...



This was what TrevorRC posted regarding the top of the line cooling system. I'd PM him with questions as the thread may no longer be checked.

 
Originally posted by: acegazda
It was this thread.
Originally posted by: TrevorRC
Since you don't pay [or care about] your electricity bill, here's what I'll suggest....
1) HD20 pump from Aquadirect ~100
2) Storm CPU block ~80
3) MP-1 GPU block ~45
4) If looks don't matter, grab a monster-core. MCR320 [Or one of the new HWLabs radiators] and a radgrillz] ~70
5) 1/2" ID tubing [3/4" OD!] Tygon or Primoflex... whatever you'd like. Just don't go to Lowe's.
6) 1 high-amperage single-rail PSU [PM me for a link.] ~150
7) 2 320W peltiers. ~50, most likely less.
8) Proper insulation/cold plate/etc.. ~20 bucks + a few hours of labor [yours.]

This would get you sub-zero [WAY sub-zero. Not quite phase change, but getting close.] You'd want to voltmod your GPU for this, too. This would be the best possible water-cooled [peltier cooled] system money could buy. Quiet too, if you used the right fans.


Then again, for an extra ~350 you could buy a phase system. Up to you.
If you wanted to cut the cost down a bit, drop the PSU and peltiers, then up the radiator to a PA 120.3. That's shave off a good 170 dollars. I just figured I'd stretch the budget 😉

Anything else?

--Trevor
Click to expand...



This was what TrevorRC posted regarding the top of the line cooling system. I'd PM him with questions as the thread may no longer be checked.
Click to expand...

Trevor's a great guy whom I have no problem with, and a great deal of respect for, but a rig like this shouldn't have to be "suggested" to anyone, much less a new boy. If someone is ready for THIS degree of cooling and expense and tedious setup they've been around for a while and would need little if any advice.

Also, and this is just me, but I'd be weary, if I was new, of anyone who said I should just go right out and buy the best parts possible. Being that a new person may not even like or appreciate the results of water after a first go, it might be a better idea to go out and buy personal budget-specific parts that don't come at an extreme price point, or have high maintainence requirements.

 
yeah, agreed, the peltier cooling really complicates everything (and makes it expensive) but he said he wanted it to be "excellent for gaming" 😀
 
Originally posted by: HardWarrior
I have what qualifies as excellent gaming on my rig, without pelts. I just thought I'd toss in a yardstick. 🙂
Click to expand...

ahem ahem... the only difference between mine and his is im using the MCP220 swiftech rad and he's using thermochil. I still would not recomend a storm over the apogee unless u have high flow in your system. Also if your new i wouldnt get top of the line components unless u know exactly what you are doing. Top of the line usually requires more tweeking and tinkering, not to mention most storm users have to check and clean there block at least once a year, and draining a system is a serious PITA unless u use a petcock drain.

Also, you might want to concider t-line instead of a resivour. the T-Line could infact be a petcock drain if u possition it right.
 
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