I'm considering replacing my current case, a Corsair 200R, with something better to improve the temperature on the video cards since they run pretty toasty. The 980s are MSI gaming model so they're not blowing hot air outside of the case. 86 deg. C at full load with side panel on and 73 deg. C with side panel off and a box fan blowing into them makes me think I'm in need of a better case lol.
System:
- 4770k with Corsair H80, Asus Z87-A ATX mobo
- 2 * MSI GTX 980 Gaming - dual axial fans that exhaust hot air inside
- 2 HDD and 1 SSD.
- NO optical drive.
Right now I have 03 cases to consider (budget is ~$150, can go up to $200 if the case is exceptional), prefer simple and no frills looking case, I'm not a fan of leds and acrylic windows:
-SilverStone FT05 - would this work with vid cards that don't have centrifugal fans that blow hot air outside?
-Fractal Design Define R5
-Corsair Obsidian 750D
Any inputs will be greatly appreciated
I happen to be working on a similar problem or issue, but not because it's really a "problem" or "issue." I have two GTX 970s of the same design.
Unlike you, I use a single-tower heatpipe cooler for the CPU. But with an H80, there COULD be less of a difference -- or more of one.
Where did you mount the H80 radiator?
Did you add one or two side-panel fans to the 200R? What do you do with any remaining vents in the case?
Right away, I'd only suggest you take a look at this project and another Corsair case:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2408847&highlight=c70+4790k
This isn't necessarily a solution to your problem, but it might give you some ideas.
My own situation is a bit different. For two workstations and one server under my desk, I chose to "invest" in three HAF 922 cases, which permit installation of a 200mm fan blowing on the graphics cards. Some don't like the appearance of the HAF 922; some don't like the larger fans.
But my case is pressurized with the RATED spec of two 200mm intake fans of a cumulative 288 CFM when those fans are running full-bore. (Most of the time, they don't, but they're thermally controlled from the motherboard). There is only one significant exhaust port, excluding any leakage or the PSU vents: at the case rear. The rear exhaust is ducted to the rear of my heatpipe-tower cooler.
My 970's under a mild overclock don't exceed 75C under FurMark stress-testing, and they don't clear 60C with gaming. I still want to give them better cooling, because I want to overclock them some more.
Unless you buy (preferably full-cover) waterblocks for the twin 980s and water-cool them, you may be doing the tedious things which I contemplate for my own system. I'm looking at possible addition of a 92x15mm OP-1 (Zalman) fan installed in a duct-cover for the graphics cards which channels air from the fans sequentially and ports it to the front intake of my CPU cooler. Drawing air over the components or surfaces to be cooled through a narrow aperture increases the velocity of the air and is more effective in removing heat. There is another consideration to avoid letting the exhaust mix with other case interior air. If, as in my case (pun), you're going to exhaust all this air through one rear fan and therefore mix it with the CPU intake and exhaust, you can then expect temperatures on the CPU to increase a little as you attempt to lower the temperature of the graphics cards.
The other possibility is to find a second and separate exhaust to remove gfx-card heat without -- again -- mixing with the rest of the case interior.
Without watercooling, the solution can only be better airflow to and from the gfx cards, and likely building ducts or duct-plates which can somehow port the warmer air immediately to case exhaust.
SOMETHING I FORGOT TO ASK: Have you installed AfterBurner for the MSI Gaming cards? You can change the fan curve for both cards, and possibly-- with your MSI 980's -- AB permits tuning the fans separately. If you have not investigated the fans' thermal configuration thus far, I would look into it first.
And I'd also say, if you're worried about noise from those MSI Gaming cards, put your worries aside and attend to tuning the fans for better cooling first. I can run my 970 fans at nearly 100% duty cycle for temperatures above (say) 65C, and they STILL don't comprise much of a noise problem.
I"d offer more in the way of opinion about the cases you mentioned -- the Silverstone, the R5 and 750D -- but I'd suggest you see what you can do with the 200R before spending more money. Especially, if you're really itching to buy a new case, I'd review my cooling strategy first and then integrate it with the case choice.
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