Im trying to build a quiet watercooled computer to act as a server and gaming rig in my house, and I have every part and component i need except for the case. I've spent over 2 weeks looking for the right case and I still haven't found a good one. It's so hard knowing exactly what you are getting when you shop for cases online. I've already ordered one case, but when i got it, i discovered it was too small. I really want to build this computer, but this is taking so long that i almost want to give up. 
PLEASE HELP ME by giving me some suggestions for possible cases! (either cases you think would work; or even better, cases you own and can vouch for it's quality, cuz i have to be sure i can fit everything)
Here are the components i need to put in the case:
Drives:
4 optical drives (not really, 3 opticals and sound audigy front panel)
1 FDD
4 HD, maybe 1 extra in the future, so 5 possible mountings
Fans:
Front Intake: 120mm Panaflo Low speed, 38mm thick, mounted so it is blowing over hard drive cage with all of the hard drives. Hard drives need to have a little spacing between them so the fan can actually blow over them and through the cage
Rear Exhaust: 120mm Panaflo Medium Speed, 38mm, the watercooling radiator will be attached to this fan
Side Intake: Plan on cutting out a blowhole for 120mm Panaflo Low speed, 38mm, to blow over MB and vid card
Watercooling elements:
Black Ice Extreme Radiator, attached to rear exhaust (see dimensions) - http://www.directron.com/xtreme1.html
Eheim 1048 water pump
Reservoir (see dimensions) - http://www.bestbyte.net/Product.cfm?ProductID=1312&CategoryID=18&Keyword=
The case that i had already ordered was the ANTEC SLK3700AMB - see newegg.com
However, this case is rather crammed for space. I have a full ATX board and there just isnt much room, especially for routing the round IDE cables from MB to the HDs. Also, im left with hardly no place to put the water pump and reservoir except in the space beside the PCI cards. After i connect the hoses and everything, this case will be impossible to work in. Period!
I prefer not to get aluminum (too expensive and not as sturdy).
I dont want the case to be a super tower (i.e, no taller than 21", no more than 4 5.25" bays).
It should also be longer than 18.5" in depth (anything less probably wont have room for the MB, HDs, front fan, and pump, somewhere around 19.5" inches is better).
The case doesn't have to already have the 120mm punch outs for the front and rear fans, as long as you can assure me that i will be able to mod it to fit them (i.e. some of the cases with 2 80mm fans in the back can easily be modded to fit a 120, but some of them cant. i found that usually the case has to be about 8" wide to be able to incorporate a 120mm).
The above are just some preferences and guidelines i have for my situation. If a case can be made functional by modding it, please let me know.
If the hard drive cage is removable, and/or drive rails are included for the 5.25", that would be a plus!
Pretty much, the ANTEC case was the perfect case if it had only been slightly bigger so things weren't so crammed inside. I think ideal dimensions would have been (WxDxH) (8.26"x20.6"x19.26") (210x525x490)mm.
Please help me out guys! Am I the only one who has ever tried to build a watercooled system with something less than a giant super tower and using only 120mm fans so that it would actually be quiet?
PLEASE HELP ME by giving me some suggestions for possible cases! (either cases you think would work; or even better, cases you own and can vouch for it's quality, cuz i have to be sure i can fit everything)Here are the components i need to put in the case:
Drives:
4 optical drives (not really, 3 opticals and sound audigy front panel)
1 FDD
4 HD, maybe 1 extra in the future, so 5 possible mountings
Fans:
Front Intake: 120mm Panaflo Low speed, 38mm thick, mounted so it is blowing over hard drive cage with all of the hard drives. Hard drives need to have a little spacing between them so the fan can actually blow over them and through the cage
Rear Exhaust: 120mm Panaflo Medium Speed, 38mm, the watercooling radiator will be attached to this fan
Side Intake: Plan on cutting out a blowhole for 120mm Panaflo Low speed, 38mm, to blow over MB and vid card
Watercooling elements:
Black Ice Extreme Radiator, attached to rear exhaust (see dimensions) - http://www.directron.com/xtreme1.html
Eheim 1048 water pump
Reservoir (see dimensions) - http://www.bestbyte.net/Product.cfm?ProductID=1312&CategoryID=18&Keyword=
The case that i had already ordered was the ANTEC SLK3700AMB - see newegg.com
However, this case is rather crammed for space. I have a full ATX board and there just isnt much room, especially for routing the round IDE cables from MB to the HDs. Also, im left with hardly no place to put the water pump and reservoir except in the space beside the PCI cards. After i connect the hoses and everything, this case will be impossible to work in. Period!
I prefer not to get aluminum (too expensive and not as sturdy).
I dont want the case to be a super tower (i.e, no taller than 21", no more than 4 5.25" bays).
It should also be longer than 18.5" in depth (anything less probably wont have room for the MB, HDs, front fan, and pump, somewhere around 19.5" inches is better).
The case doesn't have to already have the 120mm punch outs for the front and rear fans, as long as you can assure me that i will be able to mod it to fit them (i.e. some of the cases with 2 80mm fans in the back can easily be modded to fit a 120, but some of them cant. i found that usually the case has to be about 8" wide to be able to incorporate a 120mm).
The above are just some preferences and guidelines i have for my situation. If a case can be made functional by modding it, please let me know.
If the hard drive cage is removable, and/or drive rails are included for the 5.25", that would be a plus!
Pretty much, the ANTEC case was the perfect case if it had only been slightly bigger so things weren't so crammed inside. I think ideal dimensions would have been (WxDxH) (8.26"x20.6"x19.26") (210x525x490)mm.
Please help me out guys! Am I the only one who has ever tried to build a watercooled system with something less than a giant super tower and using only 120mm fans so that it would actually be quiet?
Facebook
Twitter