New and upcoming case releases
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I'm not sure quite how new this is, but Coolermaster are selling a case called the Sneaker X in a collaboration with JMDF, whoever they are.
It's £3000 at Scan right now as part of a system (more expensive ones available too) but I can't see it for sale as-is.
Saw a version of this on BRO Cooling's YT channel which got me googling it.
I'm not into sneakers but I thought this is pretty cool. I also really like BRO Cooling's work. He gets hold of a lot of rare kit...
It's £3000 at Scan right now as part of a system (more expensive ones available too) but I can't see it for sale as-is.
Saw a version of this on BRO Cooling's YT channel which got me googling it.
I'm not into sneakers but I thought this is pretty cool. I also really like BRO Cooling's work. He gets hold of a lot of rare kit...
I love anything Evangelion themed but I don't like the case very much. I don't want a computer shoe. I'm all for creative computer cases but I'm just not feeling that one so much. I wanted to see if the shocks/springs do anything but... I guess not?
Like @pasorrijer says, I applaud the creativity, but a sneaker seems rather mismatched for a geek audience. Why would I want a giant red shoe on my entertainment center?
A nice Fallout-themed case might be cool, though. I've seen some of those that I really liked.
Yeah, I either want understated, classic or sleekly modern so it fits in while still being attractive and functional.... or, some kind of nerdforge fantasy thing, cyberpunk or something like that. An art piece. Though those are very impractical so probably more the first stuff I mentioned. 
TBH, most likely target audience is for gamers who like sports games more (and have a ton of disposable income).
Already seen one painted up like the air jordans (and AFAIK, it's already sold).
Yeah, probably true, and the computer market is a hell of a lot bigger than it was, with a lot of people that aren't really geeks, but still like games.
I wish this outfit every success, but I'm definitely not the target market.
( now, a steam locomotive, on the other hand.....)
Japanese Mecha Defense Force. This is clearly the first piece of a Megazord style mech.
I'm pretty sure the 'shoe box' is aimed at people who collect sneakers or otherwise like to drop mad cash on them. It's not a small market and I'm sure there's a reasonable intersection with the gaming crowd, or just people who want a cool looking themed PC.
Yeah, I could see Sneakerheads (an expensive hobby...) that also mostly play online eSport type games being super into it.
Sorry if artisanal cases are off topic for this thread, but I found this Japanese wood carving-inspired case amazing:
www.pcgamesn.com
I don't why, but they bury the best photo in the middle of the article.
This stunning AMD-powered gaming PC uses Japanese Kumiko techniques
This immaculately crafted custom gaming PC takes inspiration from Kumiko woodworking and features a hardline DIY water-cooling system.
www.pcgamesn.com
I don't why, but they bury the best photo in the middle of the article.
They may not be the main point of this thread, but I'd say it's allowed. If we have enough interest in this sort of thing we can fork off to their own discussion.
....Well there was a Lian-Li steam locomotive case.... (PC-CK101L)
Also WRT: Corsair dual chamber cases, i kinda remember them being one of the only (mainstream) manufacturer that did cube cases (with somewhat dual chamber setup with the PSU/SATA/etc on the back) so it's not necessarily them copying other manufacturers....
(ex: https://www.anandtech.com/show/7124/corsair-carbide-air-540-case-review)
What are some newish/modern cases that look good for building a 2 or 3 radiator water loop? I'm looking around and getting a bit overwhelmed.
I'm thinking I'll want no space constraints for GPU length, and probably radiators front, side?, and probably not top/bottom. Bottom is a no no because my PC will be sitting on carpet though given powerful enough fans that's probably muffled and silent. Top is less of a no no but I prefer to be able to put stuff on top of the PC, like my Eero wifi extender. So maybe two radiators is more realistic (notion of a 1-fan sized rear radiator seems not worth the cost and tubing effort). Storage will likely be a 4TB M.2 unless I'm behind the times there so no need for space for drives.
I'll probably go for a RTX 4080 and unsure Intel vs AMD CPU (have one of each in the house and they're both fine).
I love my Fractal North Nano-S case but don't want to fight the space constraints this time. I built in 2017-18 (link) and while I loved that case it wasn't all roses (I eventually had to DIY the pump mounting with twistix and swear words). The fractal stuff looks good as always, they seem to emphasize caging off the bottom for power supply though I'm pretty sure we were able to remove part of that in the Meshify2 we used for my son's PC build (air). I might do an autopsy thread for that old build when I tear it down for posterity's sake since the build thread is old and shouldn't be necro'd. My plan is when the build time comes, I will tear out the loop and re-do it for air, then recycle the fittings, 360mm radiator, res, and probably the pump too. Don't know if pumps are good for 10 or 12 years (which is a possibility if I reuse it after 6 and a half years).
I'm intrigued by some of the lian li offerings where the power supply is not underneath (behind?) and there is room for a side radiator facing to the right side (if looking at front of case). I know coolermaster is also a brand I should check out. Anyone have thoughts on this? I may be overthinking it.
I'm thinking I'll want no space constraints for GPU length, and probably radiators front, side?, and probably not top/bottom. Bottom is a no no because my PC will be sitting on carpet though given powerful enough fans that's probably muffled and silent. Top is less of a no no but I prefer to be able to put stuff on top of the PC, like my Eero wifi extender. So maybe two radiators is more realistic (notion of a 1-fan sized rear radiator seems not worth the cost and tubing effort). Storage will likely be a 4TB M.2 unless I'm behind the times there so no need for space for drives.
I'll probably go for a RTX 4080 and unsure Intel vs AMD CPU (have one of each in the house and they're both fine).
I love my Fractal North Nano-S case but don't want to fight the space constraints this time. I built in 2017-18 (link) and while I loved that case it wasn't all roses (I eventually had to DIY the pump mounting with twistix and swear words). The fractal stuff looks good as always, they seem to emphasize caging off the bottom for power supply though I'm pretty sure we were able to remove part of that in the Meshify2 we used for my son's PC build (air). I might do an autopsy thread for that old build when I tear it down for posterity's sake since the build thread is old and shouldn't be necro'd. My plan is when the build time comes, I will tear out the loop and re-do it for air, then recycle the fittings, 360mm radiator, res, and probably the pump too. Don't know if pumps are good for 10 or 12 years (which is a possibility if I reuse it after 6 and a half years).
I'm intrigued by some of the lian li offerings where the power supply is not underneath (behind?) and there is room for a side radiator facing to the right side (if looking at front of case). I know coolermaster is also a brand I should check out. Anyone have thoughts on this? I may be overthinking it.
You could also consider these:
'Airflow' variants of the Corsair 5000D or even 7000D.
EDIT 7000D product page says (emphasis mine)
BeQuiet! Silent Base 802
Lian Li V3000 Plus, O11 Dynamic XL & EVO XL, Lancool III
Fractal Pop XL Air
Not many cases can do a rad in the front AND the side at the same time. You may well end up having to go front OR side, then top OR bottom, depending. The 7000D is the only case I can see that specifically allows the front / side combo, if you're going with 360s.
Not necessarily an issue. You can cut a piece of MDF to the size of the case footprint, paint it to whatever colour you like, and sit the tower on that. It ensures good airflow, stops dust ingress, and because it spreads the load of the case out over a bigger area, makes it a lot easier to slide the case out if you need to. I think it's worth doing for this last point alone, no matter where you put the rads!
You could potentially put a 280 in the top and still have space to sit whatever in the blank space.
If you went with a monster case that could fit a 420 or 480, especially a slightly thicker than normal one, and even more so if you could do it push pull, you very likely could get away with a single rad. Something like this, perhaps.
The 7000D looks like the leader overall due to the rad placement flexibility, but it depends what sort of 'aesthetic' you want.
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Also worth bearing in mind that once you remove the huge air cooler from a GPU, the combination of the PCB and block is a lot smaller. So you want to think about what blocks are compatible with your GPU model of choice and size your case for those
I’m hoping as I zone in on a particular case/GPU that I will be able to find existing builds that used those parts so I can gauge fit better.
Fortunately modern cases are much better about specifying what sizes of coolers, GPUs and rads can fit, you are usually OK to take their measurements unless you're talking about sub 10mm clearances!
Do you have a budget cap btw?
The Lian Li O11D Evo is a very popular case right now, that can take three 360 rads, two PSUs and basically lots of stuff. I think it's £130 price tag is pretty reasonable.
If you needed more... I'll throw in a rec for the CM HAF 700 Evo. Not cheap, but you can do a ton of cooling with it, and (IMO, YMMV, etc) it's a very cool case design. No pun intended. Honest. Comes up for sale quite often.
If you want the maximum space possible for custom loop with four 480 rads and a 280... I give you the almighty Corsair Obsidian 1000D! As a very wise mofo once said: accept no substitutes!
The Lian Li O11D Evo is a very popular case right now, that can take three 360 rads, two PSUs and basically lots of stuff. I think it's £130 price tag is pretty reasonable.
If you needed more... I'll throw in a rec for the CM HAF 700 Evo. Not cheap, but you can do a ton of cooling with it, and (IMO, YMMV, etc) it's a very cool case design. No pun intended. Honest. Comes up for sale quite often.
If you want the maximum space possible for custom loop with four 480 rads and a 280... I give you the almighty Corsair Obsidian 1000D! As a very wise mofo once said: accept no substitutes!
Corsair's 6500 case is out. The "X" version is your generic Lian Li fishtank clone (and not quite as good) but the 6500D Airflow has a mesh front. There's also a much smaller 2500 version.
No included fans, though, so you'll have to supply your own. Given that, they're fairly expensive.
No included fans, though, so you'll have to supply your own. Given that, they're fairly expensive.
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Speaking of which, Paul's Hardware did a build with a board like that in the 2500 case:
Choices are still limited, there's only a single Micro-ATX motherboard set up that way.
The biggest problem for those of us in the US appears to be patent restrictions.
Hardware Canucks coverage of the Corsair 2500, including the wood finish panels. TLDW is Fractal still does wood better, but the solid metal panels are nice.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRBzVFPsgy4
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRBzVFPsgy4
Ah that's too bad. The look is initially great but they didn't really pull it off properly. The veneer idea always kind of sucks and they could have just made it a bit better and in smaller sizes and it would be better.
Too bad.
Too bad.
The Fractal North XL has arrived. Gamers Nexus has given it a (I feel) fair shake and compared it with the Fractal Torrent. I want a new case with better fan/rad mount options than what I have in my Corsair 600Q which I love and hate; love the quiet, hate the filter access and no top mounts due to power supply at the top. Of course looks matter and I love the way the North Mesh version looks.
Anyhow, I ordered it. B&H has it in stock, Amazon is out (US). Looking forward to it!
Anyhow, I ordered it. B&H has it in stock, Amazon is out (US). Looking forward to it!
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Did you go for the black or white one? I do rather like the look of the white mesh variant, but given where my PC is in my office, investing any money in a "nice looking" case is something of a waste of cash
I went for black. The sun will hit it and I'm afraid of discoloration. Plus, I like black the best for cases.
Looks like Corsair keeps evolving the Air 240 dual chamber mATX they were doing about 10 years ago:
The top panel being so loose (compared to the regular North) is a bit concerning, so it'll be interesting to see whether the same issue affects yours.
(edit) nvm, hardwarecanucks noticed the same issue
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I just put my machine into the case and getting initial impressions.
I first want to put this top panel thing to sleep. On the case I have, if you take your fingers or your palm on the top panel, even if you push a little, and try to slide it, it doesn't move. If I get my hands damp for better friction, I still can't slide it.
When I use the pull tab, sure there isn't a TON of resistance, but what's there is pretty good. That panel isn't going to move by itself, or rattle. Just not gonna happen. It's either a production issue on some cases, or just nitpicking.
On the side panels, since they're getting so much attention: I don't REALLY get it. Sure, a stiffer/heavier panel conveys quality. But I don't know what else it does except making everything heavier. It's not going to dampen sound. It's not going to improve thermals. Also, my old case is a Corsair 600q, it never received these sort of problem reports and was at the same price point. It's panels are slightly 'bendy' just as much, but I've never read criticism about it. Personally I find the panels absolutely acceptable.
"But hansmuff, for the price of this case I..." just give it up. You're paying extra for the looks and the market position. I've read some "it's like a $40 case." No, it is not. I have used $40 cases where I just needed something to hold all the shit together, and THOSE will bend like mad. This is nothing like it.
What did I not like when building the machine:
- Give us more velcro straps, I mean come the fuck on. Same with zip ties... 4?!?
- The baggies for the different type screws should be resealable and properly marked for their function. The manual does a piss poor job of explaining which screws to use where, as well. Bad.
- The fan connector thing, whatever that is called, the manual needs to explain it. It does none of the sort. I find that very frustrating; the thing has four fan connectors and the case comes with 3 front fans (which, by the way, are lovely) and they occupy 3 out of 4 spots. Fine, OK, but they also have tails to daisy chain. For the love of god, explain clearly when to, or when not to, daisy chain, and why. And what the difference is. And that port 1 apparently is the only PWM sensing one (makes sense if you think about it. STILL, explain.)
- Personally I miss the RESET button a little bit. When you experiment or have a new build and the thing crashes left and right, that's a nice to have. What I don't miss is the HDD activity button, it just has lost all meaning with a modern OS, I feel, and is more of a distraction.
At the moment that's all I have. A real manual not this trite picture show, and a lil somethin' somethin' on the accessories.
What's better than my old Corsair 600Q:
- Much better ventilation. Holy hell so much better.
- I can move and position things like the rear fan and my top 280mm AIO somewhat to optimize due to the cutout pattern being all over. Or, if I choose to go for 180mm fans on the top at some point, I can move the rear fan down a few notches if I have to, that's just great.
- The grommets were in great position for my build, an ATX Gigabyte AORUS X570 Master. It was really easy to wire with minimum wire exposure.
- My initial impression is that at low load, this is quieter than my 600q was because I now have 3 140mm intakes that I put on a good fan curve. In the 600Q my AIO was the intake, and the exhaust was not quite matching at all. I am a little shocked at how quiet it is. But also I have to play with loads and fan curves yet. There is potential for disappointment.
- It's just really a pretty case. It matters when I'm trying to make my home office look nicer. Shit.. my wife gives no craps about computers. Saw the case and said "Oh didn't you get a pretty case!" It just looks sharp. I have the black with mesh.
- The dust filters are very accessible.
- This may seem weird but on the 600q it bothered me how the side panels connected to the case. The top and bottom of the panels used those 'lips' that had to fit into the case cut-outs. Well, when you had a bunch of wiring there, you had to push on top AND bottom WHILE sliding into the cut-outs. The North lets you sort of hinge in on the bottom, then push the top onto the case, then slide it into position, it is SO SO much nicer.
Of course this all comes right after purchase and a few hours after assembly so one is biased towards ignoring issues. I tried my best to really judge the case as I was putting it all together. So far I am very happy with the purchase.
One more rant about some of the reviews of this case: I had zero trouble putting the front fans on a curve that keeps them very, very quiet until the machine really heats up. Yes at full speed any fan is loud. These fans right now seem like good quality fans. They're not RGB, which I actually am grateful for, but they move a good amount of air at a totally acceptable noise level. For reference I've used all Corsair LL140's before which may not be top dog anymore, but no slouches. These have nothing to fear from the LL140s.
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Here are some pics. I opted for a vertical GPU mount because I don't need any other PCI-E cards right now, and the support bracket I have from my old build doesn't work because the 600q case I used was an "inverted" setup and the brace was made for that. I figured I need new anyway, may as well have my peace of mind and have the card sit as god intended.
The vertical mount is this Cooler Master MasterAccessory Vertical GPU Card Holder Kit V3 Black and once you figure out how to best put it in, it works very nicely, supports PCI-E 4.0 x16 and I'm not seeing changes in benchmarks, no problems.
The hardware is my "old" build, X570 Aorus with a 5950X, 64GB RAM, 3080Ti.
Anyhow, to the cleanest build I've ever had, Also, celebratory phở!
The vertical mount is this Cooler Master MasterAccessory Vertical GPU Card Holder Kit V3 Black and once you figure out how to best put it in, it works very nicely, supports PCI-E 4.0 x16 and I'm not seeing changes in benchmarks, no problems.
The hardware is my "old" build, X570 Aorus with a 5950X, 64GB RAM, 3080Ti.
Anyhow, to the cleanest build I've ever had, Also, celebratory phở!
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Care to explain further? Doesn't seem to be affecting Maingear, who'll be selling prebuilts in the US.
Because Maingear is the one with the patent.
Maingear patented its rear-connector motherboard design in 2011, and now it wants to make MG-RC an industry standard
Embracing rear connectors for clean looks and better airflow
I mean, if they won't license it and if it's a great idea, someone will work around it as it's probably an over-reaching patent and can be eroded. On the other hand, not a big deal.