Cases that support a 480mm rad

86 5.0L

86 5.0L

Supreme [H]ardness
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Nov 13, 2006
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Been searching for a while now and only thing I can find are the 900d, caselabs and some nasty TT cube thingy.

Probably leaning towards the 900d but it’s an older design. Anybody have better recommendations or know of another case?
 
I've been watercooling for 20 years, as a matter of fact, my 1st radiator came out of a car.
I have tried dozen of cases over that time.
Hands down there is no better case out there more DIY friendly especially for watercooling than a Phanteks Case.
Phanteks Enthoo Luxe
Phanteks Enthoo Primo
Phanteks Enthoo Elite
Although the Luxe will not fit a 480 radiator it will fit a 420. Do the math, a 420 has more surface area than a 480, plus 140mm fans are typically more quiet.
They are a joy to work with right down to cable management.
None better out of the box and always way fewer mods required.
 
That depends:

Do you comprehend the importance of airflow and hot air recycling? And/or do you overclock?
If either applies, do you only care IF it becomes a noticeable issue or always?

If the former, go with the 900D. Allows for more cooling power than the overpriced Phanteks junks and at a significantly lower price. You can even find ready-made mods to smarten it up if that's your thing.
If the latter, only one option, Caselabs.
(in all fairness, there is also Mountain Mods, but i would not advise it; not when for the exact same amount of money you could get yourself a Caselabs chassis)

Regarding the Thermaltake, which i assume to be the Core X9; it is either a dust magnet (rads outwards), or as 'wrong' an implementation as any other mainstream-targetted chassis (air recycling). However, if you just have to have two 480 rads of some thickness, then it is your only option outside the latter category; Caselabs that being.
Frankly, between the X9 and the 900D, i'd go with the 900D and stick to one medium rad and one thick (rather than two thick ones, or more). It only forces some of your rads to recycle, which is.. some improvement..

Additional info you might like to have:
The 900D has two flaws; one, cable management is a thing, you can't just skip it or it's gonna get tight; two, the back's PCIE "slots"? What's that called? are a bit recessed, meaning no screwdriver can fit there, they give you their own to mount and unmount them. Doable, but a bit of a thing.

The Core X9 has two flaws; one, the bottom grills are misaligned with the actual rad brackets, lol, yes, seriously. Most of your rad's fans' surface will be facing a solid wall! Awesome huh? Two, i own two of them, both have had a good number of screw.. holes? Misaligned, which can be a big issue depending on where they are. I've never had any chassis with as many as either of my X9s did.

If you're a 'look at the pretty lights!' kind of person, ignore everything i typed and buy a Phanteks.
 
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Apologies for the double posting, but i figured this might be of some help too; another good proposition, again in the value vs quality/options range:

http://www.thermaltake.com/products-model.aspx?id=C_00002803

Now i've seen mentions of an "upping" of quality in this one, as in opposed to what may be found on the Core X9; never owned one, so could not attest to it. But for what it costs? Assuming you don't mind its being a Caselabs ripoff, it's perhaps worthy of consideration. Keep in mind this one doesn't ship pre-assembled however, you'll have to do that yourself.
Tag if you want any further info :)
 
I don't know who you think you are Aenra but Phanteks Case are not junk, and it's kinda rude to call it that right after my post. Clearly, you've never owned one or built-in one, or I suspect your tude would be different. I've had both and prefer the quality, functionality, and much better design of Phanteks. It's the details Corsair fails to address by your own admission. The ease in which a build comes together is unparalleled with a Phanteks case. They do make limited airflow cases, but not the ones I pointed @86 5.OL to. I admit the Elite is overpriced but the aesthetics are worth the cost of admission and blows away anything from Corsair Case Labs or Mountian Mods IMHO. Caselabs and Mountian Mods are in a league of there own with excellent performance overall and endless options but have a utilitarian design and aesthetics more suitable for a commercial environment. If I had that kind of money to spend and it's going in my man cave, I'd get the Elite. Bottom line, no matter how hard you look there is no perfect case just some better than others.
 
Why would you consider it rude on my behalf to characterise a product of a company you neither own nor planning to as junk?
It's just my opinion, one is free to take it under consideration, or ignore it entirely. It being so impersonal too, i fail to see the issue, but you're of course welcome to see it differently.

As to what i own or do not, why presume that i don't? More to it, when i make clear what my criteria for a good chassis are, does it not stand to reason that a case not meeting them is one i'd consider insufficient?
Not to mention the fact that you state it yourself, limited airflow.

You appear to care about looks. Good for you (and since you appear not to have noticed, do mind i said it myself, if a pretty lights kind of person, go buy a Phanteks). Stick to that, state your opinion, as you have, and allow others to do likewise.
 
daaaaa, I say "Hands down there is no better case" and you say " Phanteks junks" if you don't get it I can't help ya.
Apparently, you comprehend selectively. I made it clear Phanteks makes some airflow restricted cases BUT NOT THE ONES I POINTED TO.
You are wrong again and rude again with no concept of how you are percieved.
It's okay though, I wasn't hurt by your opinion simply stating the facts as I see it.
Bottom line the OP doesn't seem to care much so I'm outta here.
Have fun with your last word but I won't be reading it.
 
woah, gentlemen, no need to get panties in a bunch. everybody likes different things, and has different purposes for using a case. The elite looks killer but $900 is :eek:(thats new handgun money)

im liking the 900d with the hotswap backplane, wondering if i can add a 2nd or 3rd cage w/backplane
 
I have used the Primo and it's an awesome case, but for me it was to big, barely fit under my desk which made getting to the USB ports up there a pain, but if you got space, I would recommend it.
 
If you have the money, Caselabs. The only case you would need for years, easy to buy parts for, very easily modded, companies still make parts for it you can buy separately and it’s huge.
 
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As others have said, CaseLabs is pretty much the "go-to" if you have the money. I think the additional cost is worth it simply for the full-breakdown element and a true upgrade of the case itself with every part of the case replaceable. They come to you flat-packed (generally) and you assemble them. Want a new front panel with a window instead of a ventilated widget? Buy JUST the new front panel/window. They just recently released an I/O panel upgrade for one of their cases that handles USB 3.1 TypeC for instance. Lots of great stuff here in my experience and if you're going to spend that kind of money, its well worth it.

As far as 480mm rads are concerned, if you go CaseLabs I would highly suggest to only buy the Magnum SMA8-A Revision (or the SMA8-X which is soon to debut and is the replacement for the STH10. If I'm right, its like a SMA8-A with another STH10-style rad chamber on top; not sure if existing A model owners can upgrade to X but it would be highly likely knowing CaseLabs ) right now, as it is the only one of the "new generation" of CaseLabs cases revealed so far (in sizes that can handle 480mm rads; The Bullet and Mercury series are great but don't handle that rad size etc) with enhanced features.

http://www.caselabs-store.com/magnum-sma8-a-revision-customizable/
Edit: Here's the link.

For those who want CaseLabs build quality but also Phanteks "Elite" style, there is one more option - XForma MBX MK2 - https://xforma.com/ . This is another boutique top of the line case with a different aesthetic for those who enjoy it and I've heard good things about it, for those who can stomach the price.
 
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I am currently finishing my recent x299 build on a Coolermaster Cosmos II on which I am performing several mods that has taken both time and money. From USB 3.0 ports + Type C on the front panel to some acrylic duct channels for cooling the hot swap disks along with lighting inside and outside. I had the case new in its box and have a lot of power tools though so this makes things easier - otherwise I would dump it. I also went with an external RAD since the inside (although huge) does not offer the required space for what I want.

I also own a Mountain Mods U2 UFO cube that although its spacious the design details that make a case stand out are not there and it is just a box with holes in my eyes.

I really want to get a new big bad case in the future but honestly there is not a single one from the commercial ones that has persuaded me to dump the Cosmos (after mods) and go for it. The reason is not only features but design as well.

Simply put I do not like "BOXY" designs and this renders Caselabs a no go for me. While they have great features I simply can't stand how they look. They are like server racks or plain boxes with holes. The best use case scenario for for a Caselabs for me would be to use it as a frame for a custom designed shell. The fact that I am involved in the design industry professionally does not help at all.

Compared to Caselabs I would highly prefer the Enthoo Elite for aesthetics although I find it hard to accept that a good part of its price is because of the flight case along with the fact that it is still quite boxy too. The Corsair 900D is out of the question for me - too boxy and cheap construction to begin with.

I wish I had the time and energy to go full custom and design a case from scratch but knowing me this would cost me $10,000 and at least 18 months to achieve so I keep my eyes open for that case that will offer me the fewer compromises out of a list of many.
 
JargonGR said:
I am currently finishing my recent x299 build on a Coolermaster Cosmos II on which I am performing several mods that has taken both time and money. From USB 3.0 ports + Type C on the front panel to some acrylic duct channels for cooling the hot swap disks along with lighting inside and outside. I had the case new in its box and have a lot of power tools though so this makes things easier - otherwise I would dump it. I also went with an external RAD since the inside (although huge) does not offer the required space for what I want.

I also own a Mountain Mods U2 UFO cube that although its spacious the design details that make a case stand out are not there and it is just a box with holes in my eyes.

I really want to get a new big bad case in the future but honestly there is not a single one from the commercial ones that has persuaded me to dump the Cosmos (after mods) and go for it. The reason is not only features but design as well.

Simply put I do not like "BOXY" designs and this renders Caselabs a no go for me. While they have great features I simply can't stand how they look. They are like server racks or plain boxes with holes. The best use case scenario for for a Caselabs for me would be to use it as a frame for a custom designed shell. The fact that I am involved in the design industry professionally does not help at all.

Compared to Caselabs I would highly prefer the Enthoo Elite for aesthetics although I find it hard to accept that a good part of its price is because of the flight case along with the fact that it is still quite boxy too. The Corsair 900D is out of the question for me - too boxy and cheap construction to begin with.

I wish I had the time and energy to go full custom and design a case from scratch but knowing me this would cost me $10,000 and at least 18 months to achieve so I keep my eyes open for that case that will offer me the fewer compromises out of a list of many.
Click to expand...

With the exception of a full custom as you describe, have you checked out the XForma I linked above? It is sleeker and built with aesthetics as a major feature from the get-go. With the exception of some really wild artistic cases (ie LianLi tends to make a super limited edition "art case" every couple of years. I remember one of them was literally a snail-shell design) that tend to be expensive, not very easy to work in, lack features, and have poor thermals, The MBX MK2 is probably one of the least "boxy" high end cases around with its curved exterior and plenty of contoured interiors and designs. While it is certainly not cheap, I think if you consider that the Enthoo Elite is around $900 and is mass produced, those from boutique manufacturers (especially those who fabricate the majority of their components in house) the MBX MK2 doesn't seem quite so bad.

I would also encourage you to look not only at the case itself, but also its add-ons - there are many that enhance the aesthetic. For instance, there is a top rad grill that is serpentine acrylic in nature, a really neat RGB luminous panel (they actually make the panel that CaseLabs uses in the SMA8-A), RGB kit for the front lighting, a curved pedestal, tempered glass and more. Besides the website itself, you can get a better look at the accessories at www.mod-one.com .

Oh there's one other suggestion, depending how far you'd be willing to go and how much you'd be up to spending, but if you're in CaseLabs and XForma territory then check out Hydra PC a boutique shop out of Italy. - www.hydra-shop.com . Of particular note for 480mm compatibility is their Hydra Desk - https://www.hydra-shop.com/product/hydra-desk/ . Not sure if you're in the market for a desk but if open to it it has tons of room for all the cooling you need, high-end components and from what I've read boutique-tier build quality and features, including a angular, european aesthetic and solid tempered glass top. Shipping from the eurozone would likely be insane but thankfully they have a few local partners including Newegg which even offers free shipping (a massive benefit as you can imagine) - https://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod...120317-_-EMC-120317-Index-_-MECH-_-Hydra-EB8A . I've been told that if you have any questions about mods or you want customization/options that aren't listed to contact the manufacturers and they're very easy to work with

Not sure exactly what you might be looking for or how much you'd be willing to spend, but these are a few other boutique high end options that offer a different aesthetic than a boxy if functional case.
 
Xaeos said:
With the exception of a full custom as you describe, have you checked out the XForma I linked above? It is sleeker and built with aesthetics as a major feature from the get-go. With the exception of some really wild artistic cases (ie LianLi tends to make a super limited edition "art case" every couple of years. I remember one of them was literally a snail-shell design) that tend to be expensive, not very easy to work in, lack features, and have poor thermals, The MBX MK2 is probably one of the least "boxy" high end cases around with its curved exterior and plenty of contoured interiors and designs. While it is certainly not cheap, I think if you consider that the Enthoo Elite is around $900 and is mass produced, those from boutique manufacturers (especially those who fabricate the majority of their components in house) the MBX MK2 doesn't seem quite so bad.

I would also encourage you to look not only at the case itself, but also its add-ons - there are many that enhance the aesthetic. For instance, there is a top rad grill that is serpentine acrylic in nature, a really neat RGB luminous panel (they actually make the panel that CaseLabs uses in the SMA8-A), RGB kit for the front lighting, a curved pedestal, tempered glass and more. Besides the website itself, you can get a better look at the accessories at www.mod-one.com .

Oh there's one other suggestion, depending how far you'd be willing to go and how much you'd be up to spending, but if you're in CaseLabs and XForma territory then check out Hydra PC a boutique shop out of Italy. - www.hydra-shop.com . Of particular note for 480mm compatibility is their Hydra Desk - https://www.hydra-shop.com/product/hydra-desk/ . Not sure if you're in the market for a desk but if open to it it has tons of room for all the cooling you need, high-end components and from what I've read boutique-tier build quality and features, including a angular, european aesthetic and solid tempered glass top. Shipping from the eurozone would likely be insane but thankfully they have a few local partners including Newegg which even offers free shipping (a massive benefit as you can imagine) - https://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod...120317-_-EMC-120317-Index-_-MECH-_-Hydra-EB8A . I've been told that if you have any questions about mods or you want customization/options that aren't listed to contact the manufacturers and they're very easy to work with

Not sure exactly what you might be looking for or how much you'd be willing to spend, but these are a few other boutique high end options that offer a different aesthetic than a boxy if functional case.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the suggestions. A new case is a purchase I would like to make after at least 6 months since I just finished buying a lot of hardware (i9, Rampage Vi Extreme, 64GB Trident Z RGB DDR4 1080Ti, full custom loop with Bitspower fittings, AX1500i, etc). However, I am certainly looking for something special. I still have my Origen AE S21T HTPC case purchased 10 years ago and I remember this being expensive but it looked so good among other HC equipment. It still holds up pretty well besides the touchscreen which I never use.

The MBX is certainly something special and indeed if going for an Enthoo Elite the price is not far so I am noting it down as a candidate. Now the Hydra desk is also nice and Italy is not far from my country (Greece) so shipping is not a problem. If I ever buy it then it would become part of my desk since as a desk is pretty small for what I need. My current desk is 170cm X 105cm and I intend to make something even longer at 200cm X 110cm. It sounds like a nice project.

I am also buying hardware without VAT as a company purchase so those prices are minus 19-23% depending on the country.

Here is something special I came across at the Asus ROG forum.

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I'm with Xaeos on the Caselabs recommendation. I have two (S3 and S8), and they are built better than anything else I've built in. No plastic, all aluminum, and every component is replaceable; they are a modder's dream. Admittedly, they are a bit utilitarian, but they dress up nice.
 
spugm1r3 said:
I'm with Xaeos on the Caselabs recommendation. I have two (S3 and S8), and they are built better than anything else I've built in. No plastic, all aluminum, and every component is replaceable; they are a modder's dream. Admittedly, they are a bit utilitarian, but they dress up nice.
Click to expand...

I have no doubt about their quality and options AND room. But it all comes down to what you are looking for from the outside of your case.
If you are looking for max performance and space for example you should not be putting your radiators WITHIN the case to begin with. An external RAD or cooling system will always have an advantage compared to an internal one other things being equal. In such a case you have more options case wise. I am currently exploring such a route and that is why I did not dump that Cosmos II case that besides its size it needs heavy modding to fit any big rad.

Another factor to consider is cost. Caselabs could pursue an extraordinary design with curves and hard to manufacture details but then how much would it cost? What about lead times? For us it might be easy but there are always choices to be made when launching a product and one can't have the cake and eat it all. If they bring a crazy nice case to the market for $5,000 I don't think they will be ably to recover the investment cost.
 
JargonGR said:
I have no doubt about their quality and options AND room. But it all comes down to what you are looking for from the outside of your case.
If you are looking for max performance and space for example you should not be putting your radiators WITHIN the case to begin with. An external RAD or cooling system will always have an advantage compared to an internal one other things being equal. In such a case you have more options case wise. I am currently exploring such a route and that is why I did not dump that Cosmos II case that besides its size it needs heavy modding to fit any big rad.

Another factor to consider is cost. Caselabs could pursue an extraordinary design with curves and hard to manufacture details but then how much would it cost? What about lead times? For us it might be easy but there are always choices to be made when launching a product and one can't have the cake and eat it all. If they bring a crazy nice case to the market for $5,000 I don't think they will be ably to recover the investment cost.
Click to expand...

All of what you have said is true, but most people don't buy a case just to put all of the insides on the outside.The OP asked for a case that could accommodate a 480 rad, and few will do it better, with the same level of build quality, as a Caselabs case. The desk you show above is glorious, but probably out-of-scope for someone listing the 900D as a option.
 
Kinda bummed now that caselabs went under, just when i was getting ready to pull the trigger :cry:
 
Someone early on stated that the X-9 was a dust magnet.

As the owner of an X-9, this is a fair assessment.
The front fan accumulates phenomenal amounts of crud.
And even after thorough cleaning, the fan and chassis seem to just attract dust.
I run HEPA filter fans in my place, clean regularly, and the thing is always dusty...
I'm about THIIIS far from simply building an encasement that I can put HVAC filters into and tossing it over the case.
 
Not really. I didn't do anything special. It's cooled using an AIO.

I have plans to do more eventually but haven't been able to lately.
 
I don't see it mentioned here, but Mountain Mods made a 480 friendly case, the Pinnacle 24". Not sure they're still in business but I run that case in this config.
 
VoodooRufus said:
I don't see it mentioned here, but Mountain Mods made a 480 friendly case, the Pinnacle 24". Not sure they're still in business but I run that case in this config.
Click to expand...

They're still around. If you really want to get crazy you can configure their ascension cases to support 5x480mm rads and 2x360mm rads.
 
Lol still havent pulled the trigger, w100, luxe 2 and maybe the c700m are on my shortlist.

C700m looks sick and maybe houses two 360 rads. But expensive and looks like a pain in the ass to work in.

W100 maybe does two 480

Luxe 2 dont think can do two 480s
 
86 5.0L said:
Lol still havent pulled the trigger, w100, luxe 2 and maybe the c700m are on my shortlist.

C700m looks sick and maybe houses two 360 rads. But expensive and looks like a pain in the ass to work in.

W100 maybe does two 480

Luxe 2 dont think can do two 480s
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Luxe 2 or 719 can do two 480s but thin ass ones, like 30mm tops. I have the 719 here and it sucks in this respect. I stuffed two 60mm EK XE 480s into my Primo with minor modding but the 719/Luxe 2 is too damn small. I'm gonna have to rethink what rads I can use now. The literature on this is kind of misleading!
 
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