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Best case for air cooling?

O

obake

n00b
Joined
May 18, 2005
Messages
22
I'm getting ready to build my first computer, and am having trouble deciding on a case. Since this is my first build, I want to stick with air cooling for simplicity's sake, but am not sure what a good case for air cooling is. The three cases that I've been looking at are the Cooler Master Cosmos, the Gigabyte 3D Aurora, and the Antec P182 Gun Metal, just because I like the designs of those three, but from what I've read, the first two, at least, get real hot with only air cooling. Haven't really read anything one way or the other about the P182.

I won't be doing any overclocking of components, if that makes a difference in which case I should use. The processor will be a Core 2 Quad Q6600, and the video card will be an EVGA 640MB 8800 GTS; I figure those will be the two components that give off the most heat, although if there are any others that y'all need to know to help me out, just ask and I'll list them.

I am at the mercy of the knowledge of the [H]ard|Forum. Please help me!

Thanks!
 
well for a cheap and awesome case get the coolermaster cm690. I got one from newegg, it was under 70 with shipping when i got it. Its a great case, lots of air flow, and room for 6 120mm fans.
 
ezac said:
well for a cheap and awesome case get the coolermaster cm690. I got one from newegg, it was under 70 with shipping when i got it. Its a great case, lots of air flow, and room for 6 120mm fans.
Click to expand...


Wrong ! The hard drive slot thingy is designed to the side, thus making the front 120mm Fan completely useless!!!!!! I Bought the coolmaster 532( which has the same design and my gpu temperatures were at about 60 degress w/o load and 65 with load !!! I had to go in there and mod the thing to the side which took me a good hour or two! I got 50w/oload and 55 with load

BEST CASE FOR COOLING !
COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 thats the one with the clear side panel http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119077
 
What rocker did you fall off of???

The Centurion 5 is nearly identical to your 532. The only major difference outside the looks of the case is the hard drive cage is rotated 90º. The 690 is a COMPLETELY different chassis. The PSU mount is at the bottom, the hard drive cage is completely different (room for more HDDs to boot), as is the toolless setup. It has provisions for 2 120mm fans on the side, a vent BEHIND the motherboard, and it even adds eSATA capability. I think your problem lies more in airflow if anything.
 
EET said:
What rocker did you fall off of???

The Centurion 5 is nearly identical to your 532. The only major difference outside the looks of the case is the hard drive cage is rotated 90º. The 690 is a COMPLETELY different chassis. The PSU mount is at the bottom, the hard drive cage is completely different (room for more HDDs to boot), as is the toolless setup. It has provisions for 2 120mm fans on the side, a vent BEHIND the motherboard, and it even adds eSATA capability. I think your problem lies more in airflow if anything.
Click to expand...
'


The hard drive cage is the Problem !!!!!!!!!!! it blocks the airflow from the front 120mm fan thus making it useless, not completely uesless because of the hard drive cooling but still it limits the air flow like crazzy! The centrium 5 on the other hand with the hard drive cage facing the rear allows awesome airflow andddd harddrive cooling at the same time !
 
I have this case as well and the hdd bay is great. All I had to do was get a higher cfm fan and my 4 drives still stay cool to the touch. Also it has a fan on the bottom right after the bays that brings in more then enough air to cool the videocard (It blows directly into my 8800 GTX). So maybe you need to lay off the caffeine and stop flaming the case. Its hands down my favorite mid tower case, beating the 900 in my opinion.
 
I second the suggestion of the CM 690. it has plenty of airflow. if you think 8 fans is not enough i don't know what is.:D i only have 5 120 fans on mine and i might put one more on the bottom and still looking for an 80mm fan behind the mobo.
 
I'm very happy with my coolermaster 330. LINK

I got it because I'm not a fan of the 690's HDD orientation, either. Well, and I'm a cheapskate too... had to get my own 12cm fan for the front, but I had one around the house. Keeps things plenty cool. I only have one HDD and one 7600gt in there, however. Mild OC on the vid card, 3500+ socket 939 and RAM.

I wish it had vents behind the mobo like my olde $20 case, but I can live without them for now ...

I like the way the ring around the power button glows the same color as the leds in the front fan. I had a blue 80mm in there before I dug up my green 120mm.
 
Its not to cable routing friendly but the Antec 900 is a good case for Air Cooling.
 
Lian-Li PC A-16+2 Scythe Kama Bay FTW.
PC-A16-b.jpg

and 2 of these
kamabay.jpg
 
If your not going to overclock almost any case will have enough airflow to keep things cool. Sure some are better than others, but I think you should just get the case you like best. The 3 you listed are all really good cases.
I use to have the Gigabyte 3d Aurora and it was great. I removed the Hard Drive cage on mine as I thought it might be restricting airflow however I didn't notice any differances in temps. I had the version with the mesh side panel and I am sure that had something to do with my experience.
 
brahim said:
'


The hard drive cage is the Problem !!!!!!!!!!! it blocks the airflow from the front 120mm fan thus making it useless, not completely uesless because of the hard drive cooling but still it limits the air flow like crazzy! The centrium 5 on the other hand with the hard drive cage facing the rear allows awesome airflow andddd harddrive cooling at the same time !
Click to expand...

I have the 690 and have no problem with airflow through the drive cage area. There is a good amount of space between the drives to allow airflow through. Also, as mentioned before, there are plenty of mounts for more fans, as well as cooling BEHIND the motherboard. Furthermore, it comes with a basic cable routing system that helps prevent a rats nest of cables impeding airflow through the chassis.

You have the 532. The 532 is not the 690. When someone mentions the 532, feel free to comment. When it comes to the 690, you don't know what you're talking about so do us all a favor and keep your misinformed opinion to yourself.
 
Antec 900 dropped my temps drastically from what they used to be in a Centurion Elite 330... Roughly 10c across the board.

I'm seeing mid 20's for the HDD's and low 20's for my CPU (x2 4200) with an AC Freezer Pro.... 8800 GTS is still at 60c but I guess that's fairly typical...

that's inside of a small wooden desk enclosure with a wooden panel to both sides and behind it.. only slight airflow out the top and through the front. Haven't tried it with the panel off and in an open area...

From what I read it's typically one of the better ones for Airflow... the P180's are better for silence, and the 690 is better for budget...
 
900 all the way. for me the 690 isn't that much cheaper and from my comparison of the 690 Vs 900 the 900 has much better airflow, especially over the HD's (2 fans pull air straight through) and then the 200mm fan at the top pulls all the air off the CPU straight out the case.
 
i have a antec 900 and its not a bad case. airflow is good, it doesnt collect too much dust and its quiet. not the best but its a good value for the price (i think its about 80 after rebate).
 
If you have more than 1 hard drive forget the Cosmos.Not enough cooling in that area.

Have you considered the THERMALTAKE MOZART TX ?
 
Best case for air cooling?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm getting ready to build my first computer, and am having trouble deciding on a case. Since this is my first build, I want to stick with air cooling for simplicity's sake, but am not sure what a good case for air cooling is. The three cases that I've been looking at are the Cooler Master Cosmos, the Gigabyte 3D Aurora, and the Antec P182 Gun Metal, just because I like the designs of those three, but from what I've read, the first two, at least, get real hot with only air cooling. Haven't really read anything one way or the other about the P182.

I won't be doing any overclocking of components, if that makes a difference in which case I should use. The processor will be a Core 2 Quad Q6600, and the video card will be an EVGA 640MB 8800 GTS; I figure those will be the two components that give off the most heat, although if there are any others that y'all need to know to help me out, just ask and I'll list them.

I am at the mercy of the knowledge of the [H]ard|Forum. Please help me!

Thanks!
Click to expand...

If money is no object and want a great air cooled case why not consider this one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163091

There is even a version with a window! (A little more money):D
 
Yeah TJ09/10 seems like some nice case. I been thinking about them - however I read in one review there is no place to stash wires. That's shame so I been thinking about PC-A70 instead.

It's funny about cases - I really think they are the hardest to pick. I want stylish (yet plain), quiet, but with alot of cooling. I have only had Antec cases so far so I am worried about the noise factor of other systems. However people have told me the #1 factor with noise is quiet components not the case itself..

I was pretty set on a simple Antec Solo because its so quiet but now I am pretty convinced it wont handle an overclocked Q6700 so I need something different.

I actually do kind of like the CM-690 however it just seems cheap on the inside. I want something that screams quality.


Pete
 
i know how you feel. picking a case is definetly the harsest choice to make when builing a new pc. im gunna build one around march and i have been looking at cases since september and STILL have not made up my mind on what to get.

i wanted to get the antec p180, then the cm stacker and now the cosmo. Now i just dont know which one to choose. i like the stacker but it looks like a noisy case with all those fans inside it.

the cosmos have poor cooling and the p180? umm i wont get it simply for the fact that everyone else has one AND i want a full ATX case.

im leaning close to a lian li but those cases look TWICE the size of a cosmo/stacker 830! And not many places here in UK sells lian li cases.

whats the best case to get for under £150/$300?
 
GuyClinch said:
Yeah TJ09/10 seems like some nice case. I been thinking about them - however I read in one review there is no place to stash wires. That's shame so I been thinking about PC-A70 instead.
Click to expand...

I have the A70 with a custom W-75 side window and love it.
 
im leaning close to a lian li but those cases look TWICE the size of a cosmo/stacker 830! And not many places here in UK sells lian li cases.
Click to expand...

Nah it's not twice as big as a Stacker. Stacker's are HUGE. :p

595mm x 220mm x 588mm - A70

536mm 250mm x 638mm - Stacker

So the A70 is thinner and taller (which is kinda of a waste but it will actually take up less desktop space)..

Both are really big cases no doubt about it..Not down with the Stacker cause I think it's really ugly. I don't like gamer style cases.

I am leaning towards the Lian Li cause I like the looks so much better. Also I really like the cooling layout - stacker cooling is great don't get me wrong. But the compared to other Lian Li cases and the Cosmos it's hard to beat the A70.

The smaller A10 seems to have weird cooling and no dust filter. It's more a bad version of the P182. The TJ09 is the stiffest competition for it the A70 IMHO - better size and a removable motherboard tray with good cooling. Plus it looks good..on the downside like I said before more difficult cable management, some sharp edges, and the higher price tag..

I already have a P160 which works okay I just one better cooling for this quad build. One of my ram sticks died the other day and I think it's cause my case gets too hot. Also i think it looks ugly.

Pete
 
GuyClinch said:
Nah it's not twice as big as a Stacker. Stacker's are HUGE. :p

595mm x 220mm x 588mm - A70

536mm 250mm x 638mm - Stacker

So the A70 is thinner and taller (which is kinda of a waste but it will actually take up less desktop space)..

Both are really big cases no doubt about it..Not down with the Stacker cause I think it's really ugly. I don't like gamer style cases.

I am leaning towards the Lian Li cause I like the looks so much better. Also I really like the cooling layout - stacker cooling is great don't get me wrong. But the compared to other Lian Li cases and the Cosmos it's hard to beat the A70.

The smaller A10 seems to have weird cooling and no dust filter. It's more a bad version of the P182. The TJ09 is the stiffest competition for it the A70 IMHO - better size and a removable motherboard tray with good cooling. Plus it looks good..on the downside like I said before more difficult cable management, some sharp edges, and the higher price tag..

I already have a P160 which works okay I just one better cooling for this quad build. One of my ram sticks died the other day and I think it's cause my case gets too hot. Also i think it looks ugly.

Pete
Click to expand...

this case looks good. is that the on you are talking about?
lianli_case_aluminium_a71.jpg
http://www.lian-li.com/product/product06.php?pr_index=113&cl_index=1&sc_index=2&ss_index=8&type=a

how good is the cable management for this case and where in the uk can i buy or see the price of it lol
 
No thats the Lian Li PC-A71, The PC-AXX with the door. The A70 doesnt have the door. The are identical except for that.

I think the cable management is pretty good, At least I think I did a decent job in mine - HERE

I gotta clean the case off of fingerprints ;)
 
fantomau said:
No thats the Lian Li PC-A71, The PC-AXX with the door. The A70 doesnt have the door. The are identical except for that.

I think the cable management is pretty good, At least I think I did a decent job in mine - HERE

I gotta clean the case off of fingerprints ;)
Click to expand...

where did you the side panel window from?
 
Got it from Performance-pcs.com. Its any of THESE with W-75x. Expensive, But worth it. Now I'm waiting on the T-70, Its a optional top panel with two 120mm fans. Suppose to be out in January.
 
is there really such a thing as a "best case for air cooling"? i think it has alot to do with personal taste because there is alot of case with good air circulation. a couple big factors for me are the noise level of the case and the quality of the build..
 
My vote goes for the Antec 900 for best airflow, and the P180 for good cooling and quiet as well.
 
tricky0502 said:
is there really such a thing as a "best case for air cooling"? i think it has alot to do with personal taste because there is alot of case with good air circulation. a couple big factors for me are the noise level of the case and the quality of the build..
Click to expand...

true, there realy is not the best case out there. they are all fantasic cases and i am very happy to be given soo much choices of high quality cases to choose unlike the graphics card world where there is only Nvidia realy with ATI falling wayyyy behind
 
I got the Lian Li A70. It's amazing. My temps dropped a ton, all my fans now run at the lowest speed possible, the setup is great, the fit and finish perfect... It was probably the best purchase I've made since the quad.
 
RCGodward said:
I got the Lian Li A70. It's amazing. My temps dropped a ton, all my fans now run at the lowest speed possible, the setup is great, the fit and finish perfect... It was probably the best purchase I've made since the quad.
Click to expand...

yes the case looks amazing but is it quiet? what are your idle and room temps?

edit: i just noticed taht this case is very light!
 
Antec900 has been the best airflow from what I've seen... perforated front w/ 2 x 120mm, 200mm on top, 120 on back, 120 on side...

It's not quiet though... just very good cooling for air...
 
antec 900 is great, I wonder why it's a steel case not aluminum :confused:
I love the PC-A70 (71) but 60cm hight is just too much :(
the 380cm A05 LiLi would be enough 4 me :p


jonneymendoza said:
i know how you feel. picking a case is definetly the harsest choice to make when builing a new pc. im gunna build one around march and i have been looking at cases since september and STILL have not made up my mind on what to get.

i wanted to get the antec p180, then the cm stacker and now the cosmo. Now i just dont know which one to choose. i like the stacker but it looks like a noisy case with all those fans inside it.

the cosmos have poor cooling and the p180? umm i wont get it simply for the fact that everyone else has one AND i want a full ATX case.

im leaning close to a lian li but those cases look TWICE the size of a cosmo/stacker 830! And not many places here in UK sells lian li cases.

whats the best case to get for under £150/$300?
Click to expand...

same here
 
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