TJ09 vs. P182

[Wally]

This is my second thread on this - I can't find my previous one due to a lack of search function, sorry. This one's more specific, anywank.

Last thread the general consensus was that the TJ09 was worth the additional outlay. I got my hands on a P182 today, when a friend got his delivered. I was impressed by how everything was so precise and clean, something my TJ05 didn't really impress upon me.

Questions being:

1: For those of you who've actually handled a TJ09, or even better, both cases, how do they compare?

2: What sort of benefits am I likely to see from the TJ09 over the p182 in terms of cooling and sound? I am prepared to get some of this sound-dampening case foam business, if it helps.

3: I am hoping to put in whichever case I end up with this kit:
Asus P5N32-E Plus SLi, Core 2 Duo E6550, Enermax Infiniti 730w, Zalman CNPS9700, and an EVGA 8800GTX, with room for another. Am I going to face any issues with either case, considering the fact that I have one of the largest HSF/GPUs out there?

Thanks in advance.

 

[rsgunter]

I haven't been hands on with either, but I can give some opinion.

Cooling and Sound:
TJ09 - Louder but cooler
182 - opposite.

The TJ09 was engineered to cool down some hot cards like the 8800GTX as you know from seeing the vents on the side of the case that bring air in to have a fan push it over the video card(s).
The 182 however doesn't have as much front intake capacity(it has a door, I'm sure it effects the ability for airflow to enter the front).

I guess it really depends on if you want to OC or not. I'd probably go with the 182 if I wasn't going to OC. I prefer the computer quiet if there isn't a need for absurd amount of airflow.

I can't comment on the build quality of either, but from people on forums and what not I've gathered that Silverstone has a better build quality than Antec. Both are good case makers however and you gotta remember fanboys are everywhere.

 

[Wally]

Cheers.

I'm torn. I've heard nothing but "TJ09 is the best thing since Wally McPoggenJasp" reviews, but i'm still not entirely sure. SUX2BEME

 

[txtmstrjoe]

I've currently got the TJ09, and I used to have the P180, from which the P182 was derived. Maybe the P182 is not an exact match, but from what I understand it's a refinement of the P180 concept.

I much prefer the TJ09 myself. I transplanted my rig into the TJ09, and it runs everything cooler by about 5-7 degrees C. My rig is air-cooled, but the TJ09 can hold a watercooling setup internally. There's almost no way a P180 can do that easily, as far as I know.

The standard of engineering seems higher in the Silverstone; the Antec, while well-engineered, just seems cumbersome and clumsy in comparison. The TJ09 has very few plastic parts, certainly much less than the P180. I like to think of the TJ09 as something like an SR-71 Blackbird. The P180 is more like a Boeing 747, if that analogy makes any sense.

The TJ09 is also massively more user-friendly. It's got a huge interior; the P180 is quite cramped. The Silverstone's motherboard tray is also removable, a feature the P180 doesn't have.

In terms of looks, well, that's entirely subjective. I think they both look good.

The only advantages the P180 has, in my opinion, are a lower price point and slightly better noise suppression. Everyone raves about the P180's qualities as a quiet case, but if you're running a powerful rig, you'll have powerful (and noisy) fans at work anyway, which renders the point moot.

Hope this helps!

 

[LanPirate1]

I've had both the TJ09 and the P180. I hated routing the PSU wiring up through the mid-floor on the 180. There is a lot more plastic, as mentioned above in the 180. Its a quiet case for sure, but leaves no creative building/modding. You are basically forced to build it the way everyone else does(the way Antec suggests). Also, the case is a lot smaller and more cramped than you might think. Now, I'm not bashing Antec, I have built over 20 PC's using their products and still use them to this day.
The TJ09 had only one problem, and it wasnt so much its fault: The 8pin power lead from my PSU was too short to reach my EVGA680i mobo, by routing it behind the mobo and up. I had to run it over the mobo, under my 8800, up past the cpu and in, ghetto imo. An extension would work though.
Other than that, the TJ09 is absolutely the way to go from a modders perspective, case window challenges you to do clean work. You will be very glad you spent the extra money. This case commands respect, bleeds quality everywhere, and shows off your hard work. Check out my recent build to see how it could look for you:

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1189249

This build was quiet actually, using S-flex fans. I turned down the nb cooler fan to 50% and now its surprisingly quiet.

 

[ND40oz]

I too have both the P180 and a TJ09, TJ09 wins hands down. It's just on another level from the antec, the way it fits together, the fit and finish, everything. Plus, the PSU isn't a pain in the ass to put in, it can handle a larger PSU without removing a fan and the removable mb tray makes putting everything in so much easier.

Only thing i couldn't hook up was my front panel audio. The port on the BX2 is unaccessable once you have your 2 video cards in and you have to put the video cards in when the mb tray is out of the case, so unless you get an extension lead, there's no way in hell to plug it in when your running crossfire.

 

[Droc]

Im a huge 180 fan, but the TJ09 looks very good also.



The only things I would change is have the HDD divided from the rest of the case(its a heater and sits so close to the videocards), gave the PSU its own separate intake of cold air, and had built in intake filters...since Im a stickler for filtered air.
Personally I would have liked to see a front door. Some say the front door on the P180 nulls the intake fans, but no more then the main intake on the TJ09 as the both use the same idea...though the P180 has 2 fans and the TJ09 only has one....that being said the TJ09's intake is much closer to the video cards.

Edit: I see it has cold intake for the PSU from the bottom of the case.

Id still take the P190 over the TJ09 since it has 2x 140mm fans on top and the bigboy 200mm filtered fan on the side, and 2xPSU capacity
But the TJ09 is a more "moddable" looking case.

though, its not fair for me to compare the P190 to the TJ09 due to the P190 being waaaaya more $$$

 

[Wally]

Thanks, this is perfect. Sounds very nice indeed - I only had my doubts because of my existing TJ-05, which is very good but the engineering's always seemed a bit clunky. However, thinking back, that's most likely because I painted it and all the panels fit much tighter now, so that's not attributable to Silverstone.

One more thing: with the Enermax Infiniti, i'm planning on having the main 120mm PSU fan facing down through the little window on the underside toward my desk, sucking in cool air. I'll put on a filter if I do this, but I was just wondering if this was a good idea - lots of other people have it set up differently to prevent crap being hoovered in, and I was curious about the effect this would have on case temperatures etc. Is it marginal or very noticeable?

Ta.

 

[LanPirate1]

Never really gave it much consideration. I'm running a Lian-Li PC-A05 right now and the psu sucks air from a floor hole as well. I should check it and see how dirty it is. Then again, the case sits on top of a desk. I don't see any harn in taping a filter to the hole underneath though.

 

[Koko56]

I have been keeping my eye on the P182 for some time now...

After googling a few pictures of the TJ-09 and reading this thread the TJ-09 seems higher quality, simpler but not cheaper.


Fore me the price is a big factor and I would go for the P182 and slap a couple of fans at the front, which would probably make it equal to the TJ-09 in cooling.

Just as a note - I really wish that the P190 would cost about £100 and not have the PSU's in it and have more similar looks to the P182 (no silver screws and bumped side panels) THEN I think it would be an almost perfect case for anyone without extreme needs!

Please Antec, make this true!

Oh and I say go with the P182 as it has pretty good cable management system as well as being cool and quiet and it looks good too, not to say that the TJ-09 is ugly. The P182 is also quite a bit cheaper than the TJ-09.

One thing I've read about is that the hinges on the front door are plastic.

 

[Dan_D]

I have a P190 and a P182. In many ways the P182 is the superior case. Cooling wise, they seem nearly equal except for one thing. SLI. If you have a second video card close to the bottom on the P182, you're ok. The same thing on the P190 isn't a good thing at all. In the P182 you can leave the plastic wire management thing open and plenty of air gets pulled into the lower video card through that bottom chamber. If you use the P190, this isn't possible with most of the larger PSUs. Now it might work with the stock dual-link unit, but I am not sure. There is a metal plate that can be removed, but in my case the PSU I chose to use in the case was too long to make that work.

Another factor to consider it's almost impossible for you to fit larger PSUs like the one I have into the P190. To do it you have to get it at the right angle, and flex the chassis upper and lower chamber floor/ceilings in order to make it fit. You will also have a hard time doing this without scratching your PSU. Then you have the issues of having no backplate to cover the secondary PSU bay. I solved this issue on mine by taking an old dead PSU and cutting the back plate off of it. I made some custom plates to cover the needed holes out of the PSU casings sheetmetal then I added an 80mm fan to top it off. That worked out well because it exhausts the head generated by my water pump.

On the P182 you can simply install the larger power supply. The only change you need to make is relocating the lower chamber middle fan bracket or taking it out entirely. In most other areas they are equal, but the reality is the dual 140mm fans don't help as well as you might think they would. Another big flaw is the 200mm fan. There are some problems with it. The power cable is rediculously short and there is no where to stick the fan speed controller. You'll need tape or something. Finally the fan is thick enough to prevent it's use with water blocks. There is just no clearance there for them and that fan. Even with air cooling the power cables for the 8800GTX are hard to keep out of the fan blades. (There is no fan grill included for any of the fans and there isn't one available for the 200mm fan at all.) If you are water cooling with an externally mounted radiator you have yet another problem. When the side cover is in place it covers the screw holes for two of the fan mounting holes. Add an external radiator and all of the sudden your case cover doesn't fit anymore. On the P182 you have this same issue, but you can mount the radiator on top of the case just as easily as you could the back. The difference is with 140mm fans you can't just slap the radiator on top of the P190 so easily. You'd have to think of something to handle this issue.

What I ended up doing is dremeling out some grooves on the back of the side panel so that the panel would lay flush when closed. The grooves go right around the Radbox mounting screws.

It's a nice setup, but if I had to do this over again, I wouldn't have purchased the P190.

 

[kirbyrj]

I'd grab the TJ09. I had a P180 and I didn't like it at all. The TJ is more expensive though. Personally, I like the cheaper Lian-Li's over both of them just because of the price. I have a PC7B Plus2 and it's a great case (8800GTX SLI won't fit, but a single will).

 

[Wally]

Thanks. What Dan D's said has kind of opened this all up again, when I thought I was going for the TJ09 - I do intend to eventually run two 8800GTXs, and the proximity of the PSU (which is going to be a 720w beast) hadn't occurred to me. Hmph.

 

[Dan_D]

I'd grab the TJ09. I had a P180 and I didn't like it at all. The TJ is more expensive though. Personally, I like the cheaper Lian-Li's over both of them just because of the price. I have a PC7B Plus2 and it's a great case (8800GTX SLI won't fit, but a single will).

I didn't like the P180 either. I did several builds in them for people just after they were released. I really didn't like them. Now the P182 on the other hand is really nice. They've addressed most if not all the issues I had with the case. Mainly the lack of wire management provisions was the big one.

Thanks. What Dan D's said has kind of opened this all up again, when I thought I was going for the TJ09 - I do intend to eventually run two 8800GTXs, and the proximity of the PSU (which is going to be a 720w beast) hadn't occurred to me. Hmph.

I mentioned it as an issue in the P190. In the P180/P182/SE you don't have this issue. You have to realize that you need at least an inch or more of space underneath the 8800GTX for enough cool air to be pulled into it or your idle and load temps will be out of control. This isn't totally unmanagable. You can in fact get past this but it will require running all your video card fans at 100% all the time. That's what I had to do temporarily.

 

[trinibwoy]

I think it depends no the qualities you value. It seems the P182 and TJ09 are focusing on different things. I personally upgraded to the P182 from a lian-li for its cable and noise management capabilities. Coupled with a Corsair 520W it's perfect in those two areas. I went to turn it on today but turned it off instead - it was so quiet I didn't realize it was already on. Quite the opposite from the same hardware in my old and trusty PC65B. And in terms of cooling properties it depends on what makes you happy - with only the three stock fans on low it has no problem keeping my parts cool and is dead silent while doing so. The raptor that used to drive me nuts rattling away in the lian-li has been beaten and subdued into a barely audible noise while seeking and silent otherwise.

So in the end I would say that the P182 a better choice for moderates like me - people who want everything in one package.

 

[kirbyrj]

I didn't like the P180 either. I did several builds in them for people just after they were released. I really didn't like them. Now the P182 on the other hand is really nice. They've addressed most if not all the issues I had with the case. Mainly the lack of wire management provisions was the big one.

My experience with the P180 was so bad that I didn't even look into the P182 . I like the other Antec cases. The Sonata is ok and the Super Lanboy was nice.

 

[xpsango]

I had my heart set on p182 but the tj09 seem so well engineered the fact that you have the room to setup internal watercooling for future modding. I do wish it was cheaper T_T. The tj09 is the case I am using for my build.

 

[XNeKoSX]

Like most people in this thread, I, too, have a P180 and a TJ09 case.

P182 ( new brother to P180 ) is a good case but personally, its not the best for top quality hardware such as a 8800GTX. Its to cramped inside and not enough cooling to cool the card plus a C2D OC'd or even a Quad. The quality of the case is very nicely done and it is very quiet indeed. If you don't have the latest and the greatest hardware out there, this case will do quiet well.

TJ09 is the cream of the crop in my opinion. Its much larger, yes, but the extra room is great for working inside the case, plus you gonna need that room for the new GPU's and the new 1000w PSU's, something the P182 can't handle with ease. TJ09 will last you a long time, you can fit anything you want in this case. I replaced all my 120 fans with Scythe Fans and applied sound damping material to the case. Sure, you can still hear the fans, but the sound is less audible, even though it still sounds like my case is hovering, but my airflow is extremely efficient. The middle fan that blows onto the GPU (8800GTX OC2) keeps my card very cool. Idle temp is at 50 degrees and my load temps reach 56-58 degrees, (I know that sounds shocking, was even to me, but trust me, I have put this system through numerous benchmarks and gaming and checked the temps on the card and those numbers are correct).

If you want top notch hardware, you gonna have to compromise unless you go watercooled, something I have not tried yet.

 

[Dan_D]

Like most people in this thread, I, too, have a P180 and a TJ09 case.

P182 ( new brother to P180 ) is a good case but personally, its not the best for top quality hardware such as a 8800GTX. Its to cramped inside and not enough cooling to cool the card plus a C2D OC'd or even a Quad. The quality of the case is very nicely done and it is very quiet indeed. If you don't have the latest and the greatest hardware out there, this case will do quiet well.

TJ09 is the cream of the crop in my opinion. Its much larger, yes, but the extra room is great for working inside the case, plus you gonna need that room for the new GPU's and the new 1000w PSU's, something the P182 can't handle with ease. TJ09 will last you a long time, you can fit anything you want in this case. I replaced all my 120 fans with Scythe Fans and applied sound damping material to the case. Sure, you can still hear the fans, but the sound is less audible, even though it still sounds like my case is hovering, but my airflow is extremely efficient. The middle fan that blows onto the GPU (8800GTX OC2) keeps my card very cool. Idle temp is at 50 degrees and my load temps reach 56-58 degrees, (I know that sounds shocking, was even to me, but trust me, I have put this system through numerous benchmarks and gaming and checked the temps on the card and those numbers are correct).

If you want top notch hardware, you gonna have to compromise unless you go watercooled, something I have not tried yet.

The P182 was perfectly fine for cooling my system with air cooling. The system was exactly what you see in my sig minus the water. My temps were a little high, but not to the point where I had artifacting and lockups. The system was just as stable as ever. Currently I have a dual X1950Pro setup in the P182 with a Pentium Extreme Edition 965. That's a hot bastard of a machine.

 

[XNeKoSX]

The P182 was perfectly fine for cooling my system with air cooling. The system was exactly what you see in my sig minus the water. My temps were a little high, but not to the point where I had artifacting and lockups. The system was just as stable as ever. Currently I have a dual X1950Pro setup in the P182 with a Pentium Extreme Edition 965. That's a hot bastard of a machine.

I did say, it will do anyone very nicely. What I actually stated was that its not the best choice for a 8800 GTX + a 1000w PSU. The GTX is a long card as with the 1000w PSU's. With the P182 case its would be very cramped inside, Airflow would not be the best, but with a TJ09, you get space to handle any new hardware no matter the size it seems plus, with this type of size you would not have to buy a new case at all, even if you wanted to which to a watercooled system, something the P182 case can not do easily.

I see, in your sig, that your newer case is the P190 Water Cooled system, nice choice and a different ball park. Since that case does not depend on air cooling ( fans ), are you cramped with the SLI and the 1000w PSU?

 

[Dan_D]

I did say, it will do anyone very nicely. What I actually stated was that its not the best choice for a 8800 GTX + a 1000w PSU. The GTX is a long card as with the 1000w PSU's. With the P182 case its would be very cramped inside, Airflow would not be the best, but with a TJ09, you get space to handle any new hardware no matter the size it seems plus, with this type of size you would not have to buy a new case at all, even if you wanted to which to a watercooled system, something the P182 case can not do easily.

True.

 

[XNeKoSX]

True.

I edited my last post to you, heres the question I asked.

I see, in your sig, that your newer case is the P190 Water Cooled system, very nice choice and a different ball park. Since that case does not depend on air cooling ( fans ), are you cramped with the SLI and the 1000w PSU?

Wondering because, I have yet to do a water cool system, but I am itching to do one and would like some insight on a good system to start me off and the P190 looks to be it.

 

[Dan_D]

I edited my last post to you, heres the question I asked.

I see, in your sig, that your newer case is the P190 Water Cooled system, very nice choice and a different ball park. Since that case does not depend on air cooling ( fans ), are you cramped with the SLI and the 1000w PSU?

Wondering because, I have yet to do a water cool system, but I am itching to do one and would like some insight on a good system to start me off and the P190 looks to be it.

The P190 is mostly just like a longer version of the P182. There are some differences, and most of them are bad. You should read my Antec P190 thread.

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?p=1031224991#post1031224991

In it I comment on the P190 itself and the installation of my water cooling hardware. It can be done and the results are excellent. However it wasn't without a fair degree of work. I had to make a backplate for the secondary PSU bay and I had to modify the front drive cage as well as my side panel. The 200mm fan had to go as it wouldn't clear my water blocks. For air cooling that 200mm fan has a hard time clearing 8800GTX power cables and any cooler larger than the Zalman CNPS9500AT/LED.

 

[trinibwoy]

I did say, it will do anyone very nicely. What I actually stated was that its not the best choice for a 8800 GTX + a 1000w PSU. The GTX is a long card as with the 1000w PSU's. With the P182 case its would be very cramped inside, Airflow would not be the best.

If you take out the middle drive cage you have vast amounts of room for the GTX. And airflow from the middle front intake fan (should you find it necessary to install one) would be directly on the card. I don't see any evidence of this case being unable to handle the latest hardware. With only three fans on low its cooling properties seem very good in my experience. You can probably add two more 120mm's and bring all 5 fans up to medium speed and it will still be quieter than most other cases out there.


Shot with Canon PowerShot SD450 at 2007-07-05

 

[Dan_D]

If you take out the middle drive cage you have vast amounts of room for the GTX. And airflow from the middle front intake fan (should you find it necessary to install one) would be directly on the card. I don't see any evidence of this case being unable to handle the latest hardware. With only three fans on low its cooling properties seem very good in my experience. You can probably add two more 120mm's and bring all 5 fans up to medium speed and it will still be quieter than most other cases out there.


Shot with Canon PowerShot SD450 at 2007-07-05

There is plenty of room in front of the card with the cage removed, but if you have a second card in SLI then there is no room underneath it for it to draw in air. There is no direct air flow from the front fan in front of it as the 3.5 floppy bay sits directly in front of it.

 

[trinibwoy]

There is plenty of room in front of the card with the cage removed, but if you have a second card in SLI then there is no room underneath it for it to draw in air. There is no direct air flow from the front fan in front of it as the 3.5 floppy bay sits directly in front of it.

With my motherboard if I went SLI with 2 dual-slot cards I could not use my PCI slots and there would be ample room below the bottom card - it will also get fed from the 120mm in the lower chamber. There's currently an upward draft from the hole in the separator between the two chambers. The top card probably will have trouble getting air as it's too close to the bottom card but that's not the case's fault. My board isn't very SLI friendly either - I've noticed other boards have the first SLI slot higher up on the board than mine does.

 

[XNeKoSX]

If you take out the middle drive cage you have vast amounts of room for the GTX. And airflow from the middle front intake fan (should you find it necessary to install one) would be directly on the card. I don't see any evidence of this case being unable to handle the latest hardware. With only three fans on low its cooling properties seem very good in my experience. You can probably add two more 120mm's and bring all 5 fans up to medium speed and it will still be quieter than most other cases out there.


Shot with Canon PowerShot SD450 at 2007-07-05

You probably right, it can handle the latest hardware, SLI friendly on the other hand, thats a personal opinion. Also the room inside for airflow, its still cramped inside. like I mentioned before, I have a P180 still, but since I made my new system with the TJ09, It will take a miracle for me to switch it out for any other case. This case as alot of potiential to last years cause of the amount of room inside and the airflow it provides and the potiental to just convert it to a water cool system with ease.

Yes the P180 - P190 cases are quieter, thats no lie, but the TJ09 provides the space to put in anything you want including SLI or Crossfire without compromising the case itself, such as removing a HDD cage to fit a card in.

 

[Dan_D]

You probably right, it can handle the latest hardware, SLI friendly on the other hand, thats a personal opinion. Also the room inside for airflow, its still cramped inside. like I mentioned before, I have a P180 still, but since I made my new system with the TJ09, It will take a miracle for me to switch it out for any other case. This case as alot of potiential to last years cause of the amount of room inside and the airflow it provides and the potiental to just convert it to a water cool system with ease.

Yes the P180 - P190 cases are quieter, thats no lie, but the TJ09 provides the space to put in anything you want including SLI or Crossfire without compromising the case itself, such as removing a HDD cage to fit a card in.

You don't have to pull the cages on either one. You however will only be able to use one drive in the upper cage with an 8800GTX installed. The P190 needs to make no compromises of that sort.

 

[trinibwoy]

Yeah I can only give an opinion based on my usage characteristics - I don't know anyone how has more than 2 hard drives, far less 4. So the bottom cage alone will be more than enough. But for those hardcore TB array owning folks then I can see how it might be a problem

 

[Dan_D]

It is a problem. Due to the way I've got my water cooling installed, my middle drive cage is unavailable. The reservior is actually mounted on the side of it It made sense at the time because it was hidden and out of the way, while still being removable for topping off and bleeding the system. The blots however prevent the installation of the rail system the cage uses to hold the drive shelves. So right now I am limited to running only four hard drives unless I want to 5 1/4 mount two more. (I do not like 5 1/4 mounting hard drives.) The P182 is a bit small for me as I have no real room for a water pump in it.

 

[XNeKoSX]

Well, both cases are nice, we all agree. It all comes to personal opinion and what we are looking for.

I am still happy with my P180 case and it continues to serve me well. I am also happy with the TJ09 since it serves the purpose I planned for now and the future.

I would recommend to anyone both cases, but I would also recommend for them to look at the fine details and determine which one fits their plans better.

 

[Wally]

Well then: would a TJ09 with some sound dampening bollocks and third-party - probably antec - fans sound like a good compromise between the two, to anyone?

 

[XNeKoSX]

Check my sig...

TJ09 + Sound dampening + 5 Scythe Flex 120mm fans.

Its still audible but very much doable, heck you may even install a Fan controller and lower the speeds down when your not under full load (gaming), this will cause the system to be quieter.

The Antec case will still be quieter because of the material that it is constructed with.

Your trading off sound for space. Which to me (opinion) boils down to a much longer future usage with the TJ09.

 

[xpsango]

if this case were only a bit cheaper. It has such a price premium over a similarly spec'd lian-li or antec case.

 

[jalyst]

The P182 is a bit small for me as I have no real room for a water pump in it.

Can't you put a pump in the PSU compartment, a tank in a similar spot to where you've put it on your 190, & a radiator of choice on top of the case?

 

[Dan_D]

Can't you put a pump in the PSU compartment, a tank in a similar spot to where you've put it on your 190, & a radiator of choice on top of the case?

Nope. The longer PSU would block the use of a pump in the PSU bay. The drive cages are full so that area would be out and the middle drive cage can't be used for drives as my video cards would prevent it in the P182. Plus my reservior is attached to the side of the cage which caused me to remove all the drive mounting stuff from within the cage. I could certainly do the radiator on top as the side panels would have to be hacked up on the P182 to make a rear mounted radiator solution work. (At least with the Swiftech mounting hardware.)

 

[jalyst]

Nope. The longer PSU would block the use of a pump in the PSU bay. The drive cages are full so that area would be out and the middle drive cage can't be used for drives as my video cards would prevent it in the P182. Plus my reservior is attached to the side of the cage which caused me to remove all the drive mounting stuff from within the cage. I could certainly do the radiator on top as the side panels would have to be hacked up on the P182 to make a rear mounted radiator solution work. (At least with the Swiftech mounting hardware.)

I don't have one of the top-notch GPU's, just 1 asus 8600gts. My build is primarily to function as a HTPC/PVR using GNU/Linux + some other nice OSS apps. Plus "at this stage" I have no need for a larger PSU.

Hey, if you've still got the middle drive cage in place and have the reservoir attached to its side, couldn't you simply place the pump inside that unused middle cage?

must get some shut-eye, night all

 

[Dan_D]

I don't have one of the top-notch GPU's, just 1 asus 8600gts. My build is primarily to function as a HTPC/PVR using GNU/Linux + some other nice OSS apps. Plus "at this stage" I have no need for a larger PSU.

Hey, if you've still got the middle drive cage in place and have the reservoir attached to its side, couldn't you simply place the pump inside that unused middle cage?

must get some shut-eye, night all

Nope. I thought of that and while the pump I have will fit in there, you can't attach a hose to the top of it as it would kink too badly due to lack of clearance. This is the case regardless of the pump orientation. A different pump could be used for this, but not the ones I have.

 

[jalyst]

Nope. I thought of that and while the pump I have will fit in there, you can't attach a hose to the top of it as it would kink too badly due to lack of clearance. This is the case regardless of the pump orientation. A different pump could be used for this, but not the ones I have.

I see, so I'd have to be careful with choice of pumps/reservoirs. i don't like the look of the Sstones and they're not as well thought out internally (except for the size advantage) but I may have to consider one of them or Lian Li, tnx, jed

 

[Dan_D]

I see, so I'd have to be careful with choice of pumps/reservoirs. i don't like the look of the Sstones and they're not as well thought out internally (except for the size advantage) but I may have to consider one of them or Lian Li, tnx, jed

The DDC pump has a 5 1/4 mount option and there are reserviors with that option as well. Also the Swiftech Micro-Res has a few options as it relates to mounting as well.