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Unhappy with Rocketfish -- Case options?

SilverSliver

SilverSliver

[H]F Junkie
2FA
Joined
Feb 23, 2004
Messages
13,161
Well, my Rocketfish is a very well built case. However, I am disappointed in the airflow it's giving me, and am also dissatisfied with the sheer size. If I am planning on going to two 4850's in Crossfire, even with the Rocketfish in negative pressure, it's simply not going to be escaping enough heat.

I am looking for a very good air cooling case with decent cable management for under $100. I have considered the CM690, the CM590 and the Antec 900. Any other suggestions out there?
 
If your interested in airflow, I don't think you can beat the 900 for under $100. Its quality built too. Had one for a couple of years...no complaints
 
CM 690 > Antec 900 Trust me, built both for a couple clients (ie Family members). Antec 900 quality wasn't impressive at all.
Looks, Airflow just about even with a slight edge to Antec 900, but CM690 has a better price. order it from svc.com
 
kadozer said:
CM 690 > Antec 900 Trust me, built both for a couple clients (ie Family members). Antec 900 quality wasn't impressive at all.
Looks, Airflow just about even with a slight edge to Antec 900, but CM690 has a better price. order it from svc.com
Click to expand...

Very true! But both cases are not even semi-close to the build quality of that rocketfish. Considering I got all my RF cases for less than $50 it was the steal of the year. I also modded mine and the airflow is fantastic.
 
Yeah My rocket fish has 3x 120 mm in the top connected to My radiator, 1 intake for My hdds and 1 exhaust.
 
What did you do to yours as far as modding to improve airflow? I have 2 120mm fans up front, the 120mm exhaust and I reversed the cooling arm that blew over the PCI slots, and move that to exhaust at the top rear of the case. My cable management isn't out of control either.

When running my E8400 @ 4.0, my only concern is heat. With the Xigmatek S1283, I'm getting Orthos load temps of 67c as reported in Real Temp. As such, I run it at 3.8 which puts me at 61c load -- if my 4850 is going all out -- tack about 5c onto that temp.

I'm not interested in going into water cooling at this point.
 
SilverSliver said:
When running my E8400 @ 4.0, my only concern is heat. With the Xigmatek S1283, I'm getting Orthos load temps of 67c as reported in Real Temp. As such, I run it at 3.8 which puts me at 61c load -- if my 4850 is going all out -- tack about 5c onto that temp.
Click to expand...

Why not get a better cooler like the TRUE instead?
The contact heat pipe coolers aren't bad but they don't beat the TRUE at higher overclocks.

Adding more airflow to the Xigmatek isn't going to lower the temps much at all unless your ambient temps are out of control. I would say your best bet it to replace your cpu hsf with something better, or scale back on your oc.
 
SilverSliver said:
What do you think of the CM590 versus the 690?
Click to expand...

Buit on the same core chasis with slightly different drive cages, I've had my 590 for several months and it is great. As mentioned, excellent cable maagement and air flow.
 
I agree with the notion of a new heat sink. There are far better units that you could use.

Next, if I understand this correctly, you have 2 intake and 1 exhaust, which is fine.
The reason I hate single slot coolers, is what you just found. The card gets cooled by ambient in case air, which then circulates around inside, raising the temps.

Have you reapplied thermal paste? Re oriented the heatsink?
 
SilverSliver said:
What do you think of the CM590 versus the 690?
Click to expand...
With a bit of creativity, you can mount a second 120mm fan in the front of the 590. All the other fan mount points are the same, but when you factor that in the 590 has better airflow. You really can't go wrong with either though.
 
Cloud15x said:
I agree with the notion of a new heat sink. There are far better units that you could use.

Next, if I understand this correctly, you have 2 intake and 1 exhaust, which is fine.
The reason I hate single slot coolers, is what you just found. The card gets cooled by ambient in case air, which then circulates around inside, raising the temps.

Have you reapplied thermal paste? Re oriented the heatsink?
Click to expand...


I have 2 intakes, 2 exhaust, not including the PSU.

The Xigmatek S1283 is one of the best coolers on the market, bested by the True by what, a degree, maybe two -- when the True is lapped? Thermal paste was applied correctly, and the heatsink cannot be oriented differently due to the layout of the DFI board.
 
I stand by what I said earlier:
The contact heat pipe coolers aren't bad but they don't beat the TRUE at higher overclocks.
Click to expand...

I've seen no articles that say otherwise. Every hsf article AT has done has shown that the TRUE has the lowest temps at high overclocks, and the TRUE lets you achieve higher overclocks because of that (which they also show, as it is ranked #1 for highest oc achieved). The only air coolers close to the TRUE are the IFX-14 and the Noctua in push/pull config.

You're at 4ghz, I wouldn't bother with a Xigmatek for 4ghz but you do what you want.

I guarantee you that case airflow isn't *your* cpu temp problem but if you want to sell your case off, so be it. Your cpu temps may drop a degree or two, no more. You need a better cooler if you expect to run at 4ghz and have low temps in the 50s.
 
zero2dash said:
I stand by what I said earlier:


I've seen no articles that say otherwise. Every hsf article AT has done has shown that the TRUE has the lowest temps at high overclocks, and the TRUE lets you achieve higher overclocks because of that (which they also show, as it is ranked #1 for highest oc achieved). The only air coolers close to the TRUE are the IFX-14 and the Noctua in push/pull config.

You're at 4ghz, I wouldn't bother with a Xigmatek for 4ghz but you do what you want.

I guarantee you that case airflow isn't *your* cpu temp problem but if you want to sell your case off, so be it. Your cpu temps may drop a degree or two, no more. You need a better cooler if you expect to run at 4ghz and have low temps in the 50s.
Click to expand...

Absolutely right.
 
You can stand by it all you want. I haven't seen any articles that show more than a 2-3c difference.

I generally use Frosty for heat-sink comparisons.
 
SilverSliver said:
You can stand by it all you want. I haven't seen any articles that show more than a 2-3c difference.

I generally use Frosty for heat-sink comparisons.
Click to expand...

Frostytech is inaccurate because they don't use actual CPUs in their tests. CPUs rarely, if ever, approach their TDP levels in heat output, which is what they go by. Also, the TRUE does do better at extreme levels of overclocking, because its higher heat capacity allows it to cool better. The Xigmatek does well at lower temperatures because there's less thermal resistance between the CPU and the fins due to the lack of a typical base. However, at higher heat levels the Xigmatek doesn't have the capacity to draw all the heat away from the CPU, whereas the TRUE's larger surface area and number of heatpipes allows it to cope with the heat better.
 
Zero82z said:
Frostytech is inaccurate because they don't use actual CPUs in their tests. CPUs rarely, if ever, approach their TDP levels in heat output, which is what they go by. Also, the TRUE does do better at extreme levels of overclocking, because its higher heat capacity allows it to cool better. The Xigmatek does well at lower temperatures because there's less thermal resistance between the CPU and the fins due to the lack of a typical base. However, at higher heat levels the Xigmatek doesn't have the capacity to draw all the heat away from the CPU, whereas the TRUE's larger surface area and number of heatpipes allows it to cope with the heat better.
Click to expand...

Absolutely 100% correct.

I've done a lot of research on articles and tests of CPU air cooling. I was considering watercooling, and am still planning on it eventually, but the Thermal Upright tied the Tuniq in many reviewers' tests, which is impressive to say the least, then the TRUE (extreme) added two heat pipes and performed even better. The way it is constructed is designed to move a massive amount of heat away from the processor and into the fins quickly. If you have a high performance fan, you will suck the heat away from your processor like crazy. I'm using the Rocketfish case, and while it doesnt' have the best airflow stock, I'm not leaving it stock. It has so much room that there are tons of easy and cheap mods you can do to increase airflow.

Let me give you some cheap examples:

1. Taller feet. I spent 13 bucks on some nice acrylic feet. They will raise my case off the floor and allow for better venting through the panels on the bottom of the case. (some people are installing wheels - even better!)

2. Two 60mm fans on the top vents above the rear 120mm fan. 60mm fans can push a decent 24cfm at a low decibel rating. Two of them add almost 50cfm of exhaust airflow to whatever the rear 120 is already pulling. They were like six bucks. I could've gotten cheaper ones, but I wanted aluminum ones with blue LED's to match my case's theme.

3. Just buy better fans than the stock ones. I found some for several dollars a piece that have a higher CFM and lower noise rating than the stock Lian-Li fans, which aren't bad, it's just a huge case. Now my airflow has increased over stock for about a $20 investment.

4. The most expensive cooling piece I've purchased was a $20 Kama Bay front bay 120mm fan adapter. The included fan is crappy, but the $10 Scythe I bought to replace it is going to push about 80cfm at a paltry 35db of noise, and it's MB controlled (Asus P5Q Pro has fantastic fan control software, BTW, so it only spins up when things heat up)

5. This was a free mod - I flipped the graphics card exhaust fan so it's blowing on the graphics cards instead of sucking air out. Some people have worse results by doing this, but my 4850's temps dropped by 5c after I did this.

6. I already had a modular PSU, so that helps, and I've slowly but surely converted all my drives to SATA now, so there's a lot less cable mess inside.




Anyways, those are some easy peasy examples of how to get the most out of your case. Some cases like the Antec 900/1200 (I've owned the 900) are just wind tunnels with slots for computer hardware. I loved the cooling of the 900. Everything had fresh air flowing over it because of the way it was designed. But it was cramped. No room to grow. Only one measly 3.5 inch bay?? And via a cheesy plastic adapter? What the crap??

The Rocketfish was designed for things to be added to it, and not just drives, but cooling solutions. What do you think all those vents are for? To make it look pretty? They could've added a few holes here and there, and maybe put a couple of 120mm grills on top to make our jobs easier, but this is [H], and most of us paid less than $100 for a $200 caliber case. Heck, I paid $50 in Billings and didn't even pay tax!! I bought it as a project. You want something that's easy? Spend more :p
 
SilverSliver said:
Well, my Rocketfish is a very well built case. However, I am disappointed in the airflow it's giving me, and am also dissatisfied with the sheer size. If I am planning on going to two 4850's in Crossfire, even with the Rocketfish in negative pressure, it's simply not going to be escaping enough heat.

I am looking for a very good air cooling case with decent cable management for under $100. I have considered the CM690, the CM590 and the Antec 900. Any other suggestions out there?
Click to expand...

I agree, the Rocketfish needs serious help. Some things you can do to improve it:

- Make cut outs and run wires behind the motherboard tray
- Buy a slot cooler /exhaust fan
- Remove all hard drive trays and buy a 5.25 bay hard drive thing of a jiggy that will also give you an extra intake fan
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811999164

Well if your unhappy with the size not much you can do there. I can see the advantage of having a smaller case if your constantly moving it around. I really like the size of the case, it's easier to work with. I don't think two 4850s would be much of an issue with this case though. Two 4870x2s on the other hand...definitely. I'd say buy the two 4850s first and monitor the temps. If you don't like the temps and you've done all you could, then sell it.

I've heard nothing but good things about the antec 900/1200. I personally would go with the Thermaltake Armor...I really like how those look.
 
BigCactus said:
I agree, the Rocketfish needs serious help. Some things you can do to improve it:

- Make cut outs and run wires behind the motherboard tray
- Buy a slot cooler /exhaust fan
- Remove all hard drive trays and buy a 5.25 bay hard drive thing of a jiggy that will also give you an extra intake fan
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811999164

Well if your unhappy with the size not much you can do there. I can see the advantage of having a smaller case if your constantly moving it around. I really like the size of the case, it's easier to work with. I don't think two 4850s would be much of an issue with this case though. Two 4870x2s on the other hand...definitely. I'd say buy the two 4850s first and monitor the temps. If you don't like the temps and you've done all you could, then sell it.

I've heard nothing but good things about the antec 900/1200. I personally would go with the Thermaltake Armor...I really like how those look.
Click to expand...

Those are some good suggestions. And SilverSilver, if you get the chance, I posted some suggestions on the previous page for ya too. Hopefully this helps you out. Like I said, the RocketFish case begs to be modded, and with some easy and quick and even cheap fixes you can drastically improve your cooling!
 
I have my dremel out today. I've already flipped the fan on the PCI intake blower to an exhaust, and mounted that at the top rear to exhaust out the back. I also have a Scythe Kama Bay with a 64cfm Yate.

Wires are pretty well routed, but I will be cutting into the mobo tray for better results. I am also going to cut into the side panel to add a 63cfm 140mm Yate I have, Will also cut a hole in the top for a 120mm fan to exhaust.

I've removed all drive holders and put the HD in the floppy bay which seemed to help things out a bit. I'll be removing the mobo so I can throw on my LGA775 bolt-through kit and maybe get the heatsink a little more secure. Pushpins seem tight, no movement in the HSF, but I like the peace of mind.
 
On the rocketfish I was having heat issues like you. Here's how i fixed it:

1. tape over the vent on the back at the top, it causes the rear exhaust fan to loop itself through there leaving the processors heat in a dead area.

2. Put a 120mm fan blowing in halfway over the ram and the top of the videocard.

The combination of these two dropped my cpu temps by 8C (3.1GHz athlon x2 5000 @ 1.46). In my case I always have 8 hard drives, 4 1TB at the bottom and 4 400's in the 80mm 3 drive brackets (bought 2). Lian li also makes 120MM hard drive ones or just fan ones that would help.
 
kadozer said:
CM 690 > Antec 900 Trust me, built both for a couple clients (ie Family members). Antec 900 quality wasn't impressive at all.
Looks, Airflow just about even with a slight edge to Antec 900, but CM690 has a better price. order it from svc.com
Click to expand...
I'm about to order the CM690 myself. Been reading a lot of great things about it from folks who have worked with both the Antec 900 and CM690. Anyways, buy it off of Amazon.com for 77 dollars. Free shipping, no tax and 30 days to return the item.
 
Unhappy with rocketfish case ....

I could NEVER be unhappy with this:

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Oh yeah ... UV reactive stuff going, too.

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DriveMounting02.jpg


3.6GHzStable.jpg


Never broke 63c after hours of Prime95, four threads, small fft's. Now that I've completed my air cooling mods performance is stellar, with our without my side window on. All my components are extremely happy in this case, and I haven't even started watercooling yet. As for now, I'm done for a while. It's dialed in, running stable, and looks even better in person than in these pictures. I am absolutely loving this case. Some day when I throw on the triple radiator up top with some nice 120mm fans I'll love it even more!
 
Well I've improved my temps -- I put a 140mm Yate on the top after cutting a blowhole, and a Scythe Kama with a 120mm Yate, and a Scythe S-Flex for the rear exhaust. So far, so good. Will be modding a bit more after I move to improve cable routing. Also bolted down my Xigmatek.
 
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