Recommended Cases for Watercooling

[Nibotz]

I'm sorry for not explaining myself fully. I wasn't sure what specifics were important.

1)My plan is upgrade from my Coursair H70 to a piecemeal wc containing a drive bay res+pum & 1 triple 120mm rad mounted inside the door of the InWin Dragon Rider. Also expand from just cpu to cpu/chipset/memory.
2)Then depending on how that goes, build a second identical wc just for my gfx, with other triple 120 rad mounted on the inside of the door.
3)In the worse case of not enough room internally, I would drill holes for the hoses and mount the rads on the outside of the door.

My desire is to avoid #3 at all costs, which is why i am raising these questions. I am also trying to fit within a budget, which is flexable, but buying a $300+ is out of the question in my mind.

[Deton]

As it has mentioned, all cases can be use for water cooling but all the recommended cases in this thread are easy to work with, less modding and they can house at least one triple rad internally.

If you're planning to expanding to multiple blocks then don't bother with any midtower. It will be out growth by watercooling gears at no time. Go with fulltower if you can afford it.

[KRYLON360]

What about the NZXT Phantom? This is the case I won for the New years Giveaway this year, and I'm looking to start my 1st WC project.

[Earthmonger]

You can get a 360 in the roof, but you have to toss the 200mm fans and make your own mounting brackets. Also, the pre-drilled "240mm" rad holes don't actually fit most rads.

[KRYLON360]

You can get a 360 in the roof, but you have to toss the 200mm fans and make your own mounting brackets. Also, the pre-drilled "240mm" rad holes don't actually fit most rads.

alright, thanks. I like the case, but the "roof" like top for the case annoys the hell out of me. LOL.

Tapping new holes for a rad isn't hard. Just mainly wanted to know if I should get a new case or not.

[Deton]

I think you guys should reconsider when recommending cases for water cooling. They should be easy to work with and have minimum of modding. Technically, you can use any case for water cooling with some mod to it and most today's mid-towers can at least accommodate a double rad.

[KRYLON360]

I think you guys should reconsider when recommending cases for water cooling. They should be easy to work with and have minimum of modding. Technically, you can use any case for water cooling with some mod to it and most today's mid-towers can at least accommodate a double rad.

Oh, the Phantom was more of a question then recommendation.

[Earthmonger]

Any case can be made to fit WaCo. It just depends on how much modding you want to do. Personally I'd take the top off, and do a complete rectangular cut-out of the roof, minus an inch of lip on both sides. Then I'd cut a new roof out of alu stock, cut new fans holes in it, mount the whole thing back to the roof using the leftover lips, and put the plastic top cover back on. I just wouldn't want to leave those huge gaping 200mm fan holes there. With some mild cutting you could probably get a 240 in the floor, or a 140/200mm rad in the front.

[Deton]

Oh, the Phantom was more of a question then recommendation.

I wasn't referring to you Krylon, just a general speaking. I just went through this thread and saw a lot of recommended cases are a little hard to work for water cooling.

[Earthmonger]

Have I recommended any such cases? Just curious.

/Edit: Nevermind. This thread goes back to 2008, so it's irrelevant anyway. And I only have one post in it.

[realneil]

They are getting bigger, bigger every day.

Yep, my two larger Cooler Master Cases each have three 200mm fans in them. I like that they can move so much air and still not sound like a P51 taking off. Nice and quiet,......

[Earthmonger]

That has long been a point of contention with me: 200mm fans.
1) There are no real 200mm fans. You get a 200mm blade in a frame with 140 or 180mm mounting holes. Not one "200mm" fan has proper 200mm mounting centers.
2) Manufactures (like CM and Xigmatek) who use crappy Sleeve Bearings in fans mounted horizontally. Sleeve bearings are bad enough, but combine that with horizontal mounting, where the bearing gets no lubricant, with the added weight of a 200mm blade, and it spells disaster.

[realneil]

Yeah, I've been using my Sniper's disaster fake 200mm fans for three years now,.....I'm just lucky they work at all.

[Earthmonger]

Just pointing out the facts. The Storm Sniper turns 3 years-old in January. I've been hating on 200mm since before that. lol

I guess the market let me down. When larger fans started showing up I was excited. I encouraged it. Then when I found out most were rubbish, and I couldn't use them in modding, I felt betrayed. Swept under the rug in the name of mainstream business.

[realneil]

I don't see them as rubbish if they move a lot of air and they Shut the fleck up while doing it. (they're really quiet for their size) They have longevity compared to some other fans I've used. And of course, they come in Pwetty blue and red colors too.

Since I'm not heavy into modding and more into functionality they are OK with me.

[vinman]

I have a case on my floor I think will suprise everyone , and will house 4 true 200mm fans that are extremly quiet and move alot of air, along with a WC option for a 240 rad and is very well made as well.
the review is up and coming.