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Summerbuzz

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I'm building a new m-atx system (hurrah!) and could do with picking a brain or two regarding cases and airflow.

The core system is a Gigabyte b85 m-atx board, i7 4790k, EVGA 500b, 2*8 gb ddr3, and I'll be adding a full length graphics card (960 or 970, depending on finances).

Case wise, at the moment I've got one of these ordered

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Xigmatek/Aquila/5.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Xigm ... ila/5.html</a>

It looks like an easy build, and as it's mesh at the top and front, I can see several options for cooling, and the airflow.
[bigimg]http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Xigmatek/Aquila/images/install1.jpg[/bigimg]

The pic shows a top-down cooler, there is an exhaust fan at the back. Personally I'd stick a cheap AIO on the cpu and the 240mm radiator at the top. Whatever. Easy.

BUT I'm having second thoughts, because it's quite a big case, and I'm less keen on the look and effects of mesh everywhere on noise levels. And it's taking longer to get stock than I thought

So, I looked at one of these (without the nvidia branding)

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.pcgameware.co.uk/reviews/cases/bitfenix-phenom-micro-atx-nvidia-edition-case-review/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.pcgameware.co.uk/reviews/cas ... se-review/</a>

Same price, it's more compact, and the build quality/looks are fantastic. I really love that it doesn't have a 5.25" bay.
[bigimg]http://www.pcgameware.co.uk/images/BitFenix-Phenom-Nvidia-Edition-complete-right.jpg[/bigimg]

Obviously the board fits in sideways. with the GPU towards the top... but the PSU is at the bottom front. I'm ok with fitting all components in, but I can't figure out how I'd do the airflow. It doesn't breath from the front - it has a 240mm mesh at the top, and a big mesh at the bottom.

How would you sort out the airflow? Remember, it doesn't breath from the front. Would you have intake fans at the bottom, tower CPU cooler pointing toward the back like in the picture? If I do that, does having the PSU at the bottom front affect things? Is a half decent 500w warm these days? More importantly how does the graphics card at the top affect things? For the life of me I can't figure it out.

I'd really like this case. Really, really. The CPU is 95w TDP but has a reputation for being quite hot, but I don't want to do a big overclock, if at all. The NVidia GPU's are quite efficient, so I don't think I'll run into big problems, but still, I won't buy it unless I can be happy the airflow is going to work.

Please. Help. Me?
 
There's no point in sticking an unlocked CPU in a 'B' motherboard, you should go for a Z97 if you're overclocking. Is the i7 a done deal? If you don't need the HT you could save £100 on an i5 and get a cheaper non-overclocking MB.

I don't like the looks of the Phenom's airflow much, the Fractal Design S http://www.fractal-design.com/home/product/cases/define-series/define-s-window is a nice clean build with plenty of air cooling options let alone water cooling.

Do you use http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/ to build your PC's? If so you can post a link to your build here so we can have a look.

Edit: I've always liked the Bitfenix Prodigy for a small build https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=b...g&ved=0CD0Q_AUoAQ#tbm=isch&q=Bitfenix+Prodigy

xqgzk3.jpg
 
ColinLee said:
There's no point in sticking an unlocked CPU in a 'B' motherboard, you should go for a Z97 if you're overclocking. Is the i7 a done deal? If you don't need the HT you could save £100 on an i5 and get a cheaper non-overclocking MB.

I don't like the looks of the Phenom's airflow much, the Fractal Design S http://www.fractal-design.com/home/product/cases/define-series/define-s-window is a nice clean build with plenty of air cooling options let alone water cooling.

Do you use http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/ to build your PC's? If so you can post a link to your build here so we can have a look.

Thanks for having a look.

The i7 is done, and tbh so is the board. I got a decent deal, 260 for the CPU, 33 quid for the board. It has plenty of pci slots and sata III ports, and the updated Gigabyte Bios for the 8 series H/B boards lets you o/c via multiplier, but TBH that's not such a big deal. I will use the threads at times for audio and video stuff, and it's still the top-of-the line for single thread performance, it runs at 4ghz stock. I know CPU and threads are not usually the limiting factor in gaming but I'm looking at some sims where it is much more of an issue. I bought it thinking I'll go for a 960 and use my 1080p monitor now, and in 18 months or so, go for the Pascal equivalent of a 970 (ti?) and a 1440p monitor.

I think you're right about the phenom. It just doesn't sit right with me. PSU at the bottom, and no side/front breathing. Shame, because they are gorgeous objects.

The Fractal case looks really good but tbh I want something small. In this age of ultra-slim smart-phones and tvs, I just can't get my head around towers that are bigger than the ones I was using 20 years ago!

I might stick with the Aquila in white and black. The cable management and airflow looks like a piece of piss, and there is room for all sorts, if I want to get clever later on. I've gone for white ram, lol (hyper-fury x, again cheap as chips and will do CAS 9 at 1600mhz no probs)

I've used partpicker before, but tbh there's not much point, cos I'm recycling SSD, HD, keyboard/monitor, mouse, and am still umming and ahhing about the CPU cooler and GPU model.

ColinLee said:

Yeah, looked at that... good case. Just don't like that legacy 5.25" slot ;)
 
BTW, I'd stick with a big air cooler in the Aquila. A quality one will still be cheaper than a 240mm AIO radiator.
 
shadygiz said:
ewwww, mini atx systems and cases ;(

just cant get enough cooling in the cases for me, especially if your planning on running an I7 and GTX970, your temps may be an issue
I use a Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case with an i5 @ 4.2Ghz and a R9 290 Tri-X graphics card. With a Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO stuck on top of the CPU and 2x120mm fans at the front and 1 exhaust there's no issues whatsoever.

With the Aquila case that Summerbuzz is planning on you can stick a 200mm fan in front, there's plenty of cooling there.
 
ColinLee said:
shadygiz said:
ewwww, mini atx systems and cases ;(

just cant get enough cooling in the cases for me, especially if your planning on running an I7 and GTX970, your temps may be an issue
I use a Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case with an i5 @ 4.2Ghz and a R9 290 Tri-X graphics card. With a Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO stuck on top of the CPU and 2x120mm fans at the front and 1 exhaust there's no issues whatsoever.

With the Aquila case that Summerbuzz is planning on you can stick a 200mm fan in front, there's plenty of cooling there.

its not the amount of cooling thats the issue, its the airflow across and around the components, as the case restricts the amount of air volume and air will always find the path of least resistance

i just prefer to have a bigger case with more room for air to circulate, saying that both my CPU & GPU are water cooled
 

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