Small Case question?

[ChaosWDG]

Hey guys..
I have a rig that I want to put into a smaller case (will take some parts like extra Hard Drives out)

So heres what I already have..
Asus Maximus Extreme X38
2 HD 4870 512Mb Reference
X-Fi Titanium PCIe Fatal1ty pro
2 WD Caviar Black Hard Drives
1 DVD drive (5.25" bay)
1 Fan Controller (5.25" bay)
Antec Quattro 1000w PSU

These came from my previous major rig (latest is in sig)

enough room for a modest WC loop would be nice but not essential

So I want enough room for all this with but I want it to be light enough to take up and down a few flights of stairs...
what do you guys recomend?

As a guide, I like the NZXT Rouge but its too small for the motherboard

[Canadmos]

Not sure about fitting any radiators in here, but perhaps something like this?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811119152

[ChaosWDG]

Hmm.. May as well get an antec 900... bit more expensive but more of the same and more quality/airflow
Am I wrong?

[Rasmus66]

maybe this one?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811146029

Big tower case.
Room for a tripple rad in the top of the case.
very good airflow

[kevikev]

Hmm.. May as well get an antec 900... bit more expensive but more of the same and more quality/airflow
Am I wrong?

If you're considering the 900, then you're really no longer in the realm of small cases. Have you considered the Antec NSK4480B?

There's a sale on them right now so it might be a fairly inexpensive experiment:

http://shop4.frys.com/product/5689871

[Chewbenator]

Lian Li PC-A05? It's quite small for a full ATX case.

[Henry8601]

How about the Lian Li v1000 PLUS?

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...d=7&subcat=187

[ChaosWDG]

How about the Lian Li v1000 PLUS?

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...d=7&subcat=187

I like this one
You reckon it'll fit my Maximus Extreme?

[Henry8601]

I would have thought that it should fit. I have one of these and I think that at that price it was great. The only thing to watch out for is that the side panel does have a small grill in it, unlike the picture that overclockers show. It is inverted ATX, so the motherboard goes upside down - like the murderboxes.

Just to give you an idea, I am shoe-horning the following into mine:
Water cooled Foxconn Bloodrage + i7 920 + GTX 280
Pa120.3 with shroud
DDC3.2
EK 250 Reservoir
2 hard drives.
It is VERY tight, but just about fits, so your system should be fine - although you might have to be creative with radiator placement!

[Groveling_Wyrm]

Just some rambling thoughts on your choice for small case....

I would think the smallest you would want to consider with a water cooled system would be a mid-tower case, and I personally would be VERY selective at choosing a mid-tower. Case cooling comes into play a lot more with the smaller cases, and the smaller the case, the more critical it becomes to cooling things like the HDD's, PSU, and optical drives. Airflow routing and dead spaces are critical.

Also, as a thought, with most mid-tower cases, you will most likely have to do some modding/customization to get a good watercooling system installed, so you will definitely want to consider case layout as well.

Hope these ramblings help...Good luck on your choice, and POST BACK when/if you mod it.

[ChaosWDG]

Just some rambling thoughts on your choice for small case....

I would think the smallest you would want to consider with a water cooled system would be a mid-tower case, and I personally would be VERY selective at choosing a mid-tower. Case cooling comes into play a lot more with the smaller cases, and the smaller the case, the more critical it becomes to cooling things like the HDD's, PSU, and optical drives. Airflow routing and dead spaces are critical.

Also, as a thought, with most mid-tower cases, you will most likely have to do some modding/customization to get a good watercooling system installed, so you will definitely want to consider case layout as well.

Hope these ramblings help...Good luck on your choice, and POST BACK when/if you mod it.

Im pretty confident with my modding skills.. on my latest build I wanted to mount both the radiators on the outside next to each other, So i did it behind the mobo and had the tubes come in between the mobo tray and Bay Rack... I had to do a lot of dremmelling/drilling but it was worth it, theyr secure and look the bollocks! and best of all, I get some awsome comments when my friends see them

I was thinking of doing something equally as fun

[Henry8601]

Also, as a thought, with most mid-tower cases, you will most likely have to do some modding/customization to get a good watercooling system installed, so you will definitely want to consider case layout as well.

I just wanted to echo this - but it sounds like you have an idea of what to do which is great

Have a look here at a current v1000 water cooling worklog: Lian li v1000 Worklog

[ChaosWDG]

Hm, Im thinking of going for a PC-7F and doing it all from scratch, that or a P182, not decided yet

[phinix_mike]

A05...best...

[tobe22]

I know www.performance-pcs.com does some custom stuff, and to get it drilled, for say, a PA120.2, u'll probably have to call them. I would AT LEAST get the top drilled for some exhaust fans.

"light enough to take up and down a few flights of stairs", well depends on what you have in it too =) with the Lian Li A05, in addition to being lighter than full tower cases, u'll be able to hold it better than any of those other gargantuan full tower cases, because of it's height, for your stairway escapades, with decent room for WC setups.

[swale]

I must say I absoloutly love my lian li v1000 plus mid tower have had many full tower rigs inc tj07 cosmos s and so on and wanted something more compact that could take wc I have found it Highly recommend the lian li v1000 plus II
Its cosy but I like that...no wasted room.

p.s having done a fair bit of research this was about the smallest I could find that looked good and didn't require hacksaws etc

[ChaosWDG]

that v1000 looks the bollocks!
I have a pa 120.3 already and plan to use that in this build, want to cool the CPU/NB/GPU
do you reckon I could fit the rad in the case?

I have sold the Maximus now as I wanted to go with something new
Im still not 100% on the mobo Im gonna use, maybe a P5Q-e or similar

@Swale- Thats a very nice build you have yourself
bet that thing lights your room up at night