Two New Cases Designed for H20

[mackintosh]

Meh... all these cases look like rubbish to me. It's a shame none of these companies invest in professional industrial design teams. I get it - good design costs lots of money. It's mostly just the big companies that can afford it. But they make cases for the mass market, with no consideration for enthusiasts/modders/WC'ers/etc. So we're left with mediocre design, or mediocre capability.

As for Windy, I liked them more when they were called Soldam. Guess that makes me a PC chassis hipster :P

You've pretty much defined the problem and answered it yourself Industrial design is expensive and the watercooling market is still very much a small niche of the overall PC industry. Most of my friends think I should be committed for having water anywhere near my PC

I'd even say that "regular" cases are very much a small niche - to have a whole design team cater to watercooling enthusiasts is nothing short of crazy talk. There's just not enough money in it to warrant such expenditure. The market just isn't there.

[theseeker]

If this one ever comes about, it's a no-brainer for me.

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...d.php?t=267826

[Utnorris]

The XSPC cases look like a MM case without a doubt. If they were cheaper I could see them being an option. Quite honestly, I like LD's case, but way too much money for my poor butt. The Magnum cases look nice and have cable management, something that is a challenge on MM cases, especially for the price. It's nice to see some competition for water cooling cases now. However, until someone makes a case in the $200 or less range that fits two triple rads it will still be out of my reach. I have the UF2O and the Ascension, but I hate wire management on them, just takes away from the looks. For me, horizontal mounting is the only way to go.

[SiGfever]

I will stick with my U2-UFO, serves the purpose and is built like a brick #### house.

Scotch anyone?

[theseeker]

I will stick with my U2-UFO, serves the purpose and is built like a brick #### house.

Scotch anyone?

John,

I missed you and yes, the scotch is in the glass!

BTW, no critiques in my worklog?

Rocky

[shazza]

I will stick with my U2-UFO, serves the purpose and is built like a brick #### house.

Scotch anyone?

Yeah ... I like my Mtn Mods case too.

OT moment: I haven't had a glass of scotch in ages - just so happens we are sitting here sipping "The Macallan" (25 Year). A Christmas present from years ago. Very nice

[theseeker]

Yeah ... I like my Mtn Mods case too.

OT moment: I haven't had a glass of scotch in ages - just so happens we are sitting here sipping "The Macallan" (25 Year). A Christmas present from years ago. Very nice

Glad I could help.

[SiGfever]

John,

I missed you and yes, the scotch is in the glass!

BTW, no critiques in my worklog?

Rocky

Yeah ... I like my Mtn Mods case too.

OT moment: I haven't had a glass of scotch in ages - just so happens we are sitting here sipping "The Macallan" (25 Year). A Christmas present from years ago. Very nice

I see we are all doing our part to help the Scottish economy.

[theseeker]

I see we are all doing our part to help the Scottish economy.

Good point, but still no help! I am off to steak...

[fatherTime27]

I like the tower I just really wish it didn't have all of those thumb screws sticking out. Kind of kills the look for me, button head screws would look a lot better it would just be a pain to take the side panel off.

[LogAn'sRun]

Soldhams are nice, but you need to find an importer or be japanese - and with what's happening now expect the prices to skyrocket. The XSPC cases are just , what's the right word here, ugly? Sorry to anyone affiliated with them, but beauty is in the beholder and I personally find box cases very 90's. The LD cases are nice , but jeez, can they be any bigger? Talk about overkill, I would need a second desk to put that on, or put my desk on risers just to fit it under.

[gmat]

LogAn'sRun, everyone has different needs, LD case would be too small for me. So far MM win by functionality (horizontal mobo, radiator space). The XSPC designs are very unoriginal.. i'd like to see more thinking like the cases submitted to the current Phobya contest (where are they now by the way ?).

[Sideroxylon]

Meh... all these cases look like rubbish to me. It's a shame none of these companies invest in professional industrial design teams. I get it - good design costs lots of money. It's mostly just the big companies that can afford it. But they make cases for the mass market, with no consideration for enthusiasts/modders/WC'ers/etc. So we're left with mediocre design, or mediocre capability.

As for Windy, I liked them more when they were called Soldam. Guess that makes me a PC chassis hipster :P

You've pretty much defined the problem and answered it yourself Industrial design is expensive and the watercooling market is still very much a small niche of the overall PC industry. Most of my friends think I should be committed for having water anywhere near my PC

I'd even say that "regular" cases are very much a small niche - to have a whole design team cater to watercooling enthusiasts is nothing short of crazy talk. There's just not enough money in it to warrant such expenditure. The market just isn't there.

LogAn'sRun, everyone has different needs, LD case would be too small for me. So far MM win by functionality (horizontal mobo, radiator space). The XSPC designs are very unoriginal.. i'd like to see more thinking like the cases submitted to the current Phobya contest (where are they now by the way ?).

You guys are killing me. Did you take a look at the link I provided to Case Labs? These cases are professionally designed for wc'ers specifically.

They'll accommodate multiple 120.3's , 120.4's, or even 140.4's internally with no modding depending on which model you purchase. Inverted mobo, multi psu, a pedestal, extended top, etc. Many options to choose from...and no thumbscrews sticking out all over the place looking like ass.

These are, hands down, the best wc'ing cases available to us right now.

[theseeker]

You guys are killing me. Did you take a look at the link I provided to Case Labs? These cases are professionally designed for wc'ers specifically.

They'll accommodate multiple 120.3's , 120.4's, or even 140.4's internally with no modding depending on which model you purchase. Inverted mobo, multi psu, a pedestal, extended top, etc. Many options to choose from...and no thumbscrews sticking out all over the place looking like ass.

These are, hands down, the best wc'ing cases available to us right now.

I did and the quality is quite impressive. Unfortunately for me, I am a tower guy. I am leaning towards a custom case from Rich.

[mackintosh]

^^^

Ditto. They're very functional and definitely the most adequate for our purposes, but beauty and aesthetics are in the eye of the beholder and functionality sometimes isn't everything I do agree though, they do look like the best wc cases available right now.

[subtec]

You guys are killing me. Did you take a look at the link I provided to Case Labs? These cases are professionally designed for wc'ers specifically.

There are water cooling cases that have been designed for form and function.

Yeah... no. I mean, no offense if that's what you're into, but that's not what I'm into, and it's not what I think of when I think of good industrial design. Those cases look like they were designed by engineers; I can pretty much guarantee a professional IDer didn't get within 100 feet of them.

I think most people who don't have a background or interest in design don't really understand the word the same way a design-aware person does. And that probably sounds a bit snobby, but I feel strongly about it because I have an interest in both ID and PC modding and it's frustrating to me that they don't intersect more.

Here, I'll try to give you an idea of what I consider good design through pictures:


Sony has always had great industrial design. This is the Vaio R-Series. They don't make them anymore.


Karma TT HTPC. Love the minimalism.


From the rear. Clean lines, symmetry, attention to detail... good stuff.


In-Win seems to actually employ some halfway decent designers, though they can be hit or miss... this is the Matrix, a highlight from them IMO.


This one's from a company called Trigem... I think it was just a concept.


My own (amateur) attempt. This was my entry for the Phobya design contest.


Showing off internals and modular concept. (I'm not an engineer.)


I get inspiration from lots of different products. These are Bose desktop speakers.


Love this. Nice mix of retro and clean, modern design. Reminds me of a Dieter Rams design.

[zigzag]

Subtec that Dominus looks amazing, love it!!

[gmat]

You guys are killing me. Did you take a look at the link I provided to Case Labs? These cases are professionally designed for wc'ers specifically.

I looked at them, and they provide barely more functionality than current top end Lian Li offerings.
In the MM project i am preparing now, i'll put two 140.3 + one 120.3 + one 120.2 radiators in two loops, 3 pumps, 2 reservoirs, quite a few drive bay occupied (hopefully by that DD Monsoon 5-bay dual D5, and aquaero...), two PSU's, and one *horizontal* mobo. Horizontal > inverted > standard vertical.

[NaeKuh]

If this one ever comes about, it's a no-brainer for me.

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...d.php?t=267826

i will retire my current case for that one.

wouldnt even need to think twice..

it would be see ya later MM.. hello eye candy!

There are water cooling cases that have been designed for form and function.

You are another person i would love to get a case from, if i was in the market for one.
That external you were drafting is just WOW.

[bentleya]

The H1 is way to big for my liking as I'm not a fan of big square and very bulky cases.

The H2 looks promising and very nice. I look forward to playing with one on the future (hopefully).

The price is high as one it is a limited Market and won't be sold in mass numbers and two just the way it's been designed, it's build process and the meterial/finish being used.