Recommendations for Water-Cooled Server Case

[lloydsmart]

Ok guys,

I have a home server that is getting unbearably loud, and I'd like to move it into a new case, and water-cool it aswell.

It has 10 HDDs, and I'd like to water-cool them all, along with the CPU, RAM and Northbridge (and possibly the VREG?). I know water-cooling hard drives is unpopular with some, but please, don't recommend that I don't do it.

The motherboard and CPU are fairly old, but sufficient for my current needs. The are the ASUS M3N78 Pro (ATX), and AMD Phenom II X4 9950. 4GB RAM (two sticks).

The overall goal here is to make the system quiet, but I suppose overclocking isn't out of the question, in the future.

Looking for recommendations for chassis mainly, but also water blocks and radiators.

Thanks in advance!

[m_jones_]

No point in watercooling such old hardware, you are better off buying a new case and some decent fans. For example Fractal design define XL.

[SNiiPE_DoGG]

Lol, the reason watercooling hard drives is "unpopular with some" is that it's bad for the hard drives. They are meant to run at a certain temperature (not 30c! higher) for the lubricants and proper operation of the parts inside (thermal expansion) If you want to kill your hard drives go ahead and watercool them.

As far as what this dude m_jones_ is saying, dont listen to him. Watercooling is your best option for a quiet system.

I don't have a case recommendation, but I can say you should get a 3x120 radiator, some low speed fans, and go ahead and cool the CPU and NB. As far as the air portion of your cooling, just buy high quality fans like gentle typhoons and run them at low speed, you will see a huge decrease in noise.

[m_jones_]

Air can be perfectly quiet too but dumping $300+ just to cool that old hardware seems like a bit of a waste of money overall when he could move to a much more efficient platform with a lower heat output and stick a rather large cooler with slow fans on it.

[lloydsmart]

It may seem odd watercooling such old hardware, but remember I'm going for quiet, not overclock.

Also, I may upgrade the hardware in the future, and this watercooling setup can be re-used on the new system (I know I'll need new blocks for CPU and NB).

Mainly I'm looking for a case recommendation. It should have 9 x 5.25 bays, and room to mount a 3x120 radiator. (ATX motherboard).
Also, can you recommend a good 3x120 radiator?

Thanks.

[SNiiPE_DoGG]

I like the EK radiators, perfect for quiet fans. The fans you should get are:

http://www.performance-pcs.com/catal...ducts_id=24747

or cheaper version: http://www.swiftech.com/Helix120mm-PWM.aspx

I'm so out of the loop on cases I don;t have a recommendation there.

[alpha0ne]

It may seem odd watercooling such old hardware, but remember I'm going for quiet, not overclock.

Also, I may upgrade the hardware in the future, and this watercooling setup can be re-used on the new system (I know I'll need new blocks for CPU and NB).

Mainly I'm looking for a case recommendation. It should have 9 x 5.25 bays, and room to mount a 3x120 radiator. (ATX motherboard).
Also, can you recommend a good 3x120 radiator?

Thanks.

Good luck finding a case with 9 x 5.25" bays..............why would you want so many ???, HDD bays ???, take a look @ the Silverstone Temjin TJ11, but it aint cheeep

Whilst WC is great keeping an OC'd rig cool, these days the top end air coolers are great if all you need cool is your CPU, re cooling HDD's your better off with active fan cooling using good quality quiet fans that I can guarantee will be inaudible 3 feet away

[lloydsmart]

Settled on the Antec Twelve Hundred V3 for a case.

Now I need recommendations for a radiator. I want it to be internally mounted, 3x120mm. Any thoughts?

Also, I've seen this 200mm radiator designed specifically to fit in the top of the Antec 1200 case, but unfortunately it's aluminium, and the rest of my water loop is going to be copper. Does anyone know of a similar product made of copper?

Thanks.

[C-N]

What about the thermochil pa120 rad its all brass.

[lloydsmart]

Well, my Antec 1200 has arrived!

I'll get a 3x120 but it seems like a waste not to put a rad in the 200mm slot at the top of the case. Shame Antec's one is aluminium. Does anyone know whether the Phobya Xtreme 200mm radiator will fit this case?