Posted February 25, 2019 I'm going water cooled and I'm looking for small case suggestions. My pcpartpicker link is in my sig (specs in sig), I want to fit all my stuff in there and I would really like to keep my full size ATX motherboard until they make better small ones for AM4.. It really sucks there are no really good options for smaller AM4 motherboards.. I think I'm getting this cooling system or something very similar.. https://www.ekfluidgaming.com/ek-fluid-gaming-a240r.. I will probably get a second reservoir and another rad, hopefully 280 or 360? I have the Entho Pro M and I just think it's too big. See my pcpartpicker for reference. I like the Meshify C but not sure if it's small enough to downsize to.. What are some good options? It has to be a decent looking case.. Not just something small please.. Ryzen 3800X + MEG ACE w/ Radeon VII + 3733 c14 Trident Z RGB in a Custom Loop powered by Seasonic Prime Ultra TitaniumPSU Tier List | Motherboard Tier List | My Build Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted February 25, 2019 q500l? you do have to wait for q2 2019... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted February 25, 2019 Author 37 minutes ago, LukeSavenije said: q500l? you do have to wait for q2 2019... That is nice. Doubt I'm going to wait tho.. Are there any cases where the PSU is in the front instead of above or below the motherboard? Like the new SL600M but smaller? I really like that case.. Ryzen 3800X + MEG ACE w/ Radeon VII + 3733 c14 Trident Z RGB in a Custom Loop powered by Seasonic Prime Ultra TitaniumPSU Tier List | Motherboard Tier List | My Build Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted February 25, 2019 Just now, ch3w2oy said: Are there any cases where the PSU is in the front instead of above or below the motherboard? Like the new SL600M but smaller? I really like that case.. not sure @TVwazhere your turn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted February 25, 2019 Author Just now, LukeSavenije said: not sure @TVwazhere your turn I really don't like how big my case is. I want something smaller without shrinking my motherboard.. Ryzen 3800X + MEG ACE w/ Radeon VII + 3733 c14 Trident Z RGB in a Custom Loop powered by Seasonic Prime Ultra TitaniumPSU Tier List | Motherboard Tier List | My Build Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted February 25, 2019 the problem with getting the smallest case that will still fit an ATX motherboard is that you lose flexibility of room for more cooling options. I have a SIlverstone GD09 case that I was going to use for my HTPC, and although it has 2 120mm fan spots on one side, and another on the opposite side, there isn't enough room and they're not spaced correctly to mount a 240mm AIO on the one side or 120mm on the other. If you must downsize I'd look at getting a 'large' mATX or ITX case instead, since those will still give you room for an AIO. HEDT: i9 10980XE @ 4.9 gHz, 64GB @ 3600mHz CL14 G.Skill Trident-Z DDR4, 2x Nvidia Titan RTX NVLink SLI, Corsair AX1600i, Samsung 960 Pro 2TB OS/apps, Samsung 850 EVO 4TB media, LG 38GL950G-B monitor, Drop CTRL keyboard, Decus Respec mouse Laptop: Razer Blade Pro 2019 9750H model, 32GB @ 3200mHz CL18 G.Skill Ripjaws DDR4, 2x Samsung 960 Pro 1TB RAID0, repasted with Thermal Grizzly KryonautGaming Rig: i9 9900ks @ 5.2ghz, 32GB @ 4000mHz CL17 G.Skill Trident-Z DDR4, EVGA RTX 2080 Ti Kingpin, Corsair HX1200, Samsung 970 EVO Plus 2TB, Asus PG348Q monitor, Corsair K70 LUX RGB keyboard, Corsair Ironclaw mouseHTPC: i7 7700 (delidded + LM), 16GB @ 2666mHz CL15 Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4, MSI Geforce GTX 1070 Gaming X, Corsair SFX 600, Samsung 850 Pro 512gb, Samsung Q55R TV, Filco Majestouch Convertible 2 TKL keyboard, Logitech G403 wireless mouse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted February 25, 2019 As a Define C owner rocking a full-size ATX board, I can't imagine going much smaller than the Define/Meshify C. Enthoo Pro M : 500 * 480 * 235 mm (Length * height * width) Meshify C : 409 * 453 * 217 mm (again L * H * W) So the Fractal case is 9cm shorter, almost 3cm lower and about 2cm less wide. As for how the C looks with an ATX board : The bottom of the MoBo is a mm or so above the PSU shroud. IIRC there's not much room between the shroud and the PSU itself. Vertically, the only real "wasted" space is that above the motherboard, but then again that 8-pin connector for the CPU needs to go up to get behind the motherboard tray and the room may come in handy if you're going to put a radiator and fans in the top. As for the length, that's an ASUS 1060 3GB in that photo, a 242mm card. I currently have an MSI 1070 Gaming X in there (279mm), and that leaves me about 37mm to the back of the fans. Fractal claims 315mm maximum, I'm measuring 316. So their numbers are accurate. If you remove the cover at the front of the PSU shroud there's room in the front for a 360mm rad. At the top, things get more complicated. There are holes for dual 140mm fans there, but I'm only seeing 120/240 rad support in the spec sheet. 280mm may fit, but not in combination with a 360 in the front. And with a 280 with fans you'll probably have VRM clearance issues. A 360 + 240 setup should be possible though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted February 25, 2019 1 hour ago, ch3w2oy said: What are some good options? It has to be a decent looking case.. Not just something small please.. That's subjective. We dont all have the same tastes 1 hour ago, ch3w2oy said: I have the Entho Pro M and I just think it's too big. See my pcpartpicker for reference. I like the Meshify C but not sure if it's small enough to downsize to.. The Meshify C is about 3" shorter length wise than the Enthoo Pro M TG Pro M: Dimension 235 mm x 480 mm x 500 mm (W x H x D) 9.25 in x 18.9 in x 19.7 in Meshify C Case dimensions (LxWxH) 409 x 217 x 453mm (16.1 x 8.5 x 17.8) Smaller than a Meshify C will be hard to fit a 240 rad AND a 280/360 rad AND another rez. You can see @For Science!'s build log here "Put as much effort into your question as you'd expect someone to give in an answer"- @Princess Luna Make sure to Quote posts or tag the person with @[username] so they know you responded to them! RGB Build Post 2019 --- Rainbow 2020 --- Velka 5 V2.0 Build 2021 Purple Build Post --- Blue Build Post --- Blue Build Post 2018 --- Project ITNOS CPU i7-4790k Motherboard Gigabyte Z97N-WIFI RAM G.Skill Sniper DDR3 1866mhz GPU EVGA GTX1080Ti FTW3 Case Corsair 380T Storage Samsung EVO 250GB, Samsung EVO 1TB, WD Black 3TB, WD Black 5TB PSU Corsair CX750M Cooling Cryorig H7 with NF-A12x25 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted February 25, 2019 Author @TVwazhere @Captain Chaos Does my PSU need that corner notched to fit in the meshify/define c? I'm using my EVGA P2.. I like both of them.. Since I'm going water cooled, does one have an advantage over the other? As for the second reservoir, I'm just planning to put it horizontally under my graphics card to eliminate the excess space.. Right on top of the PSU shroud. Ryzen 3800X + MEG ACE w/ Radeon VII + 3733 c14 Trident Z RGB in a Custom Loop powered by Seasonic Prime Ultra TitaniumPSU Tier List | Motherboard Tier List | My Build Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted February 25, 2019 4 minutes ago, ch3w2oy said: Does my PSU need that corner notched to fit in the meshify/define c? I'm using my EVGA P2 Nah, underneath the shroud it looks somewhat like this (quick sketch, black lines are the shape of the shroud viewed from the front, the grey area is the PSU) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted February 25, 2019 3 minutes ago, ch3w2oy said: @TVwazhere @Captain Chaos Does my PSU need that corner notched to fit in the meshify/define c? I'm using my EVGA P2.. I dont believe so. There was a thread a while back about trying to fit a RM850X into the case and while my initial conclusion was that it wouldnt fit, someone did manage to get it to fit without modifying the case. As far as Define C or Meshify C, it comes down to what you prefer style and noise wise because the Meshify C's Mesh front panel will most likely have very little performance impact on so much watercooling hardware (depending on the static pressure fan of course). "Put as much effort into your question as you'd expect someone to give in an answer"- @Princess Luna Make sure to Quote posts or tag the person with @[username] so they know you responded to them! RGB Build Post 2019 --- Rainbow 2020 --- Velka 5 V2.0 Build 2021 Purple Build Post --- Blue Build Post --- Blue Build Post 2018 --- Project ITNOS CPU i7-4790k Motherboard Gigabyte Z97N-WIFI RAM G.Skill Sniper DDR3 1866mhz GPU EVGA GTX1080Ti FTW3 Case Corsair 380T Storage Samsung EVO 250GB, Samsung EVO 1TB, WD Black 3TB, WD Black 5TB PSU Corsair CX750M Cooling Cryorig H7 with NF-A12x25 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted February 25, 2019 Author 2 minutes ago, Captain Chaos said: Nah, underneath the shroud it looks somewhat like this (quick sketch, black lines are the shape of the shroud viewed from the front, the grey area is the PSU) Awesome, thank you.. 1 minute ago, TVwazhere said: I dont believe so. There was a thread a while back about trying to fit a RM850X into the case and while my initial conclusion was that it wouldnt fit, someone did manage to get it to fit without modifying the case. As far as Define C or Meshify C, it comes down to what you prefer style and noise wise because the Meshify C's Mesh front panel will most likely have very little performance impact on so much watercooling hardware (depending on the static pressure fan of course). Okay, looks like it'll fit. I really want to eliminate as much noise as possible. Since I will have two rads I'm thinking the fans won't be that loud? With my current setup, I think it's too loud, mostly the GPUs radiator fan.. Plus it sits on my desk so.. I was considering something like a be quiet 601.. I really don't want to hear anything. I want silence. That's like the most important thing and why I want to water cool my card.. Ryzen 3800X + MEG ACE w/ Radeon VII + 3733 c14 Trident Z RGB in a Custom Loop powered by Seasonic Prime Ultra TitaniumPSU Tier List | Motherboard Tier List | My Build Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted February 25, 2019 2 minutes ago, ch3w2oy said: Awesome, thank you.. Okay, looks like it'll fit. I really want to eliminate as much noise as possible. Since I will have two rads I'm thinking the fans won't be that loud? With my current setup, I think it's too loud, mostly the GPUs radiator fan.. Plus it sits on my desk so.. I was considering something like a be quiet 601.. I really don't want to hear anything. I want silence. That's like the most important thing and why I want to water cool my card.. With more RAD space you can spin the fans slower to get the same performance, but consequently having more fans total will still add some relative volume. I'd recommend the Define C TG in that case, with fans that are high static pressure with low noise like Noctua or Corsair's ML fans. "Put as much effort into your question as you'd expect someone to give in an answer"- @Princess Luna Make sure to Quote posts or tag the person with @[username] so they know you responded to them! RGB Build Post 2019 --- Rainbow 2020 --- Velka 5 V2.0 Build 2021 Purple Build Post --- Blue Build Post --- Blue Build Post 2018 --- Project ITNOS CPU i7-4790k Motherboard Gigabyte Z97N-WIFI RAM G.Skill Sniper DDR3 1866mhz GPU EVGA GTX1080Ti FTW3 Case Corsair 380T Storage Samsung EVO 250GB, Samsung EVO 1TB, WD Black 3TB, WD Black 5TB PSU Corsair CX750M Cooling Cryorig H7 with NF-A12x25 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted February 25, 2019 26 minutes ago, ch3w2oy said: I really want to eliminate as much noise as possible. Since I will have two rads I'm thinking the fans won't be that loud? With my current setup, I think it's too loud, mostly the GPUs radiator fan.. Plus it sits on my desk so.. I was considering something like a be quiet 601.. I really don't want to hear anything. The Meshify will be more noisy than the Define. In terms of silence ... These graphs are from Gamers Nexus. Thanks for all the testing, Steve. Really appreciated. Stock vs stock, the 601 is around 2.5dBA quieter than the Meshify ... but the CPU runs 8°C hotter. The stock Fractal fans are more noisy than the more expensive stock BeQuiet ones. I assume you'll be running your own fans anyway, so some of that difference in volume will be compensated by that alone. To get the same temps, the fans on the Define and Meshify will be able to run at a lower RPM than those in the 601, which will reduce the noise level as well. That just might make up for all of the difference, but at this point I'm making more or less calculated guesses. My main reason for choosing the Define C over the Meshify was because of dust and cat hair. On the Meshify, you'll see that on the entire front mesh. On the Define there's a little on the side vents and that's it. Also my NAS and main rig are in R5s already, so sticking with the Define look was a logical choice. EDIT : Oh, of course the windowed and tempered glass versions will be more noisy than the non-windowed versions, especially with these 3 cases. Both BeQuiet and Fractal put lots of padding on the side panels to reduce the noise, and of course they can't do that on a glass or window. So decide for yourself how much you care about silence and how much about aesthetics. I went for non-windowed myself. I can always take off the side panel if I want to show the inside to people. The rest of the time it's just a clean, simple box that doesn't attract too much attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted February 25, 2019 3 hours ago, ch3w2oy said: Hiya, Ive done my loop in both the Define C and the Meshify C. Counter intuitively the Meshify C is both quieter and cooler with my loop. You must remember that more airflow = cooler which means you can slow your fans down to maintain the same temperature. I also found that with the C series, since the space inside the case is so limited once you have 2 gpus, 240 mm radiator and a 360 mm radiator, exhausting the heat from the radiators is actually very beneficial since using a big 360 mm as an intake was reheating the case internals especially at low rpms. Having all radiators on exhaust and using the rear fan as an intake dropped my fluid temperatures close to 10 degrees. Recent builds: Meshify C (Zero Tolerance!) & View 37 (Breathable Quad 2080Ti + 2990WX) Best documented PC coolants Older Builds Spoiler Full-custom loop builds: Meshify C (Full custom loop SLI), Ncase M1(8700K + 1080Ti Full custom loop) Obsidian 900D (1950X + Quad 1080Ti) & Fractal Define C (1080 in SLI) Air-cooled builds Air 740D (1920X + Quad 980Ti) & Fractal Define C (Version Air!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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