Case for watercooling

[adambruzz]

this will be my first custom water loop, so im looking for a case that can fit 2 x 360mm ek pe radiators, 
iv been looking at the thermaltake view 71, just after some other options

 

cheers

[Bananasplit_00]

Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic or the Define R6/S2 would be my picks. I have enjoyed my watercooling experience with the O11 Dynamic, very easy to build in with lots of room

[sky_shark_101]

1 hour ago, adambruzz said:

this will be my first custom water loop, so im looking for a case that can fit 2 x 360mm ek pe radiators, 
iv been looking at the thermaltake view 71, just after some other options

 

cheers

I can highly recommend the Fractal Design Define R6 

[Salticid]

6 hours ago, adambruzz said:

this will be my first custom water loop, so im looking for a case that can fit 2 x 360mm ek pe radiators, 
iv been looking at the thermaltake view 71, just after some other options

 

cheers

I'm using that case.  While I do not regret my choice for my first custom loop and my first full build in 10 years, there are a few things you should consider:

• The case is big, and so the box it comes in is super big.  And heavy.  I barely managed it alone as a 5'3" woman, so if you're a big guy you can probably do it alone but might be easiest and best to bring a friend to help you carry/move it. 
• The thing weighs ~50 lbs alone.  With nothing in it.  Take off the glass and it's certainly lighter, making it much easier to move around during the build process.  But it's still heavy enough, especially once all components are in that you want to make sure that it's placed where it's going to live before you fill the loop and put bezels and glass back on.
• And to that point, if it's not going to live on the floor you need to make sure the surface it's on is rated to easily take the weight.  I got a shelf rated to be able to support up to 70 lbs.
• The fans that come with the case are pretty much useless.  They cannot plug directly into the mobo and be controlled by it, and they also are not compatible with the Thermaltake TT Fan & LED Controller.  They are only good for their own controller that comes in the box.  That controller needs to live somewhere outside the case, as you will have to press switches on it to do things like speed up the fans or change LED settings.  So, if one of the draws was the fans, consider that if you want a clean build completely controllable by mobo and no exterior control boxes with wires coming out of your case to it, you will need to replace them and buy more fans.
• There's no PSU shroud. I hadn't considered that before, but I feel now the look would have been cleaner if there were one.  I might try to mod one as a project later. But still, consider this and decide if that open look, seeing all the wires in the base is something you want or if you'd prefer the option of having a shroud and maybe then deciding not to use it.
• Vertical Mount is useless if your graphics card takes up more then 2 PCI slots.  The back of the RTX 2080 Ti is 3 PCI slots.  I'm not sure about others.  So if part of the draw is the vertical mount, then consider how many PCI slots your card will take up before deciding on this case - I am not sure if any case makers have designed for a 3 PCI slot GPU yet tho.  You could potentially mod the case around this, but the way the back is set up, it may not actually be an easy or clean mod.
• Also, as with any case, the PCI extention cord for the vertical mount is not included, you buy it separately.  If you've never done a vertical mount before, that's something that is often learned the hard way.
• Cable management.... It seems really good at first glance, but it's really only middling.  IDK maybe it's just that I am terribly out of practice at it, I certainly see some places I could have optimized better.  But I also see places they could have done better too.

 

All that said, I do like this case a lot, especially at its price point.  It's BIG and spacious, it's versatile, it's got all kinds of mount options and I absolutely adore the little panel in the floor that makes for a perfect spot for a drain.  I also just like the look.

 

Consider the above and compare the issues with possibilities you might get with other options like those named above.  It's a good case, but maybe a competitor hits a point Thermaltake misses.

[adambruzz]

13 hours ago, sky_shark_101 said:

I can highly recommend the Fractal Design Define R6 

Would it fit 2 of these 

 

https://www.pccasegear.com/products/28961?PPC=Y&gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIu9eh-Pq04QIVww0rCh1ZfAxoEAQYAiABEgL61fD_BwE

[sky_shark_101]

On 4/3/2019 at 11:22 PM, adambruzz said:

Would it fit 2 of these 

 

https://www.pccasegear.com/products/28961?PPC=Y&gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIu9eh-Pq04QIVww0rCh1ZfAxoEAQYAiABEgL61fD_BwE

Yes it will.