Posted June 26, 2017 Hey guys, Looking for a new case and I'm hoping I can find more options with the help of all of you. It will be an ATX motherboard, and I'm hoping I can get one with water cooling support to spare (i.e. at least a 360 and a 240). And pricing around $100 USD. This is asking for a lot I know. I've had my eye on the Cooler Master MasterCase Pro 5 for a while and just hoping to find some more options before I commit. Thanks all, Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted June 26, 2017 Full disclosure: Very biased due to personal (very pleasant) experience, but I'd strongly suggest looking at similarly-priced offerings from Phanteks. But, when you say water cooling, do you mean building a custom loop or just relying on AIOs? I'm asking before I suggest a particular model which may suit AIOs better than a custom loop. OS: W10 | MB: ASUS Sabertooth P67 | CPU: i7 2600k @ 4.6 | RAM: 2x8GB Corsair Vengeance 1600mhz | GPU: x2 MSI GTX 980 Gaming 4G | Storage: x2 WD CB 1TB, x1 WD CB 500GB | PSU: Corsair RM850x | Spare a moment for Night Theme Users: Spoiler I'm an erudite cave-dwelling Troglodyte I frequent LinusTechTips past midnight Dark backgrounds I crave For my sun-seared red gaze I'll molest you if you don't form your text right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted June 26, 2017 Author 9 minutes ago, LooneyJuice said: Full disclosure: Very biased due to personal (very pleasant) experience, but I'd strongly suggest looking at similarly-priced offerings from Phanteks. But, when you say water cooling, do you mean building a custom loop or just relying on AIOs? I'm asking before I suggest a particular model which may suit AIOs better than a custom loop. It will be custom eventually, if I do AIO it will be limited to the CPU and not a permanent cooler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted June 26, 2017 Hmm, in that case, probably best to stay away from some of the Phanteks offerings in that range. They look great, but the P400S f.ex doesn't really have any room on top of the motherboard for anything other than fans, due to clearance. The only thing I could probably vouch for in that price bracket would be an Enthoo Pro M or a Pro depending on regional pricing. The case I have had some good experience with building when it comes to that price bracket is the Fractal Define C. You can also offset the top rad for clearance AFAIK, which isn't as common as I would like it to be in smaller cases. The Phanteks P400s and NZXT S340 mounting brackets on top are all smack bang in the middle. And Fractal's Define S should do it as well, again, depending on regional pricing. Now, I don't know what you're trying to pursue for aesthetics if at all, but this is what I'd generally look at for what you want to do. Again, the top mounting bracket offset on the Fractal stuff is a major plus I think. OS: W10 | MB: ASUS Sabertooth P67 | CPU: i7 2600k @ 4.6 | RAM: 2x8GB Corsair Vengeance 1600mhz | GPU: x2 MSI GTX 980 Gaming 4G | Storage: x2 WD CB 1TB, x1 WD CB 500GB | PSU: Corsair RM850x | Spare a moment for Night Theme Users: Spoiler I'm an erudite cave-dwelling Troglodyte I frequent LinusTechTips past midnight Dark backgrounds I crave For my sun-seared red gaze I'll molest you if you don't form your text right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted June 26, 2017 38 minutes ago, DaveKerk said: Hey guys, Looking for a new case and I'm hoping I can find more options with the help of all of you. It will be an ATX motherboard, and I'm hoping I can get one with water cooling support to spare (i.e. at least a 360 and a 240). And pricing around $100 USD. This is asking for a lot I know. I've had my eye on the Cooler Master MasterCase Pro 5 for a while and just hoping to find some more options before I commit. Thanks all, Dave What did you like about the MasterCase 5 so I can get an idea of what you look for in a case? CPU: Intel i7-4790K @ stock for now --- RAM: Corsair Vengeance 16Gb --- MOBO: Asus Maximus VII Formula --- GPU: MSI Gaming GTX 980ti --- PSU: Corsair AX860i --- Storage: Samsung 850 250gb(OS), 3x Western Digital Blue 3tb (one for game and programs, two for media), 3tb WD Green(somewhat backup) and a Crucial M550 120gb SSD (caching games and programs drive) --- Case: Fractal Define R5 --- Cooler: Corsair H100i with Noctua 2000rpm, Industrial Fans --- OS: Windows 10 --- Monitor: Asus PB298q + AOC l2260SWD --- Mouse: Logitech G502 Spectrum --- Keyboard: Corsair K70 (Cherry MX Red) Red LED's --- Audio: Audio Engine A2's (yes the originals), Sennheiser HD 58x Jubilee Audio-Technica ATH-AD900x, Audio-Technica ATH-M50x, Ant Lion Mod Mic V4 --- Laptop: Dell XPS 9750 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted June 26, 2017 Author Just now, astrosheen said: What did you like about the MasterCase 5 so I can get an idea of what you look for in a case? I like the PSU shroud, the angled look, the "modular-ness", the airflow, and the simplistic full black look. 16 minutes ago, LooneyJuice said: Hmm, in that case, probably best to stay away from some of the Phanteks offerings in that range. They look great, but the P400S f.ex doesn't really have any room on top of the motherboard for anything other than fans, due to clearance. The only thing I could probably vouch for in that price bracket would be an Enthoo Pro M or a Pro depending on regional pricing. The case I have had some good experience with building when it comes to that price bracket is the Fractal Define C. You can also offset the top rad for clearance AFAIK, which isn't as common as I would like it to be in smaller cases. The Phanteks P400s and NZXT S340 mounting brackets on top are all smack bang in the middle. And Fractal's Define S should do it as well, again, depending on regional pricing. Now, I don't know what you're trying to pursue for aesthetics if at all, but this is what I'd generally look at for what you want to do. Again, the top mounting bracket offset on the Fractal stuff is a major plus I think. I have been looking at the Fractal Define C and it's a pretty small case... does it have decent airflow? I do like the look of it though, just concerned about airflow and the physical size of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted June 26, 2017 8 minutes ago, DaveKerk said: I like the PSU shroud, the angled look, the "modular-ness", the airflow, and the simplistic full black look. I have been looking at the Fractal Define C and it's a pretty small case... does it have decent airflow? I do like the look of it though, just concerned about airflow and the physical size of it. Cases I would look at: Fractal Define s Be quite silent base 600 Corsair 750D Corsair Carbider 400c As mentioned above phantex p400 They all have some downfall to them though. The master case can only get 2 280mm rads with very small end tanks so that might be an issue if you really want the 360mm rad. CPU: Intel i7-4790K @ stock for now --- RAM: Corsair Vengeance 16Gb --- MOBO: Asus Maximus VII Formula --- GPU: MSI Gaming GTX 980ti --- PSU: Corsair AX860i --- Storage: Samsung 850 250gb(OS), 3x Western Digital Blue 3tb (one for game and programs, two for media), 3tb WD Green(somewhat backup) and a Crucial M550 120gb SSD (caching games and programs drive) --- Case: Fractal Define R5 --- Cooler: Corsair H100i with Noctua 2000rpm, Industrial Fans --- OS: Windows 10 --- Monitor: Asus PB298q + AOC l2260SWD --- Mouse: Logitech G502 Spectrum --- Keyboard: Corsair K70 (Cherry MX Red) Red LED's --- Audio: Audio Engine A2's (yes the originals), Sennheiser HD 58x Jubilee Audio-Technica ATH-AD900x, Audio-Technica ATH-M50x, Ant Lion Mod Mic V4 --- Laptop: Dell XPS 9750 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted June 26, 2017 21 minutes ago, DaveKerk said: I have been looking at the Fractal Define C and it's a pretty small case... does it have decent airflow? I do like the look of it though, just concerned about airflow and the physical size of it. The airflow isn't bad, AFAIK better than the Enthoo Pro Evolv. The entirety of the front panel frame has louvres. The top is well-ventilated. Sadly, lots of cases nowadays go for the monolith look, and it's not helping things. That's why I also suggested looking at the Enthoo Pro M maybe. The Enthoo Pro series has extremely good airflow compared to lots of newer stuff. The Enthoo Pro M will do up to 280 rad front, 360 or 280 top. Has a sliding offset radiator bracket, PSU shroud and also has a tempered glass version which may be more than your budget in this case, but worth a look. Had it been available to buy when I was in the market for one, I may have pulled the trigger on it instead of the Pro ATX. Can't complain with the extra room though. OS: W10 | MB: ASUS Sabertooth P67 | CPU: i7 2600k @ 4.6 | RAM: 2x8GB Corsair Vengeance 1600mhz | GPU: x2 MSI GTX 980 Gaming 4G | Storage: x2 WD CB 1TB, x1 WD CB 500GB | PSU: Corsair RM850x | Spare a moment for Night Theme Users: Spoiler I'm an erudite cave-dwelling Troglodyte I frequent LinusTechTips past midnight Dark backgrounds I crave For my sun-seared red gaze I'll molest you if you don't form your text right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted June 26, 2017 Author Thank you so much everyone for the suggestions. I am having trouble deciding between the Pro M and the Define S. Both awesome cases with the water cooling support I was looking for and the very simplistic black look that can be modified down the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted June 26, 2017 I actually use the Cooler Master MasterCase Pro 5 and really enjoy it. Though I don't do a custom loop, but do an AIO for my 7700k, I only chose the case because of it's overmodularity, PSU Shroud, and the fact that 3 fans can fit in the front of the case to allow air through. I strongly recommend you go with a case that has vents in the front, top and back. Cases that vent from the side make it much more harder for your case to circulate air, and it causes dust to build up very easily. My old case which was a corsair one, actually had about 8 fans throughout the case that circulated so much air, it sounded like the PC was ready to take off. "The only thing that matters right now is that you're here, and you're safe." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Posted June 26, 2017 Please find below my Define C on semo-air and full custom water. the case airflow is actually very good, plenty of space in the front for intake and top exhaust, but the problem is that it is very compact and can heat up quite quickly if the intake air is hot (as is the case in my custom loop). watch out for RAM clearance though. 30mm rad and low profile memory is necessary. 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...
Posted June 26, 2017 8 hours ago, DaveKerk said: Thank you so much everyone for the suggestions. I am having trouble deciding between the Pro M and the Define S. Both awesome cases with the water cooling support I was looking for and the very simplistic black look that can be modified down the road. I guess it depends at this point if you care more about Aesthetics or Acoustics. Pro M has tempered glass, SSD window, side facing I/O Define S has sound dampening foam, which could actually be something to consider for a case with lots of fans and a pump Either way I think you'll be happy building in either of those cases "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...
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