Best case to rebuild in

[ChetwoodJ96]

I built a new PC back in October (https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Wdv6hy) and am already looking for something new to do to it. I've got an itch to do a custom loop for water cooling, but I also maybe just want a case that looks crazy, at least compared to your traditional desktop cases. Pricing out all of the shit for a custom loop has been one headache, especially since I've never done it before, but that's a discussion for another post. I guess what I'm really looking for are suggestions on the best case to build in to accommodate a custom loop, or just one to be flashy. Following are the three that I've been looking at all morning and tossing around.

http://ttpremium.com/product/thermaltake-view-91-tempered-glass-rgb-edition-super-tower-chassis/
http://www.thermaltake.com/機殼/開放式機殼_/Core/C_00003150/Core_P90_TG_開放式強化玻璃機殼/design.htm
http://www.lian-li.com/en/dt-portfolio/pc-o11/

[tarfeef101]

I'd take a look at the Lian Li PC-08 (my main rig's case), not that I'm biased at all

[ChetwoodJ96]

1 minute ago, tarfeef101 said:

I'd take a look at the Lian Li PC-08 (my main rig's case), not that I'm biased at all

That's a thicc boi.
How well did you fair doing the loop in/for it?

[tarfeef101]

1 minute ago, ChetwoodJ96 said:

That's a thicc boi.
How well did you fair doing the loop in/for it?

Keeping in mind I'm a "relatively experienced" builder:

• aesthetics were great
• Fitting the radiator in the front was a bit challenging, as it covers the grommets on the side of the board. so you gotta route those cables before mounting the rad. 
• passing tubing from the front to back is as easy or hard as you make it
  • i don't have a proper drill to install pass-through fittings, so i didn't do that (This is the most elegant solution)
  • soft tubing would make it easy, as you can just shove it wherever you want, really
  • hard tubing in the front converted to soft tubing isn't bad
    • i used a flow shutoff valve left to "on" to adapt the hard in the front to soft in the back for one tube, and put it right at one of the grommets
  • hard tubing that passes through the 2 chambers is a bit trick if it has a lot of bends, and you have to wiggle it around a lot to pass it through with all the stuff in the way
    • did this for one tube as well
• the lighting is good, but manual only unless you adapt the included stuff to plug into your mobo
• cooling is sufficient with 2 240mm rads and 2 980s + a 6600K
• had to remove drive cages in the back to fit my pump + res in the back, but that wasn't a problem for me as i don't have much storage. mounted the res on the back fan mount, pump on top on my power supply. 

 

So there's a few challenges/quirks, maybe a few more than a std ATX mid or full tower style chassis, but it looks great, performs pretty damn well, and was really fun.

[TVwazhere]

27 minutes ago, ChetwoodJ96 said:

 I guess what I'm really looking for are suggestions on the best case to build in to accommodate a custom loop, or just one to be flashy.

Best case (price to performance wise) would be something like the Define R6, though thats by no means flashy. If you're looking for flashy, the PC-08 is a great case, but if you are looking for something more Exotic, there's the Cougar Conquer (it's not for everyone though)

 

[jtmoseley]

59 minutes ago, ChetwoodJ96 said:

I built a new PC back in October (https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Wdv6hy) and am already looking for something new to do to it. I've got an itch to do a custom loop for water cooling, but I also maybe just want a case that looks crazy, at least compared to your traditional desktop cases. Pricing out all of the shit for a custom loop has been one headache, especially since I've never done it before, but that's a discussion for another post. I guess what I'm really looking for are suggestions on the best case to build in to accommodate a custom loop, or just one to be flashy. Following are the three that I've been looking at all morning and tossing around.

http://ttpremium.com/product/thermaltake-view-91-tempered-glass-rgb-edition-super-tower-chassis/
http://www.thermaltake.com/機殼/開放式機殼_/Core/C_00003150/Core_P90_TG_開放式強化玻璃機殼/design.htm
http://www.lian-li.com/en/dt-portfolio/pc-o11/

Take a look at one of EKWB's kits. They offer an easy and cheap way to get into liquid cooling. Here is one for 250$ that comes with a waterblock for CPU and GPU. https://www.ekfluidgaming.com/ek-kit-a240g