Which of these cases is best for Dual-GPU setup.

Pavel Pokidaylo · Aug 26, 2013

Hi. I have 2 Sapphire 7950s and need a new case for them. Which of these do you think is best for dual-gpu setup? I want to keep the cards cool as I intend to overclock sometimes.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352023

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139017

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139010

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139009

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139012

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352021

Those are some of the options. I see some for 80 bucks and I'd like to spend that much. But there are the more expensive ones and if they are really better I might be willing to spend more.

Which would you choose?

cookybiscuit · Aug 26, 2013

I wouldn't go for a R4 with a dual GPU setup, the 500R would likely be the best. But really, just pick one you like the look of.

JackNaylorPE · Aug 26, 2013

Please use names instead of links ..... I'm old and don't wanna get RSI

500R is the easy pick ..... I have done at least half dozen builds with 500R and twin cards ....all went smooth

rvilkman · Aug 26, 2013

Yeah out of those 500R is the easy pick, another one to consider: NZXT Phantom 630 $149.
Or the NZXT H630 for the same price.

Pinhedd · Aug 26, 2013

Pavel Pokidaylo :

I would recommend either the Corsair Carbide 500R for air cooling, or Obsidian 550D for water cooling.

Pavel Pokidaylo · Aug 26, 2013

Thanks for the replys guys. I'm going to move my Alienware liquid CPU cooler over. The rest will be air.

I was actually really leaning towards the R4, but if it's not good for dual-gpu I won't take it. I'll check out the ones you guys mentioned.

By the way. Just curious why the R4 is not good for DUal-GPu

Thanks

Oh and sorry about that Jack, I really should have just asked which case from 80 to 130 bucks you would recommend. That would have been simpler lol

cookybiscuit · Aug 26, 2013

R4 is no good because its silence optimized, the intake is very restricted.

rvilkman · Aug 26, 2013

Pavel Pokidaylo :

The airflow inside the case is not nearly as good as the others even with one card and 2 especially with the cards blowing partly into the case would compromise that even further, where as the others manage to move air better.

Pavel Pokidaylo · Aug 26, 2013

Ok thanks for the answer. The things I liked about the R4 are...

It's supposedly quiet, I think it has a dust filter for the front fans, an extra PCI thing there for mounting a bracket ( I was told this would be Ideal for the fan pointed at the cards), good wire management and sleek design. I guess none of these things are terribly vital.

The Carbides huge fan on the panel looks promising. It's probably better than having a fan on a bracket in the R4 and I'd save money on buying an extra fan.

So I'm going to get the Carbide but I have a couple last questions please.

I normally game with a headset so sound isn't that important but hows the carbide on sound? Does it have good cable management? And most importantly does it have good airflow and will it keep my cards cool? Thanks a bunch

rvilkman · Aug 26, 2013

Pavel Pokidaylo :

Like other higher end corsair cases, cable management should be a breeze in the Carbide.
The fans are not obnoxiously loud, you wouldn't want to have the computer next to your ear but most likely your GPU fan will make more noise than the cases fans. And of course there is a fan controller in it so you can adjust the fanspeeds to the proper settings so that noise is reduced to a minimum.

Pavel Pokidaylo · Aug 26, 2013

Let me make this easier. Is the general consensus that the Carbide 500R is best case under 160 bucks for what I'm trying to do?

JackNaylorPE · Aug 26, 2013

Pavel Pokidaylo :

No worries.....last week the 500R was $70 ..... every other week newegg discounts either their white one or black one to that level.

And yes, it has dust filters, yes it has astounding cable management ....it's extremely quiet....comes with 4 fans pre-installed and has mounts for 6 more !!!!

AND... you can fit a Phanteks PH-TC14-PE CPU cooler inside without hitting the 200m fan .... or you can use this (fans in attic and rad inside)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103184

If ya wanna droll about air and water cooling capabilities..... look at the $250 Enthoo....amazing load of options in a $250 package .... 15 fan mounts ...and a dozen radiator options
http://phanteks.com/#&panel1-1&panel2-1
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Phanteks/Enthoo_Primo/

Pavel Pokidaylo · Aug 26, 2013

Thanks for all your replies guys. I really appreciate it you all help me tremendously. And sorry for all the questions I'm just a clueless noob

Pavel Pokidaylo · Aug 26, 2013

Wow they really discount one of them to that low? The black one is 130 bucks right now. The white one is 120. Any difference between the two besides the color?

eldoure · Aug 26, 2013

My R4 with SLI 670s is fine for airflow lol.

JackNaylorPE · Aug 26, 2013

Pavel Pokidaylo :

Yes every other week ...last night white was $99

Pavel Pokidaylo · Aug 26, 2013

Eldoure what are the temps of your GPUs under load? Are you overclocking them?

Jack thanks for letting me know about that. I'm usually very impatient when it comes to these things and want it NOW! lol. I may wait though.
Also that Enthoo case looks really good but It's expensive. How much better do you think that one is than the Carbide?

cookybiscuit · Aug 26, 2013

I wouldn't worry about noise, a case with good airflow will usually be quieter than a sound dampened case anyway as you can turn down fans without exceeding thermal limits. I filled my case with sound dampening foam and it only really affected coil whine and hard drive noise.

Pavel Pokidaylo · Aug 26, 2013

Yep, I'm really not overly concerned with the noise. I mean I play with the headset on and can't hear a thing unless the headset is quiet.

The most important thing for me is that my cards and CPU stay cool. The CPU has a liquid cooler so it's fine. I really like that huge fan on the carbides panel. I didn't know techpowerup reviews all these cases as well as hardware. That's good

The carbide has only 2 cons and one of them is that dust can easily get into it. I guess it doesn't have a dust filter like the R4 but I can always use my compressed air can to clean it out.

Only other thing is the price. It's more expensive but if it's really that good I think it would be well worth it.

JackNaylorPE · Aug 26, 2013

Corsair 500R has dust filters.....

http://archive.benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=767&Itemid=61

Corsair Carbide 500R Features

Excellent cooling capacity
USB 3.0 support
SSD support in all 3.5" drive bays
Thumb-screws on front and back panels
Thumb-screws on PCI slots
Tool-less 5.25" drive installation
Tool-less 3.5" drive installation
Integrated dust filters
Black painted interior
8 Expansion slots
Supports video card up to 17.8"
Room for 240mm radiator
3x 120mm fans
1x 200mm fan
Multi-channel fan controller
Movable /configurable drive bays
Large CPU cutout
Large holes for cable routing
Rubber grommets on cabling holes
Extra space under motherboard tray for cabling
USB 3.0 to USB 2.0 adapter for front IO ports

not on top tho.....those are exhaust ports.... I imagine you can add one to 200mm fan
http://www.frozencpu.com/cat/l3/g47/c223/s1092/list/p1/Fan_Accessories-Fan_Filters-200mm_Fan_Filters-Page1.html

I have to say, I never had an opportunity to check out the 200mm fan ..... on each of the 500R builds I have done, I installed OS, tweaked the settings and all w/ doors off, loaded up utilities and software and then the owner whisked it outta here the moment I mounted the side panel

Pavel Pokidaylo · Aug 26, 2013

I went to my computer guy and told him I found a new case... the 500R. He checked it out and said it a bit cheaply made because it's all plastic and such. He still likes the Fractal R4 but in the end it's my decision and from everything you guys have told me, I think I'll go with the 500R. I also told him about the giant fan on the panel of the 500R and he said they are usually not that great or fail after a year and then it can be difficult to find a replacement because it's specific. He said a good fan costs atleast 20 bucks and this 500R has 4 fans in it. He meant to say that they must not be such good fans otherwise how would they make any profit.

I like the aesthetics of the R4. It's sleek and stylish. But looks won't keep my cards cool.

Now on another note. I need a new CPU and Motherboard to go into this case. I'm thinking the i5-4670k since the prices of all these i5s are very similar. The 4670k is the most expensive but it's only about 20 bucks more than a 3570k. I've never overclocked a CPU but I'm fairly certain I won't be seeing any bottlenecks with the 4670k even if it isn't overclocked. Someone told me yesterday that I should just give it a mild overclock, about 10% and leave it at that.

Is this the 4670k the right choice? And if it is what motherboard should I get? I want one with good spacing between the PCI slots. I was told that it's better to get the z87 rather than the h87. Byogaming recommended the MSI gaming z87 motherboard. I like how it looks and the price is good.
But would I be better off going for an Asus?

As always thanks a ton for the help. It is much appreciated.

JackNaylorPE · Aug 26, 2013

I have built over half dozen builds with this case..... your guy sounds like he's expressing views "sight unseen". I have to say, the newegg photos make it look kinda chinsy .... however "on the table", it's fit and finish exude quality. Read the reviews

Fractal R4 - 8.65 rating
http://archive.benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=887&Itemid=61&limit=1&limitstart=6

Corsair 500R - 9.25 rating
http://archive.benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=767&Itemid=61&limit=1&limitstart=5

Pavel Pokidaylo · Aug 26, 2013

Thanks man. I'm reading the reviews now and I'm already pretty firm on the Carbide.

Any chance I could get some help with the CPU and Mobo? I play some CPU bound games. MMORPGs in particular. I assume the 4670k is my best bet right now.

And the motherboard z87 Asus or MSI?

JackNaylorPE · Aug 26, 2013

Well the best part about the MSI Z87 GD-65 is this installation video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvNnv7nh2Es

Whatz ya budget ?

If $300 ya can install this w/ the 240L as is shown on Asus web site

The cooler loop can be expanded to include the MoBo liquid water cooling as shown above.....most pleasant to look at

And yes, the 4670k is the way to go for a gaming box. The Asus Hero is a nice alternative to the GD-65, but in Asus' videos, ya only get to look at JJ for install instructions

Pavel Pokidaylo · Aug 26, 2013

I wanted to spend about 500 for all 3 items. Someone recommended that red Asus motherboard to me but it was 300 bucks. I would prefer not to spend that much on the motherboard if it isn't necessary. I will only be liquid cooling the CPU with my small Alienware Liquid cooler (not sure about the exact model or specs of it). What I would like to have is good spacing between the PCIe slots.

Which of these cases is best for Dual-GPU setup.

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