New Big Tower help, advice please

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naits360

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Hello,quick question..
Need a big tower case due to lack of space in my old antec p182... I've got 4870x2 + 4870 1GB, 1000w psu and im gonna install my corsair h50 so room is obviously an issue.

Now, I've had my eyes on the 800d cause well.. it seems like thats what everyone is getting atm. It's a bit pricey though and I'm wondering if there are any other options (that offer the same), Big tower ofc. Top priorities are space, SSD compatibility, slick design (no side windows) and ofc silence, but not at the expense of heat increase
 
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naits360

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like i said slick design.. to much crap on the HAF 932 and 1200...600t could be an option.. just a bit skeptical bought room in it. Also been looking at the cooler master cosmos s.. honsestly what makes the corsair 800d so much pricier then other big towers?
 
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naits360

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Yeh but I said, I want a cool slick design.. not too many bulks and knobs and whatnot. I Have the Antec p182 Special Edition ie. chromed exterior. Which I just love and I wish I could keep it..I will just store it somewhere in the meantime...
 
geofelt

geofelt

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The absolute best you can get that meets your specs is the lian li PC X1000:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112242

It has no "bling", 5 quiet 140mm fans, and provision for water cooling. There is provision for two SSD's and lots of hard drives.

Yes, it is pricey, but the price is similar to the 800d. I bought one, primarily because I needed a case that was not too long. I did not realize how big it was, and my few parts looked lonely inside.
Go to the lian li web site and look at some of the specifications and pictures. I will be changing to a smaller lian li case soon, and will be selling the case on e-bay after the holidays. Contact me if interested.

That said, do you really need a huge case?
If a case can hold one long video card, it can hold two as easily.
How many hard drives or dvd drives do you need to provide for?
Even a large psu is only 10mm longer than most standard ones.

Another less expensive option is the Lian-Li PC-A71F. It is similar to the P182:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112244

I have been a long time Antec case fan, but the quality of lian li is impressive. I am willing to pay the price for something I will see and touch every day.
 
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naits360

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Sorry for late response, took some time to take and edit this pic of the inside of my antec case. Maybe you can help me decide if I need a new case or not (I would still like to keep and use this as my main case..)

First off, the Lian Li x1000 is way to expensive. I really didn't wanna go as far as the 800d, but the Lian Li costs even more..

But anyways here is the pic of the inside of my case..didn't really take the time with cable management..
http://img695.imageshack.us/i/stianpcconfigcopy.jpg/

As you see the hx1000w is very long and there's a clutter of cables there squeezed through a tight opening supplying 2 HDD and the 2 gpus, the rest go behind.
The top gpu is a 4870x2 tri-cool (which still gets insanely hot..). which makes it even thicker...There's about 1cm between the two gpus which is fairly ok. However, there's only 'bout 5mm between the lower gpu ( 4870 1gb ) and the roof of the lower drive cage.
As the picture shows I removed the mid drive cage, 'cause of cables. Could possibly add it and the optional 120mm fan to blow air into the main cage and force the hot air...hopefully upwards and out.

All in all my plans are to buy 2 SSDs and try em out in RAID 0. (hence removing the two HDDs I have)
Install my h50 with 2 other 120mm fans in push/pull.
If necessary install the optional 120mm fan in the mid-section
Maybe add a blu ray burner...
Considering this will I need to buy a bigger case...or could this go? without jeopardizing the components and overheating them?

p.s
I plan on gaming and using the components to their fullest.
I also live in Norway, which is very cold during winter and fall and I got my case right by the window with the rear fan nearly aligned with the opening, sucking in the cold breeze. (which is now..-18C..-0.5F I guess)
 
geofelt

geofelt

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I do not think you will need a new case. At the very least, see if the current case can be made to work.

You have three things going for you:
Cold air coming into the case.
Eliminating the heat from two VR drives.
A better cpu cooler.

Your biggest problem is not cpu cooling, but vga cooling, particularly with two cards.

Would it be reasonable to sell your two cards and use just one GTX580 with a double slot cooler?

If you will have two graphic cards, side by side, the top one will always have a cooling problem because of restricted airflow.
The only real solution for sli is to go liquid cooling for graphics. That is a solution I am not fond of.

It looks like you have gpu oem coolers installed. They might be efficient at removing heat from the gpu die, but it looks like they just dump it back into the case where case cooling has to deal with it. That adds heat to both the gpu and cpu cooling air. Not good. I think you might do better with a dual slot direct exhaust cooler type. That will get more of the hot air out of the case directly.

In general, I think you need more intake air flow. Look at Noctua for better quiet intake fans. www.silentpcreview.com has good info on quiet components.
I would definitely install an intake midsection front fan.

No problems removing the inner fan for the psu. It can take care of itself.

I do not like the H50 cpu cooling idea. Yes, it will help the cpu, but having another intake will compound the problem of where the hot air inside the case will go.
I think replacing your cpu cooler with a large tower type cooler will do the job. It will direct the hot air directly out the top or rear of the case, depending on how you mount it. Something like the megahalems will cool just as effectively as the H50

I would not bother with raid-0 for the SSD. I tried it with two 80gb X25-M drives. Synthetic data transfer rates were impressive, but actual performance was no better. Raid precludes the use of "trim", and that can really hurt performance as the drive gets filled. Just get a larger SSD. Larger SSD's perform a bit better because they can access more nand chips in parallel. Sort of an internal raid-0. You can just leave the drive on the bottom of the case, or even use duct tape to keep it in place. I might drill a small hole in the bottom of the case and anchor one there if you want it to be really secure.


I would not worry too much about damaging your components with too much heat.

Graphics cards are built to run hot, and they do. If they get too hot, the fans spin up making noise, and if it really gets too hot, they throttle down to protect themselves. 100c under load may be OK.

The cpu is the same. If it gets too hot, the multiplier will be reduced, and if all cooling fails, it will just shut down.

On the P182, remove the front fan filters. They restrict the intake of fresh air. I think newer versions have redesigned filters which are better, but no harm will come if you remove the filters.

Tell us how you do.
 
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naits360

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Going for another CPU cooler is a no go, already bought the h50 a few months ago haven't opened it..'cause I didn't wanna re-apply it if i were to buy a new case.
Buying new gpus to replace the two I have wasn't really something that crossed my mind. Although they are a bit outdated, but extremely powerful..what would be the modern day equivalent? or even better?..Considering I could stick with a 80gb - 120gb SSD would be cheaper than the initial two...though this would then be my ONLY storage solution for this PC. ( I don't need much on this computer have a work laptop with external drives, the 2x VR )
I wouldn't be able to install any more fans then the midsection and push/pull configuration, do you mean to replace the stocks and fans for the push/pull config with Noctuas?
 
geofelt

geofelt

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Do you really have a cpu temperature problem? What are the temps under load?
What cpu are you using?

The H50 will help your cpu temps, but exacerbate the graphics temperatures. That is because the heat exchanged from the H50 radiator will be dumped into the case which is where the graaphics cards get their cooling. Go ahead and try it. If it doesn't work, you can always sell it and try a different solution. To see what better airflow can do, take the side off of the case, and run with a house fan directed at the interior. I bet your temps will come down dramatically.

The current equivalent to the 4870X2 is the 6870 or the GTX570.
The equivalent of the 4870 is the GTX460-768 or the 6850.
Newer cards are built on a 40nm process which is more efficient and cooler than the older55 and 65nm. Next year, late, we should see 28nm cards.

Keep looking, there is supposed to be a amd high end launch in January that is supposed to be better than the 5970, or GTX580. There is talk that Nvidia will respond with an even stronger dual gpu card.

I run everything I need on a single X25-M 160gb ssd. I use an external drive for backup. Works for me.

The Antec fans are good ones. If you need more airflow, see if you can find some stronger ones. Be prepared to pay the price with more noise. Do remove that front filter. It will make a difference.
 
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naits360

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Using core i7920 and gonna overclock is as soon as I get the H50 installed CPU temps were high enough just under normal load and pretty high during gaming as well..at normal clock.

I guess I'll take your advice in looking for a new SINGLE CARD that could outperform or be the equivalent to my CF setup. Not gonna buy it before some time next year though so I'll check out that "high end" release from AMD.

So ye I'll actually end up NOT buying a new case and instead get me a single card, remove 2 HDDs in favor of a single SSD and install better fans, including the optional midsection.

Thanks for helping guys^.^
 
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tweakbz

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The H50 is very nice and with the fan(s) blowing the right way, heat will be exhausted out of your case. I personally have a Cosmos S and I have all my exhaust fans at the top.. They're quiet, efficient, and I don't get a lot of heat coming out. The side of the case has a large and quiet fan for intake that blows right onto the GPUs, keeping them cool enough.

The case itself is very well built; it's robust and sturdy and has all the room you will ever need, as well as options for watercooling radiators if you choose that option in the future. I recommend it, but I own one already so I am more than likely partial to it, hehe.
 
geofelt

geofelt

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Saw your pic. I have seen much worse. I don't think you need a new case.

To help cable management, can you remove the lower drive cage? Just lay the ssd on the bottom of the case. Use velcro or tape if you want more security. Or, even a screw through the bottom of the case for real security. You can then put your excess cables on the bottom, out of the way of cooling for the graphics cards. A front intake fan would not hurt if you can manage one.

I think you will have a real problem with the H50, if you have it bringing cold air from the outside. Your cpu will do well, but the graphics cards will suffer. Pick your poison.

I would spend $30 on a tower type cooler that directs the cpu air out the back or out the top.
 
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