Big radiators need lots of space that most enclosures simply weren't designed to offer. We're using Swiftech’s latest triple-fan cooler to test the fitment and performance in four cases supposedly set up to accommodate high-end water cooling setups.
Editor's Note: Our Southern California lab recently signed for a big box from NZXT full of cases and power supplies to give away. If you'd like a chance to win one of three Phantom 410 chassis or one of three HALE82 power supplies, read through to the end of this piece and enter our sweepstakes!
CPU water cooling has been around since the early days of Tom’s Hardware. But enclosures specifically designed to hold large liquid cooling systems have always been scarce. And while the availability of mid-sized mainstream systems like Corsair's H100 pushes case manufacturers to at least support dual-fan radiators in their enthusiast-oriented models, high-end cooling support remains a rare feature, even in the highest-end chassis. Fortunately, the few solutions that do exist are fairly good.
If you missed our walk-through of these four enclosures last week, and you want a closer look inside each case before continuing, check out In Pictures: Four ATX Cases Perfect For High-Capacity Water Cooling.

| Aerocool Strike-X ST | Azza Hurrican 2000 | Cooler Master Cosmos II | NZXT Switch 810 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | ||||
| Height | 25.2" | 21.9" | 27.9" | 23.9" |
| Width | 9.3" | 10.2" | 12.2" | 9.2" |
| Depth | 27.9" | 23.9" | 26.2" | 23.7" |
| Space Above Motherboard | 3.2" | 2.3" | 1.8" | 3.2" |
| Card Length | 16.8" | 13.6"** | 15.5" | 13.7" |
| Weight | 32.0 pounds | 24.5 pounds | 47.4 pounds | 31.4 pounds |
| Cooling | ||||
| Front Fans (alternatives) | 1 x 200 mm (2 x 140/120 mm) | 2 x 120 mm (None) | 1 x 200 mm (1 x 140 mm) | 1 x 140 mm (2 x 140/120 mm) |
| Rear Fans (alternatives) | 1 x 140 mm (1 x 120 mm) | 1 x 120 mm (None) | 1 x 140 mm (1 x 120 mm) | 1 x 140 mm (1 x 120 mm) |
| Top Fans (alternatives) | 1 x 200 mm (2 x 200 mm, 3 x 140/120 mm) | 2 x 230 mm (1 x 120 mm) | 1 x 120 mm (1 x 200 mm, 2 x 140 mm, 3 x 120 mm) | 1 x 140 mm (3 x 140/120 mm) |
| Left Side (alternatives) | None (1 x 180 mm, 9 x 120 mm) | 2 x 230 mm (None) | 2 x 120 mm (4 x 120 mm) | None |
| Right Side (alternatives) | None (1 x 120/92 mm) | 1 x 120 mm (None) | None | None |
| Drive Bays | ||||
| 5.25" External | Four | Four | Three | Four |
| 3.5" External | None | 1 x Adapter | None | None |
| 3.5" Internal | Ten | Six | Thirteen | Six +One*** |
| 2.5" Internal | Ten* | 2x Adapter | Eleven* | Seven* |
| Card Slots | Ten | Seven | Ten | Nine |
| Price | $200 | $145 | $350 | $163 |
| *shared on 3.5" tray **Without cables to backplane ***On 5.25" backplane | ||||
Cooler Master tops the list in features, price, and weight, while Azza targets mid-budget enthusiasts with a mid-sized solution. Between those two pricing extremes, NZXT and Aerocool attempt to offer the best value with nine- and 10-slot designs. Today, we find out how well each case fits our parts and performs.
Before we move on to our installation notes, let’s take a quick look at the cooling system that made all of this testing possible.
- Bigger Than Your Biggest Fan
- Introducing Swiftech’s H20-320 Edge HD
- Building With Aerocool’s Strike-X ST
- Building With Azza's Hurrican 2000
- Building With Cooler Master's Cosmos II
- Building With NZXT's Switch 810
- Test Settings And Benchmarks
- Temperature, Noise, And Acoustic Efficiency
- Triple-Fan Water Cooling Cases, Evaluated
Also, Swiftech makes a sweet kit although I can't imagine the size of the triple rad. Using the Edge 220 myself, love it. Fits in my Antec 900 II.
The Cosmos II only accepts a 2 X 120 rad in the HDD compartment. Its too bad that toms wasn't able to complete the build in the cosmos II. Maybe within the end of the year, Cooler Master will introduce the Cosmos S II and fix all those enthusiast complains that i read.
1.) Yes it supports STANDARD 3-fan radiators. It just couldn't be compared to other cases if it had a different cooling system.
2.) It can probably also be MODIFIED to fit the radiator used in the article.
So, do you have a custom system suggestion? or are you looking for a modification article? Like I said, I'm taking suggestions. Thanks!
I would like to see what else you can do with the Cosmos II, perhaps a 240+360rad built with just that case as others suggested.
I don't mind articles like this but it should be called "entry-level watercooling" or "watercooling simplified". Kinda got my hopes up and then dropped them. But if there's more to come, i can wait.
if you don't like than don't buy....no one is forcing you...
I don't know if you've had to have testing legitimized, but in the real world the fact that something doesn't work to qualify it for testing doesn't mean you come out with some other solution for it. It gets neglected for this test, and gets a zero for the results. Maybe another test will vindicate it, but you can't adjust midway through, that would be a testing fail.
It is quite nice. Not warming to white cases yet though.
It has one oddity by the way, the entire front (and bottom I think) is dust filteret, except for one corner, with the sloped design in the front, which is not dustfiltered at all.
I purchase it 3/11/2012 from Fry's.
After tax it was $377.
However...
I saw many user install fan at side door.
How to install a fan??
Do i have to remove dust filter?
lol that case is ugly as hell
Here?
http://www.corsair.com/pc-cases/graphite-series-pc-case/special-edition-white-graphite-series-600t-mid-tower-case.html
Too bad it doesn't qualify for the article!