Cooling for my future build
I probably won't be over clocking anything, but I might change my mind later.
If I don't over clock and use the PC for intense gaming, do I need to get a case with a certain number of fans? Is there any point in me even looking at water cooling?
Thank you
Re: Cooling for my future build
Cases are one compenent with PSU you can keep for a long time.
I would decide first on form factor; if you don't need PCI cards then M-ATX and ITX open up and all the dinky cases you can choose from.
Then styling; conservative/gamering/don't care. Noise levels; usually quieter cases have worse cooling but this varies. Some people change the fans you get with a case; if you can control the speed and turn them down a bit they are usually quieter as often there is a comprimise between speed and noise. Cheaper cases quite often only come with one fan. Plenty of reviews out there but Scythe (gentle typhoons) are usually recommended.
Browse cases and then read reviews. The large tower coolers are typically about 160mm so a 200mm case is 'usually' wide enough. There are all in one coolers for CPUs which are quite popular and a n easy option compared to a tradtional WC setup. If you are not OCing I would leave WC as a potential future project.
Re: Cooling for my future build
Thanks for your reply!
I haven't looked at getting any cases that are smaller than ATX because I'm worried that heat flow would be compromised, especially as it is a gaming rig. Mini ATX motherboards aren't that cheaper from their ATX siblings and I'd rather have the option to expand, hence I'm going for ATX. I will atleast need a PCI slot to install a wireless card.
Is this a good case for my build?
I was quite impressed by the NZXT Lexa S's aesthetic and was wondering if my components would fit inside this case.
Will there be any heating issues as I plan on using only the stock 4 fans supplied with the case (unless advised otherwise).
http://www.nzxt.com/product/detail/110-lexa-s-case
Thanks
Re: Cooling for my future build
I faced a similar concern, in that this was the first build I was doing by myself.
I wanted space to fiddle (I have big, clumsy hands) and room to expand.
I ended up going for the Corsair Carbide 500R, which cost me about £90...
I love the styling anyway and it has all the usual basic features of most modern cases, but how they're combined and configured is what made it for me.
You have 6 HDD bays and 4 exposed optical bays, which is plenty on both counts and one of the HDD cages is removable for even more space/airflow.
You have bags of room and rubberised grommets for tidying away cables at the back.
It has space specifically designed for Corsair closed-loop water coolers (I picked up an H100 for £35!!) and the best part is that it comes with four fans included - (2 x 120mm intakes, 1 x 200mm intake, 1 x 120mm exhaust) and has fitment points for something like 10 additional fans.
Bang for buck, I think it's fantastic.
http://www.corsair.com/carbide-serie...ower-case.html
Re: Cooling for my future build
Thanks for your reply.
I have to admit, the Corsair case does look pretty damn good! Unfortunately, I am on a bit of a tight budget and ideally I want something that looks sleek, has USB 3.0 and costs below £60. I don't think I'll be tinkering with water cooling unless absolutely necessary. So, the NZXT Lexa S works well for me, if it can accommodate my components and have no heat flow issues (I think it allows for up to 5 fans). I think that case has plenty of drive bays, but I'm probably going to be using a max of 3 hard disks and maybe two SSDs in the future.
Re: Cooling for my future build
Quote:
Originally Posted by
inaamrahman7
I want something that looks sleek, has USB 3.0 and costs below £60.
The Lexa S does not have USB3.0, though...?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
inaamrahman7
I don't think I'll be tinkering with water cooling unless absolutely necessary.
No, these are sealed units, preassembled and minimal fuss. No tinkering required...
http://www.corsair.com/us/cpu-coolin...pu-cooler.html
You simply affix the cooling block to the CPU as you would a normal heatsink fan, then bolt the radiator to an exhaust point with the fan(s) either in front or behind (I prefer behind for a pull configuration), plug the power and PWM connectors in and you're done. 6-8 minutes at a leisurely pace, even for newbies like us. That's it!
These things can be pretty decent bang-for-buck options, especially if you can find them in the sales. In some cases, they rival some mid and high end air coolers but are notably cheaper.