Question Looking for a good case favoring air-flow and the ability to filter dust out.

[knowledge2121]

My budget is $300 cad max before taxes.

Looking at these cases so far:


Corsair 7000D Airflow
Fractal Design Meshify 2 XL

Any other cases I should consider ?
------------------------------------------

This is for a build with 14900K, I will put the Intel limit on it (253W). Right now I am thinking of getting the best air cooler for it, like Thermalright's Phantom Spirit or Frost Spirit. The 7000D supports 480mm AIO...

Should I go air or water ?

The thought that water AIO coolers could fail and leak kinda puts me off...

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

Any other cases I should consider ?

the 2 best cases i've worked with over the last few years are the

be quiet! Silent Base 802

and the

Lian Li LanCool III.

 

[Lutfij]

All cases listed above are stellar choices. What motherboard are you looking to drop into it? Might be overkill if you're going with an ATX board and an AIO.

https://www.corsair.com/us/en/p/pc-...atx-pc-case-black-cc-9011218-ww#tab-techspecs
Specs say it supports 480mm radiators;

https://assets.corsair.com/image/upload/corsairmedia/sys_master/productcontent/CORSAIR_7000_Series_XD3_XD5_XD7.pdf?_gl=1*1ewks2p*_gcl_au*MTkyNTM5OTEwLjE3MTM2MzEwMTU.

420 at the top, 480 at the front/side.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

The thought that water AIO coolers could fail and leak kinda puts me off

i've been building & repairing systems for ~15 years now and have never run into damage due to a leaking water cooled system.
though i've heard probably a hundred different users freaked out thinking it is a normal occurrence.

the fact that they do fail is definitely a well documented fact. but, the worst cases i've ever run into are rising temperatures due to trapped air or failing pumps.
never any outright failure that has damaged any sort of system.

 

[knowledge2121]

I should add that I want a full tower case, because I want it to be spacious and for better airflow and cooler temps... I will install an ATX board.

 

[knowledge2121]

i've been building & repairing systems for ~15 years now and have never run into damage due to a leaking water cooled system.
though i've heard probably a hundred different users freaked out thinking it is a normal occurrence.

the fact that they do fail is definitely a well documented fact. but, the worst cases i've ever run into are rising temperatures due to trapped air or failing pumps.
never any outright failure that has damaged any sort of system.

How would those air coolers that I mentioned perform though ? I am thinking to use a very good air cooler and if I didn't like my temps I would go water....

 

[knowledge2121]

So far I like the 7000D and the Be Quiet! ones.

I should also mention that the case should be compatible with the Corsair RM1200x Shift PSU....

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

How would those air coolers that I mentioned perform though ?

both cases i listed have very high airflow throughout.

any air tower cooler is going to also have high airflow flowing into it from the front and out through the rear.
same as any top mounted AIO, lots of cool air coming in to be exhausted out through the radiator.

those cases are good at keeping all components cool though, not just the CPU.
bottom fans can also be mounted to add extra flow into the GPU.
and 3x front intakes will ensure that RAM, VRM, and mounted M.2 also have cooler air flowing across them.

 

[knowledge2121]

both cases i listed have very high airflow throughout.

any air tower cooler is going to also have high airflow flowing into it from the front and out through the rear.
same as any top mounted AIO, lots of cool air coming in to be exhausted out through the radiator.

those cases are good at keeping all components cool though, not just the CPU.
bottom fans can also be mounted to add extra flow into the GPU.
and 3x front intakes will ensure that RAM, VRM, and mounted M.2 also have cooler air flowing across them.

The 7000D has an opening on the left side that allows you to install the water cooler there .... The SILENT BASE 802 and Meshify 2 XL dont have that opening .... does this even matter ?

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

The SILENT BASE 802 and Meshify 2 XL dont have that opening .... does this even matter ?

no, the radiator would be installed on the ceiling or on the front panel.

ceiling mount allows for cool air intake to rise up through the radiator and exhaust there.
a much better option.

front mount requires that the cool air is pulled in directly through the radiator.
which means that the entire system is then flooded with air that has already been warmed by the CPU.

 

[knowledge2121]

no, the radiator would be installed on the ceiling or on the front panel.

ceiling mount allows for cool air intake to rise up through the radiator and exhaust there.
a much better option.

front mount requires that the cool air is pulled directly through the radiator.
which means that the entire system is then flooded with air that has already been warmed by the CPU.

You misunderstood me. the 7000D and DARK BASE PRO 901 both have the option to install the radiator in 4 places....Top, Front, Side, Back.

The 7000D supports 480mm in the side opening. and the DARK BASE PRO 901 supports 360mm in the side opening ....

Is there a big difference between 420mm and 360mm AIO ?

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

Is there a big difference between 420mm and 360mm AIO ?

i haven't ever run into a CPU that a 360mm couldn't handle with good temperature ranges.

theoretically with a 420mm you could possibly lower fan RPMs a bit more than with a 360mm and still get the same temp, but then you'd also be adding the sound of one more fan to the mix so could also be a bit louder.

i've never really seen much point to a 420mm unless you are creating a custom loop with GPU and other components included in the flow.

The 7000D has an opening on the left side that allows you to install the water cooler there .... The SILENT BASE 802 and Meshify 2 XL dont have that opening .... does this even matter ?

the side mounting port does not matter. it is more of an aesthetic thing as far as i've found.

 

[knowledge2121]

ceiling mount allows for cool air intake to rise up through the radiator and exhaust there.
a much better option.

front mount requires that the cool air is pulled in directly through the radiator.
which means that the entire system is then flooded with air that has already been warmed by the CPU.

How about installing the radiator in the side mounting port (pushing air out of the case) ? Wouldn't it be as good as the ceiling mount ?

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

installing the radiator in the side mounting port (pushing air out of the case) ? Wouldn't it be as good as the ceiling mount ?

if there is enough ventilation through to the outside, it could.

but being that close to the front panel it would be pulling the majority, if not all, of the incoming cool air straight out the side vent without that air getting a chance to disperse about the rest of the case interior to help cool the rest of the system.

 

[Phaaze88]

I should add that I want a full tower case, because I want it to be spacious and for better airflow and cooler temps... I will install an ATX board.

The larger cases are actually no better for this. The further air has to travel to get to the components that need it, the more pressure and flow it can lose over time.

 

[knowledge2121]

so the 7000D is a bad choice ? it runs hotter than 5000D ?

 

[Phaaze88]

so the 7000D is a bad choice ? it runs hotter than 5000D ?

That's not what I was implying. The 7000D is vertically and horizontally deeper than the 5000D, so it effectively offers no better airflow than the latter.
It's certainly spacious though.

 

[Phaaze88]

You know when you stand in front of a fan, and slowly back away from it, the force(air) you feel gets weaker and weaker?
It's the same deal here.

 

[CmdrShepard]

I am using this one:

Define 7 XL

The Define 7 XL sets a new standard for what you should expect from a full tower case in terms of modularity, flexibility and ease of use.

www.fractal-design.com

Meshify is ugly to me.

 

[SyCoREAPER]

I like my NZXT HiFlow 7 but only accommodates a 360mm. The 7000 the only one I'd consider for the bigger AIO.

Water cooling for the I9 only, Air wont be enough. AIOs are less likely unless old or defective to leak as they are sealed. Custom loops are for enthusiasts and also lunatics.

 

[hotaru.hino]

You know when you stand in front of a fan, and slowly back away from it, the force(air) you feel gets weaker and weaker?
It's the same deal here.

Unless you're planning on cooling the CPU heat sink with case mounted fans and not a fan mounted right on the heat sink, it doesn't work like that.

Cases fans are meant to replace the air in the case. I would describe it more as using a fan on a window with another window open on the other side of the home somewhere. I do this in my apartment to cool it off at night after it's warmed up all day.

 

[Crosslhs82x2]

The Be Quiet Shadow 802 fx looks to be a pretty nice case especially since there are 4 140mm Silent Wing Rgb fans / fan hub included.
It can take rads upto 420mm top and front but not both at the same time.
Reviews I've looked at seem very positive.

The 7000D Airflow white is what I moved my son into.
It is huge with lots of room. It is custom cooled now (No More Aio's) with a 360mm top and 480mm side with 3x 140mm fans front 1x 140mm rear currently running top and rear fans on lower speeds with the side and front higher for more positive preasure.
It's very quiet and dust has Not been a factor at all.

Good luck with your case Decision