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[SOLVED] CPU Cooler Clearance

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Ok, thanks both of you, I guess I'll set the first answer as best, but they're both helpful 😛

Gonna go pick up the case today, so I'll leave a reply if it fits if anyone comes across this post in the future. Hopefully everything is all good :)

EDIT: Actually, one thing I just noticed while doing some research is, this other case, BitFenix Comrade, also has a 160mm cooler clearance, and according to this thread: https://forums.tomshardware.com/threads/cooler-compatibility-with-bitfenix-comrade.1964816/ the Hyper 212 Evo does not fit because it's slightly too big for the side panel.

Is it possible that the user didn't properly install it in that thread or something else caused it to not fit? Or is it that chances are it won't fit in my case either. Because they're both 160mm clearance, so it seems like it should fit but for that other case it did not.
 
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The Comrade sucks. I have one of those cases sitting on my "probably never going to get used" shelves with a big hole cut in the top to put another fan there because it doesn't support anything more than one front fan and one rear fan and a customer brought it to me hoping to mod it for them. I did, but it still had terrible performance so I convinced them to get a better case and they gave me that one. It's never been used. I can't even feel good about GIVING to anybody for their build, for free, because it's so terrible.

Do yourself a favor, get this instead. It has much better options for cooling fan installation and it supports coolers up to 165mm tall.

https://www.newegg.ca/black-fractal-design-focus-g-atx-mid-tower/p/N82E16811352069?Item=N82E16811352069&nm_mc=AFC-RAN-CAN&cm_mmc=AFC-RAN-CAN&utm_medium=affiliates&utm_source=afc-PCPartPicker&AFFID=2558510&AFFNAME=PCPartPicker&ACRID=1&ASID=https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/ZHmxFT/fractal-design-focus-g-black-atx-mid-tower-case-fd-ca-focus-bk-w&ranMID=44589&ranEAID=2558510&ranSiteID=8BacdVP0GFs-MVEWYGazmSzdhxK79YHjXQ
 
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You'll find that most companies only take 1 measurement. That's from the base model with the full metal panel. They usually don't bother re-measuring for the panel with the acrylic window, nor even for the TG version. All of which can and do have real distance differences of several mm.

And then there's some companies who will set a safe limit. Can be 5mm or more at times. So there might be a real distance of 165mm, but a claimed distance of only 160mm coolers.

Some cases are just plain mental. It's documented 1 case in particular has max cooler height of 152mm, yet there are multiple posts showing pictures of that case. With a CM hyper212 evo installed.

There's also case error. My CM 690 II Advanced had a definite warp on the side panel, clearly visibly concave. Took a little rubbing, but got that flattened out.

Best advice I can give is leave room. I'd not choose a 160mm tall cooler to fit in a case with 160mm of clearance. That's just asking for complications.

In an ATX mid tower, you shouldn't have to have issues worrying about mm differences, that's a measurement typically reserved for mITX SFF builds.
 
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Karadjgne:
Yeah, a 1mm tolerance isn't that great lol. You're definitely right with the distances, another case by this same company lists 155, but some guy on PCPartpicker fit a 212 EVO (159), which makes me think they're setting a safe limit with their measurements, but Canada Computers won't let me return open box items due to COVID. So I've gotta decide if I want to take the risk or not.

Darkbreeze:
Thanks, yeah I wasn't gonna get the Comrade, but both the Comrade and the Eclipse 440 have 160mm clearance but a 212 EVO(159) didn't fit in the Comrade, so I was concerned about it not fitting. Maybe I can chalk it up to the Comrade being a bad case overall 😛 (I wish).
I looked at the case you linked, I'm not so sure how much I like the design (no PSU shroud also), but 165 is definitely a safer number for clearance. Hmmm.
 
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I guarantee you that Fractal design case is three times the case that anything made by Azza is. Azza is a really low quality manufacturer of budget garbage that will warp or cut you the first time you look at it wrong. I've worked with a couple of their cases in the past and I would never do so again unless I had zero choice in the matter.

IMO, they are even worse than Raidmax, by far, and USUALLY we see Azza cases and components only in the Asian market, but there are a few reviews that have been done of various Azza cases and they almost all result in a poor showing due to terrible thermal performance for nearly every model. As with many low end Cooler master, Thermaltake, Raidmax and DIY PC type cases, flashy looks seem to be more important to them than cable management, build quality, thermal performance and other features like tool-less design and rolled edges, usually at least. I can't find a reputable review of that Eclipse 440 but it seems a WHOLE LOT like the Inferno 310 which had mostly terrible feedback from what I've seen.

The Focus G is just a cheap option, with decent features and good thermal performance. Certainly if you want something better, there are definitely options, but you need to be willing to pay for them and since everything is a lot more expensive where you are, even more so. These might be good options too.

https://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=6_1937&item_id=119866

https://www.newegg.ca/black-rosewil...&ranSiteID=8BacdVP0GFs-XkefkccpyqIbCPnmq..JXg

https://www.newegg.ca/black-fractal...&ranSiteID=8BacdVP0GFs-lblyRdlfHNljqm7HJTxJ1A
 
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Ok thanks, I'll stay away from the Azza cases then, thanks for the info.

The MX330G looked good but it doesn't have enough CPU cooler clearance, the Rosewill one has crazy 50$ shipping. The Meshify C however looks really good actually, I'll do some further research into it :)

I was browsing PCPartpicker and I saw the NZXT H510i for 100$, and it looked good features wise, but I'm concerned about the airflow as it mainly has exhaust fans and adding front intake doesn't help cause it's so restrictive. I have a 1050Ti small EVGA version and a FX 6200 with Hyper 212 Evo, do you think it would be a big issue or not? Looked kind of middle of the road in terms of thermals but I'm not sure for my hardware.

Thanks so much for all your help so far :)
 
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The NZXT H500 series cases are to be avoided. Don't get one. They are the laughing stock of the case world right now.

If you live near enough to a Canada computers to pick one up in person, and don't mind paying a bit more, this would be a good option.

https://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=6_1937&item_id=162301

You know, the bottom line is, this is a bad time for buying almost ANY kind of hardware, but especially for power supplies, fans, CPU coolers, motherboards and cases, because of the Rona. It might be worth your while to wait another week or two and see if some of the supply chain doesn't level back out again which might considerably restore the availability of a lot of these cases and reduce the price of all of them.
 
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