Question What Case?

[eleandro.enriquez]

i’m building a new gaming rig and don’t know what case to get. It has an ATX motherboard and a 1080ti.

I’m looking for a good and not too expensive (my budget is already running low haha) case with GOOD cooling and airflow because it gets really hot where i’m from (mid 30c). i’m currently looking at the nzxt h500 and mastercooler h500 are those any good? and any suggestions?

 

[SgtScream]

The cooler master H500 is an excellent choice:

1. Cooler Master NR600 - Front Mesh doubles as a dust filter and had excellent fan/radiator support. There are two variants where one has an optical drive mounting option.
2. Fractal Design Focus G - Comes in many colors.
3. Fractal Design Meshify C

 

[Karadjgne]

With ambient temps in the mid 30's, you aren't going to have great low usage/idle temps to start with, so anything that'll help airflow is a bonus to keep average case temps down with an aircooler. With an AIO mounted in front, case temps wouldn't matter to anything but idle gpu. Load temps far exceed the case ambient possible with decent airflow, so aren't as much of a concern, that'll be all on the coolers/heatsinks and load usage.

Open mesh style fronts, cases with possible fan ports at top/rear, preferably 140mm fan ability would be your best options.

 

[eleandro.enriquez]

ohhh ok. I was originally planning to get a kraken x62 and the cooler master h500 and mount at the top or front? or should i just get an air cooler?

With ambient temps in the mid 30's, you aren't going to have great low usage/idle temps to start with, so anything that'll help airflow is a bonus to keep average case temps down with an aircooler. With an AIO mounted in front, case temps wouldn't matter to anything but idle gpu. Load temps far exceed the case ambient possible with decent airflow, so aren't as much of a concern, that'll be all on the coolers/heatsinks and load usage.

Open mesh style fronts, cases with possible fan ports at top/rear, preferably 140mm fan ability would be your best options.

 

[Karadjgne]

I'm biased. I prefer AIO's. I like the looks, the performance, the advantages a liquid cooler has over air, especially the software control air doesn't have, so for me, the nzxt Kraken x62 is a no-brainer absoultely yes, go for it. I have an x61 and love it.

With case designs lately, there seems to be a trend of getting away from top mounted radiators. Many of the smaller built mid ATX towers are sticking with a single top/rear port and 280mm /360mm fan/radiator support in front.

Which is fine. AIO's in front have zero to do with case temps affecting cpu temps. It does raise gpu temps, slightly, only 2-3°C generally, but other than that, there's nothing but airflow. So it's a minor trade off, better cpu temps for worse gpu temps.

Then there's setup. A fan has 2 sides, the intake and exhaust. If to mount the fans in back of the radiator, that's Pull, if mounted in front of the rad that's Push. It can make a difference. Fans get better ability at low speeds (under @ 1200rpm) in pull, fans in push are better at @ 1500+rpm. My fans don't really ever get over @ 700rpm, so benefit in pull. Being in pull also puts them closer to the gpu, so that also gets a better airflow feed of air than what push can supply, since the air scatters after exiting the rad.

So there are definite benefits to an AIO at times. They do have some drawbacks, but if you are set on an AIO over air, then that's already something that's livable.

Many stay away simply because of costs, but realistically there's not much, if any difference between big air and big aio. You spend $130 on an aio, or $90 on big air and another $40 on 2 more fans since the case only came with 2. Rgb is even worse with air, some fans run $40+ each, a decent rgb aio costing less overall, since it includes 2-3 rgb fans.

Benefits and drawbacks to both ways. The only recent cpu that pretty much requires the big liquid cooling is the i9 9900k, with everything else it's a personal choice as performance and ability in the respective ranges is pretty similar.

 

[eleandro.enriquez]

I'm biased. I prefer AIO's. I like the looks, the performance, the advantages a liquid cooler has over air, especially the software control air doesn't have, so for me, the nzxt Kraken x62 is a no-brainer absoultely yes, go for it. I have an x61 and love it.

With case designs lately, there seems to be a trend of getting away from top mounted radiators. Many of the smaller built mid ATX towers are sticking with a single top/rear port and 280mm /360mm fan/radiator support in front.

Which is fine. AIO's in front have zero to do with case temps affecting cpu temps. It does raise gpu temps, slightly, only 2-3°C generally, but other than that, there's nothing but airflow. So it's a minor trade off, better cpu temps for worse gpu temps.

Then there's setup. A fan has 2 sides, the intake and exhaust. If to mount the fans in back of the radiator, that's Pull, if mounted in front of the rad that's Push. It can make a difference. Fans get better ability at low speeds (under @ 1200rpm) in pull, fans in push are better at @ 1500+rpm. My fans don't really ever get over @ 700rpm, so benefit in pull. Being in pull also puts them closer to the gpu, so that also gets a better airflow feed of air than what push can supply, since the air scatters after exiting the rad.

So there are definite benefits to an AIO at times. They do have some drawbacks, but if you are set on an AIO over air, then that's already something that's livable.

Many stay away simply because of costs, but realistically there's not much, if any difference between big air and big aio. You spend $130 on an aio, or $90 on big air and another $40 on 2 more fans since the case only came with 2. Rgb is even worse with air, some fans run $40+ each, a decent rgb aio costing less overall, since it includes 2-3 rgb fans.

Benefits and drawbacks to both ways. The only recent cpu that pretty much requires the big liquid cooling is the i9 9900k, with everything else it's a personal choice as performance and ability in the respective ranges is pretty similar.

ohh ok. i was originally going to mount it on the top in push as an exhaust as well, since the h500 has 2 200 mm fans at the front and i thought the gpu would get really hot (i have the MSI Duke 1080ti). so instead, i should put the rad at the front as a pull and buy 1 or 2 fans for the top as exhaust (and the 1 rear the case comes with)?

If i put it at the top ill be getting better gpu temps and higher cpu temps? and if i put it at the front ill be getting better cpu temps but higher gpu temps?

 

[Karadjgne]

RADIATOR SUPPORT - TOP
120mm, 140mm, 240mm
RADIATOR SUPPORT - FRONT
120mm, 140mm, 200mm, 240mm, 280mm, 360mm

The kraken x62 is a 280mm aio. You'd only be able to mount it in the front. You could always use one of the front mounted 200mm fans in the top as it has support for such.

 

[eleandro.enriquez]

RADIATOR SUPPORT - TOP
120mm, 140mm, 240mm
RADIATOR SUPPORT - FRONT
120mm, 140mm, 200mm, 240mm, 280mm, 360mm

The kraken x62 is a 280mm aio. You'd only be able to mount it in the front. You could always use one of the front mounted 200mm fans in the top as it has support for such.

ohh ok. my mistake for not checking. would it be alright if i mount it on the front with it in pull while the 2 200mm fans push air into the rad and have 1 rear exhaust and add 1 (or 2) exhausts at the top where i was originally planning to put the radiator.

putting the rad in the front wont really effect gpu temps?