Best Mini ITX Case For WC??

[alex5389]

Hey Guys!
Happy New Year to all and I hope everyone is staying warm. I'm about ready to start a new build, I want to make a small form factor gamer that would be used mostly for media in the bedroom. This would require almost complete silence (two low rpm fans max) excluding whatever noise power supply and pump make. This shouldn't be too hard to accomplish (low heat cpu/gpu)? I was kind of hoping maybe passive rad all together? although with cpu gpu and pump to cool that would likely be impossible with such a small case. I really like the Corsair Obsidian 250D but they appear to be out of stock the places i have looked :/ Anyway guys I know you have a ton of experience on me so throw some ideas at me. I love to WC so I'm really excited to be doing it again, and with the support of a fine community such as this it should be a treat. I'm Stoked!

[Hooded]

Do a search for Compact Splash case.
http://www.overclock.net/t/1372677/c...-14-cases-left
It is a custom case fore itx water cooling build.
Or spend the big bucks and go with a Caselabs.

[bungwirez]

250D is a good choice... out of stock cause its barely been released. you'll have to be patient.
also good if you're willing to wait would be the EVGA Hadron Hydro...
although I didn't think much of the Hadron Air, the Hydro version offers a nice home for 240 rad.

Compact splash eh Hooded? nice find. really kickass actually.

[alex5389]

Do a search for Compact Splash case.
http://www.overclock.net/t/1372677/c...-14-cases-left
It is a custom case fore itx water cooling build.
Or spend the big bucks and go with a Caselabs.

Hey Hoody

Wow that one at 280 is pretty pricey but very roomy! I cringe at the thought of what damage the caselabs does.

I would just LOVE LOVE to build one from scratch but no metallurgy skill here.

[alex5389]

250D is a good choice... out of stock cause its barely been released. you'll have to be patient.
also good if you're willing to wait would be the EVGA Hadron Hydro...
although I didn't think much of the Hadron Air, the Hydro version offers a nice home for 240 rad.

Compact splash eh Hooded? nice find. really kickass actually.

Hey Bung

Ooh very exciting about the corsair then that would explain plenty then. Patience I have, i expect this will be a long cheap Father Fuzzy style build with pron and everything (partially because I have no initial capital to invest).

The EVGA comes with a gold rated PSU??? Wha?

[bungwirez]

The EVGA comes with a gold rated PSU??? Wha?

Ya, and I think the Hydro is going to come with EVGA's own assortment of watercooling bits.
I just saw it on a CES review, but I refuse to link Linutz... actually, ashamed that I'm still subbed...

[alex5389]

Ya, and I think the Hydro is going to come with EVGA's own assortment of watercooling bits.
I just saw it on a CES review, but I refuse to link Linutz... actually, ashamed that I'm still subbed...

Looks like EVGA website is selling the case and a separate kit for wc for 180 usd :/ screw the kit the case is interesting however. I think the lack of a 5.25" bay kill it for me however because i was planning to us that as a place for a top fill res.

I imagine that making a case wouldn't me the most difficult thing in the world for me to do, but i would need a garage and a work bench and assorted tools, not by my means :/

I wish i could have some time with the 250d get a good look at and visualize how everything would fit together more or less.

[Cheers!]

I went with a Bitfenix Phenom in white. My goal is overclocking capability 1st and fan noise 2nd... With that said I did choose high quality low noise fans such as noiseblockers and Noctua fans all PWM controlled so the motherboard could scale them back.

That compact splash case looks nice.

Before I finally chose the Bitfenix Phenom, I thought about a Silverstone Fortress FT03 mini. http://www.silverstonetek.com/produc...id=333&area=en
I love the look and how minimal it is. But I couldn't really figure out how to cram a lot of watercooling stuff into it. I don't think it's possible unless you make custom reservoirs and use only use 120mm rads at the top and bottom. So the overclocking potential wasn't there. But if I was making an air cooled system or one where I'm only cooling either the GPU or CPU with only 1 rad I would have gone with the Silverstone.

[alex5389]

I went with a Bitfenix Phenom in white. My goal is overclocking capability 1st and fan noise 2nd... With that said I did choose high quality low noise fans such as noiseblockers and Noctua fans all PWM controlled so the motherboard could scale them back.

That compact splash case looks nice.

Before I finally chose the Bitfenix Phenom, I thought about a Silverstone Fortress FT03 mini. http://www.silverstonetek.com/produc...id=333&area=en
I love the look and how minimal it is. But I couldn't really figure out how to cram a lot of watercooling stuff into it. I don't think it's possible unless you make custom reservoirs and use only use 120mm rads at the top and bottom. So the overclocking potential wasn't there. But if I was making an air cooled system or one where I'm only cooling either the GPU or CPU with only 1 rad I would have gone with the Silverstone.

I like bitfenix products very much! I have some of their quiet fans in my bluehawk build as well as some of their sleeved cables.

Ha that silverstone is actually pretty cool in a unique sort of way.

[bungwirez]

I did a build in the FT03 ... you're right Cheers!
it does require a customized external 240 Rad box.
the other problem is the mechanisms to hold the side panels in place is very easy to break...

[Cheers!]

One thing to note. With m-itx cases like my bitfenix. I'm having a hard time to figure out the routing of the water tubes. Because the distance are so small and all the parts/cooling blocks/rads are all on different planes of space/axis... a lot of the time how I wanted to route it won't work simply by going point to point. I was hoping to save a bit of money by avoiding lots of 90 degree or other angle fittings and just go point to point. With the 3/8" ID - 1/2" OD TUBES from Fesser... the tube begins to collapse/crush with the very tight bend radius I want.

So I will have to go with angled fittings to make it work.

I don't think this is an issue if you have a huge case. Also I think the overclock potential for a full size motherboard is greater than a mITX board.

Maybe I should have gone with hard tubes and use that kit where you can heat the acrylic tubes and bend them by hand...

[Hooded]

Make a loop rather than just straight point to point.
A loop in the tube will allow it to go almost any direction.

[alex5389]

Make a loop rather than just straight point to point.
A loop in the tube will allow it to go almost any direction.

True that! I don't think people should be scared of a bit of extra tubing..

The loops might look something kinda like in Father's Apparition which is gorgeous.

[SeeThruHead]

Something maybe you haven't thought of is external radiators. Your mitx case can become much smaller when the radiation is mounted on an external radiator stand.

[alex5389]

Something maybe you haven't thought of is external radiators. Your mitx case can become much smaller when the radiation is mounted on an external radiator stand.

No room for the external rads space is limited to more or less to a mini itx case.. Ive considered it for my bluehawk build before but that never came into fruition..