need a BIG case

Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
edited June 2003 in Hardware
and a cheap one... my Antec SX-1240 is TOO SMALL for my K7D-L... the hdds interfere with the board and the temps are rediculously high... so what I need is a very, very large case (bigger than the SX-1240) to put the K7D-L in... the features I'm looking for are:

1. 6+ 5.25" bays
2. 2+ 3.5" external bays
3. 6+ internal hdd bays with excellent cooling- it has to have a space for at least 1 80mm or larger fan in front of the hdds (depending on how many drives each fan has to cool)
4. Cheap (<$200)
5. No funky colors (or clear anodized aluminum, etc.) unless the drives are stealthed, and no Lian-Li cases- I've been less than impressed by the Lian-Li cases...

Any suggestions?

Comments

  • ClutchClutch North Carolina New
    edited June 2003
    Have you thought about looking into a big cube case? I saw one somewhere, a guy needed a huge case to put his water cooling stuff in.
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited June 2003
    the really big cubes are $300+, and the small ones are too small...
  • fuxorfuxor i live in a giant bucket
    edited June 2003
    the sx1240 is a BIG case, I have one. But it does feel cramped inside...

    if you want something even bigger than the 1240, you're going to have to shell out some real cash.
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited June 2003
    it's a BIG case for a single cpu board, but with dual cpu boards, the primary cpu socket tends to be very, very close to where the HDDs are, and you get things like an xp2200+ @ 1.85v running @ 129*F @ 150x13.5 versus 100*F @ 1.85v & 166x12.5 in an A7N8X...

    and that's with the fans maxed out on the dually, but only at medium speeds on the A7N8X...

    What I need is something that has a completely unobstructed motherboard area... I could build one, but I don't really have any tools- a table saw, a skil saw, a dremel, and various hand tools just about cover it... unless I go to my grandfather's machine shop, where I might be able to use a bridgeport (essentially a high-precision drill press) or something...

    I've been looking at this case tho...
    http://www.coolcases.com/cart/sr103207_31_34.html
  • ZorkiZorki Sasebo, Japan
    edited June 2003
    I don't know that this is quite what you are looking for, but its two inches wider and 4 inches deeper than the 1240. It has one external 3.5"and a little mount for two 3.5" above one or two power supplies, but 11 5.25" bays in the front.
    Newegg has it for $125 without power supply.
    http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproduct.asp?DEPA=&submit=Go&description=CODEGEN+S101
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited June 2003
    Zorki... thanks for the tip... the only problem I see with that case is the total lack of intake fans... I've found in my experience that the best way to cool a motherboard is to "bathe" it in cool air, which is difficult to do without intake fans :banghead:
  • ZorkiZorki Sasebo, Japan
    edited June 2003
    Ah. I guess this is more a pirate's dream case with all those 5.25" bays :)
  • SputnikSputnik Worcester, MA
    edited June 2003
    bridgeport = vertical mill?


    saw this case a couple of years ago and was really impressed by it..... with a little modding, you'd be able to have massive amounts of air flowing all over your motherboard
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited June 2003
    sputnik... yea, the bridgeports that we've got are vertical mills...

    that yeong yang cube is another one i'll have to look in to.
  • Omega65Omega65 Philadelphia, Pa
    edited June 2003
    Geeky1 said
    I've been looking at this case tho...
    http://www.coolcases.com/cart/sr103207_31_34.html

    I grabbed the SR102 version of that case 2 weeks ago for $130 shipped off of Ebay. I sure I posted about it then.

    In any event there are YY Cube type cases for sale on Ebay here
    for ~$115 + $30S/H

    That link currently is showing your case (Chenbro SR-103) on sale in Ausralia also..(bummer)
  • muddocktormuddocktor
    edited June 2003
    jdii1215, the 901 is the exact same case as the SX1240. Antec buys them from either Chenming or Chieftec (forgot which one is the actual manufacturer).

    Geeky, don't get too bent out of shape about those temps on the K7D Master L as it reads processor diode temps and not a socket thermistor temp. My Master L is presently reading 43 and 48C repectively for CPU1 and CPU2. After getting used to seeing those temps, I just don't let it bother me any more because the rig folds Gromacs totally stable. I have it running in the Chenming version of the SX1040B.

    If you are looking for a bigger case than your SX1240, be prepared to pay some big bucks. Addtronics makes some large cases too but they are pricey also. They make a couple of WTX size cases (the 8500 and 8600) but they're $259 and $264 without a psu.

    If you are really concerned about the cpu temps, just go watercooling. You can set up a nice wc system with that SX1240 for the $200 you are looking to spend for a new case and you can mount everything inside the case. I know because I'm using a SX1240 with my Asus dually board in a 1240. I took out the lower hd tray and mounted my radiator there, blowing out from the lower front. I mounted a reservoir in the top front of the case, but it isn't necessary; you can just use a burp tube instead.
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited June 2003
    jdii... that chenming one is certainly a possibilty... the other one is, as muddocktor said, exactly what I have now...

    mudd... the problem is that the exact same CPU was giving a temperature of ~100* reading from the internal diode via MBM5 in my A7N8X... now it sometimes goes over 140... watercooling isn't an option right now either... my parents won't let me do it...
  • muddocktormuddocktor
    edited June 2003
    Geeky, I just don't worry about the temps any more on either of my dual rigs, even though they seem high. My A7N8X also reads lower(MBM by diode) than the MSI board, even though it's running an XP2100 @2250 and my MSI is running Tbred A 1700@1800 and 1.75v vcore on both mobos. I figure that 1 board or the other is off on the temp calibration; what I watch for is a change in the temps it normally runs at.

    BTW, I found some sites that have that other Chenming case that jdii had linked to and I don't think you want it because it is $269-$350.:eek: :wow:

    Hey, if your Mom is scared of water leaking out, have her let you order a Vapo or prommie instead.:D No potential mess on the floor that way.;)
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited June 2003
    lol... my mom probably wouldn't care- she's not all that computer literate... it's my dad that's nervous about it, and he doesn't like refrigeration systems either (a break in the pressurized side would mean a rapidly expanding- and therefore extremely cold- gas being released into my room... can u say "frostbite"?) ... it's air only for the next few years...

    $300 is a bit steep... this one:
    http://www.coolcases.com/cart/sr103207_31_34.html

    that I linked to earlier looks decent actually... maybe I'll get that...
  • muddocktormuddocktor
    edited June 2003
    That's not a bad looking case, but before you start forking over your hard earned cash, why don't you take the Master-L out of the case and run it in the open where there is no restrictions on airflow and see how much your temps drop from what you are getting in that 1240 case. Run it for several hours like that with it folding Gromacs or whatever way you know what your temps are maxing out on while it's in the box and then compare it to what you get with it sitting on a table doing the same thing.
  • Omega65Omega65 Philadelphia, Pa
    edited June 2003
    I'd just grab the water cooling system in secret - it's cheaper, and better.

    And it's much easier to ask for forgiveness than permission

    I feel your pain Geeky1 - I do not miss being a teenager.....
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited June 2003
    unfortunately no, the slk-800a attaches one way and one way only. However, I moved both hard drives to the bottom cage and turned the fan up in the top one, and my temps. dropped a good 8*F or so...
  • muddocktormuddocktor
    edited June 2003
    A few more things you can try there Geeky.

    1. Try reversing your fan directions on your case, with the 2 fans at the back blowing in and the fans in the front blowing out. This should let cool air in right at the cpu area.

    2. Mount a 92mm fan in the top back position above the psu. This will help pull the air out more vertically through the case.

    3. A guy over at overclockers.com says that mounting the fan on the heatsink on the hot proc on your Master L to where it's sucking instead of blowing into the SLK800 will help lower the temps on the hot proc. I haven't tried this though, but with the SLK800 it's no big deal to switch the airflow direction around. BTW, this guy isn't someone just spouting off; he is a network admin for some company.

    4. Cut a 120mm fan hole in the case side and mount a low to medium airflow fan like a Panaflo L1A or M1A or an Enermax adjustable on the side of the case. This will inject a good shot of fresh cool air into the area where you most need it. If you go this route, then leave the back fans(92mm on top too) exhausting and the front fans blowing in across your drives.
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited June 2003
    1. the closest fan to the primary cpu socket is the one in the top hdd cage (the socket is right next to the RAM slots) and I only have 1 cpu installed.
    2. The case has a full load of fans- 5 Tt SmartFan2s, a Sunon 92mm, and a Tt Smartfan2 in the ps...
    3. I'll try that out
    4. the problem is the case is under my desk- it would be putting warm air in... I'm going to try putting the 2 enermax 120mm fans I have on my zalman fan bracket and put that in there... I'll see how that works out first...

    I may modify the case to take 92mm fans...
  • panzerkwpanzerkw New York City
    edited June 2003
    A cubic case! I might just buy one to look different from the other machines here in the barracks. Even though most of them are Compaq/Gateway garbage still I like mine being different. I always liked how those Mac Powercubes looked. I wish I could find a nice large sized cube case with a style like that.
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