mATX build - Building [pics]

[kishagi]

Go for the Arc Mini R2, it has the most cooling possibilities

[Platypus_]

I have a noctua NH-D14 cooling an i7 4770k @4.6ghz and a Asus DCII GTX 780 which is open-shroud, all fans are either running very quiet or silent.

[draemn]

I might just go for the TJ08 as it is very compact in size compared to the arc mini r2. I still like how the Prodigy M has "carrying handles" but it was really the overall smaller footprint that had me like it more than the R2.

[draemn]

EDIT: I have picked the Prodigy M after reading up about the Swiftech H220. I can put a block on my GPU without having to do full water-cooling. For now I will stick with air cooling as the review for this chip said the results on air were the same as on water (i.e. temps don't hold back the clock speeds).

Once I pick my case, I'll know exactly what to buy when I go to Calgary later this month. Thanks for all the input so far!

[draemn]

This Prodigy M case is damn awesome!!!

If you want to do water cooling, it is a great case (I personally am using a AOI, not a custom loop, but you can). It's also quite sexy and fairly portable while still allowing you to put enthusiast class parts in it!!!! I am really impressed with how well my cable management went and the build looks pretty damn clean.

So far, the ONLY complaints I have:

1) the PSU mounting prevents ideal airflow in the case and leaves no mounting options for anything along the front of the case (insde) such as fans or HDD.
2) Using a windowed side panel with this case is doable, but you have to lose a significant of HDD/SSD mounting space and potentially lose the bottom fan mount (which may not be important to you).
3)Using larger than 140mm raditaors requires removal of ODD unless you mount the raditor fans outside the case (on top, blowing air into the case).

All in all, I highly recommend this case if you want to use a form of water-cooling in a compact case! I know a lot of people will still suggest the Arc Mini R2 and that is a great choice if you don't mind the size difference and want a little more flexibility.

[SnipedU4Fun]

Can I just put this out there? Clean up your cabling. It would make everything look nicer (imo), unless you just want the parts in there and don't care how it looks on the inside.

A case that I suggest would be the Fractal Design Arc Mini. It's a black case, and meant for high performance, and it comes with silent fans.

Fractal Design Arc Mini Black High Performance PC Computer Case w/ USB 3.0 and 3 Fractal Design Silent Fans - Newegg.com

[rcracer90]

I like the read lights, nice.

[draemn]

Originally Posted by SnipedU4Fun

Can I just put this out there? Clean up your cabling. It would make everything look nicer (imo), unless you just want the parts in there and don't care how it looks on the inside.

A case that I suggest would be the Fractal Design Arc Mini. It's a black case, and meant for high performance, and it comes with silent fans.

Fractal Design Arc Mini Black High Performance PC Computer Case w/ USB 3.0 and 3 Fractal Design Silent Fans - Newegg.com

I did some cable management since that picture was taken, but I won't bother cleaning up the cables for the H100 fans until I replace that with a swiftech H220 as planned. My main concern with cable management is to prevent restricting airflow and to not get in the way of installing additional parts. I am also hoping to get a red LED fan on the bottom and I'm going to get the windowed side panel for the case.