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Raven RV03 vs HAF X / 932

post #1 of 6
8/28/12 at 1:33am
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I'm looking at getting a new case for summer, and need something that will give me great temps using my Silver Arrow. From what I have read the RV-03 and HAF series look to be the best performing air cases out there for under $200. Any ideas on which would be better in the long run? My ambient temps will be pushing 28-30c and I am running an OC'd 3770k for heavy video encoding but only medium gaming use.

The reason I choose these is because I have a limited depth of 580mm to work with.
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post #2 of 6
8/28/12 at 2:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arturo.Zise View Post

The reason I choose these is because I have a limited depth of 580mm to work with.

that's unfortunate. RV02-E would have been a much better choice if it wasn't for that limitation smile.gif between RV03 and HAF, it would depend on which HAF and if you ever intend to go liquid. generally speaking HAF are much more open to liquid solutions. but RV03 will offer better long term usability (lower noise and dust problems in the long run). both are good choices, HAF offers much better fan selection if you are going with aftermarket fans. also RV03 requires special care in GPU selection since not all GPU's are designed for vertical mount orientation.

overall I would go with RV03 for better cooling efficiency and less/easier dust maintenance.
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post #3 of 6
8/28/12 at 2:27am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by psyclum View Post

that's unfortunate. RV02-E would have been a much better choice if it wasn't for that limitation smile.gif between RV03 and HAF, it would depend on which HAF and if you ever intend to go liquid. generally speaking HAF are much more open to liquid solutions. but RV03 will offer better long term usability (lower noise and dust problems in the long run). both are good choices, HAF offers much better fan selection if you are going with aftermarket fans. also RV03 requires special care in GPU selection since not all GPU's are designed for vertical mount orientation.
overall I would go with RV03 for better cooling efficiency and less/easier dust maintenance.

Yeah I would be going a Fortress FT02 if it wasn't for the depth limitations.

I was pretty much sold on the Raven but I may eventually upgrade to a 3930k six core and the HAF would let me mount a 240mm rad up top. Considering I only play Blizzard games my GPU doesn't really get that hot, but when doing video work my CPU is at max constantly so i'm more concerned about cpu temps. I do like the design of the Raven with the unobstructed airflow from the bottom. But the HAF gives me more upgrade options in the future confusedsmiley.png
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post #4 of 6
8/28/12 at 3:48am
well, just to be fair, if you are simply talking about a typical H100 vs phantek/silver arrow/NH-D14.... then there is very little performance difference or advantages of liquid. in fact for an optimized chassis like RV03, you might have better performance on air then a H100.

HOWEVER, if you are talking about a real liquid system, then yah, HAF would be the clear winner for future-proofing.

I guess it comes down to how much OC headroom you'll need. there is no question that any of the big 3 air coolers can handle stock clock w/o even spinning the fan biggrin.gif but once you start OCing HEAVILY, that's when you'll see a difference between a custom liquid vs air system. so... just how comfortable are you at "going all in" on OCing? biggrin.gif
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post #5 of 6
8/28/12 at 4:03am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by psyclum View Post

well, just to be fair, if you are simply talking about a typical H100 vs phantek/silver arrow/NH-D14.... then there is very little performance difference or advantages of liquid. in fact for an optimized chassis like RV03, you might have better performance on air then a H100.
HOWEVER, if you are talking about a real liquid system, then yah, HAF would be the clear winner for future-proofing.
I guess it comes down to how much OC headroom you'll need. there is no question that any of the big 3 air coolers can handle stock clock w/o even spinning the fan biggrin.gif but once you start OCing HEAVILY, that's when you'll see a difference between a custom liquid vs air system. so... just how comfortable are you at "going all in" on OCing? biggrin.gif

Yeah from what I've seen an RV03 with a Silver Arrow/D14 would probably beat a similar case with a H100 in both noise and temps. If I was to move to WC though I would probably look at a Rasa 240 kit or similar "entry" system. Won't need that unless I move to a SB-E 6 core though. It's just the thought of maintenance/leaking that is keeping me away from a proper WC kit, and my Silver Arrow seems to do a great job as it is. If I can get a case that optimizes my S.A it to it's full potential then I won't need WC.
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Corsair Force 3 120GB SSD 2x WD 1TB Green  LG BD-RE Noctua NH-D14 
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post #6 of 6
8/28/12 at 4:24am
as far as optimization of airflow path for the SA, the RV02/RV03 design really can't be beat. you have a 180mm fan blowing cool air onto the SA, and exhausting the warm air from the SA in total of less then 13 inches of distance in a straight line. ALL other case designs the intake to exhaust air path are longer and require several turns. not to mention the thermal dynamic effects OUTSIDE the case... warm air rises and cool air sinks... so your warm exhaust has NO chance of mixing with your cool intake because the heat that is carried by the warm air will continue to rise even w/o any fan blowing on it outside the case. (unless you stick it in a cabinet or something where the warm air has nowhere else to go... )

so as far as optimization of airflow, there is no question RV03 wins. the question is how much further do you want to push your system... there comes a time where air cooling is simply not enough and the heat needs to be transported elsewhere to be cooled by a much larger surface area then allowed by an air cooler.
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