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Best air cooling case for 3 way SLI?

6K views 23 replies 10 participants last post by  wermad 
#1 ·
Hello Case Labs!

I want to build a new air cooled pc dedicated for 3D GPU rendering. My 3 graphic cards are going to generate a tremendous amount of heat. What do you suggest, which case would be the best air cooling solution for a configuration like this?

Case: ???
MB: ASUS P9X79-E WS Extreme
CPU: Intel Core i7 4930k
CPU cooler: Corsair Hydro H105
GPU: 3x EVGA GeForce GTX 780 6GB SC with ACX Cooler
PSU: Corsair AX1200i
MEMORY: Kingston DDR3 2400 MHz 32GB (4x8GB) HyperX XMP Beast series RAM
SSD: Samsung 840 Pro 256GB
HDD1: Western Digital Black Series 3TB
HDD2: Seagate 3TB
 
#2 ·
I like the S8 or the M8. Each are a good size and can funnel direct air to the video cards.

The S8 especially can have two front intake fans and three intake fans above to cool the cards without any additional accessories.
Also, if you choose the SSI-EEB option, you can later upgrade to a dual CPU WS board.
 
#3 ·
Have you looked at corsair air 540? its a little oddly cube shaped but has great airflow. If you are looking for a more stylized case that has good cooling the corsair 750d is great ( i speak from personal experience) it has tons of fan locations and my system runs extremely cool (a 780ti oc'ed to 1200+mhz doesnt surpass 70C)
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#4 ·
the carbide 540 Air is getting tons of love for its dual chambers and the idea that there is NO psu in the place where your GPUs are is nice.

Here it is in computex 2013:
 
#5 ·
Corsair developed the 540 after taking taking delivery of an M10 at their HQ in Fremont. Most of the features were stripped out and materials substituted in an effort to reduce cost. The M8/M10 still has more comprehensive air-cooling options however by way of the Accessory Mounting System, which was developed in large part, to provide directed cooling to critical components.
 
#6 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Case Labs View Post

Corsair developed the 540 after taking taking delivery of an M10 at their HQ in Fremont. Most of the features were stripped out and materials substituted in an effort to reduce cost. The M8/M10 still has more comprehensive air-cooling options however by way of the Accessory Mounting System, which was developed in large part, to provide directed cooling to critical components.
Now CorsairGeorge will be mad at you
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If the guy can afford a case labs nothing beats that quality.. if he can't the 540 is a decent cheaper alternative

Also i feel so dump posting a corsair case in the case labs sub-forum
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.. that's one downside having the live feed on
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#7 ·
Thanks for the replies. I like Corsair 750D but it makes a big difference if you only have one gpu instead of 3 or 4. I've checked a review of a build with the 900D 3 way sli and it is getting over 80 on load and very noisy too. 540 has a nice price for sure, but I like S8 or M8 more. Or the Lian Li PC-D8000...that is a nice one too. I have read though that one of the best way to air cool multiple graphic cards is to install an intake fan on the side of the case near the cards like it is on the HAF X. Is it possible to do that with S8 or M8?
 
#8 ·
I have a air 540 with dual kingpin cards and they run HOT. Only way I could cool them down decently was put sp120 65cfm fans in the front and then it sounds like a pissed off c130. I am now moving to a s8
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#9 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lanois View Post

Thanks for the replies. I like Corsair 750D but it makes a big difference if you only have one gpu instead of 3 or 4. I've checked a review of a build with the 900D 3 way sli and it is getting over 80 on load and very noisy too. 540 has a nice price for sure, but I like S8 or M8 more. Or the Lian Li PC-D8000...that is a nice one too. I have read though that one of the best way to air cool multiple graphic cards is to install an intake fan on the side of the case near the cards like it is on the HAF X. Is it possible to do that with S8 or M8?
Yes, you have a few options (in addition to all the standard fan mounts). There are fan mounts that you can attach to the side of the case that can blow air down on the GPU's. There is even a quad fan mount for that purpose that lines up with the ventilation holes on the door of the Magnum/Merlin cases. You can also use an vertical accessory mount and put fans right up against/over the ends of the GPU's, so there are several options to choose from
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#10 ·
U2ufo was out before the magnums, so taking inspiration from other companies is nothing new. Wasn't one of CL motivations to build a better MM
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.

I think mass produced cases like corsair will do a better job at air cooling imho. CL is the epitome for water cooling cases, nuff said
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. You can still make a good air cooled case but it's like the gentleman's governing speed limit, just a handicap on something that can do more.

My
2cents.gif


edit: here's one of my old rigs and probably the only air cooled one:

-Xigmatek Elysium: door had two 140s, three 230s, and some 120s up front.
-Thermalright Silver Arrow
-3x GTX 560 Ti 448s Twin Frozr III (had three Lightnings 6970s prior to switching to the 448s)
-EVGA Z77 FTW (horible board but had the spacing for three air cooled cards allowing one slot between each one):


 
#12 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by wermad View Post

I think mass produced cases like corsair will do a better job at air cooling imho. CL is the epitome for water cooling cases, nuff said
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. You can still make a good air cooled case but it's like the gentleman's governing speed limit, just a handicap on something that can do more.

My
2cents.gif
On that point, I'll have to respectfully disagree. The lineage of all our cases is deeply rooted in air cooling because that's the world I came from for the last 30 years (nobody water-cools industrial controls or flight instruments
wink.gif
). Water cooling came to the party relatively late in the game. The M8 has 16 hard mounts for fans standard, but you can easily add many more. What is unique about it though, is the ability to add modifiable internal fan structure through the AMS. I'm not aware of any mass produced case that can do that which isn't surprising, since it would add cost and only benefit a select group of users. It is the reason that many video engineers use our cases though and they air cool exclusively
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#13 ·
I can see now that the Accessory Mounting System really makes things easy.

"You can still make a good air cooled case but it's like the gentleman's governing speed limit, just a handicap on something that can do more."

Well my plan is to start with air cooling, then make money with the new render rig and after that change it to water cooling.
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But I think I will probably wait untill Caselabs go to some europian Amazon. And for now I buy a Define XL R2 with Noctua industrialPPC fans.
 
#14 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Case Labs View Post

On that point, I'll have to respectfully disagree. The lineage of all our cases is deeply rooted in air cooling because that's the world I came from for the last 30 years (nobody water-cools industrial controls or flight instruments
wink.gif
). Water cooling came to the party relatively late in the game. The M8 has 16 hard mounts for fans standard, but you can easily add many more. What is unique about it though, is the ability to add modifiable internal fan structure through the AMS. I'm not aware of any mass produced case that can do that which isn't surprising, since it would add cost and only benefit a select group of users. It is the reason that many video engineers use our cases though and they air cool exclusively
wink.gif
I also respectively disagree. The majority of your accessories are intended for wc with the double benefit that it can provide air cooling setup. Also, I was here at your m8 launch and recall the tremendous amount of wc interest and questions. I think the psu side front fan mounting of the double magnum was probably the biggest let down. I remember numerous owners asking if an accessory to mount rads there was gonna be developed. The launch of the next cases with more emphasis of wc then air cooling. Also recall Jim's word saying how he wanted to make a better Mountain Mods. You go to mountain mods and just you like you guys, its all water cooling oriented.

The professional will hardly consider wc since its more cost, its impractical for those who will update or change their setup, and there's more inherent danger if it leaks. So air cooling, is the obvious choice for someone who sees their machine as an extension or asset to their business not a hobby or hobby/weekend-warrior enthusiast. The fact that CL makes modular and custom cases is just a great choice for some who need something larger or customizable for their business' needs rather then settling or going with the industrial route.

In all, your cases can do air, but they're really meant for wc first and foremost. The tremendous amount of CL cases out there are all wc. As an employee, you will try to sell your product in the widest respect possible. I don't have a problem with that and its definitely understandable as I have to do the same for my job. But, as a enthusiast and community member here at overclock.net, I see air cooling done much more cheaply and probably better with other cases. Still, your cases can do air cooling but as I said, its really meant for something much more (water cooling). Its like using your 911 2+2 to squeeze in your kids in the back and take them to school. You can do it, it has the option to do it, but lets be honest and see how its not really meant for that.

Btw, any Gemini info?
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Going back to watch the 24 Hours of Le Mans
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Edit: If the member really, really wanted a CL for the air cooled setup, my vote goes for the S8
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#15 ·
That's fine, but the original question was to cool Tri-SLI and there are cooling issues around that in most mass produced cases. As it turns out, our fastest growing market segment is in the forensic computing market where 3-4 GPU's is typical. They are almost always air-cooled. Our cases are rapidly becoming the de facto standard in that industry and it's not because they enjoy paying more for their cases
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Modularity and overall build quality are huge pluses, but at the end of the day it's about how hard they can push those GPU's...

But yes, an SM8 might be overkill for someone who's never going to do more watch Netflix, serf the Net, play a few games, etc...
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Enjoy the race
cheers.gif


-Jim
 
#16 ·
I've done a few triple air cards (see first post) setups. Best thing is to have a mb with spacing that allows one slot between each card (Acx is dual slot). Think evga dark, z87 ftw, etc.

Then, your case needs to manage your airflow. Since the acx cooler dumps the air back into the case, a horizon mb layout is ideal. Had they been the reference titan coolers, a standard or reverse atx layout would work as well. S8 with a horizontal layout and place some fans on top to exhaust, don't get the window for panels, get vented to help the cards breath.

Think of the s8 as bigger haf xb.

Otherwise, running a sandwich of cards will always be producing high temps. For those professionals, they don't worry about things like this as they can replace the cards or have some huge air flow fans like deltas. Plus, a knowledgeable IT department would opt for two dual core cards if temps was an issue. CL is considered the high-end of the spectrum, so its obvious for professional to go with better quality products that will have little to no concerns.
 
#17 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by wermad View Post

I also respectively disagree. The majority of your accessories are intended for wc with the double benefit that it can provide air cooling setup. Also, I was here at your m8 launch and recall the tremendous amount of wc interest and questions. I think the psu side front fan mounting of the double magnum was probably the biggest let down. I remember numerous owners asking if an accessory to mount rads there was gonna be developed. The launch of the next cases with more emphasis of wc then air cooling. Also recall Jim's word saying how he wanted to make a better Mountain Mods. You go to mountain mods and just you like you guys, its all water cooling oriented.

The professional will hardly consider wc since its more cost, its impractical for those who will update or change their setup, and there's more inherent danger if it leaks. So air cooling, is the obvious choice for someone who sees their machine as an extension or asset to their business not a hobby or hobby/weekend-warrior enthusiast. The fact that CL makes modular and custom cases is just a great choice for some who need something larger or customizable for their business' needs rather then settling or going with the industrial route.

In all, your cases can do air, but they're really meant for wc first and foremost. The tremendous amount of CL cases out there are all wc. As an employee, you will try to sell your product in the widest respect possible. I don't have a problem with that and its definitely understandable as I have to do the same for my job. But, as a enthusiast and community member here at overclock.net, I see air cooling done much more cheaply and probably better with other cases. Still, your cases can do air cooling but as I said, its really meant for something much more (water cooling). Its like using your 911 2+2 to squeeze in your kids in the back and take them to school. You can do it, it has the option to do it, but lets be honest and see how its not really meant for that.

Btw, any Gemini info?
biggrin.gif


Going back to watch the 24 Hours of Le Mans
wheee.gif


Edit: If the member really, really wanted a CL for the air cooled setup, my vote goes for the S8
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Since you brought up cars.

Nissan GTRs are built for the track, but you can also drive them to the grocery store. Expensive to do so but it still works just fine.
Take a Honda SI on the track and it doesn't belong. Products that are more flexible can serve a dual purpose.
I run my S3 on air just like any other case, and the wall of fans the can be mounted in the larger CL cases are more than enough.

Just because everyone else is doing it, doesn't mean you must do the same.
Having a flexible case like Caselabs doesn't peg a user into a certain segment.

"Hey, everyone is WC these cases, that means I have to do it also." Who thinks like that? meh.
 
#18 ·
So, to wrap up my debacle here, if the op wants a CL for his/her air cooled system, my
2cents.gif
is the S8. Horizontal layout will help the hot air exhausted from the ACX coolers, add some fans on top to exhaust the air. Don't go with window panels. This is something an S3 member noted since he's currently air cooling his system. Get vented panels to allow those ACX coolers to breath. Add some fans in the front to intake air. Place the three cards with the extra slot in between to avoid the hot sandwich effect. Looks like it can be done one the p9x79-e ws since it has dual plx chips. There's no issue running the cards at 8x 3.0 for that middle black slot. The cards will have more room and the S8 can help keep them cool. Eventually, op can go wc and join the rest of the owners
biggrin.gif
. If the op is open to other cases, there cheaper cases out there that can air cool as well.

Alright, I got 12 hours of Le Mans to watch, so I'm audi 5000!

Go Toyota!!!!!

Edit: s8 open bench works as well and gives you lots cooling too
biggrin.gif
 
#19 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by wermad View Post

So, to wrap up my debacle here, if the op wants a CL for his/her air cooled system, my
2cents.gif
is the S8. Horizontal layout will help the hot air exhausted from the ACX coolers, add some fans on top to exhaust the air. Don't go with window panels. This is something an S3 member noted since he's currently air cooling his system. Get vented panels to allow those ACX coolers to breath. Add some fans in the front to intake air. Place the three cards with the extra slot in between to avoid the hot sandwich effect. Looks like it can be done one the p9x79-e ws since it has dual plx chips. There's no issue running the cards at 8x 3.0 for that middle black slot. The cards will have more room and the S8 can help keep them cool. Eventually, op can go wc and join the rest of the owners
biggrin.gif
. If the op is open to other cases, there cheaper cases out there that can air cool as well.

Alright, I got 12 hours of Le Mans to watch, so I'm audi 5000!

Go Toyota!!!!!

Edit: s8 open bench works as well and gives you lots cooling too
biggrin.gif
Thanks for all your advices. I like HAF XB but it only has 7 expansion slots so I guess S8 would be a better solution now and in the future too. Unfortunately I haven't found any air cooling S8 build log, only wc builds. However I tried to choose the parts of the case as you've suggested. Do you think it will work out this way?
 
#20 ·
That's a great configuration
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. The main chamber isn't cut off severely like other models and having the horizontal layout will help produce a great air flow.

For the front flex bay, go with the 120.3 setup to give you the option to run three 120mm fans or a 360mm radiator in the future. You want to create positive air pressure (more intake vs exhaust). Three intake fans in the flex bay, two in the front cover, another fan in the rear, and then exhaust through the top. Hot air rises so its easier to just exhaust through the top.

Great choice in the S8, had it been out before I bought my STH10, I would have gotten that instead
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.
 
#22 ·
No - from looking at the spec, the S8 has a pair of 3x flexbay covers, a single 2x and a single 1x (for a total of nine 5.25 spaces)

You can fit either a 120.3 set of fans and no other 5.25 devices OR a 120.2 and up to three 5.25 devices.
 
#23 ·
I used the Cooler Master Lan Box for a little while when I experimented with mining. 3 290x reference cards at full bore and always under 80c in a 72F room.

Great part about that design is there's less heat rising to the next card like a conventional case.

 
#24 ·
You can do a 280 or 240 and have a slot left for the odd. This was something I had to contemplate but in the end I have removed my odd all together. I hardly use it and when I do, I just temporarily plug it in. I bought an external 5.25 enclosure but the cheap power cable fried the pcb
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