Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Thermaltake Xaser III case and 120mm fans

Options
  • 14-06-2006 8:48am
    #1
    Lemming
    Registered Users Posts: 14,148 ✭✭✭✭


    Hey guys,

    I have a ThermalTake Xaser III case which I am rather happy with. I am thinking of replacing my existing air-cooling set-up with a Swiftech H120 watercooling beastie with either a single 120mm fan radiator or a x2 variant since, as I understand it, 80mm fans for watercooling have little benefit in either cooling performance or noise reduction than air-cooling equipment.

    The only issue is that the case has 80mm fans, and I am somewhat nervous about hacking a case that I am, on the whole, happy with. Has anyone hacked a Xaser III to fit 120mm fans? Does it work well? (so to speak).

    edit: should have mentioned, my aim is to reduce noise more than cool, since I am not overclocking my system. The plan is to watercool my cpu (AMD64), gpu (GeForce 7900GT) and Motherboard (nVidia 4) eventually, starting, obviously with my CPU at least.


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    Cuddlesworth
    Registered Users Posts: 13,995 ✭✭✭✭Cuddlesworth


    Its never easy to chop a good case, mabye an upgrade?


  • Options
    #3
    Lemming
    Registered Users Posts: 14,148 ✭✭✭✭Lemming


    Then it wouldn't be an upgrade would it? ;)

    No, I rather like the case and don't want to get rid of it if I can help it.


  • Options
    #4
    Cuddlesworth
    Registered Users Posts: 13,995 ✭✭✭✭Cuddlesworth


    Your best bet would be to take out a ruler/measuring tape and look around your case looking for a spot to mount the rad. I would say at the top above the dvd drive.


  • Options
    #5
    Lemming
    Registered Users Posts: 14,148 ✭✭✭✭Lemming


    Nope. Case has a blow-hole and electrics up top, if you look at the linked page. The most likely place is at the back, replacing the two 80mm fans located there.


  • Options
    #6
    Cuddlesworth
    Registered Users Posts: 13,995 ✭✭✭✭Cuddlesworth


    External rad housing? Its doubtfull you could get a 120mil rad on the back without one.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    Lemming
    Registered Users Posts: 14,148 ✭✭✭✭Lemming


    Would have to be an external housing since the swiftech kit I linked to uses it.


  • Options
    #8
    hopeful
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,226 ✭✭✭hopeful


    Swiftech do the 'Radbox' which will fit a 120mm rad on a 120, 92 or 80mm fan mount externally.

    Coincidentally, I happen to have a dual 120mm Swiftech rad and radbox that I could be persuaded to part with in exchange for money :D


  • Options
    #9
    Lemming
    Registered Users Posts: 14,148 ✭✭✭✭Lemming


    My issue is not the radbox, it's the 80mm fans, which I am, as I have already mentioned, led to believe give little improvement to water-cooling over air-cooled equivalents. Hence why I am asking about cutting the case for 120mm fans and if anyone has done anything with such a case, or similar, before.


  • Options
    #10
    hopeful
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,226 ✭✭✭hopeful


    Lemming wrote:
    My issue is not the radbox, it's the 80mm fans, which I am, as I have already mentioned, led to believe give little improvement to water-cooling over air-cooled equivalents. Hence why I am asking about cutting the case for 120mm fans and if anyone has done anything with such a case, or similar, before.

    The rad box attches to an 80mm mount but uses 120mm fans for cooling.

    Cutting the case should not be too hard. A steady hand and a dremel should get the job done. The only issue may be if it is a narrow case that a 120mm fan may not fit between the edge of the case and the I/O panel. The other option would be to cut out the floor of the case and fit the rad there.
    Anything is possible.... This project log shows that you can fit a dual 120mm rad in a SFF box.

    :)


  • Options
    #11
    Lemming
    Registered Users Posts: 14,148 ✭✭✭✭Lemming


    hopeful wrote:
    The rad box attches to an 80mm mount but uses 120mm fans for cooling.

    So I can remove the 80mm fans (which are internal side sucking air out) and attach the rad box with 120mm fan(s) and radiator in their place? Or something like that at least?
    Cutting the case should not be too hard. A steady hand and a dremel should get the job done. The only issue may be if it is a narrow case that a 120mm fan may not fit between the edge of the case and the I/O panel.

    It's not a small case by any stretch of the imagination, but I'll need to measure the space required for 120mm anyway just to be sure.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    hopeful
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,226 ✭✭✭hopeful


    Lemming wrote:
    So I can remove the 80mm fans (which are internal side sucking air out) and attach the rad box with 120mm fan(s) and radiator in their place? Or something like that at least?

    That sounds about right. I was just having a look at the rad and rad box here with a case I have with two 80mm mounts. I reckon it would work fine. If it were me I'd cut out any grills over the mounts to ensure decent air flow.

    I'd personallly go for cutting the floor of the case....neater with less hassle routing pipes etc...but then I just like cutting stuff up :D


  • Options
    #13
    Lemming
    Registered Users Posts: 14,148 ✭✭✭✭Lemming


    Just out of interest ... why cut the floor of the case - you'll have crap airflow out of the case no? Unless your case is mounted on stilts or something ....


  • Options
    #14
    hopeful
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,226 ✭✭✭hopeful


    Lemming wrote:
    Just out of interest ... why cut the floor of the case - you'll have crap airflow out of the case no? Unless your case is mounted on stilts or something ....

    As long as the bottom of the case is an inch or so off the floor/table, airflow is not a problem. Also I would say that you would have the air going INTO the case through the rad and then out of the rear.


  • Options
    #15
    Anti
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,401 ✭✭✭✭Anti


    you can easily mount it on the top side of the case, just dremel some holes for the tubing. will not look very neat, but it will have great performance as it will be outside. iirc the thermaltake cases are quite narrow, and you willl have troubles mounting a 120mm fan/rad sombo in the inside.


Advertisement