I've been contemplating my case decision for a while now and I'm between a Q07 or waiting for the Q11. I know that heatsink space in the Q07 is limited (and looks like the Q11 will be limited in the same fashion) so I've also been thinking heavily into which cooler to get. I know a few people managed to get an H50 in the Q07 but used a sfx psu and possibly a psu extender. I've been looking at the CoolIT ECO and it looks like the it's a bit more shallow than the H50. Has anyone tried this in a Q07 with a regular psu in there? Or does anyone have an ECO to measure the height?
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CoolIT Eco in Q07?
- Thread starter WiLLiSTER
- Start date
Well, that's why I'm not considering the H50. I don't want to have to use a certain sized psu with an extender to get it to fit. However, the Eco looks quite a bit smaller heightwise and may not need any sort of changes to fit, which is what I'm wondering about. Setup will be on an I3 530/540 and an H55N-USB3.
I am still considering an AXP-140 or Samuel 17, but this is just another possible route to go if it fits.
I am still considering an AXP-140 or Samuel 17, but this is just another possible route to go if it fits.
No matter what one of the compact liquid coolers you choose your going to run into the problem that there are no fans in the q07 & you have to modify the case regardless. Beyond that unless your going to try for an extreme OC the stock cooler will keep the i3 cool & quiet within the q07 & Save you alot of time & Head Ache
Modding so the rad fits is fine. All I'm really worried about is clearance with the power supply. Like I said, I've researched the H50, and I don't like the solution needed in order to get it to fit. I'm not going to use the stock cooler. Regardless of their cooling capacity, they look ugly as hell. Even without a window, that's not how I do my builds and this is no exception.
Fr500, by 80/90mm are you referring to the rad size?
Fr500, by 80/90mm are you referring to the rad size?
I hate to say this... but did you consider just using the retail Intel HSF with the i3-530? It is really quiet, small, and basically free. I have both the H50 and CoolIT Eco 120mm sitting next to me unopened right now, but for i3's and dual core i5's they are basically pointless. Figure for $50 more you can have the retail HSF + a faster i5.
Yeah..
Don't get me wrong, I like getting the advice and whatnot, but once I get set on my way, there's usually not much changing my mind. I might use the stock cooler to start out with while I wait for a few things to get figured out, but I'm going to change it at some point anyway. Just looking for options.
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Man take it from someone who has done a i3 build in a pc-q07.. Your spinning your wheels. Even if you find a after-market cooler that fits you will probably be causing more overall heat in the system (as your not going to find an after-market cooler thats as compact) unless your going to cut a big ass fan into the q07's sexy sexy front. Not to mention that your so dead set on using the PSU extender, but you will have to remove the PSU before you can even see the HSF. At-least with the extender you might be able to see some of it.
I had an i5-530 in a Intel DH57JG (well before the gigabyte was released) in the q07 & I tried hard to find an after-market cooler for it.. well after having to assemble it with the stock cooler or let the build sit there I was EXTREMELY pleased with the stock cooler in this application. Due to its overall small area it allowed more natural airflow & with my corsair PSU sucking the heat out from around the CPU there was never a point where the CPU got any warmer then you would expect in such a small case. & I never heard the fan for the CPU even ramp up. I also had a 5750 taking up pretty much all the space below the PSU & CPU which cut airflow quite a bit.
I had an i5-530 in a Intel DH57JG (well before the gigabyte was released) in the q07 & I tried hard to find an after-market cooler for it.. well after having to assemble it with the stock cooler or let the build sit there I was EXTREMELY pleased with the stock cooler in this application. Due to its overall small area it allowed more natural airflow & with my corsair PSU sucking the heat out from around the CPU there was never a point where the CPU got any warmer then you would expect in such a small case. & I never heard the fan for the CPU even ramp up. I also had a 5750 taking up pretty much all the space below the PSU & CPU which cut airflow quite a bit.
Alright well, let's assume I have plenty of space for the radiator to go in and a decent idea of how the airflow is going to work out, is the Eco shallow enough to clear the psu? I'm dead set on an aftermarket cooler. Like I said before, the stock cooler might perform perfectly, but it's ugly. Shitty reason to not use it? Maybe. But that's how I do my builds. Even if I can't see it, I know it's there and it's going to bug me.
As for aftermarket air coolers, I still have a solution to that as well. I've got two possible choices for that right now (axp-140 and samuel 17) but I'm weighing all of my options before I buy anything. I might use a stock cooler initially, but I can guarantee it'll be coming off before too long.
As for aftermarket air coolers, I still have a solution to that as well. I've got two possible choices for that right now (axp-140 and samuel 17) but I'm weighing all of my options before I buy anything. I might use a stock cooler initially, but I can guarantee it'll be coming off before too long.
Honestly I would expect that either of those coolers would run hotter then the stock cooler without some extra airflow cut into the case simply due to the limited space & them taking up so much more then the stock cooler.
As for Fitting a radiator in there I would still use the PSU extender jsut to get the PSU cables away from the Rad.. Its pretty crowded as is.
Here is the inside of mine using a the stock cooler on the intel board.. You can see all of what shows.
http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/9076/sdc10209m.jpg
Edit: Also I cant even find any record of anyone putting an h50 in the q07& if it was done was it on a motherboard that had the memory right on that front edge. With as small as everything is in there I would think that in order to cut a 120mm fan into the front you would have to either not have anything tall on the front edge of the Motherboard (which the gigabyte h55 itx has the memory there), or you would have to relocate the power & reset buttons & then hope that you can cut the material around there so that it still looks good (ie no partial holes around the fan hole).
I just honestly dont see it as a viable cooling solution in the q07.. Now the upcoming q11 on the other hand it should be a piece of cake (the power & reset buttons have been relocated to the lower right of the front panel) as it already has the 120mm in the front & it is a little larger in all dimensions. a standard atx psu should allow space for the rad & at-least a slim fan in the stock location.
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I definitely appreciate the input so far. I'll probably end up sticking with one of the air coolers, but if I come across a really good deal on the Eco, I'll give it a shot just for shits and giggles. I think you'll find my solution interesting and more than suitable to say the least. Who knows though, I may just wait out another month or two and get my hands on a Q11 
On the topic of the H50, I believe it was Jen that said she managed it, but like I said she had to use that psu extender paired up with a sfx psu so there basically wasn't a psu inside of the case to block the cooler/pump. As for her motherboard, I have no idea what she used off the top of my head, though I'll see if I can dig it up when I get a bit of time later.
On the topic of the H50, I believe it was Jen that said she managed it, but like I said she had to use that psu extender paired up with a sfx psu so there basically wasn't a psu inside of the case to block the cooler/pump. As for her motherboard, I have no idea what she used off the top of my head, though I'll see if I can dig it up when I get a bit of time later.
I definitely appreciate the input so far. I'll probably end up sticking with one of the air coolers, but if I come across a really good deal on the Eco, I'll give it a shot just for shits and giggles. I think you'll find my solution interesting and more than suitable to say the least. Who knows though, I may just wait out another month or two and get my hands on a Q11
On the topic of the H50, I believe it was Jen that said she managed it, but like I said she had to use that psu extender paired up with a sfx psu so there basically wasn't a psu inside of the case to block the cooler/pump. As for her motherboard, I have no idea what she used off the top of my head, though I'll see if I can dig it up when I get a bit of time later.
with the PSU extender I believe there would be room with a Full ATX PSU.. Another possibility would be to use a cageless fan mounted to the front of the case. pushing air through the radiator. Still though it would be spending a dollar to make a dime. Part of what makes the q07 so appealing is the sleek front & IMHO anything on it or cut into it would mess that up. Thats one of the things about the q11 I like is that they made the intake from the sides instead of coming through the front that would have been easier.
Do you have a Fry's nearby? They are $60 this weekend for the 120mm version. Not an amazing deal but decently priced.
Again, if you haven't done a 32nm Clarkdale build yet, you are going to be REALLY impressed with the stock HSF. I literally have my old Tuniq tower, a TRUE, H50, and ECO all sitting around not on my various i3/i5 systems because the retail HSF, for these applications, is so good. I'm talking my i5-650 gets 27w (Kill-A-Watt watts mind you but in-line with others) at idle and only 50ish watts more doing x264 transcoding, so well under 100w at all times, and that is using onboard graphics so there is no need for an extra GPU. It is to the point where I will not even consider buying an i3 or i5 without a stock cooler.
I saw em on sale at fry's but they all had stickers on em mentioning missing parts and/or damaged
I think we can put this topic on hold for now. We seem to be going in circles haha, but I appreciate the fact that you guys are being honest and staying civil! I'll probably revive this or post in the SFF thread once I get things put together. Thanks guys
I think we can put this topic on hold for now. We seem to be going in circles haha, but I appreciate the fact that you guys are being honest and staying civil! I'll probably revive this or post in the SFF thread once I get things put together. Thanks guys
I saw em on sale at fry's but they all had stickers on em mentioning missing parts and/or damaged
I think we can put this topic on hold for now. We seem to be going in circles haha, but I appreciate the fact that you guys are being honest and staying civil! I'll probably revive this or post in the SFF thread once I get things put together. Thanks guys
Yea I had to DIG to get to one that didn't have a return sticker. Gotta love Fry's