Cooler Master's super-sized Storm Stryker case

Subject: Cases and Cooling | April 12, 2013 - 02:53 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: cooler master, Storm Stryker, XL-ATX

If you need a case with space consider this member of the Storm family, the CM Storm Stryker XL-ATX case.  At 250x605x578mm (9.8x23.8x22.8") it will not fit under every desk but will hold a significant amount of hardware, you can fit up to 13 drives depending on the configuration of the HDD cages and it sports 9 add-in card slots on the back.  With fans on both the top and the bottom of the case, you could easily attach a radiator to the case or make do with great airflow if you do not desire to watercool.  Modders Inc was not only impressed by the brilliant white finish, they could not find a single bad thing to say about this case.

"The modular hard drive case setup was a great bonus to find when diving further into the case. These features, plus the fan controller, cable grip holder, and all the included fans that provide a constant flow of cooling air through the case really makes the CM Storm Stryker a well desired case."

Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:

CASES & COOLING

• CM Storm Scout II Advanced Case Review @ Hi Tech Legion
• Cougar Spike Case Review @ Hardware Secrets
• Cooler Master Storm Scout 2 Advanced Review @ Hardware Canucks
• CaseLabs Merlin SM8 Full-Tower Customizable Chassis @ Tweaktown
• Fractal Design Define R2 XL Chassis @ eTeknix
• Cougar Challenger Midi Tower Review @ NikKTech
• In Win G7 Case Review @ Hardware Secrets
• Cooler Master Centurion 6 @ techPowerUp
• Antec GX700 Case @ Kitguru
• NZXT Phantom 630 @ Hardware.info

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• NZXT Kraken X60 280mm AIO CPU Cooler @ Tweaktown
• NZXT Kraken X40 140mm AIO CPU Cooler @ Tweaktown
• Corsair Hydro Series H110 @ techPowerUp
• Cooler Master Seidon 120 XL Watercooler Review @ Ninjalane
• Cooler Master Seidon 240M Liquid CPU Cooler @ eTeknix

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• Aerocool Shark 120mm Evil Black Edition Orange LED Fan @ eTeknix
• Noctua NF-S12A FLX, ULN and PWM Case Fan @ eTeknix
• Noctua 140mm/150mm Case Fan Roundup Review @ OCC
• SilverStone NT06-PRO CPU Cooler Review @ Hardware Secrets
• Evercool Venti (HPQ 12025) CPU Cooler @ eTeknix
• SilverStone Nitrogon NT06-PRO C-Style CPU Cooler @ Tweaktown
• Thermalright AXP-100 CPU Cooler Review @ Hardware Secrets

GELID SlimHero Cooler Is Quiet and Low-Profile CPU HSF

Subject: Cases and Cooling | April 10, 2013 - 06:53 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: slimhero, hsf, Gelid, fm2, cpu cooler, 1155

Hong Kong-based PC cooling company GELID Solutions launched a new low-profile CPU cooler yesterday called the SlimHero. The new SlimHero cooler joins the existing Silent HSF series, and is a mere 59mm high.

The low profile cooler measures 131 x 123 x 59mm including the fan and weighs 352g. The SlimHero cooler features four copper heatpipes connecting a copper block to a horizontal aluminum fin array. A 120mm fan is then mounted on top of the heatsink to push cool air over the fins and VRM area surrounding the processor. It is rated to cool processors up to 136 TDPs and is compatible with all of Intel and AMD's latest consumer sockets. On the AMD side, the cooler can be mounted in one of four directions on AM2, AM2, AM3, AM3+, FM1, and FM2.Further, it is compatible with Intel's LGA 775, 1156, 1366, and 1155 sockets.

The heatsink comes bundled with a 120mm fan and GC-2 thermal compound. The fan is PWM controlled and can spin at anywhere between 750 and 1600 RPM. GELID rates the 120mm fan at 52.4 CFM and 12-25.4 dBA.

The new cooler is designed to work with small form factor systems without getting in the way of RAM or VRM heat-spreaders. It comes with a 5 year warranty and is available now for an MSRP of $32 USD (25 EUR).

Additional information on GELID's new SlimHero cooler can be found in the full press release (PDF) as well as the SlimHero product page.

Noctua Launches Two New NH-U Series Air Coolers

Subject: Cases and Cooling | April 8, 2013 - 08:14 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: tower cooler, noctua, nh-u, air cooling

Noctua has launched two new single-tower air coolers in the NH-U series. The new NH-U12S and NH-U14S slim tower coolers come in both 120mm and 140mm sizes respectively. The air coolers are slim-enough to be installed in most system configurations, even with tall RAM heat-spreaders in use.

The Noctua NH-U12S is an updated version of the company's NH-U12P-SE2 cooler. It features a 45mm thick tower heatsink paired with a 120mm NF-F12 fan.

On the other hand, the NH-U14S is Noctua's first air cooler sporting a 140mm fan. The cooler is 52mm thick, and is compatible with Intel's enthusiast LGA 2011/X79 platform. Further, it uses NF-A15 140mm fan that provides ample cooling power at lower RPMs (which means less noise, ideally).

Both the NH-U12S and NH-U14S air coolers include Noctua's SecureFirm 2 mounting system, NT-H1 thermal compound, and PWM-controlled fans. Users can also attach the low-noise adapter to reduce the maximum fan speed from 1500 to 1200 RPM should they value quiet operation over maximum performance. Noctua is supporting both air coolers with a 6 year manufacturer warranty.

Both the 120mm NH-U12S and 140mm NH-U14S will be "available shortly" according to Noctua. The NH-U12S has an MSRP of $64.90 USD (59.90 EUR), while the larger NH-U14S is priced at $79.90 USD (69.90 EUR). In all, they appear to be decent air cooling options, and Noctua has demonstrated quality support in the past (such as the free Haswell mounting kit upgrades for older HSFs). Personally, I'm interested to see how the 140mm unit performs.

Thermaltake Launching Premium Urban S71 Full Tower Chassis

Subject: Cases and Cooling | April 3, 2013 - 02:57 PM | Tim Verry
Tagged: thermaltake, full tower, e-atx, urban s71

Thermaltake recently launched the Urban S71 full tower chassis to round out its Urban line of cases (like its Urban S21 mid-tower). The S71 is constructed of SECC steel, weighs approximately 24 pounds, and measures 21 x 8.4 x 23-inches (534 x 213 x 584mm). The black brushed metal design is aesthetically pleasing and sound dampening foam reduces noise. Thermaltake is offering up two models: the VP500M1W2N with a side panel window and the VP500M1N2N without a window (and with more sound dampening foam).

The Urban S71 chassis features a brushed aluminum front door that conceals three 5.25" bays and one 3.5" drive bay. The top of the case hosts a docking station for a 2.5" or 3.5" hard drive. The top-front of the case includes the following IO options:

• 2 x USB 3.0
• 2 x USB 2.0
• 1 x Mic In
• 1 x Headphone Out
• 1 x Power button (plus LED)
• 1 x Reset button (plus LED)

Pre-installed cooling options include two 200mm fans (at the front and top vents) and one 120mm high speed rear fan. The case includes removable dust filters on the top, front, and bottom vents. There is also room for a fan in bottom of the case, but is not included out of the box.

The interior of Thermaltake's Urban S71 chassis includes support for motherboards up to E-ATX in size and graphics cards up to 344mm in length. Cable routing and water cooling grommets are included on the motherboard tray and rear IO respectively. There are also eight total expansion slots and 6 3.5" drive bays (one externally-accessible). The top case ventilation slot(s) can support up to a 240mm water cooling radiator as well (like the Corsair H100).

In all, the Urban S71 is an impressive case with quite a few useful features. There is no word on pricing or availability yet, however.

NZXT aims a little higher with their Phantom 630

Subject: Cases and Cooling | April 2, 2013 - 06:28 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: nzxt, phantom 630

The NZXT Phantom 630 is much more expensive than many of their models, the $180 price tag puts it in contention with many other long standing high end case manufacturers.  This price is justified in many ways, especially the sheer size of the 12.3kg (27.1lb) case which measures 245x627x600mm (9.7x24.7x23.6") and can accept a 170mm tall CPU cooler even with the 200mm side panel case fan installed.  Perhaps not the most unobtrusive of cases but it provides enough elbow width to make installing a system much more comfortable.  It also gives enough space to either set up watercooling or to depend on aircooling as this case accommodates up to four 140 or 120mm fans and four 200mm fans of which three can be swapped for a higher number of 140 or 120mm fans to accommodate radiators with different fan sizes.  Check out the drive capacity and more at [H]ard|OCP.

"NZXT's new enthusiast computer case, the Phantom 630, looks to be truly designed for the computer hardware enthusiast and does not just carry the label like so many other products. NZXT has built the chassis with the end user in mind that wants to take things up a notch and not be annoyed when trying to accomplish his build goals."

Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:

CASES & COOLING

• nWin D-Frame Limited Edition Open-Air Chassis @ Tweaktown
• Fractal Design Define R4 Arctic White Case @ Benchmark Reviews
• Cooler Master HAF XB Chassis @ eTeknix
• Enermax Ostrog GT Chassis @ eTeknix
• In Win GT1 Case Review @ Hi Tech Legion
• Antec GX700 @ Hardware.info
• Fractal Design Define R4 Review @ Hardware Canucks
• In Win BP655 Chasis @ LanOC Reviews
• Azza Silentium 920 Case Review @ Hi Tech Legion

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• Compact Liquid Cooling Systems Roundup. Part II: Front Runners @ X-bit Labs
• Cooler Master Seidon 120XL @ techPowerUp
• Gelid Slim 12 UV and PL Blue 120mm Fan @ eTeknix
• Xigmatek XAF Series F1255 120mm Fan @eTeknix
• Phanteks PH-TC12DX @ Kitguru
• DeepCool Neptwin Heatsink Review @ Frostytech
• Phanteks PH-TC14PE & PH-TC12DX CPU Coolers Review @ Hardware Canucks
• Phanteks PH-TC12DX @ Funky Kit
• Zalman FX100 review: passive Ivy Bridge CPU cooler@ Hardware.info
• Noctua NH-L9i Low Profile @ Modders-Inc
• Thermalright True Spirit 120M CPU Cooler Review @ Madshrimps
• Evercool Venti HPQ-12025 @ Funky Kit
• DeepCool Frostwin Heatsink Review @ Frostytech
• Gelid The Black Edition CPU Cooler Review @ Hardware Secrets

Impactics Launches Passive D1NU NUC Chassis In Europe

Subject: Cases and Cooling | March 31, 2013 - 04:17 AM | Tim Verry
Tagged: nuc, Intel, impactics, europe, d1nu

Impactics is the latest company to launch its own small form factor case for Intel's Next Unit of Computing (NUC) platform. More heatsink than chassis, the new D1NU chassis sandwiches an Intel NUC motherboard and other internals between two aluminum fin heatsinks. The D1NU measures 170 x 114 x 67mm and weighs 1380g.

The D1NU supports Intel's D33217GKE and DCP847SKE motherboards. The motherboard and other components are attached to a solid piece of precision milled 99.99% electrolytic copper (220g), and then to an aluminum heatsink. 

The case seals the components between a top and bottom heatsink and then a 4mm aluminum front bezel and a rear chromium steel bezel with EM shield. The D1NU case/heatsink supports a 25W TDP, and has an MSRP of 99 euros. The front bezel hosts a power button with blue LED and space for a single USB port. The rear of the case can support the outputs of either Intel's Golden Lake or Ski Lake boards. A VESA mount is also in the works. The D1NU comes in silver or black.

According to Fanless Tech, the passive NUC case is now available in Europe for €100 Euros from Case King or £87 pounds from Systo.co.uk. No word yet on whether it will show up on this side of the pond, but (although it is a bit pricey) it is certainly a cool NUC heatsink/case (heh)!

XFX claims there is something different about their ProSeries 650W

Subject: Cases and Cooling | March 27, 2013 - 03:17 PM | Jeremy Hellstrom
Tagged: xfx, PSU, ProSeries 650W

The XFX ProSeries 650W PSU is mostly modular, with only the ATX connector attached, has a 135mm cooling fan and can send 98% of its total wattage to the single 53A 12V rail.  With four 6+2 PCIe power connectors you will be able to handle multiple GPUs and the 8 SATA connectors should allow you as many storage devices as you need.  Unfortunately [H]ard|OCP discovered something about the 5 year warranty which greatly displeased them; unless you register your PSU within 30 days of purchase, you only receive a 2 year warranty.  If you are strictly concerned about the quality of the power this PSU delivers and are ambivalent towards the warranty, this PSU passed [H]'s torture tests handily which is something not every PSU can claim.

"XFX has long and actually very solid history of producing high quality enthusiast power supplies. We have consistently found XFX PSUs worthy of [H] Editor's Choice Awards. Today the XFX ProSeries 650W promises "One Rail, One Setup" in a PSU that is different. Let's see if that is good or bad."

Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:

CASES & COOLING

• Cooler Master Silent Pro M2 1000W PSU Review @ Hi Tech Legion
• NZXT Hale 90 V2 1000 Watt Power Supply @ Modders-Inc
• Zalman ZM500-GS / ZM500-GT PSU @ Hardware.info
• Cougar PowerX 550 W @ techPowerUp
• Cougar PowerX 550W Power Supply Unit Review @ NikKTech
• Fractal Design Newton R3 800 W Power Supply Review @ Hardware Secrets
• SilverStone Strider Plus 600 W (ST60F-PS) Power Supply Review @ Hardware Secrets
• Enermax Triathlor FC 550 W @ techPowerUp
• Thermaltake Toughpower Grand Platinum 700-Watt 80 PLUS Platinum @ Tweaktown
• AZZA Platinum 1000-Watt 80 PLUS Platinum @ Tweaktown
• Silverstone Zeus 1350-Watt 80 PLUS @ Tweaktown
• NZXT HALE90 V2 850 W Power Supply Review @ Hardware Secrets
• Antec High Current Pro Platinum 1000W Power Supply Unit Review @ NikKTech
• Thermaltake Dr.Power II ATX Power Supply Tester @ Modders-Inc
• Cooler Master 120W NA 120 Universal AC Adapter Review @ Hi Tech Legion
• eXtreme Power Supply Calculator Update