Chimera Industries Cerberus: The 18L, mATX, USA-made enclosure

[iFreilicht]

I don't have pics but that's basically what I did with a GTX 780. I took the shroud and fans off and used two 120mm fans mounted to the bottom to cool the card.

The feet are 15mm tall so it's not as necessary to prop the case up like it is on the M1.

Sorry, I've worded that a little bit bad. I meant to say that the fans could be attached to the outside of the bottom, which would only leave 5mm or less between them and the surface it's standing on. Looking at the Accelero Extreme IV now though, it looks like slim fans would fit between it and the bottom of the case, so that wouldn't be necessary.

 

[Brian]

Is this what you want to know?

PCI slots are 20.32mm tall so subtract that from the measurement if you're talking about the 5th slot.

Yes, Thank you. 43 mm seem good to fit Silverstone's Tundra Series TD02-SLIM at 37 MM tall. what do you guys think?

 

[jeshikat]

Yes, Thank you. 43 mm seem good to fit Silverstone's Tundra Series TD02-SLIM at 37 MM tall. what do you guys think?

Yup, that should work. I don't have any pics but the top and bottom frames pieces are screwed in so you could even remove the rad without taking the video card out.

 

[yoyo55]

PCI slots are 20.32mm tall so subtract that from the measurement if you're talking about the 5th slot.

So bottom graphics card with a water block should increase that 43mm gap quite a bit if am i correct? If so then an EKWB SE Radiator and 25mm fan should fit?

 

[jeshikat]

BTW, I was checking the Predator manual and came across this:

I'm assuming if all the air in the loop was completely removed this wouldn't be an issue right?

So bottom graphics card with a water block should increase that 43mm gap quite a bit if am i correct? If so then an EKWB SE Radiator and 25mm fan should fit?

If the blocked card is one slot thick then there should be 63mm of space. That SE rad is 26mm in height so that should fit assuming the card terminals clear.

 

[alamilla]

BTW, I was checking the Predator manual and came across this:

I'm assuming if all the air in the loop was completely removed this wouldn't be an issue right?

I have seen this as well, however there is a build log (on Hard Forum I believe) of someone cramming a Predator into an M1 with the incorrect pump orientation and he claims it's operating fine so...

 

[theGryphon]

I was looking back at the first thread at [H] (http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1816110) and I saw (had forgotten) on page 2 I said:

"So, yeah, jokingly, I think this case is becoming what the love child of M1 and SG09/10 would be "

I guess I was quite accurate with the prediction, huh

 

[jeshikat]

Haha, yup. Thank goodness Cerberus gets its looks from the M1 side though and not the SG09

 

[Gnrl Kitty]

Do you have dimension images like this for the entire case?

 

[jeshikat]

Do you have dimension images like this for the entire case?

Good idea.

Note: The vertical dimensions are from the inside of the top panel to the inside of the bottom panel but at the front and rear edges, the lip of the middle frame section and the threaded nuts for the screws reduce the available space by 3-4mm.

What other dimensions do you all want to see?

 

[jeshikat]

And the Predator will be an extremely close fit on the front:

It partly blocks the pass-thru hole for the front IO so it may not be possible to use the front audio and USB if it does fit.

 

[Gnrl Kitty]

What other dimensions do you all want to see?

Basically everything. Like a full blown engineering layout of the spacing between everything. Well, at least everything a part could be placed. A few examples of useful dimensions:

• Length of the side bracket
• Length of the Infinite Vents on the side bracket
• Length of the Infinite Vents on the front panel
• Length of the Infinite Vents on the case floor
  
• Length of the small space between the top of the Infinite Vents on the rear panel and the SFX rear power connector. It's only a few mm's, but this is helpful in case someone wants to mount an external reservoir over the vents. Depending on the length of the reservoir it could interfere with the power connector.
• Distance between the top of the case (not the top panel) to the top PCI bracket. So people can figure how far down they can mount thick radiators on the front panel Infinite Vents with a GPU installed.
  
• The internal width from the motherboard tray to the side bracket

I'll post more if I think of any.
And two more questions:

• how will the handle add-on work exactly? Is the top panel strong enough to remain in place while carrying a fully decked out system?

 

[PNP]

It'll be a tight fit for the motherboard headers though. The Swiftech here is 128mm wide while the Predator is 133mm wide:

Wow...another 5 mm and we might as well short those headers. Unless there are low-profile adapters for TPM/fan/USB2?

Well, if the Predator is too wide for the bottom and too tall for the front...how about the H220X2 with a short graphics card? It's roughly 260 mm tall with the fill port, 127 mm wide and even though the thickness with the reservoir is 115 mm you can use it upside down to avoid interference with the motherboard. No idea about the clearance with an ATX PSU though. 3.5 inch drives on the side with Seasonic-type modular connectors are probably no-go and will have to move to the bottom...hopefully leaving room for an additional 120 mm radiator?

It's either that or an idea I'd previously raised: 240 mm discrete rad in bottom, 120 mm discrete rad with something like an EK-XRES attached via an EK-UNI bracket in the front-top (or the other way around with 240 with pump in front and 120 on bottom). Might run into clearance problems with the DIMM slots or even the case ceiling though...

 

[Isomer]

And the Predator will be an extremely close fit on the front:

It partly blocks the pass-thru hole for the front IO so it may not be possible to use the front audio and USB if it does fit.

Would it be possible to route the front panel connectors through the KI logo at the bottom? It seems like it's something I could do to have cleaner cable management either way.

 

[QinX]

The handle is an optional extra, but I'm assuming the top panel is already prepped for it on every case? What's the spacing between the mounting holes for the handle?
Any chance the case is compatible with handle like this?
http://mnpctech.com/pc-case-lan-par...ver-tower-handles/billet-grooved-handles.html

Would it be possible to route the front panel connectors through the KI logo at the bottom? It seems like it's something I could do to have cleaner cable management either way.

I believe Cerberus doesn't have space behind the motherboard tray, but I could be mistaken.

 

[jeshikat]

Basically everything. Like a full blown engineering layout of the spacing between everything. Well, at least everything a part could be placed. A few examples of useful dimensions:

• Length of the side bracket
• Length of the Infinite Vents on the side bracket
• Length of the Infinite Vents on the front panel
• Length of the small space between the top of the Infinite Vents on the rear panel and the SFX rear power connector. It's only a few mm's, but this is helpful in case someone wants to mount an external reservoir over the vents. Depending on the length of the reservoir it could interfere with the power connector.

I'll post more if I think of any.

edit:

• Distance between the top of the case (not the top panel) to the top PCI bracket. So people can figure how far down they can mount thick radiators on the front panel Infinite Vents with a GPU installed.

edit2: Oh hey, how will the handle add-on work exactly? Is the top panel strong enough to remain in place while carrying a fully decked out system?

edit3:

• The internal width from the motherboard tray to the side bracket

Dimensions are to the inside of the frame

Dimensions are to the inside of the middle frame section, there is another 1mm on top/bottom/left side if the rad is offset from the front by a fan.

Also, all dimensions are rounded down.

Handle mounts to a bracket (which will come with the handle) so the top panel isn't taking any weight.

The SFX inlet clears the FrozenQ M1 res unless there was another res you had in mind.

Wow...another 5 mm and we might as well short those headers. Unless there are low-profile adapters for TPM/fan/USB2?

Well, it's 5mm split between each side so it'd be another 2.5mm closer to the headers.

Well, if the Predator is too wide for the bottom and too tall for the front...how about the H220X2 with a short graphics card? It's roughly 260 mm tall with the fill port, 127 mm wide and even though the thickness with the reservoir is 115 mm you can use it upside down to avoid interference with the motherboard. No idea about the clearance with an ATX PSU though. 3.5 inch drives on the side with Seasonic-type modular connectors are probably no-go and will have to move to the bottom...hopefully leaving room for an additional 120 mm radiator?

It's hard to tell since it's not a simple box but it should fit to the front if the pump/res is down so it clears the motherboard. That would not leave room for the 3.5" bracket on the side. The drives would fit on the bottom but not with a 120mm down there too.

It's either that or an idea I'd previously raised: 240 mm discrete rad in bottom, 120 mm discrete rad with something like an EK-XRES attached via an EK-UNI bracket in the front-top (or the other way around with 240 with pump in front and 120 on bottom). Might run into clearance problems with the DIMM slots or even the case ceiling though...

240mm on the bottom with 120mm on the front should work.

Would it be possible to route the front panel connectors through the KI logo at the bottom? It seems like it's something I could do to have cleaner cable management either way.

There's only a 1mm gap between the tray and the back panel.

The handle is an optional extra, but I'm assuming the top panel is already prepped for it on every case? What's the spacing between the mounting holes for the handle?
Any chance the case is compatible with handle like this?
http://mnpctech.com/pc-case-lan-par...ver-tower-handles/billet-grooved-handles.html

Current spacing is 144mm (which aligns with the panel vent pattern) so it's not compatible with that handle.

 

[Gnrl Kitty]

The SFX inlet clears the FrozenQ M1 res unless there was another res you had in mind.

Yes I was actually thinking of this NCASE M1 user build:
http://i.imgur.com/1SjfiHk.jpg

They used these Koolance reservoir parts:
http://koolance.com/bkt-tkf3-adjustable-reservoir-bracket
http://koolance.com/reservoir-nozzle-base-60mm-od
http://koolance.com/reservoir-body-60-x-30mm-59ml
http://koolance.com/reservoir-top-with-fill-port-60mm-od


Also another thing:
The Cerberus specs page on the website says "92, 120 and 140mm fans can be installed anywhere with Infinite Vents." and "A combination of fans and radiators (120, 140 or 240mm in length) can be mounted to the bottom." So does that mean a 280mm radiator CAN'T be installed in the bottom of the case?

 

[jeshikat]

That should fit.

There's only 38mm between the bottom of the board and the bottom of the case so unless someone makes a really thin 280mm rad it would interfere with the motherboard headers. I guess you could use a Mini-ITX board but that kind of defeats the point of the case.

And bottom vents:

I've also put the dimension pics in the 4th post for easier reference: https://smallformfactor.net/forum/t...he-18l-matx-usa-made-enclosure.454/#post-7426

 

[Gnrl Kitty]

That should fit.

There's only 38mm between the bottom of the board and the bottom of the case so unless someone makes a really thin 280mm rad it would interfere with the motherboard headers. I guess you could use a Mini-ITX board but that kind of defeats the point of the case.

I've also put the dimension pics in the 4th post for easier reference: https://smallformfactor.net/forum/t...he-18l-matx-usa-made-enclosure.454/#post-7426

Cool cool. Thank you a ton for taking the time to make these up.

 

[PNP]

Well, it's 5mm split between each side so it'd be another 2.5mm closer to the headers.

Still...it already looks uncomfortably close to kinking or the header assembly digging into the insulation.

240mm on the bottom with 120mm on the front should work.

Would that still leave room for the 3.5 bracket on the side? And with that 120 mm radiator there, what else can fit in the front? A 92 mm fan perhaps? Nevermind, there's only 85 mm of space left on the vent. I don't suppose the Infinite Vents support 80 mm fans?