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

[Pat-Roner]

Here's a 140mm on the front with a SFX-L PSU:

So it fits, but you can see what I mean about the modular connectors.

But it dosen't actually hit the connectors, just really really close?
This will absolutely work for me.

 

[Phuncz]

"Really close" is just another way of saying "perfect for SFF".

 

[Pat-Roner]

Absolutely! Imo this is the definition of a perfect fit. I'm not into sff to waste space...

 

[PlayfulPhoenix]

But it dosen't actually hit the connectors, just really really close?
This will absolutely work for me.

Correct.

"Really close" is just another way of saying "perfect for SFF".

This is actually a fairly brilliant observation. On the one hand, it is absolutely true when taken literally. But on the other, it makes the more powerful point of implicitly arguing that being restricted is what you want, rather than something to be avoided.

All system builders look for cases that meet their fundamental needs or wants. But whereas non-SFF builders look for enclosures that maximize opportunities for expansion down the line, SFF builders look for enclosures that do as little as possible beyond what's actually needed.

I'm using that quote a lot, moving forward, I like it when a lot can be conveyed very succinctly and simply.

 

[iFreilicht]

"Really close" is just another way of saying "perfect for SFF".

That's now on my list of quotes for the website

being restricted is what you want

#nocontext

 

[Brian]

we can look into creating a "kit" (backplate, extension cord and front SFX bracket) that "converts" the ATX version into an SFX one

This works very well.

non-SFF builders look for enclosures that maximize opportunities for expansion down the line, SFF builders look for enclosures that do as little as possible beyond what's actually needed

I'm somewhat of a newbie to SFF, more so because I plan on doing AIO watercooling at first, but this case fits perfect with the ability maximize opportunities down the line because I will get a single card at first and there's still room for some watercooling.

Dual 240 can be done but it's a tight fit: http://i.imgur.com/alG28GJ.png

Noob Question:
For my ATX build, with SLI 980ti Hybrids (front 120s mm) and Silverstone Slim 240mm (bottom, 37mm height) I plan having the air blowing front to back, should I have the bottom rad for CPU blowing out or also intake? The 310mm tube should reach from CPU socket to front bottom around the 266mm cards correct?

@Aibohphobia: You guys at Kimera have done such a great job with this case, I can only hope you can get it to us ASAP as I need a case for my VR rig I'm planing for April. Thanks.

 

[jeshikat]

For my ATX build, with SLI 980ti Hybrids (front 120s mm) and Silverstone Slim 240mm (bottom, 37mm height) I plan having the air blowing front to back, should I have the bottom rad for CPU blowing out or also intake? The 310mm tube should reach from CPU socket to front bottom around the 266mm cards correct?

I'd lean to intake because in most of my testing I don't find exhaust fans that necessary. But it's hard to say for sure without testing that exact config.

The tube length will be close, you can kinda see what it looks like with the X41 here and that has 400mm tubes: http://i.imgur.com/kyJ76JO.jpg

I can only hope you can get it to us ASAP as I need a case for my VR rig I'm planing for April.

The cases won't be shipping until summer, and that's if things go to plan. So if you need a case by April you'll have to get a temp case in the meantime. Manufacturing takes time.

 

[Brian]

The tube length will be close, you can kinda see what it looks like with the X41 here and that has 400mm tubes: http://i.imgur.com/kyJ76JO.jpg

Thank you so much for that photo it is very helpful. I must rethink my config. Its good I haven't purchased any components yet.

If i go with a 120 rad for CPU (Top Front), 120mm rad front bottom. Future second GPU air cooled blower style. then use the 43 mm left at the bottom with fans to cool the second GPU.

 

[jsco]

I plan having the air blowing front to back, should I have the bottom rad for CPU blowing out or also intake?

generally speaking, rad fans should always be intakes, because it is absolutely critical that the air passing through the radiator be cold air, not recirculated warm air that has passed over hot parts, been ejected from a GPU blower, or worst of all been through a radiator already. to put it another way, heat the air going through your rad by one degree, and you heat the coolant by one degree, thus heating your CPU or GPU by one degree. cold air and low restriction are the way to maximize watts dissipated per dB of fan noise.

aibo, i wonder if your results showing little benefit to exhaust fans are because there's so much ventilation in the top/rear of this case. or maybe it's that most of the benefit in a typical ATX case has to do with the exhaust fan essentially being in a pull configuration with a rear oriented tower cooler. or maybe there is no benefit in a typical case. i can't test on my own setup because i have a top rad intake and i rely on the rear exhaust fan to throw hot air as far away from it as possible.

here's another question: what is the purpose of the detachable plate above the expansion card slots? and why is it solid as opposed to ventilated?

 

[jeshikat]

aibo, i wonder if your results showing little benefit to exhaust fans are because there's so much ventilation in the top/rear of this case.

It's partly that and partly the case is so small.

here's another question: what is the purpose of the detachable plate above the expansion card slots? and why is it solid as opposed to ventilated?

It's a dust cover. Personally I leave it off my rig half the time since I swap cards for testing pretty often but people fussed about it during the M1's development so that's why I included it for Cerberus.

 

[PlayfulPhoenix]

aibo, i wonder if your results showing little benefit to exhaust fans are because there's so much ventilation in the top/rear of this case.

It's partly that and partly the case is so small.

I haven't done any super-granular statistical analysis to definitively prove that it is the case, but my suspicion has always been that if you have two 120mm+ fans installed for intake, adding additional fans will do little since you've already got air cycling through the case very quickly at that point.

That's awesome for two reasons - one, you don't need a lot of fans, so you avoid the cost and noise and messiness; and two, it's very easy to maintain positive pressure, which keeps dust a lot more manageable (and is good practice anyway).

Of course, if you have two overclocked GPUs with open-air coolers, how you direct that airflow counts for a lot too, but in terms of evacuating hot air from the chassis as quickly as possible, I think it's safe to say that the small size of Cerberus is actually somewhat advantageous in that regard.

 

[jsco]

It's a dust cover. Personally I leave it off my rig half the time since I swap cards for testing pretty often but people fussed about it during the M1's development so that's why I included it for Cerberus.

interesting, thanks. that was the one part where i just couldn't figure out how it made the cost/complexity cut.

my suspicion has always been that if you have two 120mm+ fans installed for intake, adding additional fans will do little

show me a 2x120 build, and i'll show you a 3x140 build that'll hold the same temps at lower dB. in most situations, though, you're right: you can get good performance at good noise levels with not a lot of fan. if you jags hadn't added a windowed side panel option, i probably never would have considered bottom fans-- i would have just blanked off those vents entirely-- but now i have to look cool instead of just being cool.

Of course, if you have two overclocked GPUs with open-air coolers, how you direct that airflow counts for a lot too

agreed. those coolers need a lot of help from case airflow to hit peak performance.

funny, your nested quote got the nesting backwards.

 

[PNP]

So I'm trying to figure out how many 3.5" drives I can cram into my second build. The first 4 are easy enough, 2 brackets all on the bottom and a 120/140 mm fan to provide cooling below an SFX PSU.

I'd really like to get six in there though. Would another 2 x 3.5 bracket on the side clear the standard 95 x 95 mm zone above the CPU if I slide it all the way towards the front?

 

[jeshikat]

A low-profile cooler will fit, here's the Noctua L9x65 Oops, that's the ID Cooling IS-VC45 heatsink with the Noctua fan:

 

[PNP]

Hmm...I kept coming up with ~10 mm to spare with the x65. How is the 142 mm height limit with side bracket measured?

With that kind of clearance I might try to fit an NH-L12 with 2 x 120 mm fans.

 

[jeshikat]

The 142mm is accounting for 8mm from the top of the CPU heatspreader to the top of the motherboard.

But my bad, that's the slim Noctua 92mm fan but the heatsink in the picture is the ID Cooling IS-VC45: http://www.idcooling.com/Product/detail/id/44/name/IS-VC45

 

[PNP]

Oh well. NH-L12 with a single fan like a normal person it is.

How is the IS-VC45 anyhow? I haven't heard that much about it since release and what little I've heard isn't good (poor contact, vapor chamber is not magic, etc). I thought they were going to rework the whole thing in full copper.

 

[jeshikat]

On an open-air test bench it was decent, I wasn't too impressed with it installed though, but I'm also trying to cool a 5930K with it

Apparently there was a revision, though not in the full copper, and Hanakuso wasn't getting very good temps with the new one: http://hardforum.com/threads/id-cooling-builds-mini-itx-cpu-cooler-with-vapor-chamber.1849578/

I've been happy with my L9x65 so I haven't followed up and tested the new version myself.

 

[Anthony]

With an SFX PSU in the ATX slot, a matx board, and an EVGA 980 Ti Hydro Copper, would I be able to squeeze these components into the case? I have zero liquid cooling experience so I'm mostly guesstimating the smaller components and pump. Storage will only consist of 1 or 2 ssd's and a 2 tb drive.

**Edit**
Radiators:
- 280 x 120 x 26mm
Pump/Reservoir:
- Diameter 60mm
- Free Volume: ~ 125mL
- Unit Height: 160mm
- Mounting hole pattern: 65x34mm

 

[Pat-Roner]

Is there a SketchUp model of the Cerberus available?