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

[MarcParis]

Hi there, is it possible to install a 240 AIO? or two 120mm AIOs on the bottom if I were to use a mITX board?

Yes.

Bottom can take up to 280.

You can fit a pair of 240 (bottom & front) but thickness of rads & fans will matter.

A 240 will also fit on the side bracket above the CPU.

There are various caveats; If front mounting a rad then the PSU needs to go in its alternate location on the back bracket (over the CPU). Here even massive ATX PSUs can mount but CPU clearance is limited.

Have to ask, why ITX? Do you have the board already? The case is optimized for mATX so by going ITX you're giving up a bunch of potential features and might be better served with an ITX optimized design (say, Ncase M1?)

Naturally, always check the specific combination of parts before committing. 'Standard' sizes like 240 AIO can vary a fair bit depending on end tank size etc.

O wait a second please..

Here are my remarks :

• ITX motherboard can fit only (natively) inside Cerberus-X (not matx Cerberus)
• You can fit dual 240mm (or 280mm bottom) only with Cerberus-X. In this combo ITX MB is helping in terms of space, but it's not mandatory to have ITX to have dual 240mm raditor
• @iksretep : yes you can fit at bottom dual 120mm or one 240mm radiator in matx cerberus, even with matx motherboard.

 

[Sancus]

Isn't it mATX that doesn't go in Cerberus-X due to standoff issues? ITX can definitely go in Cerberus.

 

[MarcParis]

Isn't it mATX that doesn't go in Cerberus-X due to standoff issues? ITX can definitely go in Cerberus.

One standoff of matx is not compatible with ITX.
However, you can tweak Cerberus with ITX board by adjusting standoff (cut/isolate bad aligned and add a new standoff)..

Natively :

• Cerberus : matx
• Cerberus-x : ITX and ATX

 

[iksretep]

@Taswegian thanks for the reply. As to your question re: mITX board - I already have a board that sits nicely inside of a Ncase M1 using one 120mm H55 for CPU (i7 7700 non-K) cooling and another H55 for GPU (modded R9 Nano) with two 120mm Noctua fans on the bottom of the case cooling both the GPU and sending some airflow towards the top. I think I'm getting great temps (idle 29-30 on both, and 45-50 on CPU and 50-55 on GPU while gaming), but I feel with the AIO tubbing everything is crammed in very tight. Not to mention I'm planning on selling the MSI Z270 Gaming Pro Carbon AC + i7 7700 next month and getting the 6-core 8800 or RYZEN 2 and I'm worried that H55 might not be enough to cool a future 6 or 8 core CPU (even the non-K or 65W RYZEN 2 ... and I like things quiet)

At first I was eyeing the Define Nano S to go to, but I've gotten used to the material quality of the M1 so when I checked out the Nano S again, it felt cheap (no offense to Nano S owners) and that's when I remembered the Cerberus - my ultimate goal was to cool the 6-8 core CPU with a 240mm AIO rad, and do the same for the GPU (be it current R9 Nano, future Nano, or something like the Zotac 1080 Mini). I'm not planning on doing a custom loop - I'm happy with AIOs even though that might not be a pretty or a very efficient solution - I just wanted a bit more space.

@Sancus thanks for the reply.

@MarcParis thanks for the reply, I don't mind tweaking the case a bit, or even a lot ... I was even thinking (if I had the time) of doing a complete mod where I'd "move" the mobo down a bit and create room in the top area for another 240mm AIO. So the Cerberus would have unvented sides, one 240mm AIO on the bottom for GPU, one 240mm up top for CPU, and my current SF450 or SF600 in the front of the case.

I might be overthinking all of it, and worry about temps/noise too much - but that's another story

 

[Taswegian]

O wait a second please..

Here are my remarks :

• ITX motherboard can fit only (natively) inside Cerberus-X (not matx Cerberus)
• You can fit dual 240mm (or 280mm bottom) only with Cerberus-X. In this combo ITX MB is helping in terms of space, but it's not mandatory to have ITX to have dual 240mm raditor
• @iksretep : yes you can fit at bottom dual 120mm or one 240mm radiator in matx cerberus, even with matx motherboard.

Marc, thanks for the corrections. Regarding mITX in Cerberus it is listed as supported on the Sliger site, perhaps it's required to specify when ordering rather than ?

Regarding rads I'll split the difference with you; 280 on bottom should be ok, same footprint down there as Cerb-X after all. (again, on the spec page) Encroachment on lower part of mATX mobo obviously depends on thickness of the rad&fan stack but with mITX should not be an issue.

Dual 240, my mistake, Cerb-X only.

EDIT - I knew I checked it first, might be a mistake on the site because the Cerberus specs page has two sections about cooling

The first labeled "AIO Liquid Cooler Support"

• One 140mm x 280mm radiator in bottom + 25mm fans
• Two 120mm x 240mm x 27.5mm radiator in front / bottom with 25mm fans on both
• Two 120mm x 240mm x 30mm radiator in front / bottom with 15mm or 20mm fans on both
• All 120mm radiators (CPU and GPU) supported

and a second lower down labeled "Cooling"

• 280mm or 240mm radiator in bottom
• 240mm radiator in front (with ATX PSU plate or SFX PSU plate)
• 240mm radiator on side hinge bracket
• Supports 120mm and 140mm AIO liquid coolers
• Infinite vent pattern allows mounting of standard PC fans 60mm to 140mm

 

[Taswegian]

Isn't it mATX that doesn't go in Cerberus-X due to standoff issues? ITX can definitely go in Cerberus.

Kind of. It will mount but lacking the bottom row of standoffs so you'd want some stick-on stand offs for that.

So not officially supported, but possible.

 

[iksretep]

I'm attaching the very cramped photos of my current setup, and why I'm interested in the Cerberus case for more space and dual 240mm AIOs.

 

[MarcParis]

I'm attaching the very cramped photos of my current setup, and why I'm interested in the Cerberus case for more space and dual 240mm AIOs.

You are sharing similar issues as me a couple years ago.
At that time i switched from sugo SG07 to bitfenix Phenom...
Finally end of my quest of perfect/most modular case ended with Cerberus-X..

 

[iksretep]

You are sharing similar issues as me a couple years ago.
At that time i switched from sugo SG07 to bitfenix Phenom...
Finally end of my quest of perfect/most modular case ended with Cerberus-X..

Love your Cerberus-X post, it looks amazing!

X might be a tad too big for me, but I do like their standard size offering - and the esthetics are the same making both cases gorgeous ... and while I absolutely love my M1 (I moved to M1 from a ThermalTake Core V1) I do worry about the increasing core numbers, temps, and most importantly noise levels. If there were slim 240mm AIOs I'd probably try to find a way to get two of those crammed into the M1. With Cerberus however, I could most likely fit two standard thickness 240mm AIOs and not even worry about getting a "small" GPU. With the current way of me attaching an AIO to a GPU with a tension bracket that holds the pump, and a bunch of heatsinks cooled by a fan I feel like I can do that to standard sized GPUs as well.

I'll think about how to mod the Cerberus over the weekend, but I'd be curious to hear from the KI/Sliger if there is a possibility to receive a back plate that would allow to lower the mobo by a bracket, or to receive a "blank" back plate so I could do the mods myself.

 

[FoskcoRS5]

I don't know about all of this mITX in cerberus not working. You can see the bottom right stand off has a screw in it. The top one is missing a screw because that prototype batch had a stand off that was off.

 

[rcradiator]

What?! My beloved Scythe Fuma is fitting inside cerberus?!
What cpu are you using?

Ryzen 7 1700. I was actually surprised that the FUMA got refreshed with AM4 support, and when I checked the height, it said 149mm (over spec, but just barely). I knew that the H7 that I was using before was 145mm tall and fit no problem, so I could probably get away with adding 4mm, and it worked.

 

[Sancus]

I don't know about all of this mITX in cerberus not working. You can see the bottom right stand off has a screw in it. The top one is missing a screw because that prototype batch had a stand off that was off.

Yes as far as I understand it, ITX uses a subset(the 4 around the CPU area) of the standoffs from the ATX 2.1 spec. mATX uses them as well. Here is a diagram from the mATX standard:

+

So mounting points C,F,H,J are common to ATX, mATX, and ITX. This is also confirmed by earlier posts in the thread.

Furthermore, the reason Cerberus-X does not support mATX is because it's missing standoffs R and S, also confirmed by a previous post in the thread. So you can even use mATX in Cerberus-X if you are OK with skipping those stand-offs, or add some as previously suggested.

E: Added some color to the image

 

[VegetableStu]

by the way, if anyone is using a forwarder that offers repacking to reduce shipping volume, DO NOT REPACK!! the extra space is for the corner buffers!! you'd be asking to ship your case without any cushions if they repacked it to the size of the case!

(thank goodness I didn't get mine repacked, LOL)

 

[MarcParis]

Yes as far as I understand it, ITX uses a subset(the 4 around the CPU area) of the standoffs from the ATX 2.1 spec. mATX uses them as well. Here is a diagram from the mATX standard:

+

So mounting points C,F,H,J are common to ATX, mATX, and ITX. This is also confirmed by earlier posts in the thread.

Furthermore, the reason Cerberus-X does not support mATX is because it's missing standoffs R and S, also confirmed by a previous post in the thread. So you can even use mATX in Cerberus-X if you are OK with skipping those stand-offs, or add some as previously suggested.

E: Added some color to the image

Weird point is that @Aibohphobia keeps repeating this.
And i remembered cerberus user to have cut nd move one standoff.
You are making soubting...

 

[VegetableStu]

yeah I just received my C11U, I still can't get over how small it is!
the build's gonna have to wait. I'm going to document this so hard (and actually complete the journal it this time)
(also partly because I might have to send a PM to confirm something ,_,)

in the meantime, pics

 

[MarcParis]

yeah I just received my C11U, I still can't get over how small it is!
the build's gonna have to wait. I'm going to document this so hard (and actually complete the journal it this time)
(also partly because I might have to send a PM to confirm something ,_,)

in the meantime, pics

Eager to see your log!

 

[MarcParis]

New update of my Cerberus-X is waiting for you here!
https://smallformfactor.net/forum/t...-x-complete-build-log.2007/page-21#post-95033

Small Spoiler:

Enjoy!

 

[Sancus]

I almost feel like @KSliger should stock those low-profile USB3.0 cables as a standard accessory haha Almost anyone using an AIO in the bottom will need one, unless they are doing mITX.

 

[MarcParis]

I almost feel like @KSliger should stock those low-profile USB3.0 cables as a standard accessory haha Almost anyone using an AIO in the bottom will need one, unless they are doing mITX.

Yes good idea..

 

[VegetableStu]

hey just to check with you guys: does the base model come with a set of 2.5" disk mounts? o_o