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

Spartoi

Caliper Novice
Jun 4, 2018
25
9
Could I ask one quick thing? Could you give me please the full dimensions of the Swiftech Maelstrom that you have? Thanks a lot!

Sorry again for the late reply.

Measuring properly will be difficult but from I can give you a rough estimate of 75mm x 75mm x 130mm (L x W x H).
 

XiCynx

Cable Smoosher
New User
Sep 25, 2017
9
2
I fixed my GPU sag, just moved the cable to give i some tension to pull on it.

-- snip --

Thinking of replacing the CPU cooler, to a 280mm AIO cooler in the bottom
Do you think there will be enough room between the GPU and the Rad fans to allow proper cooling? I was thinking about doing this as well but then the fact of how close the rad/fans are going to be to the GPU made me worried my GPU would get warmer than I'd like. I guess if you had your fans pushing the air out through the rad are you afraid the GPU heat would stop the CPU from cooling down likewise?
 

urdmiz

Chassis Packer
Nov 15, 2017
16
43
Do you think there will be enough room between the GPU and the Rad fans to allow proper cooling? I was thinking about doing this as well but then the fact of how close the rad/fans are going to be to the GPU made me worried my GPU would get warmer than I'd like. I guess if you had your fans pushing the air out through the rad are you afraid the GPU heat would stop the CPU from cooling down likewise?

I do not have pictures with the GPU but it did fit, not optimal but it did. was easier since I have an ITX board here is a picture how how i Had the rad

 

yosvos

Cable Smoosher
Jan 18, 2018
10
12
Hi guys,

I am currently cooling my intel 7820x with a noctua c14s. I am using tow ek vader evo 140mm fans in a push-pull formation.

Is there a better air-cooling setup to be had?
 

rcradiator

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Feb 23, 2018
117
79
Hi guys,

I am currently cooling my intel 7820x with a noctua c14s. I am using tow ek vader evo 140mm fans in a push-pull formation.

Is there a better air-cooling setup to be had?
Not really. C14s is about equivalent to the FUMA rev.b which is about the largest heatsink you could fit in the Cerberus (except the elusive Macho 120 SBM).
 

MarcParis

Spatial Philosopher
Apr 1, 2016
3,672
2,786
Hi guys,

I am currently cooling my intel 7820x with a noctua c14s. I am using tow ek vader evo 140mm fans in a push-pull formation.

Is there a better air-cooling setup to be had?

Not really. C14s is about equivalent to the FUMA rev.b which is about the largest heatsink you could fit in the Cerberus (except the elusive Macho 120 SBM).
In terms of aircooled cpu cooler compatible with cerberus, you have :
  • Noctua c14s
  • Scythe Fuma rev b ( not compatible with side bracket)
  • Cryorig h7 quad lumi
My main concern with aircooling cpu cooler is lack of complete airflow inside cerberus, that leads to compromise.

Basically, i mean in ideal case for aircooling, you need a proper fresh air intake and heated air exhaust.
By default, Noctua c14s, as top down cpu cooler is lacking either intake or exhaust.
Tower cpu cooler could have both intake and exhaust. However, in cerberus, front sfx psu is blocking a proper intake of fresh air. Alternative is to go on hdplex psu and putting fan on front panel to bring fresh air on tower cpu cooler.

At the end, if you want to use at maximum your cpu(i don’t mean gaming, but professional and/or pretty heavy load and use) go to watercooling inside cerberus case.
 

yosvos

Cable Smoosher
Jan 18, 2018
10
12
In terms of aircooled cpu cooler compatible with cerberus, you have :
  • Noctua c14s
  • Scythe Fuma rev b ( not compatible with side bracket)
  • Cryorig h7 quad lumi
My main concern with aircooling cpu cooler is lack of complete airflow inside cerberus, that leads to compromise.

Basically, i mean in ideal case for aircooling, you need a proper fresh air intake and heated air exhaust.
By default, Noctua c14s, as top down cpu cooler is lacking either intake or exhaust.
Tower cpu cooler could have both intake and exhaust. However, in cerberus, front sfx psu is blocking a proper intake of fresh air. Alternative is to go on hdplex psu and putting fan on front panel to bring fresh air on tower cpu cooler.

At the end, if you want to use at maximum your cpu(i don’t mean gaming, but professional and/or pretty heavy load and use) go to watercooling inside cerberus case.

I don't have too many options besides air cooling. My issue is that I only have about 38mm of space under my motherboard. I can't seem to find a 280mm AIO that will fit because it seems that everything else gets i nthe way of the power chords and the case's USB cable. Bottom mounted radiator is my only option.

I can't have a front radiator because I have a 1080ti FTW3 which hakes up almost the whole length of the case.
 

MarcParis

Spatial Philosopher
Apr 1, 2016
3,672
2,786
I don't have too many options besides air cooling. My issue is that I only have about 38mm of space under my motherboard. I can't seem to find a 280mm AIO that will fit because it seems that everything else gets i nthe way of the power chords and the case's USB cable. Bottom mounted radiator is my only option.

I can't have a front radiator because I have a 1080ti FTW3 which hakes up almost the whole length of the case.
Why not a 240mm rad, with slim usb 3.0 extension?
Edit : you can also choose a compact & watercooling solution like mine
 
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kecoal2

Caliper Novice
May 6, 2018
31
19
I think I may have cooling problem and exhausting the heat. There was definitely something wrong with the motherboard though. Now I haven't gotten a single failure yet playing Siege or any game except once. However, the top of the case gets pretty warm and so does the side panel.

I currently have a intake from 2 140mm bottom fans. 1 140m intake infront at the bottom. PSU above the 140mm fan with fan facing outward (remember I fit a ATX PSU there). Then I have a scythe Fuma pull air from the back. Before in the past when I was facing all the motherboard issues I did swap the scythe fuma to just exhaust in the back. I had triple fans with the Fuma. The PSU's backside is much cooler that way.

Any suggestions in terms of configuring the fans? I can mount a exhaust fan on the handle kit. Not sure what to do. I even flipped the side panel to have the vents over the GPU area.
 

baokapow

Case Bender
New User
Sep 15, 2018
2
0
If I add the top bracket, can I mount a 240mm radiator at the top? Or would the motherboard still get in the way? I currently have an itx motherboard, if that helps.
 

VegetableStu

Shrink Ray Wielder
Aug 18, 2016
1,949
2,619
you might be able to shift up one or two rows, but it miiiiight interfere with the vertical space on the side bracket. also depends on how much widthier is the radiator

will have to check with the rear SFX PSU mount. the front is definitely out of the question if you're thinking of a radiator there

EDIT: hang on let me eyeball the case again
EDITx2: yeah the front PSU is definitely out of the question if you're thinking of a radiator there. cable extender and PSU interferes, unless you mount the PSU by the fan on the lower half
 
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MarcParis

Spatial Philosopher
Apr 1, 2016
3,672
2,786
I think I may have cooling problem and exhausting the heat. There was definitely something wrong with the motherboard though. Now I haven't gotten a single failure yet playing Siege or any game except once. However, the top of the case gets pretty warm and so does the side panel.

I currently have a intake from 2 140mm bottom fans. 1 140m intake infront at the bottom. PSU above the 140mm fan with fan facing outward (remember I fit a ATX PSU there). Then I have a scythe Fuma pull air from the back. Before in the past when I was facing all the motherboard issues I did swap the scythe fuma to just exhaust in the back. I had triple fans with the Fuma. The PSU's backside is much cooler that way.

Any suggestions in terms of configuring the fans? I can mount a exhaust fan on the handle kit. Not sure what to do. I even flipped the side panel to have the vents over the GPU area.
As i mentionned in a post just above, cerberus is not a great performer in aircooling, as it’s always leading to compromise (either cooling performance or psu choice)
Main & effecitice exhaust point on cerberus is side bracket..but you cannot use it with your fuma.
My advice will be to :
  • Replace fuma with noctua c14 and dual 140mm fan, placed as exhaust on side
  • Keep fuma but remove any front psu, put a 140mm fan intake instead and power your system with hdplex 400wpsu (but it’s heavily dependant of your system)
  • Go for 240mm watercooling aio, with radiator at bottom, fan as intake and add an exhaust fan on side bracket (similar to my setup)

If I add the top bracket, can I mount a 240mm radiator at the top? Or would the motherboard still get in the way? I currently have an itx motherboard, if that helps.
No. Top bracket is allowing to put slim fan (ie 15mm thick). Base top bracket allows to put one fan at the middle, plus a handle to carry the case.
As far as i remember, a second top bracket is in develpment with possibility to put 2 exhaust fans.
Anyway, thickness limitation is due to motherboard and front psu cable.
 

XiCynx

Cable Smoosher
New User
Sep 25, 2017
9
2
So I'm trying to really think out my setup here and I know going with a smaller case really reduces my options. But I want to get a Cerberus and use a TR 1950x with a ASRock mATX board. I have a Gigabyte Aorus 1080ti (non-extreme) and am looking to water cool this TR using CoolerMasters New AIO solution (unless there is a better DIY solution available) for TR4 when it releases this month. Ideally I'd love to use their 280mm solution, but as I was browsing the Cerberus website I noticed that it said a 280 rad will only fit on the bottom and not the first, yet the side panels look identical. Is there a reason a 280mm rad won't fit on the front if I use a rear mounted sfx psu?

I won't really want to put the rad on the bottom because of how close it's going to be to the gpu and would hate for cooling to be hampered by the heat of each other right next to one another. Can anyone advise of the best route I can take that won't cause issues with cooling in any other areas in this case?
 
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MarcParis

Spatial Philosopher
Apr 1, 2016
3,672
2,786
So I'm trying to really think out my setup here and I know going with a smaller case really reduces my options. But I want to get a Cerberus and use a TR 1950x with a ASRock mATX board. I have a Gigabyte Aorus 1080ti (non-extreme) and am looking to water cool this TR using CoolerMasters New AIO solution (unless there is a better DIY solution available) for TR4 when it releases this month. Ideally I'd love to use their 280mm solution, but as I was browsing the Cerberus website I noticed that it said a 280 rad will only fit on the bottom and not the first, yet the side panels look identical. Is there a reason a 280mm rad won't fit on the front if I use a rear mounted sfx psu?

I won't really want to put the rad on the bottom because of how close it's going to be to the gpu and would hate for cooling to be hampered by the heat of each other right next to one another. Can anyone advise of the best route I can take that won't cause issues with cooling in any other areas in this case?
As far as i remember, matx cerberus is not tall enough to fit 280mm rad, even with rear psu.

Even i strongly advice to stay on 240mm rad on bottom as 280mm will cover all mb i/o.