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

[Tyllo]

Hey folks! I just saw the Cerberus X and it might be the perfect case for me. I have some worries though.

1. I have a huge GPU, it's 327mm long which should work but it also has a height of 140mm and with my waterblock on it that becomes an extra 30mm (inlet/outlet terminal) meaning it won't fit horizontally. If I use a vertical gpu bracket I have to cut/dremel away at the back of the case right?

2. How much clearance is there between the bottom of the case (no radiator or fans) to a regularly mounted ATX-size PSU?

I suspect my gpu might just be to big to make it comfortable to build in this case. Thanks for any input!

 

[Revenant]

Hey folks! I just saw the Cerberus X and it might be the perfect case for me. I have some worries though.

1. I have a huge GPU, it's 327mm long which should work but it also has a height of 140mm and with my waterblock on it that becomes an extra 30mm (inlet/outlet terminal) meaning it won't fit horizontally. If I use a vertical gpu bracket I have to cut/dremel away at the back of the case right?

2. How much clearance is there between the bottom of the case (no radiator or fans) to a regularly mounted ATX-size PSU?

I suspect my gpu might just be to big to make it comfortable to build in this case. Thanks for any input!

Max card length is 330mm, but that's going right up to the front of the case with no fans or rads. Even if you mount it vertically, you still needs a place to mount the rad. That means you're going to have to rear mount it just to get room for a 120 or 140 mm radiator which probably won't do much. It's going to be an extremely challenging build.

 

[MarcParis]

Hey folks! I just saw the Cerberus X and it might be the perfect case for me. I have some worries though.

1. I have a huge GPU, it's 327mm long which should work but it also has a height of 140mm and with my waterblock on it that becomes an extra 30mm (inlet/outlet terminal) meaning it won't fit horizontally. If I use a vertical gpu bracket I have to cut/dremel away at the back of the case right?

2. How much clearance is there between the bottom of the case (no radiator or fans) to a regularly mounted ATX-size PSU?

I suspect my gpu might just be to big to make it comfortable to build in this case. Thanks for any input!

Welcome !

Theorically your GPU should fit but following comments :

1. 329mm is max length...however putting GPU inside Cerberus-X could be challenging
2. GPU height of 140mm is OK. I got MSI GTX 1070 Gaming X (140mm tall and power connector on top of it, with no offset). However your waterblock won't fit inside cerberus-X due to inlet/outlet, as you mentionned. For vertical mount, you will need to cut some brackets for expansion cards.
3. Why insisting on ATX psu?.. So much more convenient SFX/SFX-L psu?..

 

[Tyllo]

Max card length is 330mm, but that's going right up to the front of the case with no fans or rads. Even if you mount it vertically, you still needs a place to mount the rad. That means you're going to have to rear mount it just to get room for a 120 or 140 mm radiator which probably won't do much. It's going to be an extremely challenging build.

I plan on building my own MO-RA3 style radiator setup with EK XE-radiators (parts I already own + fun idea) so I won't have any need for radiators inside the case and honestly no fans either.

Welcome !

Theorically your GPU should fit but following comments :

1. 329mm is max length...however putting GPU inside Cerberus-X could be challenging
2. GPU height of 140mm is OK. I got MSI GTX 1070 Gaming X (140mm tall and power connector on top of it, with no offset). However your waterblock won't fit inside cerberus-X due to inlet/outlet, as you mentionned. For vertical mount, you will need to cut some brackets for expansion cards.
3. Why insisting on ATX psu?.. So much more convenient SFX/SFX-L psu?..

Well I already have an ATX-size 850W PSU and for the sake of comfort and efficiency it would be convenient to stay on it. Overclocking is my passion so I have quite a powerhungry system with a 10900K and 2080TI that pull above 500w while gaming. If I get the flagship Ampere card I will start sniffing the 600w range while playing games and fully loading both the cpu and gpu will draw a lot of power.. Unless buying SFX/SFX-L is absolutely mandatory I'd like to avoid the extra cost.

 

[MarcParis]

I plan on building my own MO-RA3 style radiator setup with EK XE-radiators (parts I already own + fun idea) so I won't have any need for radiators inside the case and honestly no fans either.


Well I already have an ATX-size 850W PSU and for the sake of comfort and efficiency it would be convenient to stay on it. Overclocking is my passion so I have quite a powerhungry system with a 10900K and 2080TI that pull above 500w while gaming. If I get the flagship Ampere card I will start sniffing the 600w range while playing games and fully loading both the cpu and gpu will draw a lot of power.. Unless buying SFX/SFX-L is absolutely mandatory I'd like to avoid the extra cost.

Good news is that your computer is fullfilling 2 roles : playing & heatng your home..

Joke aside, check this video as it should help you a lot for watercooling your cerberus-X (very well suited for square Intel Socket, AM4 support is not great).
However it won't be compatible with side mounted ATX PSU.


You might also wait for RTX3090...but they seem to be TITANIC in size..

 

[Bioforce]

I first put my AIO on the floor of the case but got the acoustic issues. So I mounted it on the front and everything was fine. However, I put the hoses on top. I swapped it last night. I have to be careful of the hoses not getting squished by the GPU, but otherwise, performance is identical.

Yeah, I've had a front mounted 280mm radiator with tubes on top for about a year. I knew it wasn't optimal when I built it, but it was the only way to make it fit while also having two 140mm intake fans on the bottom. It hasn't been too big of an issue so far. Every once in while I hear tiny gurgling from the pump, but it's hardly noticeable unless I actively listen for it. Though recently I did have an issue with air bubbles getting stuck in the pump causing it to whine. Thankfully my AIO is refillable so I just refilled it and bled as much air from the loop as I could and it's back to normal.

I think if I ever do another Cerberus-X build though, I might just go strictly air cooling. AIO's are such a pain in the ass compared to slapping an air cooler on and being done with it lol.

 

[Revenant]

Yeah, I've had a front mounted 280mm radiator with tubes on top for about a year. I knew it wasn't optimal when I built it, but it was the only way to make it fit while also having two 140mm intake fans on the bottom. It hasn't been too big of an issue so far. Every once in while I hear tiny gurgling from the pump, but it's hardly noticeable unless I actively listen for it. Though recently I did have an issue with air bubbles getting stuck in the pump causing it to whine. Thankfully my AIO is refillable so I just refilled it and bled as much air from the loop as I could and it's back to normal.

I think if I ever do another Cerberus-X build though, I might just go strictly air cooling. AIO's are such a pain in the ass compared to slapping an air cooler on and being done with it lol.

I run my 9900K with open wattage but stock clocks. Prime 95 can pull 210 watts all day long. I don't know if there are many stock air coolers that can deal with that heat that also fit in a Cerberus. Maybe the Thermalright Silver Arrow 130? I've got one on a stock 8086K and it does ok. Not an overclocker though.

I've run into an issue with my AIO. My ITX rearmount PSU burned out and I was going to replaced it with an ATX. Unfortunately, the NZXT pumps are too tall per Cerberus.

Additionally, I haven't seen a single RTX 3080 that can fit in 10.6 inches of GPU space I have....

 

[MarcParis]

I run my 9900K with open wattage but stock clocks. Prime 95 can pull 210 watts all day long. I don't know if there are many stock air coolers that can deal with that heat that also fit in a Cerberus. Maybe the Thermalright Silver Arrow 130? I've got one on a stock 8086K and it does ok. Not an overclocker though.

I've run into an issue with my AIO. My ITX rearmount PSU burned out and I was going to replaced it with an ATX. Unfortunately, the NZXT pumps are too tall per Cerberus.

Additionally, I haven't seen a single RTX 3080 that can fit in 10.6 inches of GPU space I have....

In fact with side vented panel, Noctua C14S is clearly best aircooler you can fit inside Cerberus-X.

Difficulty will come with plain/windowed side panel. In that case, I recommend to switch to either rear 92mm AIO (intake) (Asetek 645LT, Alphacool LT-92 or customed), ideal for gamers as GPU thermals potential is maximum or bigger watercooling but that can downgrade gpu thermals.

In any case, tower cpu cooler are not well suited to standard Cerberus-X with front PSU as there is no full airflow (fresh intake, exhaust). However if you locate PSU somewhere else, well, tower cpu cooler could be interesting...but max cooling is Noctua nh-U9S/D9L or silver arrow 130mm (same perf as noctua)...all noticeably less powerful than Noctua C14S. Fuma-B was a great contender but Fuma 2 is now too tall for it...

 

[sn0man]

RTX 3080 FE plus air cooler CPU might be an odd build. Excited to see a Cerberus take on one of these weird GPUs

 

[MarcParis]

RTX 3080 FE plus air cooler CPU might be an odd build. Excited to see a Cerberus take on one of these weird GPUs

Well you can even fit RTX 3090 FE with no issue in Cerberus/Cerberus-X.

With bottom intake fans, all GPU hot air is already pushed to the top of the case where it's exhausted through either side/top or rear..

 

[NuclearLemons]

yikes, all this talk about 240mm rads in the bottom is making me nervous, I've already bought an arctic liquid freezer 240mm to mount in the bottom since no 3080 is going to fit with a rad at the front, I watched the teardown of the artic and it seems to have a little pocket between the water in and the actual cup block/ pump so I'm hoping it will work out ok.

 

[MarcParis]

yikes, all this talk about 240mm rads in the bottom is making me nervous, I've already bought an arctic liquid freezer 240mm to mount in the bottom since no 3080 is going to fit with a rad at the front, I watched the teardown of the artic and it seems to have a little pocket between the water in and the actual cup block/ pump so I'm hoping it will work out ok.

You still have choice of rear 92mm aio or many air coolers...
Bottom radiator is the worst choice for GPU thermals/noise, based on my experience.

 

[Uruk]

You still have choice of rear 92mm aio or many air coolers...
Bottom radiator is the worst choice for GPU thermals/noise, based on my experience.

I can confirm that. And not only for GPU temps, in that position air will be always in the pump/block, and that means noise and a shorter life.

 

[NuclearLemons]

You still have choice of rear 92mm aio or many air coolers...
Bottom radiator is the worst choice for GPU thermals/noise, based on my experience.

think I could skirt around the issue with a hybrid GPU bottom mounted and my arctic on the front?

Looks like the only way to free up that front space is with a GPU underwater.

Got an 8700k that ideally, I want to OC and i don't think the little Alphacool 92mm is going to cut it =(

 

[MarcParis]

think I could skirt around the issue with a hybrid GPU bottom mounted and my arctic on the front?

Looks like the only way to free up that front space is with a GPU underwater.

Got an 8700k that ideally, I want to OC and i don't think the little Alphacool 92mm is going to cut it =(

If you have vented side panel, you can go for Noctua c14s with dual 140mm fans as intake. 8700k has to be delidded if you want to OC it, otherwise cheap thermal paste on cpu IHS will be a bottleneck.

If you are focused on gaming, no need to oc like hell your cpu.

If you have windowed panel 92mm aio or Noctua u9s or thermal right silver arrow 130 with rear 92mm as intake is working great also, even if cpu oc will be slightly lower than c14s.

In any case you need to have top exhaust fan.

 

[NuclearLemons]

If you have vented side panel, you can go for Noctua c14s with dual 140mm fans as intake. 8700k has to be delidded if you want to OC it, otherwise cheap thermal paste on cpu IHS will be a bottleneck.

If you are focused on gaming, no need to oc like hell your cpu.

If you have windowed panel 92mm aio or Noctua u9s or thermal right silver arrow 130 with rear 92mm as intake is working great also, even if cpu oc will be slightly lower than c14s.

In any case you need to have top exhaust fan.

fortunately, it is delidded and I have fans-a plenty for the case too.

Doing a full loop looks to be prohibitively expensive and to make just a 92mm cooler requires waiting on either EU or china shipping for the water block =(
I suspect I'll end up keeping the sub-optimal radiator plan until the funds come available to put the whole thing under water,

 

[MarcParis]

fortunately, it is delidded and I have fans-a plenty for the case too.

Doing a full loop looks to be prohibitively expensive and to make just a 92mm cooler requires waiting on either EU or china shipping for the water block =(
I suspect I'll end up keeping the sub-optimal radiator plan until the funds come available to put the whole thing under water,

That means water cooling is your hobby...

 

[NuclearLemons]

That means water cooling is your hobby...

Hobby or not, I have a lot more room to figure things out in a Cerberus!

any idea if I can fit the barrow pump block behind the rear-mounted psu? worst case, I use the dodgy bottom mount until it arrives in a month and I can make a diy 92mm

 

[MarcParis]

Hobby or not, I have a lot more room to figure things out in a Cerberus!

any idea if I can fit the barrow pump block behind the rear-mounted psu? worst case, I use the dodgy bottom mount until it arrives in a month and I can make a diy 92mm

Well you can go for barrow combo (FBLTPRK-04/LTPRK-04) : cpu waterblock, reservoir & pump, especially on Intel Socket...it should be a great start for custom loop, in any case, better than external Reservoir/Pump combo.

https://fr.aliexpress.com/item/1005001267116814.html

 

[NuclearLemons]

Well you can go for barrow combo (FBLTPRK-04/LTPRK-04) : cpu waterblock, reservoir & pump, especially on Intel Socket...it should be a great start for custom loop, in any case, better than external Reservoir/Pump combo.

https://fr.aliexpress.com/item/1005001267116814.html

I certainly think its the right way to go, just want to make sure it can sit behind a rear-mounted sfx psu.