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

rcradiator

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Feb 23, 2018
117
79
Changes coming to Cerberus and Cerberus X, and some other news!

  • ALL HARDWARE WILL BE CHANGING TO METRIC
    • Some cases might still be 4-40 up until about end of month, we will include a note with your shipment if so.
    • This should fix all issues people have with wrong screws / crossthreading.
    • User manual will be updated soon to reflect this, as well as other changes.
  • Several new options are enabled, or will be enabled shortly
    • An unvented top panel in black is now available on checkout.
    • Custom colors will be enabled shortly, cost is $100 + powder coat cost. Email us for information on this!
    • Custom printing of logos, artwork, and other graphics on the front panel, side panels, and even window panels for a stained glass appearance will be coming shortly as well.
    • We start to do limited batches of colors, first up will be a limited quantity of neon pink.
  • Other changes to chassis / order options
    • Carmine red will be discontinued when stock is out. (will be replaced with above custom and limited batch)
    • Chrome Feet and Chrome Handle have been reduced in price.
    • Some cutouts on the chassis frame have been modified for easier access to SSDs, and rear of motherboard for CPU cooler mounting / M.2 slots.

We will have both Cerberus and Cerberus X on display at QuakeCon, along with a coupon code for our site. Come by and visit!
Is there any chance of a front mounted ATX power supply bracket? From what I've seen and tested, it's doable, but presents its own set of difficulties.
 

AMv8-1day

Cable-Tie Ninja
Feb 13, 2017
228
193
Hey @KSliger, @PlayfulPhoenix, etc. Maybe it's been touched on already, but my keyword search kung fu is apparently not good enough.
What's the reasoning behind the permanently mounted standoff's vs standard screw-in mounts? Is panel thickness really a big concern?
I ask because I know that the mATX to Cerberus X incompatibility is a thing, as well as my personal difficulties getting an SSI-EEB board installed into the X.
It would be awesome if we could get some modularity there, but if structural integrity is a problem, maybe alt standoff mounting could be a sku option?
Thanks for the hard work guys!
Can't wait to get my hands on the new SM5x0 series!
 

KSliger

King of Cable Management
Sliger Designs
May 8, 2015
855
3,186
Hey @KSliger, @PlayfulPhoenix, etc. Maybe it's been touched on already, but my keyword search kung fu is apparently not good enough.
What's the reasoning behind the permanently mounted standoff's vs standard screw-in mounts? Is panel thickness really a big concern?
I ask because I know that the mATX to Cerberus X incompatibility is a thing, as well as my personal difficulties getting an SSI-EEB board installed into the X.
It would be awesome if we could get some modularity there, but if structural integrity is a problem, maybe alt standoff mounting could be a sku option?
Thanks for the hard work guys!
Can't wait to get my hands on the new SM5x0 series!

Just was never designed for it, maybe a future change.

Is there any chance of a front mounted ATX power supply bracket? From what I've seen and tested, it's doable, but presents its own set of difficulties.

We have enough work supporting the options we have now. Would drop ATX PSU support entirely if it was up to me as it creates the 2nd most problems after the non-metric hardware, but it makes enough sales to cover the support.
 

hyp36rmax

Trash Compacter
May 7, 2018
43
60
Changes coming to Cerberus and Cerberus X, and some other news!
  • Other changes to chassis / order options
    • Carmine red will be discontinued when stock is out. (will be replaced with above custom and limited batch)
    • Chrome Feet and Chrome Handle have been reduced in price.
    • Some cutouts on the chassis frame have been modified for easier access to SSDs, and rear of motherboard for CPU cooler mounting / M.2 slots.

We will have both Cerberus and Cerberus X on display at QuakeCon, along with a coupon code for our site. Come by and visit!

Carmine Red panels included with this change? Or will you continue to mfg those?
 

Revenant

Christopher Moine - Senior Editor SFF.N
Revenant Tech
SFFn Staff
Apr 21, 2017
1,670
2,697
I’ve decided to move my current Ncase M1 build into a Cerberus. I love the Ncase but I’m just pushing my 8086K OC too far for the case to be quiet. Plus I’ve been using an M1 since 2015.


I was going to order within a month, but will these new changes delay shipment?
 

KSliger

King of Cable Management
Sliger Designs
May 8, 2015
855
3,186
I’ve decided to move my current Ncase M1 build into a Cerberus. I love the Ncase but I’m just pushing my 8086K OC too far for the case to be quiet. Plus I’ve been using an M1 since 2015.


I was going to order within a month, but will these new changes delay shipment?

What's your setup in the M1?

No change to anything on shipments, will still ship in 1-3 days after order is placed.
 

Revenant

Christopher Moine - Senior Editor SFF.N
Revenant Tech
SFFn Staff
Apr 21, 2017
1,670
2,697
8086K at 5ghz at 1.37V. It’s not delided. I have an X52 in a pull config with Noctua A12s.

The problem is that when I had my 980ti blower card, the system was ok. Now that I have a 2080 that dumps all heat back into the case, I’ve got a cascade of hardware issues and overheating.

I can run with the panels off, but the noise is too much.

My plan is to bottom mount an X62, put the A12s as top exhausts, and get the solid side panel and add foam for sound.
 

TheHig

King of Cable Management
Oct 13, 2016
951
1,171
@Revenant

Thought to share some of my experiences with the X.

Intake front and exhaust top AND bottom has been the sweet spot for my CerbX setup.

I have found that bottom mount 240 rad with push fans dumping all of that heat out of the CerbX has worked wonders for my global system temps. Rear mount PSU to allow dual front fans. With or without rad but since you AIO your CPU and air cool the GPU this may do it for you too? That or front mount the AIO and feed air from bottom as intake and front as intake for posi pressure. Exhaust with top fan. This worked well with a Strix 1080 and front mount H110v2.

The Cerberus case feet are tall enough to facilitate this and after trying several fan setups this is the best for me currently:

All Noctua. Front intake 2x120mm x15s pushing a 240 rad. Top slim exhaust 120mm x15mm. Bottom 2 x120mm x25s in push through a 240mm rad then the floor. SSDs, mobo temps etc all happier now.

Happy building and post some findings for others to reference if you can. :thumb:
 
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rcradiator

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Feb 23, 2018
117
79
8086K at 5ghz at 1.37V. It’s not delided. I have an X52 in a pull config with Noctua A12s.

The problem is that when I had my 980ti blower card, the system was ok. Now that I have a 2080 that dumps all heat back into the case, I’ve got a cascade of hardware issues and overheating.

I can run with the panels off, but the noise is too much.

My plan is to bottom mount an X62, put the A12s as top exhausts, and get the solid side panel and add foam for sound.
Which 2080 do you have? Depending on if it's 2.5 slot or 2.7 slot, you may be able to remove the fans and put 120mm fans pulling hot air away from the heatsink towards the bottom, solving your heat problems with the gpu. It sounds like you have a problem with exhausting the heat, which will be a problem in the Cerberus as well as both cases are similarly designed. I don't think you can bottom mount an x62 without a lot of difficulties, so the x52 makes more sense plus it saves you money as you already have the x52. Probably the best is to have x52 intake on the bottom and follow through with your plan.
 

Boil

SFF Guru
Nov 11, 2015
1,253
1,094
@KSliger

Okay, I know I asked about "The G" replacement (dual 240 AIOs, top & bottom) over in the SM5XX chassis thread...

And you will see I noted the following there as well:

"Sliger is updating the Cerberus to fit the top bottom config with ITX natively, and he told me it should be done around August. "

- clik_clak

(...from this Reddit thread...)

This would be great for a 240 AIO for the CPU up top, and a hybrid GPU with a 240 AIO down below...!

Best airflow setup for temps though...?
 

Revenant

Christopher Moine - Senior Editor SFF.N
Revenant Tech
SFFn Staff
Apr 21, 2017
1,670
2,697
Which 2080 do you have? Depending on if it's 2.5 slot or 2.7 slot, you may be able to remove the fans and put 120mm fans pulling hot air away from the heatsink towards the bottom, solving your heat problems with the gpu. It sounds like you have a problem with exhausting the heat, which will be a problem in the Cerberus as well as both cases are similarly designed. I don't think you can bottom mount an x62 without a lot of difficulties, so the x52 makes more sense plus it saves you money as you already have the x52. Probably the best is to have x52 intake on the bottom and follow through with your plan.


I have the Founders Edition. I’ve actually tried reversing my bottom fans but it did nothing to help and substantially increased noise. My plan is to load the Cerberus with two top mount 120s and reverse the fan airflow on the bottom mount radiator creating a nice negative pressure system. I’ll test other airflow patterns though as well.
 

rcradiator

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Feb 23, 2018
117
79
I have the Founders Edition. I’ve actually tried reversing my bottom fans but it did nothing to help and substantially increased noise. My plan is to load the Cerberus with two top mount 120s and reverse the fan airflow on the bottom mount radiator creating a nice negative pressure system. I’ll test other airflow patterns though as well.
Ehh, the Founders edition card. Really nice looking, but absolutely the most inflexible variant of the dual fan cards. Hard to mod as well. Ideally you would just solve the problem by blasting the card with airflow, but there aren't many places to mount a fan in an Ncase.

Hmm, have you considered the Accelero route? Buy an Accelero III and some removable thermal tape (absolutely do not ever use the thermal glue included in the Accelero packaging unless you want that glue bond to outlive the life of your card), carefully disassemble your card and remove the heatsink from the card, apply the tiny heatsinks to vram and VRM mosfets (copper heatsinks are more expensive, but do a better job than the stock aluminum heatsinks), and install the Accelero onto the card. Then put 2 120mm fans under it exhausting out the bottom of the case. Alternatively, if you are dead set on moving to a Cerberus or Cerberus X, the Morpheus II is a good aftermarket heatsink that is beefier and allows you to clip on 120mm fans blowing through the heatsink (the accelero doesn't let you do this). It's a shame that the FE isn't the best at cooling as it looks pretty.

Shameless promotion of the build I did in the Cerberus X (maybe it'll give you some ideas): https://smallformfactor.net/forum/t...he-18l-matx-usa-made-enclosure.454/post-88636
More shameless promotion, this time in the Ncase M1 (I used a Strix 1080 Ti, the Accelero is the same principle): https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/blacked-out-ncase-m1.10053/
 

Bioforce

Airflow Optimizer
Aug 31, 2018
251
116
We will have both Cerberus and Cerberus X on display at QuakeCon, along with a coupon code for our site. Come by and visit!

Will that coupon be specific to Cerberus products, or site wide? It would great to have a coupon code to use when purchasing the SM580 for my next build.
 

Jibbajabbawockers

Average Stuffer
May 2, 2019
78
53
Maybe somebody here can help me out on this. So I've been researching what kind of case I want to get that'll fit my needs for when I do a new build with the new Ryzen chips this summer. And I think the Cerberus or Cerberus X is probably going to be about as close as I can get to ideal. Basically my dream case would be something as small as possible while still having some portability (handle!) and some room for extra drives and big 3 slot GPUs and all that. So I think the X fits that pretty nicely, giving maybe a little more flexibility for future upgrades and tinkering as opposed to the SM580.

Here are my questions: If I had a Corsair H100i 240mm AIO, the EVGA 2080 Ti XC2 ( a 2.75 slot card), an SF750 PSU and 1 (maybe 2?) 3.5 inch mechanical HDDs, would all of that fit in the Cerberus X? I guess more specifically, would I be able to get all of that to fit while mounting the PSU in the top front of the case? I was thinking of getting the X with the side window, but mounting the PSU anywhere but the top front doesn't look great aesthetically. If I mounted the PSU in the top front, I'd probably have to mount the 240mm AIO radiator on the bottom, correct? In which case, where would space for the 3.5inch HDD be available? This build seems to work by putting 2 drives behind the PSU- would doing that mess with the handle bracket on top? Or would there be room to orient the 3.5inch drive bay along the front underneath the PSU? Or would that block airflow too much?
 

Bioforce

Airflow Optimizer
Aug 31, 2018
251
116
Maybe somebody here can help me out on this. So I've been researching what kind of case I want to get that'll fit my needs for when I do a new build with the new Ryzen chips this summer. And I think the Cerberus or Cerberus X is probably going to be about as close as I can get to ideal. Basically my dream case would be something as small as possible while still having some portability (handle!) and some room for extra drives and big 3 slot GPUs and all that. So I think the X fits that pretty nicely, giving maybe a little more flexibility for future upgrades and tinkering as opposed to the SM580.

Here are my questions: If I had a Corsair H100i 240mm AIO, the EVGA 2080 Ti XC2 ( a 2.75 slot card), an SF750 PSU and 1 (maybe 2?) 3.5 inch mechanical HDDs, would all of that fit in the Cerberus X? I guess more specifically, would I be able to get all of that to fit while mounting the PSU in the top front of the case? I was thinking of getting the X with the side window, but mounting the PSU anywhere but the top front doesn't look great aesthetically. If I mounted the PSU in the top front, I'd probably have to mount the 240mm AIO radiator on the bottom, correct? In which case, where would space for the 3.5inch HDD be available? This build seems to work by putting 2 drives behind the PSU- would doing that mess with the handle bracket on top? Or would there be room to orient the 3.5inch drive bay along the front underneath the PSU? Or would that block airflow too much?

If you were willing to give up the 3.5 inch drives in favor of 2.5 inch drives, it sounds like the SM580 is exactly what you're looking for. I was originally considering the Cerberus cases as well until I saw the SM580. I'm not what future upgrades or tinkering you had in mind, but the SM580 has enormous compatibility levels. About the only thing you can't fit into it is an ATX PSU, which it sounds like you won't need anyway since you're targeting 750W. In my opinion, the only real reason to pick the Cerberus over the SM580 is if you plan on doing an SLI build, in which case it's EATX motherboard support and space for any length of ATX form factor PSU would be a must.

Now, to actually answer your question about the 3.5 inch drives, it can be bought with a bracket that holds up to 3 3.5" drives, though I think the brackets have some requirements. If I remember correctly, the HDD bracket cannot be used if you plan to have the side hinge that the case comes with in place, which limits your fan mounting options.

Edit: Since you're planning to get the windowed panel, which doesn't include the side hinge anyway, don't worry about my last comment.
 
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Jibbajabbawockers

Average Stuffer
May 2, 2019
78
53
If you were willing to give up the 3.5 inch drives in favor of 2.5 inch drives, it sounds like the SM580 is exactly what you're looking for. I was originally considering the Cerberus cases as well until I saw the SM580. I'm not what future upgrades or tinkering you had in mind, but the SM580 has enormous compatibility levels. About the only thing you can't fit into it is an ATX PSU, which it sounds like you won't need anyway since you're targeting 750W. In my opinion, the only real reason to pick the Cerberus over the SM580 is if you plan on doing an SLI build, in which case it's EATX motherboard support and space for any length of ATX form factor PSU would be a must.

Now, to actually answer your question about the 3.5 inch drives, it can be bought with a bracket that holds up to 3 3.5" drives, though I think the brackets have some requirements. If I remember correctly, the HDD bracket cannot be used if you plan to have the side hinge that the case comes with in place, which limits your fan mounting options.

Edit: Since you're planning to get the windowed panel, which doesn't include the side hinge anyway, don't worry about my last comment.
Yeah, the 3.5 inch drives are the biggest stumbling block it seems with many SFF cases I've been looking at. Right now I've got 2 3.5 inch drives in my PC, one of which is just an old drive I could probably retire when I do my new build and the other I use for PLEX media storage. But my current PC is also in my mid tower 10 year old CM Storm Scout case.

In terms of future upgrades, I do like the fact that the Cerberus X can fit a full size ATX board. Which gives you a little more space to play with in terms of maybe adding a sound card or another PCI card. I suppose you could do that with the bifurcated riser in the SM series but that's a decently expensive upgrade and limits you to a dual slot GPU plus a card, whereas it looks like the Cerberus X could probably fit a triple slot GPU plus an extra PCI card?

Its so hard to find just the right case. Even on ones that I like, there are always a couple little quirks that send me back to the drawing board it seems. Somebody needs to just make the Phanteks Evolv X, shrink it down into SFF dimensions with decent thermals and slap a handle on it and I'd be sold! lol
 
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Revenant

Christopher Moine - Senior Editor SFF.N
Revenant Tech
SFFn Staff
Apr 21, 2017
1,670
2,697
Quick question to all here... Is there top fan mount (dual fan) limited to 120x15 or has anyone fit in a 120x25mm?