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

hiepphotog

Caliper Novice
Feb 2, 2016
26
15
Congrats on Reveal Day! I've been hardcore lurking on this for almost a year and I am so impressed with how hard you've both worked and how truly great this case has turned out. I actually don't plan on ever carrying this around but I'm getting the handle anyway because it speaks to me in my soul. Also, I just got my taxes back so LET'S GO AZURITE!
Another azurite fellow, let's make it happen :D
 
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Blackout

Cable Smoosher
Feb 11, 2016
11
0
That white case is so fresh tho... I was even considering going with the new NZXT Manta ITX case, until I saw that this was about to be announced. Glad I waited. I LOVE that mATX can fit in this thing. There are NO solid ITX Z170 mobos atm, but plenty of good mATX.
 

joneidy

Minimal Tinkerer
Feb 11, 2016
4
1
It is finally ALIVE!! I have lurking on the forum for a few months and man I`m so impressed on how the final product turned out. I simply cannot wait for the campaign. I will take one with the side panel and handle XDXDXDXD
 

Someone09

What's an ITX?
Feb 11, 2016
1
0
Been lurking here for a long time, too. Basically since I decided the ncase (meaning ITX) might not be the right way to go for me.
And I sure ain´t disappointed with how the final case looks. I was hoping to read a time plan and pricing today...but oh well...

Anyway, I´ve got two more question that I just can´t 100% answer just by looking at the pics:
1) The only difference between the ATX PSU version of the case and the SFX PSU version would be the cutout at the back, right? Meaning that a SFX PSU can be mounted in the ATX version too, right? (Leaving a big hole in the back...but still.)
2) Is there any information about how much room would be between an ATX PSU and the CPU/MoBo?
 

PlayfulPhoenix

Founder of SFF.N
Original poster
SFFLAB
Chimera Industries
Gold Supporter
Feb 22, 2015
1,052
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That white case is so fresh tho... I was even considering going with the new NZXT Manta ITX case, until I saw that this was about to be announced. Glad I waited. I LOVE that mATX can fit in this thing. There are NO solid ITX Z170 mobos atm, but plenty of good mATX.

Yes, mITX has improved a lot over the past few years, but mATX has much greater board diversity.

It is finally ALIVE!! I have lurking on the forum for a few months and man I`m so impressed on how the final product turned out. I simply cannot wait for the campaign. I will take one with the side panel and handle XDXDXDXD

Thanks!

Been lurking here for a long time, too. Basically since I decided the ncase (meaning ITX) might not be the right way to go for me.
And I sure ain´t disappointed with how the final case looks. I was hoping to read a time plan and pricing today...but oh well...

For timing, the campaign starts March 1st, and (if we're successful) production would start pretty soon after that. We'll have more details when the campaign goes live, but the production and fulfillment timeline does depend somewhat on demand, so we won't really know for certain until the end of the campaign anyway.

For cost, we've stated that people should expect the enclosure to be priced around $250, and for the IGG campaign we will meet that expectation.

Anyway, I´ve got two more question that I just can´t 100% answer just by looking at the pics:
1) The only difference between the ATX PSU version of the case and the SFX PSU version would be the cutout at the back, right? Meaning that a SFX PSU can be mounted in the ATX version too, right? (Leaving a big hole in the back...but still.)
2) Is there any information about how much room would be between an ATX PSU and the CPU/MoBo?

1. The ATX version will not include the front bracket, and the internal extension cord, that the SFX power supply needs.
2. You'll have ~48mm of room, per the specs on Cerberus's product page.
 

wovie

Trash Compacter
Aug 18, 2015
48
12
Thanks! :) And, in order:
  1. Thermal performance in Cerberus is basically the same as in the last prototype, and we published full performance metrics and stats for that here. That said, now that Cerberus supports 140mm fans, and can support many more radiators, the "ceiling" of theoretical cooling performance is much higher now.
  2. You can put regular-thickness fans on the bottom, front and side while still using all four PCI slots, flagship graphics, and fairly large CPU coolers. The specs and build guidelines on the Cerberus product page provide details, but overall you should have ample room to install fans anywhere there's vents.
  3. The case isn't going to do too much to dampen noise. The bottom and front vents are theoretically muffled somewhat, since they aren't completely open to the outside, but whatever effect that has will be negligible. However loud your loudest component is, your build will be (if not a little quieter).

That analysis is good stuff, thanks!
 

iFreilicht

FlexATX Authority
Feb 28, 2015
3,243
2,361
freilite.com
Absolutely stunning. I loved the idea of the ATX bracket, but if it makes it cheaper to produce, having to versions is probably the better way. The Infinite vents are absolutely genius, I could imagine seeing those in cases by bigger manufacturers, too.

I understand why you went with steel clips, but saying that the plastic versions break more often is not that true to reality. Metal does provide a more premium feel, though.
 
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Phuncz

Lord of the Boards
SFFn Staff
May 9, 2015
5,828
4,902
I understand why you went with steel clips, but saying that the plastic versions break more often is not that true to reality. Metal does provide a more premium feel, though.
Over on [H] I've seen more than a few people ask for replacement clips because theirs broke. Why this is, I'm not sure, some people speculate that the plastic could become brittle with environmental factors. It could also be a bad batch. But honestly, this seems like a 100% steel case (maybe 99,99%), that's worth something too as it is a much stronger material than aluminum.
 

Halfdan

Average Stuffer
Sep 5, 2015
59
12
Congratulations. The final design looks really good, has a very refined and modern feel. The only thing I don't like is the fact that the usb ports are the standard blue color. I know it's a minor thing but black usb ports look so much better. I believe ncase changed the color to black in the latest batch as well.

Anyway looking forward to the indiegogo campaign. Good luck guys.
 

PlayfulPhoenix

Founder of SFF.N
Original poster
SFFLAB
Chimera Industries
Gold Supporter
Feb 22, 2015
1,052
1,990
But honestly, this seems like a 100% steel case (maybe 99,99%), that's worth something too as it is a much stronger material than aluminum.

Yes, between the steel construction and the powder coat, Cerberus is quite durable.

Around how much will this case cost ?

We've said for the past year or so that backers should expect the case to cost around $250, and we'll be meeting that expectation in March. We want to get feedback from the community and get a sense of what people are interested in (color and feature-wise) before locking down specific prices, but that's mostly to do with chasing MOQ, anticipating demand, and so forth.
 

jeshikat

Jessica. Wayward SFF.n Founder
Silver Supporter
Feb 22, 2015
4,969
4,780
BOOOOOOM, getting a white with handle with side panel. Also, quick question: If you pop off the side panel and rotate it clockwise 180 degrees, would it pop right back on? Just curious if i cna have the plexi over the cpu instead of the gpu.

The side panels are symmetric so you can flip them left to right and upside down but the window interferes with the hinge. Fixable with a dremel I suppose.

I have a few technical questions for you guys. I think the build in this picture best represents the "archetype" build that most people are interested in. So, how does it actually perform?
  1. What are your temperatures under full load?
  2. In this configuration, is there any room to add [slim?] case fans anywhere? Do you think, or know, if doing so would yield any significant temperature reductions?
  3. Can you comment on the acoustics (with load)? (Not asking for any measurables; just your anecdotal evaluation)

Here's the thermal test data for Cerberus-00: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17EHHvMhMV8B5L2ZPyXNuncGP9H5doOQU0zkzzStlLw4/edit?usp=sharing

Slim fans can fit on the bottom but I don't think it'll help since the card is so close to the vents anyway.

With the X41 or NH-C12 the CPU noise is great, PSU not so much but I think that will be helped with the new models coming out, main problem is the cards. At idle the reference 980s are great, but they're definitely loud at load. Non-blower coolers may help with noise but it'll increase temps.

With the size of the case, getting a quiet AND cool setup with dual flagship GPUs will be difficult.

Congratulations. The final design looks really good, has a very refined and modern feel. The only thing I don't like is the fact that the usb ports are the standard blue color. I know it's a minor thing but black usb ports look so much better. I believe ncase changed the color to black in the latest batch as well.

It's not so much that NCASE changed them as that Lian Li had them available from what I recall which isn't really an option for us.
 

jeshikat

Jessica. Wayward SFF.n Founder
Silver Supporter
Feb 22, 2015
4,969
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In case people missed the gallery I posted, here's the Swiftech MCR220-QP-RES-R2 mounted to the bottom:





 

iFreilicht

FlexATX Authority
Feb 28, 2015
3,243
2,361
freilite.com
Over on [H] I've seen more than a few people ask for replacement clips because theirs broke. Why this is, I'm not sure, some people speculate that the plastic could become brittle with environmental factors. It could also be a bad batch. But honestly, this seems like a 100% steel case (maybe 99,99%), that's worth something too as it is a much stronger material than aluminum.

I guess that's very much possible. And in the end, a piece breaking with a 0% chance is better than one breaking with a .01% chance.

Steel is also heavier than aluminium, but that discussion is done with for this case. :)
 

Blackout

Cable Smoosher
Feb 11, 2016
11
0
What SFX power supply are you using in the pics with the dual GPU's? I cant find one that has enough gpu connectors.
 

Entrenin

Efficiency Noob
Feb 9, 2016
7
0
I can take a pic later today with the Prodigy. Was there anything in particular you wanted to see?
I saw someone mention this before but I loved the soda can comparison, also lining it up next to the ncase would be great! Again congrats on making this awesome case, I'll be one of the first to hop on your crowdfunding campaign!
 

jeshikat

Jessica. Wayward SFF.n Founder
Silver Supporter
Feb 22, 2015
4,969
4,780
What SFX power supply are you using in the pics with the dual GPU's? I cant find one that has enough gpu connectors.

In the first pic it's the SX500-LG with splitters attached. It isn't enough wattage for this setup, it will shut down if I try to load the system, it's mostly there as a placeholder for the SX700-LPT.

The SX700-LPT, SX650-G, and maybe SX500-G will have enough connectors.