Corsair 450D -> Cerberus X migration

calcifer

Efficiency Noob
Original poster
Nov 2, 2018
5
2
This is a follow up to my previous thread. Everything went much better than expected, temps are fine despite overclocking and poor air circulation.

Specs:
  • Mobo: MSI X99A Gaming 7
  • CPU: i7 5820K overclocked to 4.5GHz
  • GPU: GTX 1080ti w/ +100/+300MHz core/memory clock
  • RAM: 32GB Corsair Vengeance DDR4 2666MHz
  • SSD: 2x1TB Samsung 850 EVO
  • PSU: 750W Corsair HX750i 80+ Platinum
  • AIO: Corsair H115i w/ 280mm rad

Let's get on with it then!

At the beginning. Corsair 450D with a cracked window on the left, Cerberus X on the right!



Side panels off. Tons of empty space on the 450D, but I can already tell this is going to be a hard fit for the Cerberus X.



Starting deconstruction with GPU and PSU.


GPU and PSU off. That thing on the 1x PCI-E slot is an NZXT red LED strip. It won't be coming with us to the Cerberus.


I've always sucked at cable management, but it's going to be much worse with the Cerberus.


Power and SATA cables off.


AIO off. Time to move the motherboard.


Mobo in the Cerberus! It's scary how much of the case is already filled. This will be *really* tight.


SSDs are in. Unfortunately, I had to give up on this layout as I couldn't connect power to both of them with a single cable. Corsair's individually sleeved cables are nice, but they are very stiff.


Silverstone TD-02 Slim AIO with Noctua NF-A12x15 fans. I chose this AIO because H115i rad + fans + 1080ti wasn't going to fit. Fans got replaced because the stock ones were too loud.


After many experiments, this is the rad and pump setup I've decided to go with. Rad goes all the way to the bottom and the waterblock is angled like that to leave room for the ATX PSU.


Even the SATA cables weren't comfortable with this arrangement.


This is what I came up with. I sacrificed one 140mm fan slot on the bottom and used the space for one of the SSDs.


With its sibling gone, the other SSD fit well in the original slot.


PSU in. My Cerberus was missing the L-bracket that holds the ATX PSU, but it didn't seem that necessary anyway. Everything here is a *very* tight fit.


The lower side. I didn't like the SATA power cable going over the GPU, but I had no choice because there was no clearance at the bottom. Similarly, GPU power cables are completely flush with the side panel.


A look from above. CPU 4 pin cable barely fits between the waterblock and PSU fan.


Corsair AF-140 reclaimed from the 450D, blowing directly into the GPU. Used the standouts from one of the Noctua fans.


With the nipples cut, nothing ugly is visible from the outside.


Temperatures while running Unigine Superposition @1440p Extreme. Pretty cool :)

Fan 2 is AIO pump, fans 3&4 are NF-A12s and fan 5 is the AF-140.
 
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