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Prototype Introducing the Chimera CX2

fedder

Caliper Novice
Feb 8, 2020
29
18
Also I have good news I actually got the Dynatron A26 cooler in the mail today a week early. I did a write up on the SFF reddit just now but ill put a TLDR in here.

Replaced Noctua NH U9 TR4/ SP3 version with Dynatron A26 2U cooler.Threadripper 3960X 140W PPT limit, 2.9-3.0Ghz all cores. Used a Carbonaut pad because I don't like clean up so maybe 2-3 degrees warmer than a good paste. Audibly louder at idle and under 100% Prime95 Small FTT load, but not by much. Fan speed 55% at full load and quiet 40% at "idle". VRM was 54C idle 64.5C max even though cooler was blowing right on it. Realistically this will be quieter than the Blower GPUs going in here.

This could totally work in a CX2 and ill be excite to try it out once it releases.

EDIT Played around with fan speeds and PPT again since it kept on ramping up really fast when getting spikes of performance. Settled at 140PPT since I didnt lose anything for it. Cooler is at 40% until 75C and only hits around 50-55% under full load which is nicer to listen to. Now im wondering since the PPT is so low, If I should grab a dynatron A28 passive cpu cooler and a good 8020 fan and see if I can get this down to a lower profile. That way I can put this into a Cerberus X if possible. Hmmm.
 
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Xerpocalypse

Efficiency Noob
Oct 20, 2020
5
1
I know in Optimum Tech's video, he mentioned a couple issues with the handle, but of all of them the one that actually intrigues me the most is the issue of being unable to properly hook in the fan of the NHD15.

I think making the top panel removable somehow would probably fix little issues like this, but I'm unsure if there are provisions for that in the design or planned changes which would allow the panel to be removed based on what's been posted so far.
 

VegetableStu

Shrink Ray Wielder
Aug 18, 2016
1,949
2,619
just checking in while we all ride out rona and schedules at home: i recently moved to uni with my PC without a case, and i'm already imagining the size of the case in relation to the size of the motherboard. i might live with running as an open-bench for the most part of my first year instead of getting intermediary case #3 ,_,
 

tigim101

Efficiency Noob
Aug 16, 2015
7
1
I am very interested in this case or perhaps making my own of a similar design, I have a question regarding airflow.

In this review of the corsair 4000d, a tower case with similar wind tunnel airflow, Tiny Tom discovered something interesting:


The default config of the case is 1 fan in the middle/bottom of the front (which would be sort of like the CX2 bottom fan position because the third fan doesnt really do anything in the corsair case) and 1 exhaust fan in the top rear of the case.

In the 23:35 timestamp he tested both with the default config of 1 fan in the front bottom and 1 fan in the top rear, and then he added an additional fan in the front top and did more testing.

In stock 1 front bottom fan intake and 1 exhaust fan he got

CPU: 48.55 above ambient
GPU: 51.7 above ambient

With two fan intake and 1 exhaust fan he got

CPU: 46.6 above ambient
GPU: 55.2 above ambient

So he got 2 degrees better on the CPU but actually nearly 4 degrees worse on the GPU with an additional front fan. This is using a tower style CPU cooler and a blower style reference 10X series GPU.

His theory is that with 1 fan on the bottom intake and 1 fan on the rear exhaust, the airflow is moving in an S shape and going towards the gpu, up to the cpu cooler and out the top rear exhaust. Adding an extra fan on the front causes some sort of vortex effect where all the air is going up to the cpu front to back airflow since the rear exhaust is up there, and starving the GPU for air.

This is with 2 120mm in the front and 1 120mm in the back, all the same fan. Maybe this would be different in the CX2 since it is using 140mm front fans and 120mm exhaust.

Has the CX2 team done any testing with just 1 front bottom fan on versus both front fans on and compared thermal results?
 
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MuffinCrumbs

Trash Compacter
Jan 4, 2019
46
34
I am very interested in this case or perhaps making my own of a similar design..

It is difficult to build a case. I would've built a case myself, if I could. if I had the knowledge, that is. I would rather wait till this case is released, as @PlayfulPhoenix and @Wahaha360 are experienced with this sort of work.

It takes a lot of work to build a case, as I've found out. Such as CAD work, design, form factor requirements, and material. So on, so forth. And of course, as you've mentioned, airflow is also something that needs to be considered.

But if you can do it, then that is awesome.
 

MuffinCrumbs

Trash Compacter
Jan 4, 2019
46
34
Even then, it's extremely disappointing that there is no progress happening.

I agree. But not many of us, individually would've managed it. Having all these problems going on in this world at the moment. With COVID-19 and all.

I would love to know if someone could even make it faster by themselves, doing just one case. Doing all the necessary steps, design, CAD work, quality control and so on and so forth.

But this is about also knowing how to produce it, how to produce it for more than one person, more than possibly 10 people, 20, 30, 50, 100, 100s.

The first post by PlayfullPhoenix was announced 15th January 2020. Today is 14th December 2020. I would be surprised if anyone could be quick on this project this year.

:-)
 
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Timothy

Caliper Novice
Aug 18, 2020
24
5
Even then, it's extremely disappointing that there is no progress happening.

Indeed, I am always sad when the newest reply is just someone else waiting for progress updates, but at least we know the case will be made eventually. Also, I realize I am probably disappointing everyone that gets emailed that there is a new post and are hopping it is a progress update. :)
 
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Wahaha360

a.k.a W360
SFFLAB
NCASE
SSUPD
Feb 23, 2015
2,131
10,697
Think of of this way, products needs to good enough to deserve to exist, to deserve the attention.

Until the product is good enough, why even release it.

There are so many options, not enough good ones, so I need some ideas to settle in more before I can decide if it's good enough to exist.
 

Timothy

Caliper Novice
Aug 18, 2020
24
5
I think I speak for many of us when I say we will wait🙂

I hope the idea of installing a SFX PSU on the bottom front of the case is still under consideration. It would be very nice to have some extra room for short PCIe cards if it doesn't affect anything else too drastically.
 
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VegetableStu

Shrink Ray Wielder
Aug 18, 2016
1,949
2,619
speaking of: would future high wattage SFX PSUs (1kW and above) require the use of a high amperage cable? 😓 so far only silverstone has a 1000w SFX power supply and most power supplies up to that wattage doesn't require a thick cable with that big connector yet...

31 jan EDIT: silverstone's 1KW SFX-L power supply gets a press release. waiting for retail launch now
 
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teodoro

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Oct 8, 2018
109
77
where does the cx2 sit in the pecking order of t1 classic/t1 evo/free flow/edc/whatever else is simmering? is it wishful thinking that you'll have extra bandwidth for design iterations during chinese new year?
 
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Wahaha360

a.k.a W360
SFFLAB
NCASE
SSUPD
Feb 23, 2015
2,131
10,697
speaking of: would future high wattage SFX PSUs (1kW and above) require the use of a high amperage cable? 😓 so far only silverstone has a 1000w SFX power supply and most power supplies up to that wattage doesn't require a thick cable with that big connector yet...

31 jan EDIT: silverstone's 1KW SFX-L power supply gets a press release. waiting for retail launch now

ATX12V spec is around the corner, so I think new PSUs are in for an update on connectors.

On another note, 1000W+ PSU, particular SFX is not really necessary now multiple GPU use scenario is very very rare, and almost non-existent for SFF.
 

Wahaha360

a.k.a W360
SFFLAB
NCASE
SSUPD
Feb 23, 2015
2,131
10,697
where does the cx2 sit in the pecking order of t1 classic/t1 evo/free flow/edc/whatever else is simmering? is it wishful thinking that you'll have extra bandwidth for design iterations during chinese new year?
that's a bit like asking to work over a week-long christmas vacation 😓

The current CX2 is a sheet metal design, since I'm in Asia this year, I want to do more CNC cases.

Sheet metal I can hash out even when I'm in US or EU, sheet metal is less difficult for development, CNC is much more difficult, so I want to work on harder stuff while I'm at ground zero.