Yes that's kind of the same thought process we had, i.e Noctua NH-L9i or C7 for sub i7 CPUs and AIO for i7 and above. GPUs don't have that luxury (apart from a few exception) so we wanted to prioritize that compatibility. Your STRIX should fit based on our 3D model of it, unfortunately don't have one on hand to test.
Once the prototype is finished we'll definitely try out a couple of different AIOs. Is there any reason a radiator + fan + pump/block custom loop wouldn't work?
Hard to say around the motherboard since I don't have the case (-wink-), but here are things that I can already say that will be challenging.
Supposed total height allowed for the radiator part of the AIO = 55 mm. (not sure if 55 mm = hitting into the PSU, or whether again you've allowed mm's for PSU cables) also your renders seem to have plenty of gap for the tubing, so maybe 55 mm is just for the fan and radiator and you have more allowance for the tubing, but I am assuming worst case scenario here. I am also only using hardtubing to make my life difficult, so things would be a "bit" easier with soft tubing, but most rules still apply for minimum curvature and bending of tubing.
Typical radiator thickness = 25 - 30 mm.
Typical fan thickness = 15 or 25 mm
Since as I understand there is a hard limit of the 120 mm width on the AIO, I assume the tubing has to be routed above the fan to make the correct routing (i.e. tubing can't lick the outer perimeter of the fan, or the radiator). Therefore as you have in the renders, the tubing also contribute towards the AIO height.
Now these are some very special hard tubing and fittings I have planned for the eventual build (-winkwink-), you can see that having a temperature probe fitting on one of the fittings raises the left tube perfectly to achieve this "offset tubing" layout. Natively (as pictured here), there is just about 15 mm between the bottom of the fitting to the tubing, and so is a perfect height to clear a low profile fan. In this case height is about 50 mm (or 48 mm if only thinking about the tubing part).
Now, to clear a 25 mm fan, this brings the total height (probably achieved through some extender fittings) to more like 60 mm
This may not work since therefore when you add this height to a typical 25-30 mm radiator, the height of the whole thing is 73 mm (25 mm radiator + low profile fan) all the way up to 88 mm (30 mm radiator + 25 mm fan). These both are significantly more than 55 mm, and so I can only be hopeful that it didn't include the space for the tubing.
Now, the only way that I can think of immediately to make the whole thing fit in 55 mm and also free up some space is to route the tubing over the PSU. The tubes would come out of the radiator in a parallel plane and have to bend up against eh PSU. However at 6 or 7 bends, this would be certainly the hardest hardline bend that I would ever do
. Edit: since the tubing is 13 mm outer diameter, I am not sure if this is even possible probably not enough room between the chassis and the PSU wall.
Heey guys, time to reveal the mysterious upgrade!
Ever since we added the 120 mm fan under the MOBO we've had our eyes on the low-profile 240 mm AIO from SilverStone (Tundra TD02-Slim). We simply shifted the Motherboard up a couple of mm's and lowered the AIO rails to make room for a 23 mm thick 240 mm radiator. Please note that you'll have to use 1 fan only; hence, it's a good idea to switch out the 15 mm SilverStone fan for something a bit more powerful in the 25 mm height zone.
Please note: MJOLNIR is exactly the same volume / size as before.
Summary of changes
- Added 240 mm AIO support
- Expanded the vent pattern (metal panels)
- 120 mm AIO height compatibility: + 1mm
- 25 mm 120-fan & SFX-L PSU combo now possible
- GPU width compatibility: + 2mm (51 mm)
- CPU Cooler height compatibility: - 2mm (51 mm)
- Changed to countersunk screws on the internal frame for a flush look.
240 mm AIO support
Expanded vent pattern
+10 mm's to all sides.
Note: the gray border is just for illustrative purposes, will not be part of the product.
Why decrease CPU Cooler height?
We prioritized GPU compatibility now that the CPU can be cooled with a 240 mm AIO. Just think of it, how many more CPU coolers will you fit at 53 mm vs 51 mm? Not that many, and definitely none with the same performance as a 120 mm / 240 mm AIO. The GPU is another story, as big GPUs like ASUS 10-series STRIX- and MSI RTX-Duke become viable options. It's a bit of a sacrifice, but one that I think is worth it. What do you think?
Case feet
Many of you have had concern with regards to the 5 mm case feet on MJOLNIR, please note that the actual distance between the AIO radiator and the ground / desk / floor is
14 mm. This is due to the fact that the radiator / case fans are not flush against the bottom of the case.
Final design
As far as I can tell, this design is now totally maximized and every little bit of space is utilized without starting to impact aesthetics. Can't wait to build the prototype, test loads of different configurations, send the case for review on YouTube and then RELAUNCH the Kickstarter campaign. We'll make sure to structure it much better this time and also introduce ourselves in the video. We're not going to relax until MJOLNIR is sitting on your desk (and most likely not even then
).
Let me know what you think guys, was this a meaningful change / upgrade or did we overhype it?
Best,
Alex
Very intriguing updates! I am very happy to see more holes, obviously GPU thickness is a huge plus for me.
Personally a bit on the fence about the Silverstone AIO since I probably wouldn't use it, but here's a few questions: What is the thickness limit of the 240 mm radiator? I am hoping the answer is 25 mm (and not 23 mm) since that would mean that 1: 25 mm fans become compatible, and 2: Eisbaer LT240 is compatible (copper radiator, custom loop friendly). Otherwise I (personally) would probably stick to an 120 mm and a fan
I suppose it only makes sense to do a 240 in a passive configuration if the case is used in the upside down orientation (which should be the case anyway if using an AIO) since heat would naturally rise.
