Eight Slots

[Ricey]

Has anyone here solved the bottom slot issue without resorting to a single slot water block at the bottom ? Or dumb juvenile-looking Lian Li / Thermaltake cases ?

[ballz0r]

E-ATX board?

[Ricey]

Its about the most moronic issue out there.

The EVGA Classified and the Asuck Wankage II Extreme both have the bottom slot probem, and both have an E-ATX platform.

The Lian Li Armorsuit PC-80 brags about having 10 slots, but cannot accept E-ATX mobos. Dittos the Thermaltake. Not sure about the Coolermaster.

Mountain Mods is big enough for anything, especially E-ATX mobos, except that the stock versions fit only 7 slots.

I suppose the best way to do it is to massively piss the wife off by using a Microcool Banchetto, then she'll file for divorce and I lose half my video cards, so I wouldn't have to worry about the fucking moronic dipshitz fuckwad ass licking bottom slot anymore.

[Kayin]

AFAIK, only Lian-Li and Tt have done it, though the SilverStone Raven might have it too. Let me look...

Nope. Though calling Lian-Li trash is pretty twisted. Some of it's not my taste, either, but there's practically nothing better put together.

Looked at the AC fullcovers? That's a good single-slot block, no acrylic, all metal, and performs. Be worth a look, methinks...

[Ricey]

I don't want to water cool my video cards. In fact, I'm not sure I want to water cool my cpu or anything else either.

No interest anymore. And the attitudes here and over "there" spoiled it for me. I want nothing to do with a whole host of companies, but I'll stop my comments there.

[Baleful]

Looks to me like you've got two choices.

1. Custom MM

2. Banchetto, or some other benching variant


The outcome for each:

1. Wife get's pissed, takes half of everything, yur fucked.

2. Wife get's ultra pissed and takes a samurai sword to your manhood.


Damn, things don't sound to good for you right now lol.

I know it sucks having your wife pissed at you, and pretty much ruins the fun of this hobby all together, but sometimes you just have to put your foot down.

[Ricey]

Or take the computer and throw it out the window.

In this case, wife takes precedence.

[Baleful]

Wish I could provide some real constructive feedback here, but I really don't know of anything that fits your needs.

Question, do you have your own room at home for all your equipment, like a computer room?

Or are you having to use a common area like a living room?

[Ricey]

No. Every room in the home is governed by the wife. I'm barely awake for more than 3 hours a day while at home, so I have no choice on that matter either. I can institute male-militia law, but don't hope for male-instituted decor standards (aka Darth Beavis' mess) to last more than 30 minutes beyond my departure for work. Plus, the Mrs. would requisition a 10 foot dumpster and throw everything out anyway.

Every item in each room must be aesthetically pleasing and must conform to interior decor standards, or God forbid, the furniture and drapes get changed, in which case, I really prefer not to have a computer because multi-SLI systems look positively cheap compared to a re-decoration.

Also, we have to assume that the young one, who is now 4 years old, is going to stick each of his fingers and toes into those 220 cfm Delta fans.

I'm half joking, but I'm not kidding! :)

[ballz0r]

lol I feel for ya mate... dont they have sheds (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/article853505.ece?token=null&offset=0&page=1)in the USA?

[Kayin]

Well, that certainly sheds more light, though some stuff is still mystifying.

Guess I lucked out, my wife arranges the house around the PCs. However, they earn themselves back with all the computer work I do...

[Ricey]

What is still mystifying? lol Let me help de-mystify :)

The Lian Li Pc-80 Armorsuit looks like it was designed by a 9 year old for use by an 8 year old. What is so magical? Blue led fans --> case gets thrown out. Switch 140 mm blue led fans to black yate loon fans, and we still haven't yet addressed the robotech appearance. Its one of the dumbest looking Lian Lis ever produced. Even the snail anniversary case has its redeeming charm, if you are into that crap. That's what happens when you fire the 50 year old VPs and replace them with college interns.

And that case would last about 5 minutes in my home, and that's the bottom line.

I have an army of Lian Li cases at home, big enough for a parade. Those look unintrusive and do their job.

[Kayin]

I understand and respect your position with your wife. That's actually a pretty honorable standpoint, from my perspective.

I also understand the Tt case issue, but there are some simple black Lian-Li cases that would do what you're asking, with good airflow and unobtrusive looks. I am completely confused by people's bashing of Lian-Li repeatedly-and even more baffled by their championing MM, which looks to me like someone knocked it together in their garage and then rattle-can painted it.

I get your folding goal, did not know you were gonna drop water. I was a page behind.

You posted an answer as I was typing. I get ya, and on the armorsuit I fully agree. Lemme do some investigating.

[Ricey]

I didn't champion MM :) I sure have a whole lot more Lian Lis than I do MMs :)

I have PC-G70s that look great and do their job well. They even fit two PSUs. They cannot be modified to fit 8 slots. The bottom vidoe card will have its exhaust port blocked and it'll last about one day before it dies.

I'll say it now. I don't regard Lian Li as the ultimate in quality, or MM as garage quality, but what you say has its truths. There's a certain look of "cheapness" to a particular brand, at least before they started anodizing their case.

My Mrs. calls the latest MM cases with the latest air filter fads as "boxes with boobs." She thinks that they are mofo ugly, and unfortunately I have to agree. Only a geek would see the charm in a big noisy box.

I don't want to water cool my video cards is because I'm accumulating a lot of them and it is a horrendously expensive proposition. With the money that I have to spend on video blocks and everything else, I could possibly buy another six video cards. From a cost to benefit standpoint, its a ridiculous proposition.

Plus, my overclocking ventures thus far have been very positive using just the stock air cooler. According to zlojack, his water cooled video card struggles to overclock to anywhere close to my air cooled overclocked cards. I somewhat doubt it has to do with the quality of zlojack's cards or just pure luck. However, my point is made that stock air cooling does pretty darn well.

Regarding folding@home, I have to find space for a gazillion cheap monitors, and that is yet another impediment. Vista does not allow me to fold on individual video cards without a physical connection to a monitor, and each monitor can only accept two signals. The Mrs. is not about to allow me to put five 17 inch LCDs on my desk.

[Kayin]

Ok, I may still have some ideas. The A70 is the G70, redesigned. If you use the top PSU slot and leave the blanking plate in the bottom, will it not work? The chassis is not the same on the inside...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112141

Yup, take a close look. Put two fans on the bottom, and you should be set.

[Ricey]

Thanks for your help, Kayin.

Yes, it will work, but its the same exact design as the PC-G70B, at least where the back is concerned. It'll also fit a MCR220 at the bottom as well for the cpu. But its what I already have. I guess I have no choice but to use that. It seems somewhat a tad not fully kosher looking, but an acceptable compromise.

[zlojack]

Ian, my video cards aren't watercooled yet, they are still on stock cooling. My waterblocks will arrive this week and then I'll see about overclocking the cards. With my GTX 260 Core 216, I saw a definite improvement when it was watercooled as opposed to on stock air.

Also, those two boards you mentioned aren't EATX. They have the regular ATX hole pattern but they are slightly larger than the ATX standard size mobo.

[ND40oz]

Its about the most moronic issue out there.

The EVGA Classified and the Asuck Wankage II Extreme both have the bottom slot probem, and both have an E-ATX platform.

The Lian Li Armorsuit PC-80 brags about having 10 slots, but cannot accept E-ATX mobos. Dittos the Thermaltake. Not sure about the Coolermaster.

Mountain Mods is big enough for anything, especially E-ATX mobos, except that the stock versions fit only 7 slots.

I suppose the best way to do it is to massively piss the wife off by using a Microcool Banchetto, then she'll file for divorce and I lose half my video cards, so I wouldn't have to worry about the fucking moronic dipshitz fuckwad ass licking bottom slot anymore.

They aren't really E-ATX motherboards, they're just a tad longer then the ATX spec, so they get labeled as E-ATX. But they don't require the additional mounting points that true E-ATX boards use. They'll both bolt right in an ATX case provided it's just a little deeper then the ATX spec, which any "gamer" case should be since they can take 10.5" video cards.

[zlojack]

Ian, my video cards aren't watercooled yet, they are still on stock cooling. My waterblocks will arrive this week and then I'll see about overclocking the cards. With my GTX 260 Core 216, I saw a definite improvement when it was watercooled as opposed to on stock air.

Also, those two boards you mentioned aren't EATX. They have the regular ATX hole pattern but they are slightly larger than the ATX standard size mobo.

They aren't really E-ATX motherboards, they're just a tad longer then the ATX spec, so they get labeled as E-ATX. But they don't require the additional mounting points that true E-ATX boards use. They'll both bolt right in an ATX case provided it's just a little deeper then the ATX spec, which any "gamer" case should be since they can take 10.5" video cards.
I think there's an echo in here :D

[ND40oz]

I think there's an echo in here :D

LOL, guess I should finish reading the thread...

[mykle]

Try this guy PC-V2010 (http://www.lian-li.com/v2/en/product/product06.php?pr_index=208&cl_index=1&sc_index=25&ss_index=61)

Has 8 slots and looks fairly conservative. You'll need to add some fans for better airflow but lian li makes 120 fan inserts to fit up front.

[Ricey]

Try this guy PC-V2010 (http://www.lian-li.com/v2/en/product/product06.php?pr_index=208&cl_index=1&sc_index=25&ss_index=61)

Has 8 slots and looks fairly conservative. You'll need to add some fans for better airflow but lian li makes 120 fan inserts to fit up front.

Thank you very much!!!

V20120 is a beautiful case, and it looks like what I would buy.

Thanks a million again.

[Baleful]

Wow I feel like an idiot lol. We have these (http://www.lian-li.com/v2/en/product/product06.php?pr_index=211&cl_index=1&sc_index=25&ss_index=61) here at work, they the exact same as the 2010, but with a door. I didn't even think about them untill I saw the one mykle posted. I'm not a huge fan of the door, but if you're going for a minimalistic look, doesn't get much better than this. But just like mykle said, the airflow in these suck.

[mykle]

You could place 1 or 2 of these Fan Module (http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=21092) up front to improve air flow.

[Baleful]

Not a bad idea. I may wire up some yate HS's that I have left over in mine.... the airflow is absolutely terrible. The case itself is hot to the touch. CPU using linpack hits 81C. One of the biggest problems is there isn't enough exit fans. You can fill up that front rack with fans, but if there isn't enough fans pull the hot air out, you'll just build up positive pressure inside the case.

edit: wow after reading that it looks like a 5yo wrote that. sorry, to much going on here at work.

[mykle]

hmm, maybe 2 fan modules up front and a blowhole (or possibly 2) uptop would help. It certainly could be fun to try.

[Ricey]

Thank you gentlemen. I'll order the fans as linked :)