Unless your planning on a high OC I would stay with air cooling, even the self contained units so signs of losing efficiency over time.
Other then that the build looks good:thumbsup2:
100% agree! OEM coolers that come with today's AMD and Intel CPUs are excellent, fully capable of adequately cooling even with mild overclocking. That means, I don't recommend using that Hyper 212 EVO Cooler either unless that particular CPU does not come with an OEM supplied cooler - but according to Newegg, it does. And note the Intel warranty expects the use of the OEM cooler so using an aftermarket cooler voids the warranty anyway. So I say stick with the OEM cooler and watch your temps. If they regularly sit above 60°C for longer than a few seconds and your case is already doing it job - then and only then consider alternative cooling - or a room AC!
Remember, it is the case's responsibility to provide an adequate supply of cool air
flowing through the case and the CPU fan need only toss the CPU's heat up into that air flow. If you are not doing extreme overclocking and your CPU is still getting hot, then your case is not doing its job and you need to look at adding more case fans for better flow. Note when my CPU temps hit 60°C, that tells me I need to clean my filters!
Another reason why I don't recommend water cooling is they require regular maintenance inspections. This is typically not a problem when the system is new and the
novelty has yet to wear off. But sadly, after a year or two and every inspection finds nothing wrong, those required inspections become fewer and farther apart - just when they need to become more frequent as hoses become brittle, fittings become loose. You don't want coolant spewing out all over your motherboard. Nor do you want nasty mold, mildew and other funguses growing inside the water cooler or radiator - which can and does happen if even a tiny bit of air gets inside. :eek4:
I like plain cases with lots of fan options. Cases with fancy façades are distracting and go out of style. And flashing and fancy lights do nothing for performance, add some heat, consume some power and do nothing for performance (worth repeating). After all, I want to pay attention to what's on my monitors so I expect my cases to sit quietly and discreetly off to the side. I don't enjoy breaking down my computers to lug outside to blast out the dust drawn in by all the fans. So I like cases with removable, washable filters so I don't have to lug the computer outside near as often. I also like the front panel I/O ports to be up high so I don't have to get on my hands and knees to plug in a USB device. So far, that Fractal is batting a thousand!
I used to think side windows were just a fancy façade thing but now I want my cases to have them because they let me inspect the interiors for dust build-up and spinning fans without pulling the case out of its desk cubbyhole and removing the side panel. So that is the only downside I see here. Not sure you think $30 more for the
Fractal Design Define R4 with Window is worth it, but considering that cost would be spread over the next 5+ years (and my 63 year old knees), I would get it. And note the money you save by sticking with the OEM cooler would pay for it!
Either way, I do want to know what you think of this case as I will be doing a new build for myself soon when W10 goes final.
As for your PSU, Corsair used to be my favorite but they have fallen on their laurels and let quality slip - at least with their lower end lines. See the
TechPowerUp Review for details - or the highlights I noted here. The CS-650 warranty is only 3 years. That is short today. It uses a sleeve bearing fan instead of ball. While sleeves are often quieter, they tend to wear out sooner. Its continuous output is rated at 40°C (104°F) instead of 50°C as the better PSUs are. It does not include a MOV on the input side to help protect the PSU from surges off the grid - though it does have a thermistor to protect it from large inrush current. Both devices would be better.
Worse is it failed to meet the ATX
required "Voltage Hold-up" time of 16ms minimum, achieving only 11.6ms. That is when it will drop output if input power dips (opposite of a spike) below 90VAC. Not good.
This unit exceeded 50mV ripple on the +12VDC rail at 80% load. While the standard calls for no more than 120mV ripple, most better supplies easily come in under 50mV.
So, IMO, you would be better off with the RM650 as noted in the conclusions of that review. While the RM is also rated at 40°C, it's other specs are better - including the 5 year warranty.
Remember, the PSU is often considered the most critical component in our computers. When spending good money on a new computer, feed it good fuel.
