Cases, Cooling & PSU - Page 12

The days of displays with plenty of junk in the trunk - CRTs from the 1990s and earlier - are well and truly over. The new thing is flat screens built on LCD technology with thin profiles weighing less than 100 pounds. Still, several people swear by the image quality you get with a classic CRT, especially when playing retro games from the MS-DOS era.

And with that, János Kerekes has taken the classic Sony Trinitron beige CRT monitor and turned it into an all-in-one water-cooled gaming PC called the Oazis ROG. As featured on Custom PC, this Mini-ITX Intel Core i7 and AMD Radeon R9 Nano rig is impressive and would make for an excellent retro gaming PC.

The glass panel and innards have been removed, which János describes as a "huge headache" due to the precision and Sony using all of the available space inside the Sony Trinitron CRT. It turns out they were massive for a reason. And because CRT monitors are front-loaded in terms of weight, the PC parts had to be arranged in a specific way to maintain an even weight distribution via custom aluminum sheets.

The Cougar Cratus is a new and visually stunning min-tower PC case, with the company describing the angled interior layout as an "industry-first revolutionary innovation."

And it's a pretty straightforward design principle to wrap your head around on account of hot air rising, with the Cougar Cratus creating a cyclical current to ensure the hot air rises and cool air falls for maximum airflow. The image showcases cool air entering the case from the front and underneath, pushing hot air through the top and rear.

The visual look of the Cougar Cratus is quite something, with the case made up of a precision-tooled steel tube frame and four tempered glass panels that are also contoured to match the case's shape. Curved glass is definitely premium stuff for a PC case.

LIAN LI has launched a pair of new RGB products, the most notable being the new STRIMER PLUS V2 12VHPWR cables designed for ATX 3.0 power supplies and GeForce RTX 40 Series graphics cards.

It features a custom 12VHPWR male connector on the GPU, following the ATX 3.0 standard with improvements to the original design to ensure a stronger connection to the GPU. This is excellent news, as 12VHPWR connectors made so many headlines last year due to potential issues with the connection on the GPU side.

LIAN LI notes that the cables can deliver up to 600W, sustain high temperatures, and even sharper bends. Part of the housing can also be removed to allow for an even greater bend closer to the connector to add additional support for narrow PC cases. The wide array of LEDs (with 8 or 12 light guides) grabbed our attention.

That little note about fans in the headline is in reference to be quiet!'s fun little April Fools announcement from the other day, all about a new range of PC fans powered by AI without fan blades.

The acclaimed German manufacturer of PC components has brought things back to reality and listened to community feedback with the announcement that the impressive be quiet! Light Wings ARGB fans are now available in white.

White PC components are becoming increasingly popular, making the Light Wings White range a great option for white PC Cases. These are basically the same Light Wings that we know, but now in white - so they feature the same high-performance, low-noise operation with funky ARGB lighting thanks to the stylish LED ring on the fan's inlet.

The new 80 PLUS Gold certified ENERMAX REVOLUTION ATX 3.0 Series of power supplies, available in 1000W and 1200W models, are tailor-made for the next generation of GPUs and high-performance CPUs.

With the GeForce RTX 40 Series from NVIDIA shifting to the new 12VHPWR connector for power, most owners have had to use the adapters for power supplies. With the new REVOLUTION ATX 3.0 Series from ENERMAX, a single native PCIe Gen 5 12+4pin (12VHPWR) cable can supply up to 600W to a graphics card.

These power supplies are ready for GeForce RTX 4070 Ti, RTX 4080, and RTX 4090 graphics cards. And for good measure, ENERMAX also includes an extra dual 8-pin to 12+4-pin (12VHPWR) cable for high-performance users to connect an additional graphics card.

With all facets of society and technology looking to implement AI tools and models to improve almost anything you can think of, AI has now made its way into the PC cooling space. Specifically with be quiet!'s new range of Zero Wings AI cooling, which the company describes as its first AI-supported fan.

On top of the wingless design that does away with the need for fan blades and the introduction of state-of-the-art Controlled Airflow Technology (CAT) which can actively route air through a system, there's FANOS. An admittedly clever and ominous name for the artificial intelligence that sits at the heart of the Zero Wings AI fan system.

A proprietary AI has been trained to identify hot spots within a PC and direct air in those areas to keep cooling at optimal levels. It's a fascinating system that creates a live heatmap of the PC based on thermal sensors and what be quiet! calls "behavioral analysis of the user's habits." Which we assume means playing intensive PC games that put GPUs and CPUs to the test.

Recently Cooler Master debuted its new top-of-the-line case fan, the Mobius 120 OC. With silent performance and an impressive build, there was one area where some might have felt that it was lacking. And that's in RGB lighting, as the Mobius 120 OC has no bright rainbow-colored action.

But don't worry; Cooler Master has got you covered thanks to the debut of the next-gen versions of its popular MasterFan 120 Halo series, with the Halo 2 available in 120 and 140mm sizes. Cooler Master has redesigned the Dual Loop LED fans by increasing the fan size by 10% for better airflow and cooling performance. Which Cooler Master lists as a 58% increase in air pressure.

The frame has also been reworked to improve stability without increasing the fan's overall real estate. The upgraded driver IC is also said to boost cooling performance and minimize overall noise, with a max dBA noise level of 27.

Amazon is getting into the business of selling its own brand PC components, with a new CPU cooler from the Amazon Basics range appearing on the retailer's site.

The Amazon Basics family is, as the name suggests, a no-frills (and wide-ranging) collection of products that does what it says on the tin for a minimal asking price.

However, as Tom's Hardware, which spotted the new product, points out, the CPU cooler appears to be very similar to a Cooler Master model, namely the Hyper H410R RGB.

Cooler Master launched its new top-of-the-line case fan, the Mobius 120 OC. The company claims "near silent operation" alongside high performance and complete control over its settings. The ring blade design on the fan features interconnected blades to improve airflow and structural integrity.

And to reduce vibration, the Cooler Master corner mount design includes rubber feet for stability and keeping the fan quiet when in use - with RPM speeds of up to an impressive 3200.

On top of that, the Mobius 120 OC is a case fan that will go the distance with a dual ball bearing design, and a metal motor hub, meaning it'll last you multiple upgrades and GPU and CPU generations - it comes with a lifetime warranty.

Wood paneling on gaming hardware has a long and storied history, though it dates back to when most TVs had wood, and the Atari 2600 was fresh on the scene.

It also has some lovely little wood panel accents. Now it looks like some of that retro 1970s style is coming to the PC case scene, which we've recently gone hands-on with - thanks to the Fractal Design North mid-tower case.

Our review described the walnut wood accent on the case as "tasteful," blending nicely with the black chassis and minimal Fractal Design aesthetic. Now it looks like it's Corsair's turn, with the hardware maker quietly releasing some equally tasteful wooden PC panels for two of its most popular case series' - the Corsair 4000 Series and the Corsair 5000 Series, which are available now in three different wood styles; Teak veneer, Sapele veneer, and Bamboo veneer.

ENERMAX is introducing a new power supply, the Revolution D.F. 2 850W, which is 80 PLUS Gold certified. As per the headline, it uses the company's Dust-Free Rotation (DFR) technology, which enables the PSU fan to blow away any dust accumulating on the fan blades as it's powering up. Where does the dust go from there? Well, that's your business.

The ENERMAX Revolution D.F. 2 850W is more than a PSU that can clean itself, it also features an upgraded circuit design that allows peak power wattage output to reach 200%. The Revolution D.F. 2 850W can stably provide an impressive 1700W for a microsecond.

This is very cool to see, as momentary power spikes in the age of high-powered GPUs and CPUs are real. And a feature like this goes a long way to mitigate potential power issues.

Antec has revealed its new P20C mid-tower E-ATX PC chassis that offers style and function for a low price.

Antec's new P20C mid-tower PC case checks all the right boxes. The chassis features modern upgrades that makes assembly and maintenance a breeze; not only does the case have ample room with support for 330mm dual-CPU motherboard sizes, but it also sports rubber grommets and clips for easy cable management and pass-through.

Since I just cleaned my PC, I can fully appreciate the P20C's snap-on front mesh cover and filters. Removal of front lining is a breeze and the filter can be cleaned, dried, and quickly re-applied. There's even a magnetic dust filter at the very top to keep particles out if you don't mount exhaust fans. P20C also comes with three built-in 120mm fans with a nice 1-to-4 fan splitter to keep cables at a minimum.

If you're looking at putting together a new enthusiast, gaming, or content creation PC, this new range of Corsair products should interest you. The company is updating its liquid CPU cooling options and introducing new cases designed for maximum airflow (and RGB goodness). It is introducing a new RGB fan in the form of the AF RGB ELITE.

The AG RGB ELITE fan is described as Corsair's highest-performing RGB fan, featuring eight addressable LEDs per fan. Available in 120mm and 140mm versions, speeds can top 2,100 RPM and 1,700 RPM, respectively, with the low-noise operation and a "Zero RPM" mode that is said to generate no noise. The new AF RGB ELITE is available in a kit with an iCUE Lighting Node CORE controller and as single-fan expansions.

This brings us to the new liquid CPU coolers in the form of the new AIO-based iCUE ELITE CAPELLIX XT and ELITE LCD XT, which incorporate these new fans. Coupled with Corsair's applied XTM70 Extreme Performance Thermal Paste, the company notes that these new coolers are perfect for the "thermally demanding" 13th Gen Intel and AMD Ryzen 7000 Series processors. These new coolers are available in radiator sizes going from 240mm up to 420mm.

Cooler Master is upgrading its best-selling PC case of all time with the introduction of the new TD500 Mesh V2. It retains the funky geometric look and feel of the original, with three 120mm ARGB fans on the front. Cooler Master describes the polygonal mesh design as being both stylish and great for airflow and dust filtration. In terms of improvements, the new TD500 Mesh V2 supports larger radiators (seven 120mm fans and 360mm front and top radiator support is here) and adds a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port on the I/O panel.

The tempered glass (and tool-free) side panel returns alongside a cool PSU shroud feature that allows you to showcase your PSU or keep it covered. There's no point messing too much with a classic design, and with a price point of USD 89.99, the TD500 Mesh V2 sounds like a great option for those looking to put together a new gaming rig.

Here's the Cooler Master TD500 Mesh V2 breakdown.

Corsair has lifted the lid on its latest power supply series, the RMx SHIFT 80 PLUS Gold Fully Modular ATX Power Supply. What makes them stand out isn't that they're all ATX 3.0 certified and come with PCIe 5.0 12VHPWR cables perfect for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series GPUs, but that all the connections are on a side panel. "A revolutionary patent-pending side cable interface."

A first for PSUs and something we're surprised hasn't happened until now.

According to Corsair, moving the modular connections to the side panel on the new RMx SHIFT 80 PLUS series makes it easier to manage cables and connect PC hardware. Accessing a PSU and connectors from the side would no doubt be something many potential PC builders would love - and the new RMx SHIFT 80 PLUS series is launching in everything from 750W to 1200W variants.

Noctua has announced a new addition to its popular low-profile CPU coolers, the NH-L9 series. Designed for the latest AMD Ryzen 7000 CPUs, the NH-L9a-AM5 features a height of only 37mm, a sweet Noctua fan, and a compact size perfect for small form-factor systems or PCs with AM5-based Ryzen processors.

The new low-profile cooler has been specifically designed for the latest low-power non-X variants of the AMD Ryzen line-up. With CPU compatibility on the official Noctua product pages listed as Ryzen 5 7600, Ryzen 5 7600X, Ryzen 7 7700, and Ryzen 9 7900. Interestingly Noctua's official press info for the new cooler does mention that it can handle the beefy Ryzen 9 7950X's 130W.

"AMD's just-released 65W Ryzen CPUs are ideal for building small yet highly powerful systems, and our new NH-L9a-AM5 is the perfect cooler to match", Roland Mossig, Noctua CEO, says. "It can easily cool the new 7900, 7700 and 7600 at ultra-quiet fan speeds and offers plenty of headroom if customers want to push them beyond 65W - we've actually been running up to 130W on the Ryzen 7950X and 7900X!"

Adding custom cooling to a GPU or even changing the thermal paste to improve the cooling using an existing design is something modders have been doing for years. With several different thermal pads and paste solutions, choosing the right one can be tricky, which makes an in-depth report showcasing the result of various brands and options an invaluable tool.

A user over at the ComputerBase forums has done this, except that they've thrown in results for several things you wouldn't normally associate with cooling high-tech bits of silicon. We're talking ketchup, cheese, toothpaste, and even little slices of potato used as a thermal pad.

The tests were carried out on a Radeon R7 240 with a 30W TDP running Furmark for five minutes. Using an older GPU makes sense in terms of avoiding destroying something newer, plus the added benefit of not creating a grilled cheese and silicon sandwich.

A Redditor has used the Midjourney AI image generator to create some potential PC case designs, and the results are very cool, with some funky spherical designs. On that note, Hybective (the Redditor in question) has said that one of the prompts they used was "Sphere ITX PC build hyper realistic" and that "sphere" was a standard input based on their desire for a cool-looking spherical PC case.

This answers the question as to why a decent percentage of them are round. With 28 AI-generated PC case designs, many of them could inspire some case modders to take steps to make them a reality or even prompt case makers to add similar designs to their lineups.

The rise of AI in design and image generation has been something to behold of late, and seeing a powerful tool like Midjourney AI used in this way makes much sense. With AI a vital part of the software and hardware side of gaming PCs and creator rigs, thanks to NVIDIA tools like DLSS and Broadcast, the next step is to use AI for physical designs.

ASUS has lifted the lid (or opened the side panel) on its epic new full-tower case, the ROG Hyperion GR701. Sporting a Republic of Gamers look and feel; it supports massive dual 420mm radiators and four 140mm fans for cooling.

A dedicated fan hub will allow you to manage the case's cooling, and being a full-sized tower means plenty of room for "beefy graphics cards" - with a maximum GPU length of 460 mm. Those quotes are there because that's how ASUS describes the modern-day GPU in the press release for the Hyperion GR701. And looking at the recent sizes of new cards from NVIDIA, specifically the GeForce RTX 4090, we're inclined to agree.

Here's the official description from ASUS.

GALAX has just revealed its new and monstrous Hall of Fame GH1300 power supply, which is a new ATX 3.0-ready power supply that feeds up to 1300W of power into whatever PC components you can throw at it... especially GALAX's own in-house GeForce RTX 4090 Hall of Fame graphics cards... even two of them.

The new GALAX HOF HG1300 power supply is rated for 1300W of nominal power, while it can peak at up to an incredible 2500W which means it'll be competing against other ATX 3.0-ready power supplies from the likes of MSI and its Ai1300P power supply (which also provides 1300W of power, and is ATX 3.0 compliant).

GALAX and its new Hall of Fame GH1300 power supply is also certified for 80PLUS Platinum efficiency, confirming it can handle 92% at half the load.