I'm returning to say that I built a new computer, thus freeing up a case I already have that would be ideal for this project: an Aplus/ABS Tagan Black Pearl, basically a variant of the Lian-Li PC-V2000. With that huge mesh window on the side, ventilation won't be an issue, and there's a 120mm rear fan providing exhaust.

It almost worked. Even my gargantuan AWE32 fits in that case because of the sheer length and no drive cages getting in the way. But one simple problem shot the whole idea down...there's a side wall between the mobo and the PSU/HDD area that my Scythe Ninja won't clear, and I really don't feel like cutting off part of it. I don't have any other Socket 478-compatible heatsinks lying around, either.

This means I have to decide to:

-find a new case (most suitable ones being expensive to ship, because not even many modern cases have 14" clearance for the 7th expansion slot)
-find a new heatsink with Socket 478 compatibility (or a waterblock, but custom water-cooling gets VERY expensive and closed-loop systems are a recent development only made for modern sockets)
-find a way to switch out the Socket 478 mounting mechanism for a more modern one that gives me more heatsink choices

Feel your pain, that case is weird.

I own a Lian-Li PC-V2000, mine does not have the extra vent holes, but it is the "plus" version with the sound dampening foam inside. WONDERFUL case. In fact i'm currently rebuilding my home server inside of it. As of right now it has 12x 320gb sata drives and a dual socket 604 3.8ghz p4. Runs like a champ. In fact, I ran my 3.2 p4 @ 4ghz for a LONG time in this case back when I water cooled things. I should post a picture or two...

If it wasn't clear enough, I LIKE that case. Spacious, roomy, even has a built-in fan controller and temp sensor, and when I bought it years ago, it only cost me $100 shipped. Let's just say those clearance deals didn't last long...

...but something tells me it's really meant for water-cooling in mind, and it's not even optimally laid out for that by default. If you clear out the HDD cages and dividing wall in the bottom section, along with cutting new windows in the side panels and flip the PSU mounting plate over so it sits up high, you can fit at least a 4x120mm radiator down there. CPU waterblocks also don't have the problem of colliding with that top/bottom compartment dividing wall.

Ideally, I'd just make that entire lower compartment a water-cooling bay of sorts with the PSU there as well, sort of like how people tend to configure the Silverstone TJ07 or Corsair 900D. Then I'd turn three of the SEVEN (!) 5.25" bays into a drive cage/120mm fan intake.

If I could bring myself to cut that case up a bit, it would seriously give my Corsair 800D a run for its money. Hell of a lot lighter due to the aluminum vs. steel construction, too.

That case is not good for air cooling. Either watercool, or switch case.

TELVM wrote:

That case is not good for air cooling. Either watercool, or switch case.

I can tell you I didn't buy the 800D for my new computer with air-cooling in mind (nobody with any sense does), and the Black Pearl was already a hell of a lot better airflow-wise than the first "6AR6" case I had my Q6600 box in. Had to take the side panel off so that case's ambients didn't shoot through the roof, which wasn't necessary with the Black Pearl because of a mesh side window. Ultimately, though, my Black Pearl will be a watercooling case; it's just a matter of when I can bring myself to cut the poor thing up and what radiator I'm cramming into that bottom compartment.

But before we even talk about potential alternative cases for air cooling, anything that cannot fit the massive 14" monster of a sound card that is the AWE32 in the seventh expansion card slot is immediately disqualified. Not even many of today's cases can handle that. The Black Pearl and 800D both have BARELY enough clearance for it. Most other cases have a hard drive cage in the way that's riveted in.

It also needs to handle plenty of drives, at least one 5.25" optical (maybe two), a 3.5" floppy, and two 3.5" hard drives.

And finally, I'd prefer for this not to break the bank. I can justify $100+ cases for whole new computers, not so much for a retrogaming build.

TELVM wrote:

That case is not good for air cooling. Either watercool, or switch case.

you say that, but i've ran mine for YEARS without a single issue. And 3.8ghz xeons make PLENTY of heat. I even had a pair of GTX 260's doing F@H before I sold them to pay rent. 🙁

Is it optimal? no. is it bad? no.

That Black Pearl case maximizes HDD capacity, sacrifising everything else.

The mobo is squeezed between middle bulkhead and roof, leaving CPU too close to bulkhead, so you can't fit even a Scythe Ninja. That middle bulkhead also blocks any cooling option from the floor for any components on mobo (CPU, GPU, etc.).

The rear intake 120 just recirculates back hot air coming from the PSU exhaust below. Then the air must do a tight 90-degree turn to go upwards, dodging the GPU wall, to escape thru rear roof 120 exhaust. Definitely not good.

There is no intake fan position in the case front that mobo components can use, again from maximizing HDD capacity and middle bulkhead blocking. That's why they had to make half of the side panel a huge grill.

Great for tons of HDDs, but mediocre for CPU air cooling. Nothing a determined DIYer can't much improve, however.

Here are some of my s478 coolers

I like to have choices 😀

The best one is the tower cooler Scythe Mine.
But the larger of the Zalman coolers CNPS7700-CU is great as well. (918g)

The others are "Thermalright XP-120", "Artic Cooling 4 Pro TC Super Silent" and "Zalman CNPS7500-Cu".

^ That Scythe Mine is a great relic, love the flat polished copper base.

. . .

Manages to keep 125W at bay @ Δ20C with just one 100mm fan. Preshott tamer .

I have a few P4 3.0E waiting in line to be wipped.
Some motherboards tends to fail when overclocking s478 prescotts though.
MSI 875P Neo F* cant handle overclocked Prescotts... I found out by trying.
Lucky enough Asus 875P and 865P boards are rock solid and I have one each... somewere...

Skyscraper wrote:

... Lucky enough Asus 875P and 865P boards are rock solid ...

Agreed.

On my P4 I used:

Scythe Shuriken Rev.B Quiet Low Profile CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?It … N82E16835185097

For those looking to buy a P4 heatsink, you may be able to still find a Zalman CNPS7000B-Cu or variant. These are good coolers too:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?It … N82E16835118119

Here is a photo of the Scythe:

Shuriken is great for other reasons as well. Mostly because it'll fit inside very thin cases 😀

TELVM wrote:

Kicked away the Gigabyte, got a real mobo (ASUS P4P800) and OCed the infernal beast to 3.7GHz @ 1.525 volts. […]
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Kicked away the Gigabyte, got a real mobo (ASUS P4P800) and OCed the infernal beast to 3.7GHz @ 1.525 volts.

Temps are now 35C idle / 43C torturing @ 21C ambient.

can post that wallpaper?

Sure, what size would you like?

TELVM wrote:

Sure, what size would you like?

all of them? 🤣 idk a 4:3 version and wide screen version?

Help yourself on the original.

TELVM wrote:

Help yourself on the original.

sweet, an image that can fill up my 30" screen. ^.^

but to get back on topic, the BEST cooler i've ever owned is the Zalman cnps9500. Its that figure 8 deal. You can still buy them on newegg. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?It … N82E16835118003 The older ones have the socket 278/A mounting brackets. I still have my original one and its still in use on my dual socket F rig. (I had to buy a 2nd)

luckybob wrote:

.. the BEST cooler i've ever owned is the Zalman cnps9500. Its that figure 8 deal.

I agree, these are great coolers. Sadly I don't think they can be mounted on a 478.