# The CM 690 II Advanced Case Thread



## Wrigleyvillain (Jan 24, 2010)

A really nice, evolved upgrade to the original classic with an excellent $99 price to match! Notable features include all steel body, all black interior, room for 2 internal 120.2 radiators, VGA support bracket, top SATA hard drive dock and a cutout in tray allowing the ability to install/remove back plates without having to remove the motherboard. 












Product Page
Newegg Listing 

*Reviews:*

Hardware Canucks
NeoSkeer
Overclocker's Club
Hardware Secrets
Benchmark Reviews
Extreme Overclocking
Pure Overclock


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## Wrigleyvillain (Jan 24, 2010)

Mine arrived yesterday and in general very pleased with the looks and build quality. Have it up and running with my TRUE;  can't finish until I get new rad so can go internal. Some preliminary pics...

Next to my old CM 690:





VR kicking it in top dock:





Board installed:







More to come; please add your own!


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## (FIH) The Don (Jan 24, 2010)

i'm looking forward to recieve mine in a week or so, denmark is a bit slow on new hardware så it wont be released until feb 1 :shadedshu

but still, its has tons of features vs the price


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## DirectorC (Jan 24, 2010)

Ugh man I want one of these so bad.  It's everything I always wished the 690 was.


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## (FIH) The Don (Jan 24, 2010)

i'll be doing window mod on mine, and sleeving PSU with MDPC and stuff like that, its gonna be real good i think


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## Wrigleyvillain (Jan 24, 2010)

(FIH) The Don said:


> i'll be doing window mod on mine, and sleeving PSU with MDPC and stuff like that, its gonna be real good i think



Sweet! I want a nice big rectangular window too though as I don't have too much experience yet I will probably pay Cyber Druid to do it for sure nice and professional like 

Now I have my old one to practice on too, heh.


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## kid41212003 (Jan 24, 2010)

I wanna trade mine for this one, but I don't know where to get rid of my current CM690 .


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## Wrigleyvillain (Jan 24, 2010)

kid41212003 said:


> I wanna trade mine for this one, but I don't know where to get rid of my current CM690 .



Craigslist?


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## utnorris (Jan 24, 2010)

Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't is support two 2 x 140mm rads, one up top and one on the bottom?  I only ask because you stated it supported two 120.2 rads and I want to be sure before I get one.
Thanks


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## Fourstaff (Jan 24, 2010)

kid41212003 said:


> I wanna trade mine for this one, but I don't know where to get rid of my current CM690 .



FS thread? Every now and then people want to build a new rig, and cases are always in short supply.


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## MN12BIRD (Jan 24, 2010)

Very nice case.  I didn't mind the CM690 overall it looked pretty nice but I just hated the placement of the power and reset buttons and the USB/e-SATA ports.  Those two details just killed it for me but they certainly fixed those two major issues on this one!  Plus they painted the inside black, put in a CPU backplate access hole on the mobo tray and updated the drive mounts.  Looks like the same HD mounts as the HAF.  Now I just love it!  On top of all of that the top mounted SATA drive cradle thing is a neat feature!

I used to be an Antec fan but now I have to say my two favorite cases right now (for the price) are the CM Storm Scout and this one here and they both are under $100 Canadian!  Go Cooler Master!


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## (FIH) The Don (Jan 24, 2010)

Wrigleyvillain said:


> Sweet! I want a nice big rectangular window too though as I don't have too much experience yet I will probably pay Cyber Druid to do it for sure nice and professional like
> 
> Now I have my old one to practice on too, heh.



isnt he retired? dont think he does any mods or builds anymore?


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## utnorris (Jan 24, 2010)

He does sometimes.  Just PM him.


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## (FIH) The Don (Jan 24, 2010)

okay, i wouldnt imagine him stopping with the modding totally, but i live in denmark så that would be too expensive for me haha


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## utnorris (Jan 24, 2010)

Just drive it to him and save the postage.


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## (FIH) The Don (Jan 24, 2010)

oh yeah that would be SO much cheaper


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## Wrigleyvillain (Jan 24, 2010)

utnorris said:


> Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't is support two 2 x 140mm rads, one up top and one on the bottom?  I only ask because you stated it supported two 120.2 rads and I want to be sure before I get one.
> Thanks



Yes. To fit a bottom rad requires removal of the bottom hard drive bays. Haven't tried it myself yet but part of the cage is removable apparently.


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## utnorris (Jan 25, 2010)

I get that, but what size rad fits in the bottom?  Is it a 120.2 or a 140.2?
Thanks


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## pantherx12 (Jan 25, 2010)

utnorris said:


> I get that, but what size rad fits in the bottom?  Is it a 120.2 or a 140.2?
> Thanks




120.2 it says in the second image actually.

Well implies it, it only has 2 120mm mounting areas at the bottom.


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## Wrigleyvillain (Jan 25, 2010)

I have the top off (whooo!) and based on mounting hole placement it looks like it can take a 140.2 as well. There is certainly room for that width and it ships with a 140mm fan internal on the top. I'll post more pics later; cam charging. Not sure about bottom holes yet but it could just rest down there. Or use velcro  At any rate, an easier "mod" than the top would be if were necessary.


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## Sensi Karate (Jan 25, 2010)

I just ordered my HAF 922 (window version) and I'm really happy about it but I'm loving this case as-well! I wish my HAF 922 had the black interior as now I need to spray paint mine Matte black when I get it.  If you were able to buy this case in Australia now and had a window I would've ordered this straight away.

Best case for its price atm.


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## utnorris (Jan 25, 2010)

pantherx12 said:


> 120.2 it says in the second image actually.
> 
> Well implies it, it only has 2 120mm mounting areas at the bottom.



I only ask because when it was first shown at CES they implied it could take a 140.2 up top and on the bottom after removing the HD cage,  I really wish someone locally had one, but they don't.  Guess I will have to wait a few weeks for one of them to get it instock so I can see it upclose.

Anyway, really liking this case, before this came out I was considering the Corsair 800D, but it's a good chunk of change more.


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## pantherx12 (Jan 25, 2010)

utnorris said:


> I only ask because when it was first shown at CES they implied it could take a 140.2 up top and on the bottom after removing the HD cage,  I really wish someone locally had one, but they don't.  Guess I will have to wait a few weeks for one of them to get it instock so I can see it upclose.
> 
> Anyway, really liking this case, before this came out I was considering the Corsair 800D, but it's a good chunk of change more.





It's only got the 5 140 mounting areas from what I've gathered ( 1 x front, 2x side 2 x top)

Phsycally there is space for a 140mm rad down there so if they haven't included that I've NO idea why


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## Chicken Patty (Jan 25, 2010)

this should be an interesting thread, subscribed.


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## Wrigleyvillain (Jan 25, 2010)

pantherx12 said:


> It's only got the 5 140 mounting areas from what I've gathered ( 1 x front, 2x side 2 x top)
> 
> Phsycally there is space for a 140mm rad down there so if they haven't included that I've NO idea why



Exactly. And again as for the top the factory holes for the included 140mm top fan are in the same piece/area as those you use for your radiator fans. There are also holes for 120mm and nice big cutouts. Thus don't see why a 140 wouldn't work out of the box.

The rad mounts below the top metal piece of the chassis and the rad fans on top of it, then you put the top cover piece back on over the fans. Secures on there with the rad fan screws, obviously. The outer pieces have many small holes and they are bigger than the "mesh" of the original CM 690; the rad fans should get enough air. Looks way better too.


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## Wrigleyvillain (Jan 25, 2010)

Some more pics. 2 shots of the rad installed and one first boot with wc installed  

Could not orient rad other way due to mosfet sink though I think this works better anyway. Gonna have to move my optical drive however.

Man the orange on the PSU really clashes. Might remove the label though maybe just get a different one soon.


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## utnorris (Jan 25, 2010)

Looks good.  You think you can get a pic of the lower rad area for me?
Thanks.


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## Icejon (Jan 25, 2010)

That is one clean radiator installation.  With the top mounting of 120mm fans, the radiator doesn't affect the motherboard installation.  There is no overlap and its really low pro.  What type of radiator is that?


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## Wrigleyvillain (Jan 25, 2010)

Yeah it fits really nicely. It's a Swiftech MCR220, 34MM thick. The Danger Den Black Ice II is 40mm, for example, though Im pretty sure that would also fit well.

Yeah can take a pic of bottom area tonight, though I don't think I want to remove my drive cage.


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## Kantastic (Jan 25, 2010)

If only they included rubber grommets for the cable management holes like the 800D... it'd make this case that much better.


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## (FIH) The Don (Jan 25, 2010)

it would def be nice, but not something that holds me back.


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## Wrigleyvillain (Jan 25, 2010)

Kantastic said:


> If only they included rubber grommets for the cable management holes like the 800D... it'd make this case that much better.



I suppose. As The Don said it's hardly a deal breaker.


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## utnorris (Jan 25, 2010)

Just buy some rubber lining to put in the holes if you are worried about it.


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## Wrigleyvillain (Jan 26, 2010)

It's hard to capture the bottom well with everything in there but hopefully the combo of these two pics will suffice. I guess you remove the mesh filter.


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## (FIH) The Don (Jan 26, 2010)

i think it looks awesome, and it looks like it has very good cable manegement on the back, i know that 750TX has ALOT of cables,


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## Th0rn0 (Jan 26, 2010)

So want one of these cases! But I want a windowed model


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## utnorris (Jan 26, 2010)

Thank you for taking the pics.  Now I am deciding between this and the Corsair 800d.


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## (FIH) The Don (Jan 26, 2010)

if you dont care about your money, then its the 800D you should take, thats one lean mean mofo, 

but if you care about getting most bang for the buck then its the 690

but thats just me


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## utnorris (Jan 26, 2010)

Believe me, I hate spending a lot on a case, especially since I already have a UF2O case, but I kinda want to go back to a normal case.


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## Wrigleyvillain (Jan 27, 2010)

No one else here one of these yet? Ill post more pics soon, haven't made much progress last few days. Been gaming when I have free time.


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## Scrizz (Jan 27, 2010)

i wanna get one.
I loved my 690 and this one is sooo much better(and sooo  much easier to carry around than my Cosmos S)  :shadedshu


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## Wrigleyvillain (Jan 27, 2010)

That's true.  Even if you have water cooling.


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## Chicken Patty (Jan 27, 2010)

I heard the obsidian comes with a built in workout. Shipping it is over 60lbs according to PPCS.


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## utnorris (Jan 27, 2010)

Still thinking about getting one, I just want to see it person before I buy it.  Hopefully either Fry's or MC will have it next weekend and I can take a look at it.


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## Chicken Patty (Jan 27, 2010)

utnorris said:


> Still thinking about getting one, I just want to see it person before I buy it.  Hopefully either Fry's or MC will have it next weekend and I can take a look at it.



The Obsidian?  If so I would like to see one in person as well.


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## Wrigleyvillain (Jan 28, 2010)

I think he is talking about the 690 II. At any rate, seeing a case in person definitely is a helpful option if you have it.


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## utnorris (Jan 28, 2010)

Newegg is now running free shipping on this case, promo code is EMCYZNW22.


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## Wrigleyvillain (Jan 28, 2010)

DAMNIT lol 

I'd be really pissed if I had to spend more than $20. For a case that's really not bad at all.


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## Icejon (Feb 2, 2010)

Can you post some new pictures of the top cover on top of the fans? I would love to see temperatures with this setup.  I wonder if you could fit a 180mm silverstone fan on the front area.


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## (FIH) The Don (Feb 3, 2010)

woooohoooooo i'll be getting mine in 2 days   just got a mail from the supplier


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## Chicken Patty (Feb 3, 2010)

(FIH) The Don said:


> woooohoooooo i'll be getting mine in 2 days   just got a mail from the supplier



pics when you get it


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## (FIH) The Don (Feb 3, 2010)

will spam you all down with them


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## Chicken Patty (Feb 3, 2010)

(FIH) The Don said:


> will spam you all down with them



give it your best shot!


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## (FIH) The Don (Feb 3, 2010)

roger that, i just ordered a pack of mdpc sleeving, so i can sleeve that enermax modular psu i bought


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## Chicken Patty (Feb 3, 2010)

(FIH) The Don said:


> roger that, i just ordered a pack of mdpc sleeving, so i can sleeve that enermax modular psu i bought



I've been planning a order from them.  I will probably get the SOCIOPACK from murdermod and some screws and stuff directly from MDPC.  Small things, should fit in a envelope so overseas shipping shouldn't be difficult.


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## (FIH) The Don (Feb 3, 2010)

link?


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## Chicken Patty (Feb 3, 2010)

(FIH) The Don said:


> link?



SOCIOPACK is the 2nd one


http://www.murdermod.com/sleeving-kits.htm


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## (FIH) The Don (Feb 3, 2010)

looks like mine is a bit bigger?

http://en.mdpc-x.com/mdpc-sleeve/sleeve-kits-+-tools/sleeve-kits/mdpc-sleeve-kit.htm

other than that they are equal  will be fun to try it


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## Chicken Patty (Feb 3, 2010)

(FIH) The Don said:


> looks like mine is a bit bigger?
> 
> http://en.mdpc-x.com/mdpc-sleeve/sleeve-kits-+-tools/sleeve-kits/mdpc-sleeve-kit.htm
> 
> other than that they are equal  will be fun to try it



yes that's the psycho pack I believe, which is the first one in the link I gave you


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## douglatins (Feb 3, 2010)

Chicken Patty said:


> yes that's the psycho pack I believe, which is the first one in the link I gave you



I will have 2 of them in a while, my customs is run by apes


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## Chicken Patty (Feb 3, 2010)

douglatins said:


> I will have 2 of them in a while, my customs is run by apes



  Apes?


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## Wrigleyvillain (Feb 3, 2010)

More pics coming tonight I swears! In the meantime here's a few manual pages I thought might be of interest.


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## Chicken Patty (Feb 3, 2010)

WOW, finding that in a manual is just not easy.  Great job CM.


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## (FIH) The Don (Feb 4, 2010)

mmmmh a little something


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## Chicken Patty (Feb 4, 2010)

(FIH) The Don said:


> mmmmh a little something
> 
> http://img.techpowerup.org/100204/IMG_3745.jpg



What is that ugly case looking thing in the picture?  

Can't wait to see the end result bro


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## (FIH) The Don (Feb 4, 2010)

sorry man, that was the only case i could get:shadedshu

i know its ugly as hell, but it will do for now


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## Chicken Patty (Feb 4, 2010)

(FIH) The Don said:


> sorry man, that was the only case i could get:shadedshu
> 
> i know its ugly as hell, but it will do for now



So ugly makes me want to go buy one.


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## (FIH) The Don (Feb 4, 2010)

i'll start building it now


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## Chicken Patty (Feb 4, 2010)

Hurry up would ya, I'm getting a bit impatient!


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## (FIH) The Don (Feb 4, 2010)

lol 

warning, many pics!

took some time because there was a minor problem






there is actually a lot of room on the backside for cables, the 24pin cable fits there without problems






see something strange about this? 





i had to move the top fan to the right because of the 8pin 





and YES i KNOW its IDE HD's, but my Raptor AND my 750gig storage drive took a dumb on me so now i have to wait a month or so for the rma to be done











and my current desk at my girlfriends house  stole her 32" full HD tv to use for my rig 





this little feature is great, a hot swap docking station on the top 






hope you enjoyed it, i did


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## Wrigleyvillain (Feb 4, 2010)

Looking good dude! Thanks for sharing. 



(FIH) The Don said:


> and my current desk at my girlfriends house  stole her 32" full HD tv to use for my rig



Imagine how hilarious it would have been if you mistyped and put the word "current" in front of the word "girlfriend" instead of the word "desk"! 

(Ok probably not so hilarious for _you_) 

lol


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## (FIH) The Don (Feb 4, 2010)

lol 

i can take a joke or 2 man, dont you even worry about that


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## Wrigleyvillain (Feb 4, 2010)

Yeah but can the "current" girlfriend?  Hee hee


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## (FIH) The Don (Feb 4, 2010)

idc, if whe cant take a joke like that then she aint the right for me hahaXD

she got some humor so no worrys either


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## Chicken Patty (Feb 4, 2010)

Looks good don, I really might consider one of these.  Liking them a lot


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## (FIH) The Don (Feb 4, 2010)

i really like it, i think its like almost perfect for a 100$ case, it really dosnt get better that this, one thing though, they could have put in som rubber things in the CM holes, but thats minor.


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## kurosagi01 (Feb 4, 2010)

i am liking this case so much its tempting to buy.


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## (FIH) The Don (Feb 4, 2010)

you will not be dissapointed


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## Chicken Patty (Feb 4, 2010)

It really doesn't get much better for $100


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## (FIH) The Don (Feb 4, 2010)

oh i forgot, it has this gfx card support thing included, i think its pretty nice when you have like 2 or 3 huge cards in it and you have to transport it

its the one i the top right corner


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## Chicken Patty (Feb 4, 2010)

What GFX card support thing are you talking about?


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## (FIH) The Don (Feb 4, 2010)

i can mount it later and post some pics if you like? even though i do not have HUGE cards haha

pic added above


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## Chicken Patty (Feb 4, 2010)

That'll be great, just to see how it looks in the case.  Im going to have to throw away my debit card


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## (FIH) The Don (Feb 4, 2010)

lolz, did you just buy it or what?

i can only use what i have on my account, i dont like to withdraw or whats it called, cost me to much money

and i will post some pics then


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## Chicken Patty (Feb 4, 2010)

that's the bad thing, I haven't and I still have my debit card with me


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## (FIH) The Don (Feb 4, 2010)

those things are sent from hell haha, 

but i'm glad i cant use more than i have, then i have somthing to look forward to when its the 1st in each month

next month i might get a small SSD, i'm tired of my raptor, + its on the way to germany for RMA


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## Chicken Patty (Feb 4, 2010)

bought a SSD


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## (FIH) The Don (Feb 4, 2010)

have you recieved it?
 me wantz very bad

edit: there you go, 

the area marked with yellow circle is where the gfx support ting is screwed on to the case 







a 80mm fan can be installe on the support thing to push cold air on to the cards


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## Chicken Patty (Feb 4, 2010)

No I haven't received it yet, and thanks for the pictures


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## kurosagi01 (Feb 5, 2010)

should i get its older brother the old 690 dominator because i can afford that one right now and not the advanced??


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## (FIH) The Don (Feb 5, 2010)

i think you should wait for the Advanced, it so much better than the old one imo


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## Wrigleyvillain (Feb 5, 2010)

WAY better. And I just moved from on an original to an advanced, myself.


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## (FIH) The Don (Feb 8, 2010)

do you have that manual to the gfx support thing? cant find mine, so if you would post some pics of it here i would be happy


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## kurosagi01 (Feb 8, 2010)

man i got the money to afford one now but i don't even see point my hardware is not worth getting installed such a nice case =/


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## Wrigleyvillain (Feb 8, 2010)

(FIH) The Don said:


> do you have that manual to the gfx support thing? cant find mine, so if you would post some pics of it here i would be happy



Yeah at home and scanner here. I'll try to remember to bring it in...

Some more pics. First is rear side cable management. Far from perfect, but much easier to do a good job than with my original 690 esp with the cable tie attachments on the back side. Will be *way* easier to put on the back panel. Don't have any front or top panel connectors installed yet. 






Next are front and back shots of the top panel. Looks tough to remove/mod the SATA drive adapter. 










Next is a shot of my front where I have replaced the stock 140mm with a green 120. Holding up stock 140 to show size and orientation. It mounts higher up than the 120 in addition to simply being bigger. 






Last is another shot of the bottom area showing max PSU length while still allowing bottom radiator. My TX750 is 6.3" and you have about another inch max before you get to the rad mounting area.






Have more but none very interesting/helpful. Probably will be a few weeks before I really finish this, too...


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## (FIH) The Don (Feb 8, 2010)

why would you wanna move/mod the top sata?


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## utnorris (Feb 8, 2010)

To install a larger rad such as a triple 120 or 140.


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## (FIH) The Don (Feb 8, 2010)

aha 

you could make a mounting system for the connection in a 5.25 bay and then have a hot swap there instead?


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## utnorris (Feb 9, 2010)

That's actually an interesting proposal.  Hmmmm.


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## Wrigleyvillain (Feb 9, 2010)

VGA bracket manual:


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## (FIH) The Don (Feb 9, 2010)

thanks wrigley


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## Wrigleyvillain (Feb 9, 2010)

No problem. 

By the way folks in case you missed it posted here the original CM 690 side panel fits (I have one) the II Advanced and is presently only $10, $15 off. Perhaps this is preparing for the new one to come out. But at $10 it's a steal. 

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=114767


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## (FIH) The Don (Feb 9, 2010)

i think those side panels are ugly imo, i want a square window,


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## Wrigleyvillain (Feb 9, 2010)

Me too. Though I admit to hating it a lot less once I saw it in person. It's wierd shape also hides the ugly drive cage of the original 690 nicely. 

Mine's a bit beat up now anyway so definitely getting something better and different at some point. At least gonna wait and see what Cooler Master comes out with, if anything.


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## Sanhime (Feb 10, 2010)

Has anyone tried mounting a CM megaflow 200mm or 230mm (like the ones in ATCS840) to the front of the CM690 II Advance?


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## (FIH) The Don (Feb 10, 2010)

i think that you can squeeze a 180 oer 200 mm in there, but then you will have to drill mounting holse yourself, and its NOT gone be easy to get in there


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## Sanhime (Feb 10, 2010)

It bugs me that the HAF922 mid tower comes with a 200mm megaflow, but CM did not do the same for 690 II.  It would appear to be a no-brainer: 200mm fan > 140mm, everyone wins!


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## (FIH) The Don (Feb 10, 2010)

i've just checked, you need to cut in one side to get such big fan in there, and it can MAX be 200mm on the outside of the fan


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## Sproinket (Feb 12, 2010)

Ok, so Wrigley IS a Villain.

After a short debate on cases, I went with what seemed to be the most logical choice of what I wanted to accomplish including price.

My 690 II Advanced should be here tomorrow if I am lucky. The huge benefit of living about 3 hours from the Newegg Warehouse 

Order something one day, get it the next. But the weather here has been horrible (40" Snow) so I don't expect to get my case until Monday...Tuesday by the latest.

So I'll be joining the 690 II Advanced Fan Club in short time. I went ahead and ordered me an OCZ Modular 700w PSU to go along with it, since Modular units are much more simplistic.

I'll have to post pics in the next week's time or so of the completed rig when I'm done. No setbacks along the way of course


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## (FIH) The Don (Feb 12, 2010)

sounds nice man! you will NOT be dissapointed, i can promise you that.

and welcome to tpu btw


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## F2K (Feb 12, 2010)

I have joined the club. My CM 690 II Advanced is in the trunk of my car. Can't wait to get home and put the rig together


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## Wrigleyvillain (Feb 12, 2010)

Sweet guys! Pics or GTFO!


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## Sproinket (Feb 15, 2010)

Wrigleyvillain said:


> Sweet guys! Pics or GTFO!



Got it today. Pics will follow possibly later.

A side note...Should I bother getting 1/4" Cable Sleeve in Black fo free right now....Or should I hold off and get alot of 1/8" as well, at another color besides black since the case itself is black.

I'm thinking a blue or green to match Fan LED's and kinda tie in nicely inside when done.

The guy who said I can have some 1/4" Sleeving for free doesn't have 1/8" however, so I dunno if I want to bother with the 1/4" black. He's doing wiring work right now at our garage for a restoration car and has some in his truck he said I can have.

I just dunno if I want to go with 1/4" Black...Or just hold off and get some 1/8" and 1/4" colored later and pay.


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## DonInKansas (Feb 15, 2010)

I wouldn't want a window with those huge blindingly ugly OPEN/LOCK words on the optical drive cage.  That's brutal.


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## (FIH) The Don (Feb 15, 2010)

lol why would anyone wanna have a sidepanel window that shows the dvd/hd cage

i only plan to make a hole that shows the mobo + gfx's


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## OVRKIL (Feb 16, 2010)

*Blue Devil*

Here are some of my pics of my CM 690 II...I've done some custom work to it.  I added a side window, what a pain it was to dremel, I was using the wrong cut disks!!  Next I added some color by painting HDD trays blue to match my mobo once I get it tomorrow.  I also painted the proc Corsair heatsink/pump casing.  I will also be painting the chrome strips that run up the case.  Eventually, I will add a complete water cooling system.  I will also have 2 Sapphire HD5770 VaporX's running in Crossfire X that alrdy have the same color scheme.  Even my power supply has the same coolers, Corsair 750 HX.  I have an Aerocool Touch 1000 to control my fans and monitor temps.  I can add more pics once I continue the build....I hate waiting to complete building due to lack of funds!!:shadedshu


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## Wrigleyvillain (Feb 16, 2010)

Looks great man! Love the blue on the drive trays. Any special paint or primer used?


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## OVRKIL (Feb 16, 2010)

Krylon Fusion spray paint for plastic...works quite well.


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## OVRKIL (Feb 16, 2010)

I forgot, even my memory matches!!


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## Wrigleyvillain (Feb 16, 2010)

OVRKIL said:


> Krylon Fusion spray paint for plastic...works quite well.



Kick ass, thanks. Yeah I have tried to go with an all green and black theme but my power supply clashes. And then I couldn't pass up a great deal on some used Mushkin Redline lol...


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## Chicken Patty (Feb 16, 2010)

Hey ovrkil, great color matching dude, looking nice so far


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## (FIH) The Don (Feb 18, 2010)

a pic so ppl can see how much space there is for gfx cards 





will try and take out the bottom hd cage tonight

okay so i got the 4 lower hd cages out, 






but god dammit, motherf'''''', shitty shitfuck its is a hassle to get that thing back in place, oh my freakin god, i almost cried 48 times


----------



## Chicken Patty (Feb 18, 2010)

Don don't cry, that won't help


----------



## (FIH) The Don (Feb 18, 2010)

didnt, only almost, but i really really really wanted to throw the case out the window.
i mean, it looked so easy when i took it off, but then i got f'cked when i wanted to put it back together


----------



## Chicken Patty (Feb 18, 2010)

That happens bro, when it does just walk away and take a chill pill then try again


----------



## (FIH) The Don (Feb 18, 2010)

hmm must have lost those pills somewhere 

must remember them next time haha


----------



## OVRKIL (Feb 18, 2010)

I finished my paint work, still need to touch up and clean up a few areas.  Overall, I'm pleased with my first custom paint job.  Got my mobo in as well as my HDD, I may paint my ODD black since I noticed all except the bezel is a beige color, BLEH!!  The last 2 pics are basically my complete PC on the outside, I just need to finish adding the hardware!


----------



## (FIH) The Don (Feb 18, 2010)

dont know if i like the blue stripes, but its kinda cool in its own way i guess

but good job, and yeah, give that odd a black coat or 2


----------



## Chicken Patty (Feb 18, 2010)

@don

I can send you some 

@ovrkil
I'll check the pics when I get home, they look promising.


----------



## Wrigleyvillain (Feb 18, 2010)

Chicken Patty said:


> @don
> 
> I can send you some



Oh, yeah?


----------



## Sproinket (Feb 18, 2010)

Welp, everything is almost complete.

Another delivery arrived today with more parts. The WD Caviar Black 750gb HD, My Mouse, My 8gigs of DDR3 1600, and HDMI LCD 21.5".

Asked my father today if he had any Lexan sitting around in the garage and he just so happened to throw it all out last month. I had planned on making my own side panel window but with no Lexan I can't 

Lexan for those who don't know is like a thin version of plexiglass and more flexible. In this case, we use it for the windows in our race cars.

I also intend on picking up some sleeving from that friend of ours for free most likely.

I just need to order and get my MB, CPU and Vid Card before I start opening all the boxes and installing things with pics 

Next week I hope to have everything done and up and running


----------



## Chicken Patty (Feb 19, 2010)

Wrigleyvillain said:


> Oh, yeah?


you need some chill pills too?  I got da hook up LOL


Sproinket said:


> Welp, everything is almost complete.
> 
> Another delivery arrived today with more parts. The WD Caviar Black 750gb HD, My Mouse, My 8gigs of DDR3 1600, and HDMI LCD 21.5".
> 
> ...


8gigs?  NICE!!   As far as lexan attend a NASCAR race or something and stop by the pits.  I'm sure Matt Kenseth wouldn't notice a missing window at 200MPH


----------



## (FIH) The Don (Feb 19, 2010)

naw he would be happy to get some fresh air right


----------



## Chicken Patty (Feb 19, 2010)

(FIH) The Don said:


> naw he would be happy to get some fresh air right



at 200MPH he won't be hot


----------



## (FIH) The Don (Feb 19, 2010)

lol no he wont, he will keep he's head cool so he dont make stupids decisions

so have you gotten home yet?


----------



## Chicken Patty (Feb 19, 2010)

(FIH) The Don said:


> lol no he wont, he will keep he's head cool so he dont make stupids decisions
> 
> so have you gotten home yet?



Just a few minutes ago man, getting ready to take the pics


----------



## (FIH) The Don (Feb 19, 2010)

oooh boy, cant wait, me wantz


----------



## Chicken Patty (Feb 19, 2010)

(FIH) The Don said:


> oooh boy, cant wait, me wantz



installed and all, coming right up!


----------



## (FIH) The Don (Feb 19, 2010)

in your project log right?


----------



## Chicken Patty (Feb 19, 2010)

(FIH) The Don said:


> in your project log right?



and the PC ATM thread, just uploaded them and resized them and stuff.


----------



## Wrigleyvillain (Feb 19, 2010)

Throw a few in the thread, yo!


----------



## Chicken Patty (Feb 19, 2010)




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## Icejon (Feb 23, 2010)

Hey guys I just found out that the official CM 690 II advanced window has become available in USA.  It's exactly what I need.  Its fully acrylic so it can support laser etching, and has a reinforced 120mm fan hole already.


Here is the link on the CM Store


----------



## (FIH) The Don (Feb 23, 2010)

oh my, i want one of those, it is perfect for me


----------



## Wrigleyvillain (Feb 23, 2010)

Yeah, nice. Thanks for posting!


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## Sproinket (Feb 23, 2010)

40 dollars for a Windowed Side Panel?

I guess some lazy people are that crazy


----------



## Wrigleyvillain (Feb 24, 2010)

Um it's $30. Well close to $40 with shipping. A professional modder quoted me $75. I'm not too good with a dremel.


----------



## Kantastic (Feb 24, 2010)

Icejon said:


> Hey guys I just found out that the official CM 690 II advanced window has become available in USA.  It's exactly what I need.  Its fully acrylic so it can support laser etching, and has a reinforced 120mm fan hole already.
> 
> 
> Here is the link on the CM Store



A pity there's a fan hole...  Makes everything look cheap.


----------



## Sproinket (Feb 24, 2010)

Wrigleyvillain said:


> Um it's $30. Well close to $40 with shipping. A professional modder quoted me $75. I'm not too good with a dremel.



Yea, I added in shipping to the total estimate. For me it's like just over 40 shipped.

A "professional" modder is basically an overused name for someone who dabbles around with that stuff.

Granted some modding is indeed more of an art form and does take some experience....Taping off a side panel and using double adhesive mounting tape to put on a piece of clear window is not by all means a professional only job.

My window mod is going to cost me about 3 dollars to do. And that's only because the piece I am using for my window is 3 dollars....16 dollars for a much larger piece that I could probably make 4 windows out of.

If I were to charge someone for a window mod job, I'd probably quote them at like 30-40 dollars shipped, depending on window size and cut-out design.

My design cut-out isn't your normal Square/Round window. Not that it takes extra skill to cut, it's just not a complete symmetrical cut.

Nothing a Cut off wheel, or in the case of not having any sort of cut off wheel or dremel, a sharp nail and hammer will work just as well...Then use the jigsaw and walla.

The problem I think with most window mods is the material being used. Stuff that you really don't need to use since there are things out there cheaper than acrylic, almost as sturdy as acrylic but has some flex to it and is capable of being drilled into for fan holes.

This week, I'll upload a pic of my window panel once I start my Project log. Right now I'm just waiting on my last 3 pieces, putting everything together to make sure it works...Then starting the Mod process


----------



## Icejon (Feb 24, 2010)

Sproinket said:


> Yea, I added in shipping to the total estimate. For me it's like just over 40 shipped.
> 
> A "professional" modder is basically an overused name for someone who dabbles around with that stuff.
> 
> ...



I'm looking forward to pictures of your side window.  For me, I did a window mod once and it took me about 4 hours to get it right.  I ran through 3 cut off wheels and used a jigsaw and a Dremel so it was a learning process.  The results were pretty good, but for me the cost of my time was actually more expensive than $40.  I am sure now that I have that experience I could do a window mod in half the time, but I think comparatively for the time saved, $30 USD plus shipping for a pre made window is pretty good.  I think in general when modding, a lot of modders discount the value of their time.  I'm glad modding comes pretty easily for you.


----------



## Sproinket (Feb 24, 2010)

Icejon said:


> I'm looking forward to pictures of your side window.  For me, I did a window mod once and it took me about 4 hours to get it right.  I ran through 3 cut off wheels and used a jigsaw and a Dremel so it was a learning process.  The results were pretty good, but for me the cost of my time was actually more expensive than $40.  I am sure now that I have that experience I could do a window mod in half the time, but I think comparatively for the time saved, $30 USD plus shipping for a pre made window is pretty good.  I think in general when modding, a lot of modders discount the value of their time.  I'm glad modding comes pretty easily for you.



I agree with you there on alot of points.

Doing a simple Window mod like that can be pretty darn difficult for people who have no clue what a jigsaw may be or an electric cut off wheel is for that matter. I know when I was younger when working with my father on cars, I was afraid of doing the most smallest task since I never held those kind of tools before.

However luckily he's been doing body work for roughly 28+ years and I've been working with him on the side for a bit while. He doesn't have a dremel but that's not a big deal since it's really only needed for the initial cut in the panel, which will be done with the cut off wheel.

I 40$ shipped a good amount for a Side panel Window for the CM 690 Advanced? To me, no since I know I can easily make almost 4 side panels at that price. But for those who don't want to learn or already have a fair idea of how to make one, then sure it's not a bad deal at all.

But I still see it as expensive simply because there are plenty of DIY videos out there for Window mods that one can easily follow and save themselves the cash. But like you said, it may take them time to complete and can be prone to permanent mistakes. And as I said, some people just arn't comfortable with the tools needed to do a job like that so it's also a deterring factor.

None the less, I'll be making that Project log post tomorrow evening and briefly describing alot of ideas that will hopefully turn into things with it. The Phenom 965, 790fx board and Toxic 5850 should be here then.

If not, I'll be pissed since they are calling for yet ANOTHER snow storm here in PA which may/could delay shipping although the package is already in PA so I have hope! 

I am very excited to post the project log as well and to let others who are interested in it follow along.

While I am not new to overall "Handy" work, Body work and general metal work...I have never done any sort of modding to my PC Rigs now OCing, so this in itself is new chartered land for me as well. However I have the confidence to know that the more simpler things will not be a mess like the Window mod and WV System....OCing on the other hand is something I'll be reading a shit ton about and probably posting a boat load more questions about haha.

Edited to add: I still don't know yet whether or not I want to add in the two fan mounts/holes into the Window that are found on the stock side panel. I'm sure they are good to have there for the extra fans, but at the same time could turn out to be tacky if they are there and not used etc, since I always like my builds to be as clean and organized as they can be. I think I'll be ok without them since the case still has good air flow, and I can always add them in down the road so long as I keep the cut outs as a diagram for the new holes


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## Wrigleyvillain (Feb 24, 2010)

It's all relative related to your skills and, yes, how much time and effort expended. Significantly more if you don't have experience.

The "pro" I referred to was CyberDruid, btw.


----------



## Icejon (Feb 24, 2010)

Sproinket said:


> I agree with you there on alot of points.
> 
> Edited to add: I still don't know yet whether or not I want to add in the two fan mounts/holes into the Window that are found on the stock side panel. I'm sure they are good to have there for the extra fans, but at the same time could turn out to be tacky if they are there and not used etc, since I always like my builds to be as clean and organized as they can be. I think I'll be ok without them since the case still has good air flow, and I can always add them in down the road so long as I keep the cut outs as a diagram for the new holes



I agree with your points.  It's really a nice thing to be able to use tools.  About the side window fan areas, I guess it depends on what kind of fan you have needed on the side.  For me I don't have something sharp enough to cut a nice 120mm hole exactly on center.  I would say keep the fan hole where the Cooler Master engineers put it.  I think in that position it would help the GPU cooling a great deal.


----------



## Icejon (Feb 24, 2010)

Ooh,

Guy's the CM 690 II Basic just landed on the web!  Its awesome for the price and has some of the same features that we have on our advanced. 

It's about $79.99 which totally beats the pants off NZXT, Thermaltake, Antec chassis at that price range.

Newegg
NCIX

Compared to Advanced:

- No X-dock HDD Hot Swap
- No top fan
- No GPU retention holder
- No front 140mm fan (replaced with 120mm)
- Cardboard box instead of printed box
- Not so many tool free ODD
- No 3.5" front panel adapter
- No 2 in 1 SSD drive tray

It keeps
- Modular removable hard drive bays
- Filters all around 
- Black interior 
- Everything else


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## Sproinket (Feb 25, 2010)

On the rig as I type. Pics will be uploaded tomorrow since it's super late and the Project shall begin


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## OVRKIL (Feb 27, 2010)

Sproinket said:


> Yea, I added in shipping to the total estimate. For me it's like just over 40 shipped.
> 
> A "professional" modder is basically an overused name for someone who dabbles around with that stuff.
> 
> ...



I bought a window kit for about $24 shipped and I thoroughly enjoyed modding my side panel.  I'm quite the amateur when it comes to modding, but if I can save myself a buck and learn something in the process, then thats fine by me.  Plus I got to choose the exact window config I wanted, although I ran into a few snags with the side panel...there's a small gap in the upper left from a screw hole, eventually I fill it somehow.


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## OVRKIL (Feb 27, 2010)

I got some more pics ready and some design changes...I decided to do a little experiment, I moved my Corsair H50 towards the front of the case and mounted it on the outside of the HDD cage.  Now I'm working on a custom "wind tunnel" to isolate the airflow from the from 140mm intake fan on the front...Luckily, at the moment I only plan on having a single HDD, so my mounting options are flexible.  I may mount it below the air tunnel and alter the tunnel so it directs some air over the top of the drive.  Also, I decided to try a push/pull setup for the H50.  I barely have enough room for my power connection to my graphics card and I'll be adding a 2nd card soon, it's gonna be tight!!  Enough typing, here's the pics...


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## Wrigleyvillain (Mar 3, 2010)

Lookin good!


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## dr.rooke84 (Mar 18, 2010)

lol in the photo of the cm690 cases do i see a imac in the back ground or is it just the mouse.


----------



## dr.rooke84 (Mar 18, 2010)

http://www.techpowerup.com/gallery/2535.html


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## Wrigleyvillain (Mar 18, 2010)

dr.rooke84 said:


> lol in the photo of the cm690 cases do i see a imac in the back ground or is it just the mouse.



That is the mouse and keyboard for my G5 tower. Got it free from work actually as the case got crushed by Fed Ex and I got us paid for them after an initial denial because my company spent $6 million on Fed Ex shipping last year alone . If you have ever scene a more recent Mac tower you realize what a jaw dropper that was. Those things are sturdy, man. They must have put a fork lift on top of the box.


----------



## OVRKIL (Mar 18, 2010)

I finally rec'd my remaining parts and my new PC is complete!!  It just needs some tweaking as I've entered new territory with Core i7 and CrossfireX.  Here's some more pics of the final build...the last picture is of my socket 478 Abit Ic7-MAX3 based PC that I've been running strong for 7 years and now I'm gonna rebuild and use it as back up/media/network PC.


----------



## Chicken Patty (Mar 18, 2010)

OVRKIL said:


> I finally rec'd my remaining parts and my new PC is complete!!  It just needs some tweaking as I've entered new territory with Core i7 and CrossfireX.  Here's some more pics of the final build...the last picture is of my socket 478 Abit Ic7-MAX3 based PC that I've been running strong for 7 years and now I'm gonna rebuild and use it as back up/media/network PC.



That looks awesome bro.    How do you like the c/f with the i7?


----------



## OVRKIL (Mar 18, 2010)

Chicken Patty said:


> That looks awesome bro.    How do you like the c/f with the i7?



Don't know yet...I was so anxious to play a new game on it, I haven't done any testing.  I think there may be some issues with my graphics set up.  I was playing Mass Effect 2 and I saw some artifacts in the textures.  I think I may have only installed drivers for a single card, or does it even matter!?  I found some Crossfire guides while browsing here at work, I'll check'em out at home and do some troubleshooting and tweaking.


----------



## (FIH) The Don (Mar 18, 2010)

try at delete your drivers with driversweeper, and then get the 10.3a beta, http://sites.amd.com/us/underground/tips/Pages/catalyst-10-3-preview.aspx

and see if that helps you


----------



## Chicken Patty (Mar 18, 2010)

OVRKIL said:


> Don't know yet...I was so anxious to play a new game on it, I haven't done any testing.  I think there may be some issues with my graphics set up.  I was playing Mass Effect 2 and I saw some artifacts in the textures.  I think I may have only installed drivers for a single card, or does it even matter!?  I found some Crossfire guides while browsing here at work, I'll check'em out at home and do some troubleshooting and tweaking.



Try using this method in this guide, worked great for me 

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=51219


----------



## Binge (Mar 20, 2010)

Recently chose the CM690 II Advanced as the case to house my revised i7 build.  I've taken a few pictures to show exactly what I've been able to accomplish with the space/features.  Any suggestions are welcome 

CPU and Cooler are OTW expected 3/22

Great case, plain and sharp.  Creeper PC   You'll never see her coming.





I'm really glad I don't own a 5870 or 5970.  It would require some modding.





Foam affixed behind the side fan mounts to keep out dust from getting in these un-used ports.





The case has more than enough space for cable management/routing, but I do wish it had a bit more width behind the mobo tray.





140mm front fan (stock), but shows a front 140mm rad could be used.





Top dual 140/120mm fan mounts.  Amazing solution for watercooling 





Bottom dual 140/120mm fan mounts.  More watercooling possibilities  I love this case.  Installed a 120mm yate for more air intake to the case.





I like the looks of these trays and the minimal materials used in construction, but I would have liked them hot-swappable.


----------



## Chicken Patty (Mar 21, 2010)

good observations binge, I've been eyeballin' this case for a while now.


----------



## Wrigleyvillain (Mar 21, 2010)

Looking good Binge thanks for sharing...


----------



## Kantastic (Mar 21, 2010)

Binge said:


> Recently chose the CM690 II Advanced as the case to house my revised i7 build.  I've taken a few pictures to show exactly what I've been able to accomplish with the space/features.  Any suggestions are welcome
> 
> CPU and Cooler are OTW expected 3/22
> 
> ...



Binge, would it be possible to fit a dual rad in the front while retaining the 2 hard drive bays and also having room for a bottom rad? Something like putting a rad where the 140mm fan is and putting the rad fans between the front of the case (metal part) and front panel?


----------



## Binge (Mar 21, 2010)

Kantastic said:


> Binge, would it be possible to fit a dual rad in the front while retaining the 2 hard drive bays and also having room for a bottom rad? Something like putting a rad where the 140mm fan is and putting the rad fans between the front of the case (metal part) and front panel?



There's no way to put a dual rad in the front without some serious modding.  I don't see why you wouldn't just put duals down on the bottom and then up top except that one rad would get the warm exhaust from your rig.  You'd be VERY surprised what a (front intake)140mm rad and a (bottom intake)280mm rad can accomplish!  It's really astounding.  Technically you'd beat a 5x120mm rad with less surface area O.O  Isn't that nuts?


----------



## _33 (Mar 21, 2010)

Binge said:


> I'm really glad I don't own a 5870 or 5970.  It would require some modding.
> http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu239/BiNGEaNiNjA/IMG_0611.jpg


I don't agree!  The 5870 has it's PCI-E connectors on the top, compared to your card.  What is your card btw, is it the 5770?


----------



## Kantastic (Mar 21, 2010)

Binge said:


> There's no way to put a dual rad in the front without some serious modding.  I don't see why you wouldn't just put duals down on the bottom and then up top except that one rad would get the warm exhaust from your rig.  You'd be VERY surprised what a (front intake)140mm rad and a (bottom intake)280mm rad can accomplish!  It's really astounding.  Technically you'd beat a 5x120mm rad with less surface area O.O  Isn't that nuts?



So let me get this straight, it IS possible to put 3 rads in the case, except the front intake being 1x140mm?


----------



## Binge (Mar 21, 2010)

Kantastic said:


> So let me get this straight, it IS possible to put 3 rads in the case, except the front intake being 1x140mm?



4 rads. 2x280mm rads(top/bottom), 1x140mm(front), 1x120(rear)

::EDIT:: Technically with something like a radbox you could mount a much larger radiator on the back because there are inlets for water tubing on the back of the case.

@_33- It's a 5850.  Good observation on the 5870, but it'd still be too long for this case IMHO.  Not that it wouldn't fit, but that it's just large and this case isn't long.


----------



## _33 (Mar 21, 2010)

Binge said:


> @_33- It's a 5850.  Good observation on the 5870, but it'd still be too long for this case IMHO.  Not that it wouldn't fit, but that it's just large and this case isn't long.



Listen I also have this case, and I know because I measured that it has 12 inches clearance for the expansion cards.  The Radeon HD5870 is 11.1 inches long, and the PCI-E connectors are on the side.  There is absolutely NO reason why it shouldn't fit.  And I'm just waitying for the guy that has a CM 690 II Advanced and owns a HD5870 to prove you wrong, because you are.

Oh and if you're so stuck on your beliefs, why don't you go check this thread and tell them all how you think the HD5870 doesn't fit in the CM 690 cases in general and for what reason it doesn't fit:  http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=106242


----------



## Binge (Mar 21, 2010)

_33 said:


> Listen I also have this case, and I know because I measured that it has 12 inches clearance for the expansion cards.  The Radeon HD5870 is 11.1 inches long, and the PCI-E connectors are on the side.  There is absolutely NO reason why it shouldn't fit.  And I'm just waitying for the guy that has a CM 690 II Advanced and owns a HD5870 to prove you wrong, because you are.
> 
> Oh and if you're so stuck on your beliefs, why don't you go check this thread and tell them all how you think the HD5870 doesn't fit in the CM 690 cases in general and for what reason it doesn't fit:  http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=106242



What the hell about "Not that the case isn't big enough," don't you understand?  Maybe my use of English confuses you, but I did NOT say the case would not support the 5870.  Specifically I wouldn't want a 5870 because it's so long that it would restrict air-flow even more than it already is restricted.  Give it a rest.


----------



## (FIH) The Don (Mar 21, 2010)

_33 said:


> Listen I also have this case, and I know because I measured that it has 12 inches clearance for the expansion cards.  The Radeon HD5870 is 11.1 inches long, and the PCI-E connectors are on the side.  There is absolutely NO reason why it shouldn't fit.  And I'm just waitying for the guy that has a CM 690 II Advanced and owns a HD5870 to prove you wrong, because you are.
> 
> Oh and if you're so stuck on your beliefs, why don't you go check this thread and tell them all how you think the HD5870 doesn't fit in the CM 690 cases in general and for what reason it doesn't fit:  http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=106242



easy now bro, try and read his post before you go nuts


----------



## Chicken Patty (Mar 21, 2010)

_33 said:


> Listen I also have this case, and I know because I measured that it has 12 inches clearance for the expansion cards.  The Radeon HD5870 is 11.1 inches long, and the PCI-E connectors are on the side.  There is absolutely NO reason why it shouldn't fit.  And I'm just waitying for the guy that has a CM 690 II Advanced and owns a HD5870 to prove you wrong, because you are.
> 
> Oh and if you're so stuck on your beliefs, why don't you go check this thread and tell them all how you think the HD5870 doesn't fit in the CM 690 cases in general and for what reason it doesn't fit:  http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=106242



I really hope you understood his post wrong bro...


----------



## sneekypeet (Mar 21, 2010)

I don't think it takes 3 responses to make a point fellas I think binge did ok w/o flying off tha handle.

Lets drop it and move on shall we?


----------



## (FIH) The Don (Mar 21, 2010)

Yep :d


----------



## Icejon (Mar 26, 2010)

Why is nobody using the GPU holder.  The 10% who are I see, dont even have the fan in it?  I mean if you have the Advanced version you paid $20 for it so why not use it.


----------



## Chicken Patty (Mar 26, 2010)

Icejon said:


> Why is nobody using the GPU holder.  The 10% who are I see, dont even have the fan in it?  I mean if you have the Advanced version you paid $20 for it so why not use it.



Curious to hear why the folks aren't using it.


----------



## (FIH) The Don (Mar 26, 2010)

i would only use it if i had 2-3 large cards like 5850/70, gtx-2xx
and if i moved the case alot,

+ i think that the regular 690II dont have the hot swap hd thingie on top


----------



## F2K (Mar 26, 2010)

Icejon said:


> Why is nobody using the GPU holder.  The 10% who are I see, dont even have the fan in it?  I mean if you have the Advanced version you paid $20 for it so why not use it.


$20 more is not just for the GPU holder.
Regular has 2x120mm fans - Advanced has 1x120mm + 2x140mm
Regular no X-Dock like (FIH) The Don already mentioned.
Regular has only two 5.25" tool-free bay - Advanced all four.
Regular has no 3.5" to 5.25" converter included that means also no 5.25" front bezel with 3.5" cutout.
Regular no GPU holder - Advanced yes

Personally I bought it because of the X-Dock and the additional/bigger fans included. X-Dock is a very neat feature and since I bought it I use daily. I will probably never use the GPU holder because I never had any large graphic cards in my PC and I never will


----------



## p_o_s_pc (Mar 26, 2010)

how are these cases for water cooling? As in can it fit a 120.2 rad without mods?

EDIT:I see that the fans have to be outside of the case to make them fit...do not want


----------



## Mussels (Jun 8, 2010)

i just replaced the fan layout in mine - removed the rear fan, and it now has front/side in and top out. Took pics on the way 

i took out the 2x1GB so i can try and get 1066Mhz stable, its cheap generic ram so i think its what was causing me issues (and 4GB cant be TOO bad, right?)

Shot of the top with stock fan. its noisy.






shot with front detached





shot with front on (on a slight angle, the case is NOT leaning )





whats that? white fan blades?





damn right it is  its two of these nexus fans






the noisiest thing in the system is now the PSU... and i'm thinking of replacing the fan in that, too.


----------



## dr emulator (madmax) (Jun 8, 2010)

Mussels said:


> i just replaced the fan layout in mine - removed the rear fan, and it now has front/side in and top out. Took pics on the way
> 
> i took out the 2x1GB so i can try and get 1066Mhz stable, its cheap generic ram so i think its what was causing me issues (and 4GB cant be TOO bad, right?)
> 
> ...



 that mobo looks mighty close to the top of the case m, is it? and if it isn't what space is there inbetween?


----------



## (FIH) The Don (Jun 8, 2010)

here ya go  	
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




old pic though


----------



## Mussels (Jun 8, 2010)

the don has his fans below the top part of the case, i have mine above (in between the mesh and the case) - so i have even more room. its just the angle i took the shot at, although i beleive when i rotate my TRUE120 when the S-bracket arrives, that it will be a tight fit.


----------



## Chicken Patty (Jun 8, 2010)

God I love this case


----------



## Mussels (Jun 8, 2010)

Chicken Patty said:


> God I love this case



you probably could make love to it, although the holes for the WC tubing are a bit small for me...


i just saved that pic of the dons setup, i'll re-do my wiring like that soon.


----------



## Chicken Patty (Jun 8, 2010)

Mussels said:


> you probably could make love to it, although the holes for the WC tubing are a bit small for me...



    ouch!


----------



## dr emulator (madmax) (Jun 8, 2010)

cheers guys, i was just curious as this case looks quite good, and is a fair bit cheaper than the Lian Li PC-X1000 Full-Tower Case i had my eye on, which is priced at £259.99 or 443.44 Australian dollars or 375.92 US dollars and that's without p&p


----------



## Chicken Patty (Jun 8, 2010)

How much is this case over there?


----------



## dr emulator (madmax) (Jun 8, 2010)

Chicken Patty said:


> How much is this case over there?



for the cm690 II from overclockers it's £80.99 inc VAT or 117.10 US dollars (according to expedia's currency converter)


----------



## Chicken Patty (Jun 8, 2010)

dr emulator (madmax) said:


> for the cm690 II from overclockers it's £80.99 inc VAT or 117.10 US dollars (according to expedia's currency converter)



Not bad, that's about what it is here.  The prices in the previous post just kinda scared me


----------



## Mussels (Jun 9, 2010)

just grab the 690 II, its got very little in the way of flaws.


my only wish is that i could fit two intake fans at the front, its limited to 1x140 or 1x120 (although you can choose where to place it)


----------



## Chicken Patty (Jun 9, 2010)

Mussels said:


> just grab the 690 II, its got very little in the way of flaws.
> 
> 
> my only wish is that i could fit two intake fans at the front, its limited to 1x140 or 1x120 (although you can choose where to place it)



only thing holding me back is that I have a TT Element S for my build and I want to give that case a shot.  If not i'll def. get the 690 II.  If this case doesn't work out as expected, I can always switch.


----------



## Wrigleyvillain (Jun 9, 2010)

Mussels said:


> my only wish is that i could fit two intake fans at the front



Totally. Not just for improved airflow but also for looks...


----------



## Inioch (Jul 11, 2010)

Jut ordered a 690 II Advanced for 95€. I'm going to cram it full of wc gear from my current build and be happy  Gives me a good reason to rip the loop apart and put on the second gpu block.

The Tempest was a good case, but it is just too difficult to wire nicely.


----------



## Wrigleyvillain (Jul 11, 2010)

Great please post pics!


----------



## dr emulator (madmax) (Jul 30, 2010)

Wrigleyvillain said:


> More pics coming tonight I swears! In the meantime here's a few manual pages I thought might be of interest.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



thanks Wrigleyvillain i now know what the largest card this case will take 

i was planning on getting the lian li pc-pcx1000, but although it's a very techsy object it's just to big 
(it's bigger than my bedside cabinet ) so i'd struggle to fit it anywhere  

anyways i've a few weeks before i absolutely must buy a case for my gigabyte ud7 
so i'll keep checking back to see what you guys love/hate about it


----------



## dr emulator (madmax) (Jul 30, 2010)

btw has anyone got this case with a 5870 ? 
just curious as to what your temps are as i've got a 5870 so


----------



## Mussels (Jul 31, 2010)

dr emulator (madmax) said:


> btw has anyone got this case with a 5870 ?
> just curious as to what your temps are as i've got a 5870 so



Meeee.

well, sometimes in gaming the fan goes up off idle on the video card... 


translation: it runs very cool with a 140mm side fan blowing on it.


----------



## dr emulator (madmax) (Jul 31, 2010)

pics please m as i'm getting drawn back to this simply because of the amount of fans it can have, 
money ain't the problem, just i felt burned a bit when i bought this thermaltake Xazer skull 
(i would have used this thermaltake but as my thread here says nothing fits properly if at all


----------



## Mussels (Jul 31, 2010)

dr emulator (madmax) said:


> pics please m as i'm getting drawn back to this simply because of the amount of fans it can have,
> money ain't the problem, just i felt burned a bit when i bought this thermaltake Xazer skull
> (i would have used this thermaltake but as my thread here says nothing fits properly if at all



well i cant really show you pics of the fan, since the side panel blocks the view of it all 

as for pics, i'm sure i posted them earlier in this thread.

edit:

heres the post, silly me i never took one of the vidya card! will do so in the next few minutes.

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?p=1921597#post1921597


----------



## JATownes (Aug 1, 2010)

Here is my 690II Advanced.  My main rig.  There is a Xiggy 120 1800rpm fan in all of the slots for a total of 7 internal (I added a fan in the 5.25" bays).  4 controlled by a Scythe Kase Master.  4 internal HDD.  I wired the CCFL into the switch in the top.  What do you think?


----------



## Chicken Patty (Aug 1, 2010)

A bit dusty, but extremely well done.  Love the lighting


----------



## JATownes (Aug 1, 2010)

Yea, West Texas dust.    I hasn't been cleaned in a bit, I just got a little happy with the camera yesterday.


----------



## Chicken Patty (Aug 1, 2010)

JATownes said:


> Yea, West Texas dust.    I hasn't been cleaned in a bit, I just got a little happy with the camera yesterday.



It looks great bro, some dusting and you are good to go.


----------



## dr emulator (madmax) (Aug 3, 2010)

*coolermaster 690 II case: max's mini review*

i got one (it pays to ask what your local store has as this case had only just come in) 



*first impressions good*

a sturdy case that needs a few tweeks here and there, but on average a fairly descent one
that won't need you to take it back to the store and complain


i had heard of earthing problems so me being me i tested the continuity, and yes when you first put it together, you'll need to put the motherboard standoff screws in and take them out once or twice, due to the holes on the motherboard tray being painted ( i only had to remove one screw to sort this problem out )

*black anodised screws:* 

this case comes with a bag full of them 
and to be honest they aren't the best things to earth your motherboard with, so i used some slightly larger (on the top) chrome plated screws (purchased seperately)


*quality* good 

*paint *: 

well it comes with a fairly descent coat of it, but like everything, it can be scratched 


*hard drive holders* :

they are plastic (not metal), and fairly sturdy (you have to bend them to get your drives to fit) but these are the only way to hold them in this case ( unless you purchase a seperate caddy that will fit in the drive bays )


*ease of use *: average

i found the thumb screws holding the side panels very tight at first, but that's to be expected with a new case

*Motherboard insertion*:

apart from potential earthing problems i found the motherboard fitted in ok, maybe needing about 1mm taking of the standoffs (as there is a slight gap in the i/o shield, but nothing to worry about )


*graphics card insertion*:

my gigabyte hd 5870 fitted in without any problems (at this point i also used chrome plated screws for the earthing, as the holes on the pci expanson slots are also painted 

*sidenote*:

all modern cases that are painted black will have potentential earthing problems these generaly don't pose any threat to your pc  


*fans noise level*: virtually silent 

*airflow*: 

wow this case needs better fans :shadedshu 


*final thoughts* 

on average a good case with plenty of room for extra cooling and gadgets, stealthy  places for cable ties and plenty of room for power supply wires to be hidden away behind the motherboard tray with no deffineable sharp edges

the docs rating  8/10 

buy it you'll like it


*i will put this in the reviews section with pictures and more waffle  also tidied up(when i get round to it maybe tommorow* )

the views held here are the authors and are in no way linked to any member of techpowerups staff or owners


----------



## JATownes (Aug 3, 2010)

Great simple straight-forward review.  I liked it.  



dr emulator (madmax) said:


> *airflow*:
> 
> wow this case needs better fans :shadedshu



Agreed.  It raises the cost of the case dramatically to swap out all the fans, but it is worth it IMHO.  I swapped all of my fans out with Xiggy 120s.  I have three off MB headers and four on a fan controller.  When all of them are cranked up it is definately audible, but the airflow is amazing.


----------



## JATownes (Aug 4, 2010)

Anyone know how to (easily) remove the front and top dust filters?  I have tried but it seems overly complicated.

Edit: Whoops, sorry for the double post.


----------



## Wrigleyvillain (Aug 4, 2010)

JATownes said:


> Great simple straight-forward review.  I liked it.
> 
> 
> 
> Agreed.  It raises the cost of the case dramatically to swap out all the fans, but it is worth it IMHO.  I swapped all of my fans out with Xiggy 120s.  I have three off MB headers and four on a fan controller.  When all of them are cranked up it is definately audible, but the airflow is amazing.



Yeah though this is not news. Every Cooler Master fan I have ever owned, especially those that come with a case, moves waaaay too little air. The ones that came with my original CM 690 were an absolute joke.


----------



## blu3flannel (Aug 4, 2010)

JATownes said:


> Anyone know how to (easily) remove the front and top dust filters?  I have tried but it seems overly complicated.
> 
> Edit: Whoops, sorry for the double post.



Apparently you have to bend the metal tabs out and push it out of the panel. I've looked and looked at mine, and that seems to be the only way to do it. That kinda pisses me off, because I wanna paint all the mesh blue and Cooler Master is making it hard for me to do that. :shadedshu


----------



## JATownes (Aug 4, 2010)

blu3flannel said:


> Apparently you have to bend the metal tabs out and push it out of the panel. I've looked and looked at mine, and that seems to be the only way to do it. That kinda pisses me off, because I wanna paint all the mesh blue and Cooler Master is making it hard for me to do that. :shadedshu



That is the same method I came up with.  Don't get me wrong, I love my CM690II, but what is the point of a dust filter that cannot be removed for cleaning?


----------



## Mussels (Aug 5, 2010)

JATownes said:


> That is the same method I came up with.  Don't get me wrong, I love my CM690II, but what is the point of a dust filter that cannot be removed for cleaning?



air compressor ftw?


----------



## minhtri (Aug 15, 2010)

hello,  i plan to buy CM 690 II A
i will attach 6 hdds, but my friend says they will be hot because hdd cage is horizontal, and if hdd cage is full, the air which is used to cool down hdd will be block
like his NZXT Lexa S

is that possible?


----------



## Mussels (Aug 15, 2010)

minhtri said:


> hello,  i plan to buy CM 690 II A
> i will attach 6 hdds, but my friend says they will be hot because hdd cage is horizontal, and if hdd cage is full, the air which is used to cool down hdd will be block
> like his NZXT Lexa S
> 
> is that possible?



yes, it will reduce the air coming in through the front of the case.

This case has a workaround for that, the fans on the sidepanel provide the fresh air in that situation.


----------



## minhtri (Aug 15, 2010)

er...
look trouble for me
but thanks for your support


----------



## dr emulator (madmax) (Aug 16, 2010)

i would say get your dremel out, but obviously you'd need to remove all of your components first,
plus it would void your warrany on the case ( not that you really need a warranty on a case ) 

i'm not sure about hard drive temps in this case though, because i don't beleive they are monitorable using the current HW monitor (they feel cool to the touch after several hours, i'll stick my temp sensor on them to find out


----------



## So_Bad (Aug 28, 2010)

Hi!

It's my new case.

Needed a VGA off, decent.​Also nees sleeves cables of the case, but I'm too little time free.














It's a shame that a HD  2.5" does not fit perfectly on the DOC. It was close.
So I  think I will use this 500 GB HD I have, the internal SSD adapter. 






















Best regards, from Brazil!


----------



## blu3flannel (Aug 28, 2010)

It's a fantastic case, I think the airflow is good enough that when I get a 5870 or buy into Southern Islands that I won't need to water cool it.


----------



## Jakeman97 (Sep 3, 2010)

Hi all,
Can someone please tell me where I might get a'window' side panel for my 690 II Advanced. I got the one from the Egg and it was a solid right side with two fan ports.
Thanks,
Jakeman97


----------



## Wrigleyvillain (Sep 3, 2010)

They are sold separately, try Cooler Master's site and /or other retailers like Newegg. Thats where I bought the one for my original 690 which I am presently using on my 690 II (fits fine tho I would like a different one).


----------



## Jakeman97 (Sep 3, 2010)

*Re: Side Panel Window 690 II Advanced*



Wrigleyvillain said:


> They are sold separately, try Cooler Master's site and /or other retailers like Newegg. Thats where I bought the one for my original 690 which I am presently using on my 690 II (fits fine tho I would like a different one).



Thanks for the reply Wrigleyvillan. I'll try the CoolerMaster site today. I just got an email from Jeff at FrozenCPU and he said they have the side-window panel for the previous 690 but it will not fit the 690 II Advanced.  I just like to look at all the expensive stuff in there. Hate the thought of hitting this beautiful case with a dremel; but I just might.
Thanks again,
Jakeman97


----------



## Inioch (Sep 3, 2010)

blu3flannel said:


> It's a fantastic case, I think the airflow is good enough that when I get a 5870 or buy into Southern Islands that I won't need to water cool it.



Looking good! I propably would have put the loop pump-rad-cpu-rad-pump, so the water would be cooled right after the cpu and the loop would be straighter.

I need to post pics of my setup once I get it done.


----------



## Wrigleyvillain (Sep 3, 2010)

Jakeman97 said:


> Thanks for the reply Wrigleyvillan. I'll try the CoolerMaster site today. I just got an email from Jeff at FrozenCPU and he said they have the side-window panel for the previous 690 but it will not fit the 690 II Advanced.  I just like to look at all the expensive stuff in there. Hate the thought of hitting this beautiful case with a dremel; but I just might.
> Thanks again,
> Jakeman97



Hmm you may want to reconfirm that with Jeff cause unless I'm just being really dense first thing in the morning here I don't see how that is possible as, again, I am using a windowed panel sold for the original 690 on my 690 II. Ill take pics later. Just upgraded my loop so was gonna do so anyway.


----------



## Jakeman97 (Sep 3, 2010)

*RE; Windowed SP for 690 II Advanced*

Geez I don't know now what to say. Jeff said no. Then I checked on New Egg and one of the reviewers said the old panel had 4 pins and the new panel has 3 pins and to make it work on the 692 it has to be modded some. Now then, if you say it fits and you ought to know for sure I'm going to order one and make it fit. I think I saw some pics of yours in the thread when you first got the case. I'm gonna pull the trigger and order it anyway.
Thanks much for the help. One can always depend on the guys from TPU. 
Jakeman97


----------



## Jakeman97 (Sep 3, 2010)

*Update*

UPDATE on Transparent Side Panel 690 II Advanced. Cooler Master has them Transparent Side Panel for 692 Advanced but they are not available right now. Cannot find one anywhere.
Jakeman97


----------



## blu3flannel (Sep 3, 2010)

Jakeman97 said:


> UPDATE on Transparent Side Panel 690 II Advanced. Cooler Master has them Transparent Side Panel for 692 Advanced but they are not available right now. Cannot find one anywhere.
> Jakeman97



Amazon has them for about $10 less than Cooler Master's site, check it out on there. That's where I got mine.


----------



## Wrigleyvillain (Sep 4, 2010)

Oh sweet that's what Im talking about! A much fuller windowed section instead of this upside down L-shaped crap with hardly any viewable area (though it did hide the ugly unpainted drive cages on the original 690 for which it was actually designed).

And thanks for the heads up re Amazon! Hey dude if you want my old one--$12 shipped!


----------



## Inioch (Sep 6, 2010)

Well here's how it turned out. I like how easy it is to make it look tidy. Could use some more room between the motherboard tray and the side panel.
Most of the cables have been hidden inside the hdd bays, so if I add another rad on the bottom at some point, I'll have to get more creative.
One thing that I haven't found yet, is an adapter from 3-pin fan to sata power. The only reason I still have the older molex power cable is to power some fans and the pump.

Here's one without the GTX 460:






And here's one that's all finished:






Sadly I couldn't get a push-pull to fit on the top like I planned, but will have to do with this for now.
i5-750 loads @ 50c on stock speed.


----------



## Wrigleyvillain (Sep 6, 2010)

That looks a lot better!


----------



## arnoo1 (Sep 6, 2010)

i'm sorry guys, i have the same case but, it makes only noise, those stupid grills and shit are crap, i got 140mm 18db 68cmf noise blocker fans and i'm sure that with the case they produce 30db, and outside the case you cant here them, my old thermaltake armor with those fans barly audioble


----------



## dr emulator (madmax) (Sep 6, 2010)

arnoo1 said:


> i'm sorry guys, i have the same case but, it makes only noise, those stupid grills and shit are crap, i got 140mm 18db 68cmf noise blocker fans and i'm sure that with the case they produce 30db, and outside the case you cant here them, my old thermaltake armor with those fans barly audioble



i sort of agree with ya that the fans that come with it are abit 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 but that's where the fun part comes in called modding  

i intend taking out the grill at the back of my cm 690 II
because as you know it blocks a lot of air, i also did this on my previous case here which made a heck of a diference 

for anyone who doesn't beleive me do the toilet tissue test, i'e put some infront of your pc's exhaust before you remove the grill then do the same after you've removed it, 
you'll see what i mean 

and because it's an exhaust you'll only need to purchase a wire grill (to stop yourself and you kids from getting cuts)


----------



## Mussels (Sep 7, 2010)

i also noticed the case grilles make the fans louder than they should be, so i slowed them down with 7v adaptors.


----------



## IamEzio (Sep 15, 2010)

Here Is Mine CM690 II  PLUS  
























Now  I need to Change that  crapy 9500GT to GTX460


----------



## p_o_s_pc (Sep 16, 2010)

doesn't look bad. I think you could maybe tuck some wires in and move them around alittle to make it look better but other then that i like it.


----------



## IamEzio (Sep 16, 2010)

p_o_s_pc said:


> doesn't look bad. I think you could maybe tuck some wires in and move them around alittle to make it look better but other then that i like it.



My OCZ PSU have vary short cables , i also need 4Pin extension cable , but i can't find one


----------



## dr emulator (madmax) (Sep 16, 2010)

Mussels said:


> i also noticed the case grilles make the fans louder than they should be, so i slowed them down with 7v adaptors.



sorry m that made me laugh you've slowed the case grilles down 

well today i'm swapping out the rear exhaust fan for either my white led akasa or my orange coloured akasa 12 cm fan (yes i'm going to do the toilet tissue test on both fans)


----------



## Mussels (Sep 16, 2010)

dr emulator (madmax) said:


> sorry m that made me laugh you've slowed the case grilles down
> 
> well today i'm swapping out the rear exhaust fan for either my white led akasa or my orange coloured akasa 12 cm fan (yes i'm going to do the toilet tissue test on both fans)



yeah they were too hot on 12V, kept burning my sammiches.


----------



## Jakeman97 (Sep 20, 2010)

*690 II Advanced Clear side Window Available Now*

Hi guys,
If anyone is interested the clear acrylic side window is now available at the CoolerMaster Store for the 690 II Advanced for $19.95 + shipping. CM 690 II Black Transparent Side Window Panel 
Jakeman97


----------



## Chicken Patty (Sep 20, 2010)

I will most likely be sending the payment for one of these cases today.  I'll keep you'll posted.


----------



## Wrigleyvillain (Sep 20, 2010)

Chicken Patty said:


> I will most likely be sending the payment for one of these cases today.  I'll keep you'll posted.



PICS OR GTFO!


----------



## Chicken Patty (Sep 20, 2010)

I don't have it yet


----------



## Inioch (Sep 20, 2010)

Do it! You won't regret it.


----------



## Chicken Patty (Sep 20, 2010)

I will, waiting on reply from seller.


----------



## Triton.se (Sep 25, 2010)

I bought this case to replace Antec 900, but after 2 months I've switched back !

With four (4!, bottom, top, side, on gpu) extra 120mm @ 800rpm fans + the 3x 140mm I belived SLI GTX260s would get cooler, but I got terribly mistaken.

I took off the whole HDD cage for better airflow from 140mm intake, leaving me only one HDD slot.

Temps got up to ~48C idle and in Metro 2033 about 70C, this is with gpu fans @ 95-100%.

Switched back to Antec 900 (had it painted black inside, looks really good) and with the original 3x 120mm + 1x200mm, all @ low, I have <45C idle, load is probably 7C lower.
note that I had a 120mm blowing from the side door + another 120mm resting on the lower gpu, blowing on both cards with CM 690 II Adv !

The advantages I get with Antec 900: My only HDD is positioned at bottom of case, both 120mm front fans have NO resistance, blowing directly at gpus.

so...my new CM 690 II Adv is in kitchen w/o any hardware installed.

Good with it was: Great cable management !


----------



## Chicken Patty (Sep 25, 2010)

Triton.se said:


> I bought this case to replace Antec 900, but after 2 months I've switched back !
> 
> With four (4!, bottom, top, side, on gpu) extra 120mm @ 800rpm fans + the 3x 140mm I belived SLI GTX260s would get cooler, but I got terribly mistaken.
> 
> ...



I had a Antec 900 and I will not argue it has tremendous airflow!


----------



## Zen_ (Sep 26, 2010)

Triton.se said:


> With four (4!, bottom, top, side, on gpu) extra *120mm @ 800rpm* fans + the 3x 140mm I belived SLI GTX260s would get cooler, but I got terribly mistaken.



In all fairness though a 120mm fan @ 800RPM hardly moves any air, only useful in a low power system that requires a token amount of air flow (like a HTPC).


----------



## Chicken Patty (Sep 26, 2010)




----------



## Wrigleyvillain (Sep 26, 2010)

Noice!

I went ahead and removed the drive bays too even tho won't have a rad down there til I lc my GPU(s) one day. Helps airflow surely.


----------



## Huh (Sep 26, 2010)

*My 690 II Advanced*









































Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 @3.825Ghz 1.2V
OCZ 4gb PC3-2000 7-7-7-20
Cooler Master Aquagate Max
150gb WD Velociraptor 10k rpm
XFX 790i Ultra
XFX GTX 260 Black Edition
XFX 850W PSU
Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit

Pic dates are off lol & my camera old.

Almost time to double up on the RAM & SLI my gpu ^^ after I see how it handles FF14

I probably went overboard on the green lol, but I liked XFX's yellow-green/black color sceme so much that I just went with it.

Love this case. It was easy to work with & only needed 2 mods. Cutting out the front face to give me an extra inch for the double 120mm radiator & I couldn't find a face cover with enough see through , so I made my own lol.

Still needs another blacklight at the bottom of the case. I've got an empty bay that I'm still undecided on. I've got to intall 1-2 more fans on that acrylic face once I SLI :/, not looking forward to that.

Hope you enjoyed the pics ^^


----------



## Jakeman97 (Sep 26, 2010)

*Re:690*



Chicken Patty said:


> http://img.techpowerup.org/100925/photo.jpg



Hey CP is that the case you just got from bogmali? Sure didn't take you long to fill it up.  What's next for the 690 II ?
Jakeman97


----------



## Jakeman97 (Sep 26, 2010)

*Re:690 II*



Huh said:


> http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff483/Huh7/SDC10580.jpg
> 
> http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff483/Huh7/SDC10581.jpg
> 
> ...


Yeah I sure liked the pics. Love the color scheme too. I see where you modded for the rad  kind reminds me of the old "Midas Muffler" ad....we'll make it fit.  Nice job though.


----------



## Huh (Sep 26, 2010)

Jakeman97 said:


> Yeah I sure liked the pics. Love the color scheme too. I see where you modded for the rad  kind reminds me of the old "Midas Muffler" ad....we'll make it fit.  Nice job though.



Thanks. Yeah, a top install required a heavier & more difficult mod because of the huge heat sink running around the top of my mobo. I was bummed out since I did my research for fitting that radiator in this case. Then I attempted the bottom mount & sadly I was lacking 3/4 - 1 stupid inch :/. Fortunately I ended up finding the 1 inch I needed by just hollowing out the front . I was suprised & relieved it fit perfectly.


----------



## Chicken Patty (Sep 26, 2010)

Jakeman97 said:


> Hey CP is that the case you just got from bogmali? Sure didn't take you long to fill it up.  What's next for the 690 II ?
> Jakeman97


Yeah that is the one, I've always wanted one of these cases 

I am doing some sleeving and water cooling. Visit my project log for updates.  Link is below.  



Huh said:


> http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff483/Huh7/SDC10580.jpg
> 
> http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff483/Huh7/SDC10581.jpg
> 
> ...



Bro I think what this rig needs is some yellow  coolant or tubing.  I like it a lot bro


----------



## bogmali (Sep 26, 2010)

Nice Dave......I see that you're taking care of my baby.....Let me know if you need the stock side panel since I don't have a use for it.


----------



## Jakeman97 (Sep 26, 2010)

*Re: CP's 690 II*

Alright CP...your gonna just love that case. I'm sorry I didn't get one sooner. Got the window panel for mine yesterday from the Cooler Master store. Just checked the link and it looks like they're out of them again! Don't know what the problem is in North America, those window side panels for the 690 II Advanced are plentiful in the European Market. Here is a link to mine if your interested. Jakeman97s 690 II Advanced No water, just high priced air 
Have fun with you new case.


----------



## bogmali (Sep 26, 2010)

The one that I sold him has the windowed panel


----------



## Chicken Patty (Sep 26, 2010)

Thanks Jake, I'll check yours out when I get home.  Mine does have the windowed Panel.

Bog, get me a shipping quote if you can please


----------



## The_Lurch (Sep 28, 2010)

Hey. I wonder if someone could help me I am attemping my first mod on my new CM 690 II Advanced.

I want to add a underglow to the case. I am going to make a lighting unit to fit under the case. I want to attach it to the button on the front panel so that i can turn it on/off with the front fan LEDs.

I am not sure how i should connect it all though.
This is what i plan on using:
LED x 3 :http://www.fort777.co.za/index.php?...Path=269_456_532_536_546_982&products_id=5412

Will i be able to attach it to the button with a seperate 12v power source to the one feeding up from the fan?

If you need any other info just ask I will try to clear it up.


----------



## heky (Sep 29, 2010)

I just ordered my CM690 II Advanced today. Will probably get here by the end of the week or next week. Will post pictures when i get it.


----------



## Chicken Patty (Sep 29, 2010)

heky said:


> I just ordered my CM690 II Advanced today. Will probably get here by the end of the week or next week. Will post pictures when i get it.



You'll love it.


----------



## Wrigleyvillain (Sep 29, 2010)

My thanks was both for your post and your avatar.


----------



## ShinyChrome (Oct 2, 2010)

I'm getting my CM 690 II Advanced tomorrow, along with new fans and PSU. I wonder, does anyone of you use the Corsair H70 in this case? I'm curious where it would fit and so on. 

Oh and hi by the way, new user here!


----------



## Chicken Patty (Oct 2, 2010)

ShinyChrome said:


> I'm getting my CM 690 II Advanced tomorrow, along with new fans and PSU. I wonder, does anyone of you use the Corsair H70 in this case? I'm curious where it would fit and so on.
> 
> Oh and hi by the way, new user here!



Welcome to TPU 

I personally have not used it in this case or the H70 itself.  Hopefully someone else can chime in and help you out.


----------



## ShinyChrome (Oct 2, 2010)

Chicken Patty said:


> Welcome to TPU
> 
> I personally have not used it in this case or the H70 itself.  Hopefully someone else can chime in and help you out.



Cheers!

Well I suppose I could measure it up when I have the case here tomorrow.


----------



## Chicken Patty (Oct 2, 2010)

ShinyChrome said:


> Cheers!
> 
> Well I suppose I could measure it up when I have the case here tomorrow.



Sure can.  Do you plan on mounting the whole H70 inside the case?


----------



## ShinyChrome (Oct 2, 2010)

Chicken Patty said:


> Sure can.  Do you plan on mounting the whole H70 inside the case?



That's the idea atleast. I've heard that it has some minor problems with tube length though. I suppose I could use one of the top fans.


----------



## Chicken Patty (Oct 2, 2010)

ShinyChrome said:


> That's the idea atleast. I've heard that it has some minor problems with tube length though. I suppose I could use one of the top fans.



Ummm, not sure about that, but one guy over at OCN had issues when mounting a fan outside, he said it got in the way of the top thumbscrew for the side panel.  That's not really an issue, but just letting ya know.


----------



## ShinyChrome (Oct 2, 2010)

Just got my chassi with all the other candy, going to post some pictures when I'm done!


----------



## Wrigleyvillain (Oct 2, 2010)

ShinyChrome said:


> Just got my chassi with all the other candy, going to post some pictures when I'm done!



Sweet! Me too when I get some new fans to match the present color scheme (i.e. not UV green ones lol) and finally tidy up again...


----------



## p_o_s_pc (Oct 2, 2010)

edit:wrong thread.

liking the CM's guys. Makes me want one


----------



## kid41212003 (Oct 2, 2010)

Huh's case made me feel like eating avocado .


----------



## Chicken Patty (Oct 2, 2010)

Tim you should try to get one when you can dude, it's an awesome case and very inexpensive.


----------



## [Ion] (Oct 2, 2010)

I think there's a very real chance I'll be picking up the CM690 II Basic tonight.  $70 + F/S on NE!!


----------



## Chicken Patty (Oct 2, 2010)

[Ion] said:


> I think there's a very real chance I'll be picking up the CM690 II Basic tonight.  $70 + F/S on NE!!



Basic is pretty much the same thing, it's a great case still.


----------



## [Ion] (Oct 2, 2010)

Chicken Patty said:


> Basic is pretty much the same thing, it's a great case still.



Awesome 

What exactly is different between the 2?


----------



## Chicken Patty (Oct 2, 2010)

[Ion] said:


> Awesome
> 
> What exactly is different between the 2?



Here you go:







I believe the basic is not a black interior though.


----------



## p_o_s_pc (Oct 2, 2010)

Chicken Patty said:


> Tim you should try to get one when you can dude, it's an awesome case and very inexpensive.



I would like to. Maybe when i get a job i will pick one up and build a new rig in it. 
But i can honestly say that i like the Thermaltake that i have now. It may not be the most appealing to the eyes but it keeps everything cool and is quiet(thanks to the fans i used ) 

if i get a chance to i want to get one of these cases and water cooling again. 
may have to wait for awhile by the time i do the Bulldozers will be out.


----------



## [Ion] (Oct 2, 2010)

Chicken Patty said:


> Here you go:
> 
> http://img.techpowerup.org/101002/Capture182.jpg
> 
> I believe the basic is not a black interior though.



TYVM, that sums it up nicely!  According to NE's pics, the Basic is black inside as well


----------



## Chicken Patty (Oct 2, 2010)

p_o_s_pc said:


> I would like to. Maybe when i get a job i will pick one up and build a new rig in it.
> But i can honestly say that i like the Thermaltake that i have now. It may not be the most appealing to the eyes but it keeps everything cool and is quiet(thanks to the fans i used )
> 
> if i get a chance to i want to get one of these cases and water cooling again.
> may have to wait for awhile by the time i do the Bulldozers will be out.



I have a thing for Thermaltake cases, I had a Armouir 6000+ and I absolutely loved that case.  I still have the TT Element S which I love as well, but that one didn't keep things as cool as I hoped.  But still a sexy and great case IMO.


----------



## [Ion] (Oct 2, 2010)

Uggh, TT :shadedshu

I'd much rather have a CM or Li-Li any day.

I've built 2 systems for friends in cheap TT cases and wasn't impressed w/ either TBH


----------



## p_o_s_pc (Oct 2, 2010)

Chicken Patty said:


> I have a thing for Thermaltake cases, I had a Armouir 6000+ and I absolutely loved that case.  I still have the TT Element S which I love as well, but that one didn't keep things as cool as I hoped.  But still a sexy and great case IMO.



i like the Element S case. It looks amazing IMO. 
when you first came to TPU didn't you have the 6000+?


----------



## Chicken Patty (Oct 2, 2010)

[Ion] said:


> Uggh, TT :shadedshu
> 
> I'd much rather have a CM or Li-Li any day.
> 
> I've built 2 systems for friends in cheap TT cases and wasn't impressed w/ either TBH



Well I can't speak for their lower line cases as I have never owned one but the armour and the Element S I absolutely love.



p_o_s_pc said:


> i like the Element S case. It looks amazing IMO.
> when you first came to TPU didn't you have the 6000+?



Yes I did, here it is .  Wish I had the experience I have now with CM back then.


----------



## p_o_s_pc (Oct 2, 2010)

that still looks sick


----------



## Chicken Patty (Oct 2, 2010)

p_o_s_pc said:


> that still looks sick



I still love it till today's date, I do miss it!


----------



## Wrigleyvillain (Oct 2, 2010)

I'm fairly certain the basic does have the black interior too. It's one of the main attractions/selling points of the whole series esp considering the price range.


----------



## ShinyChrome (Oct 2, 2010)

And here are two pictures, with and without sidepanel. Sorry about the image quality. 





(http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/9585/dsc00306t.jpg)





(http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/9366/dsc00311wd.jpg)


----------



## Chicken Patty (Oct 3, 2010)

Wrigleyvillain said:


> I'm fairly certain the basic does have the black interior too. It's one of the main attractions/selling points of the whole series esp considering the price range.



Maybe I'm confusing it with the regular 690?  



ShinyChrome said:


> And here are two pictures, with and without sidepanel. Sorry about the image quality.
> 
> http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/9585/dsc00306t.jpg
> (http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/9585/dsc00306t.jpg)
> ...



Hey man, that looks great! How do you like the case as far as working with it and cable management?


----------



## ShinyChrome (Oct 3, 2010)

Chicken Patty said:


> Hey man, that looks great! How do you like the case as far as working with it and cable management?



I actually love it (as predicted). I can tinker with the chassi in so many ways I barely get tired of it. The room for cable management is awesome too. As the AX750 I also bought is fully modular, it's even more awesome play around with it. The only part I really found annoying so far was the fragile tiny screws that held the lower part of the HDD cage together. I had one last screw and it broke for me. Maybe I just had bad tools, but still. It's slightly bigger than my old Antec 900 and weighs a little more, but it's still nothing compared to my even older Chieftec Mesh chassi, which weighs about twice.


----------



## Chicken Patty (Oct 3, 2010)

ShinyChrome said:


> I actually love it (as predicted). I can tinker with the chassi in so many ways I barely get tired of it. The room for cable management is awesome too. As the AX750 I also bought is fully modular, it's even more awesome play around with it. The only part I really found annoying so far was the fragile tiny screws that held the lower part of the HDD cage together. I had one last screw and it broke for me. Maybe I just had bad tools, but still. It's slightly bigger than my old Antec 900 and weighs a little more, but it's still nothing compared to my even older Chieftec Mesh chassi, which weighs about twice.



Luckily I didn't have any issues with the lower screws, they came right off.  Glad you like it man, you thinking of ever water cooling?  This case has ton of water cooling potentials for a mid tower!


----------



## ShinyChrome (Oct 3, 2010)

I don't know to be honest. I'm not even a newbie to watercooling as I've never had the money or experience to tinker with it. I thought about replacing the stock cooler with a H70 as mentioned before, which I actually think would fit just fine in this chassi (As the radiator has the same dimensions as the fans, basically).


----------



## Chicken Patty (Oct 3, 2010)

ShinyChrome said:


> I don't know to be honest. I'm not even a newbie to watercooling as I've never had the money or experience to tinker with it. I thought about replacing the stock cooler with a H70 as mentioned before, which I actually think would fit just fine in this chassi (As the radiator has the same dimensions as the fans, basically).



I had a H50 and I absolutely loved it!  It wasn't the best performer out there but it was awesome and maintinence free!  The H70 IMO is a step up, thicker/better radiator, and it already includes two fans, can't go wrong with that.  Just mount it on the rear case fan and you're good to go.   Looks great IMO as well.


----------



## cj3waker (Oct 8, 2010)

Ive had mine for a few months now and love it.




a lot of work still to do but its coming along


----------



## Jakeman97 (Oct 8, 2010)

Nice job cj3. That white tubing sure is a standout...love it!


----------



## Chicken Patty (Oct 8, 2010)

Looks great.


----------



## heky (Oct 12, 2010)

Finally, i got my Advanced today. The case looks really nice. I am impresed. Will post more pictures as i finish the build.


----------



## Chicken Patty (Oct 12, 2010)

Looking forward to them.


----------



## heky (Oct 14, 2010)

Hy guys. Here are the pictures of the finished build. I didnt take any during the building process, sorry. Sorry for the bad quality but they were taken with a cell-phone camera.

I know the build is not as clean as some of you guys do it, but its good enough for me.
Will be doing some sleeving in the future too.


----------



## Chicken Patty (Oct 14, 2010)

Very nice dude, the more I work with this case the more I love it.


----------



## [Ion] (Oct 14, 2010)

That looks very nice indeed bro!


----------



## heky (Oct 14, 2010)

Yeah, i love the case already. Playing with the thought to maybe go watercooling in the future. It has really great options for two 240 rads. That would be great cooling imho.


----------



## daemondamian (Oct 23, 2010)

*Possible to add second fan at front like original CM690?*

Hi Folks,
My current ancient setup is in a CM690. I have a fan mounted at the front in the lower position but was able to install a second fan at the front using the fan mounting bracket from the bottom of the case leaving room for two slots for the optical drive and fan controller.

I am building a whole new system and I've decided to get the CM 690 II Advanced Case for it but I'd like to know if a second fan be installed at the front of it like the original CM690?

Thanks 

P.S. what is the quality of the included fans like? I was thinking of using the two 140mm at the front but are they noisier then say Nexus Real Silent 120mm fans?


----------



## cj3waker (Oct 23, 2010)

without modding the case only has room 6 for fans, but 5 of them can be 140mm.
You can do
(2) 120mm or 140mm up top
(1) 120mm rear exhaust
(2) 120mm or 140mm on bottom
(1) 120mm or 140mm front intake
I am going to try to mod the front to allow for (2) front intakes but as stock you can only use the 6


----------



## Wrigleyvillain (Oct 23, 2010)

The fans kinda suck like all CM fans I've ever gotten in a case.


----------



## Kantastic (Oct 23, 2010)

They're a little loud, but what else do you expect from stock fans?


----------



## heky (Oct 24, 2010)

Btw, which 140mm fans would you guys suggest for this case? Price/Performance/Noise


----------



## Wrigleyvillain (Oct 24, 2010)

Well my main issue with them has never been noise but rather the fact that _they move no air_.

140mm fan roundup:

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/coolers/display/140mm-fan-roundup.html

I think I'm going with the Thermalright Silent myself...

Also a nice 120mm article at xbitlabs too.


----------



## Jakeman97 (Oct 24, 2010)

I must have gotten real lucky with mine guys....I can't even hear my fans run at all; but I know they are cause I checked 'em.  I even have a coolermaster V8 in there and I can't hear that either.I'm going to buy a couple more and I'll let you know if they are 'noisy'. An other thought...I may be deaf!


----------



## Wrigleyvillain (Oct 24, 2010)

Ya again I never thought they were particularly noisy but that makes sense as they don't seem to have an even decent cfm. But noise level is completely subjective in the first place.


----------



## Jakeman97 (Oct 24, 2010)

Maybe it's just me but I find this case one of the best for getting rid of heat build-up. This is one of the best cases I've ever owned bar none...even my trusty ULTRA 998 can't beat this one.


----------



## heky (Oct 24, 2010)

Yeah yeah, we(owners) all love the case, but its true that the fans(stock) dont move a lot of air. Thats why i am in the market for something better.


----------



## Jakeman97 (Oct 28, 2010)

I said in a previous post I'd be back. Well, I just added 3 more fans to my 690 II . All Cooler Master...a second 140 on the top, an 80 on the side to suck the heat off the bottom of the CPU and a 120 Blue LED on my window side. That's a total of 6 fans and a Cooler Master V8 and a Corsair HX1000 running. With the 'puter on top of the desk about a foot and a half from my ear I can't hear them run. Absolutely the best fans I ever had bar none.


----------



## Chicken Patty (Oct 28, 2010)

What fans did you buy exactly?  Get us a pic


----------



## Jakeman97 (Oct 28, 2010)

Hi CP,
1 Cooler Master R4 Series 140x25mm Silent Fan (R4-S4S-10AK-GP)
Bought from FrozenCPU.com stock # fan-671 

also bought 2 of these from FrozenCPU to clean up the mess:

Koolance 4-fan Wiring Harness Sleeved in Black - 3 pin Stock # cab-112

From NewEgg I bought: 

1 Cooler Master R4-l2S-122b-gp 120mm 4 Blue LED Case fan set of 2
item # N82E16835103081

1 Cooler Master R4-SPS-20AK-GP 80 mm Case Fan  Item # N82E16835103081
There all in there and I didn't really look but I think the Corsair 1000 doesn't leave me enough room to mount a bottom forward 120. Really don't need another one, no heat problems here.


----------



## Chicken Patty (Oct 28, 2010)

Thanks bro.

Man that koolance harness is badass!


----------



## Jakeman97 (Oct 28, 2010)

Oh yeah it is. The were not exactly cheap but I was looking for something like that for a long time and sleeved too. Fast delivery from them I ordered on a late Thursday afternoon and had them in my mail box the following Tuesday. I have my rear case fan, the two top fans and the side 80 mm on one harness. The other harness has the front fan and the side window fan, so far that leaves room for 2 more fans if I need 'em.


----------



## Chicken Patty (Oct 28, 2010)

Yeah bro, that is awesome dude.  I'm gonna get one soon.  Sure will clean things up.


----------



## Jakeman97 (Oct 28, 2010)

*Re:Fan Harness*

Gee I was finally able to help sombody at TPU....Good! 
Later bro,


----------



## Chicken Patty (Oct 28, 2010)

Thanks bro.  Many more to come


----------



## ConstDinoC7 (Nov 18, 2010)

Hi all.

So i bought this case waiting to arrive.

Im wondering if this case will fit the V10 without any issue with the 2 top fans and side fans included.

Thanks again.


----------



## Chicken Patty (Nov 18, 2010)

Hey Dino,

The case is awesome, you'll love it!


----------



## heky (Nov 21, 2010)

@ConstDinoC7
You wont be able to use the top side fan, but other than that no problems whatsoever.
And btw. you will love the case.


----------



## ConstDinoC7 (Nov 21, 2010)

heky said:


> @ConstDinoC7
> You wont be able to use the top side fan, but other than that no problems whatsoever.
> And btw. you will love the case.



I just got the case two days ago.

I installed the two 14 fans on top and it fits my hand on top very easily.

The only think would make this case "PERFECT" is the side panel.

Who needs a 80mm fan in 2010?

And i think this should come with mesh window or clear or so whatever.

I will keep you updated with pics guys.

BTW the case has torrent space at the back to hide cables.

But if i open the right side panel now it will probably fly from the window.


----------



## Mussels (Nov 22, 2010)

ConstDinoC7: the 80mm side fan is for the back panel, to cool the rear of the CPU socket directly. larger would be useless, as it would be too thick to fit.


----------



## Kantastic (Nov 22, 2010)

Due to the space restrictions on the back, a slim 80mm fan makes a crap ton of noise.


----------



## Mussels (Nov 22, 2010)

Kantastic said:


> Due to the space restrictions on the back, a slim 80mm fan makes a crap ton of noise.



yeah, so do what i do... no fan, consider it a perfectly placed vent to prevent heat build up under the mobo.


----------



## ConstDinoC7 (Nov 22, 2010)

I don't know many users don't use that and it looks terrible you can see everything from that.

Off Topic: BTW im thinking of buying another one to have it in my wearhouse in case i need it.

Is so cheap 100 euro and you get so much.


----------



## arnoo1 (Nov 22, 2010)

ConstDinoC7 said:


> I don't know many users don't use that and it looks terrible you can see everything from that.
> 
> Off Topic: BTW im thinking of buying another one to have it in my wearhouse in case i need it.
> 
> Is so cheap 100 euro and you get so much.




100 euro?, you can get it for 75euro shipped new here in NL, muwhaha  xd, i have that case, the only thing is that i don't use it xd


----------



## ConstDinoC7 (Nov 22, 2010)

Yeah try to ship it to my country in Cyprus 

It gonna cost you 300


----------



## heky (Nov 22, 2010)

In Slovenia its around 100€ also, and we are also in the EU just like the Netherlands. So i would say it is just the retailers in our country ripping us off.


----------



## ConstDinoC7 (Nov 22, 2010)

Yeah.


----------



## LifeOnMars (Nov 26, 2010)

Just ordered this case along with the rest of my parts for my 1090T gaming rig. Cannot wait for Monday. Finally coming back to PC gaming after what seems like months and months of waiting. Will post pics when its completed


----------



## Wrigleyvillain (Nov 27, 2010)

^ Nice. Looking forward to it.


----------



## LifeOnMars (Nov 29, 2010)

As promised Wrigley 

















I love this case and am I quite lucky that my one seems very quiet with the stock fans?

More pics in the "Your PC ATM" Thread. Had a really great day today, I love PCs. Very impressed by the case and the 1090T, seems like a very capable processor. Everything is so smoooth.


----------



## dr emulator (madmax) (Nov 29, 2010)

Kantastic said:


> Due to the space restrictions on the back, a slim 80mm fan makes a crap ton of noise.



mines fairly quiet tbh although i have it exhausting, thinking of cutting the grill out and fitting a piece of the dust filter i took from the top 

i bought a akasa 12cm fan and fitted it in the bottom (bit of advice if you do fit one in the bottom of this case make sure all the wires are tucked away or they'll get stuck in the fan ) (no pics yet as the cams flat again)


----------



## Makaveli (Dec 1, 2010)

Nice pics life on mars.

I picked up my case on wednesday last week but haven't done the case swap yet and I order fans to replace the stock ones from performance pcs which only got shipped today so hopefully pics up by friday.

I do have a question currently running a TRUE with a single fan, going dual fan when they arrive is it better to have the heatsink sitting vertical so fans are north/south or east/west?

does it make a difference?


----------



## Wrigleyvillain (Dec 1, 2010)

LifeOnMars said:


> I love this case and am I quite lucky that my one seems very quiet with the stock fans?



Nice job. Oh, yeah, they're pretty quiet. That's cause they don't move a whole lot of air.


----------



## Makaveli (Dec 1, 2010)

Wrigleyvillain said:


> Nice job. Oh, yeah, they're pretty quiet. That's cause they don't move a whole lot of air.



That is the reason I purchased 3 of these.

two for up top and 1 for the front.





Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Going to move my current single 1900RPM S-Flex onto the Back Exhaust then put two 1600's RPM S-Flex's on my true in Push/pull.

Also already have a 6 know fan controller for them can't wait until the parts get here to start.

So I paid $89 for the case  but by the time i'm done I would have put in another $100 in upgrades


----------



## Makaveli (Dec 3, 2010)

Still waiting for the replacement parts looks like the snow storm in buffalo caused some delays.

6 x	3-Pin Fan Extension Cable 8" Custom Colors - Sleeved
  - Sleeve Color: Black
  - Heatshrink Color: Black
3 x Xigmatek XLF-F1455 140mm 4 White LED Case Fan - Retail - Sleeved
  - Sleeve Color: Black
  - Heatshrink Color: Black	
2 x	SCYTHE S-FLEX™ "F" 120mm 1600 rpm Quiet Fan - Sleeved
  - Sleeve Color: Black
  - Heatshrink Color: Black	
1 x	3-Pin Y-Adapter Cable 6" - Black Sleeved

So in the mean time I spent like 3 hours doing the case swap last night. Which included using compressed air on everything and trying to keep the build neat.





Uploaded with ImageShack.us 





Uploaded with ImageShack.us







Old Chenming Case 






Uploaded with ImageShack.us






This was the longest part of the night with all the cleaning while swapping 





Finally got it all up and running.









I thought I did a pretty decent job internally on the first try the back is quite the mess tho, that will be a work in progress.





Think I will need to order some extension cables from NZXT to clean up some the extra cables.





The default thumbscrews that come with this case do suck I must say I will be replacing them soon. First you need cyborg strength to remove them the first time and I just don't like the look of them.





Will update when I replace all the stock fans so far loving this case. Don't think you will find a better one for $90


----------



## LifeOnMars (Dec 4, 2010)

Well, I've had my rig and this case a few days now and I must say I'm very impressed. I'm loving the sata dock, was able to transfer a lot of stuff from my old hard drives very easily and with minimum fuss.

Also, after much testing on my overclock I have settled on 4ghz. This means I can run the fan resistors on the A70 to slow the speed whilst still maintaing brilliant temps. Eveything is soooo quiet now and the temps all around are excellent.

I'm in love 

Sounds no louder than the new xbox slims but far more gaming power overall.


----------



## (FIH) The Don (Dec 5, 2010)

how do you like the 690II white?


----------



## Mussels (Dec 5, 2010)

(FIH) The Don said:


> how do you like the 690II white?
> 
> http://img.techpowerup.org/101205/690w.jpg



quick, shoot the mac!


----------



## arnoo1 (Dec 5, 2010)

(FIH) The Don said:


> how do you like the 690II white?
> 
> http://img.techpowerup.org/101205/690w.jpg



if it was more glossy, yes


----------



## Makaveli (Dec 5, 2010)

I think if it was a high glossy white most would mistake that for a MAC 

Is that a factory paint job or a mod?


----------



## Wrigleyvillain (Dec 5, 2010)

Mussels said:


> quick, shoot the mac!



Hah while Apple has never released a white tower that does look rather Mac-like, yes.


----------



## Kantastic (Dec 5, 2010)

Makaveli said:


> I think if it was a high glossy white most would mistake that for a MAC
> 
> Is that a factory paint job or a mod?



http://www.coolermaster.com/product.php?product_id=6681

Looks like a revision to me!


----------



## Makaveli (Dec 6, 2010)

My additional Parts finally showed up UPS sucks!





















Things left to do...

Extension cables and thinking of replacing all the SATA cables with black ones.


----------



## Makaveli (Dec 8, 2010)

I decided to ditch S1 because I found my idle and load temps on the GPU were unaccepable 60c idle and 90-100c full load. Which is very strange because in my Chenming case I wouldn't break 50c idle or 85c load. That case had a slim 80x15 fan flowing on the S1 while the advanced has a 120mm blowing on it.

I thought about slapping a fan on the S1 but it would block 3 slots in my rig so that was out of the question. The only open PCI slot was being used by my X-fi Music, so I picked up the an Accelero Twin turbo pro today after reading some reviews on it last night which claim it only blocks 1 additional slot. 

So I get home install the thing and it blocks 2 1/2 slots and I can't keep the x-fi installed with the cooler I blame Xbit review on that one 

So now i'm going to replace the x-fi with a PCI E version which I can install above the videocard to solve this issue. I wanted to do this eventually but this has forced me to do it sooner.

Here are some pictures of the swap will post more tomorrow.









I decided not to use any of the heatsinks that came with twin turbo because if you look at the picture the 4890 already has stock heatsinks covering the VM's only thing not covered is the memory.













Now if you focus on these last two pictures you can clearly see there is plenty of room for the ram sinks under the new cooler. However, I choose not to install them because they don't fit under the stock cooler and as much as i've enjoyed this card she will be replaced probably with a 6870 and I need to sell it with the stock cooler on. So for now ram sinks will stay off.


----------



## Mussels (Dec 8, 2010)

with the s1, the trick is to put the fan at the rear of the card - a PCI card will still fit in the slot next to the heatsink without trouble.


----------



## Makaveli (Dec 8, 2010)

Mussels said:


> with the s1, the trick is to put the fan at the rear of the card - a PCI card will still fit in the slot next to the heatsink without trouble.



I was thinking about it but the new cooler totally blocks the slot. With the S1 I had free access to the slot but with the X-fi right below it no room for a fan, that is why I was using a side panel fan to cool.

I wish I took a picture from the bottom so you could see how much room I had to work with but trust me there was no way to slap a fan on the S1 without pulling the X-fi out.


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## Mussels (Dec 8, 2010)

^ thats how i pulled it off with mine


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## Makaveli (Dec 8, 2010)

Just took this picture.

This is the general space I had to work with. I see how you got it to work based on your pics.


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## Mussels (Dec 8, 2010)

i found that the fan right on the end, was just enough to cool the VRMs directly and GPU indirectly, while leaving the slots free.

your card longer than what i was dealing with, so you seem to have a few CM less room.


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## Makaveli (Dec 8, 2010)

Mussels said:


> i found that the fan right on the end, was just enough to cool the VRMs directly and GPU indirectly, while leaving the slots free.
> 
> your card longer than what i was dealing with, so you seem to have a few CM less room.



I noticed that too from your pics I won't have room to do what you did.


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## LifeOnMars (Dec 8, 2010)

Guys how do I take out the bottom hard drive cage? What tools do I need and whats the process?

 Cheers


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## Mussels (Dec 8, 2010)

LifeOnMars said:


> Guys how do I take out the bottom hard drive cage? What tools do I need and whats the process?
> 
> Cheers



screwdriver, pull out.


I dont even remember it, so it cant have been very difficult.


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## (FIH) The Don (Dec 8, 2010)

flip the case, in the botton theres 4 screws i think, and on the backside of the harddrive case theres some screws too

its all in the manual


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## LifeOnMars (Dec 8, 2010)

All done now and Don, what sort of idiot would read the manual? laugh:

Looks better for it I think and aids a bit more airflow, also added another fan up top and its running very cool so far. Been priming it for about half an hour and its only loading up at 53c


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## (FIH) The Don (Dec 8, 2010)

me? an idiot?


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## dr emulator (madmax) (Dec 8, 2010)

dammit  i still haven't come across any 140mm fan grills yet, as i want to dremel out the one's that are on the side panel, 

i did see these 




which look, ok but would seriously restrict the airflow inside the case, which would defeat the point of having fans in the first place  plus they are held on with magnets 

their's also these from lian li 










not cheap but they would stick out to much for my liking

anyone else come across anything other than the above ?


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## (FIH) The Don (Dec 8, 2010)

http://www.chilledpc.co.uk/shop/product_info.php?cPath=75_91_128&products_id=1530

(danish) http://www.coolerkit.dk/blæsergitter___140mm___sort-p-1394.html


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## Wrigleyvillain (Dec 8, 2010)

LifeOnMars said:


> All done now and Don, what sort of idiot would read the manual? laugh:



I think many of us share this sort of elitist sentiment and we have pretty good reason to but too many times I have found out later that I was an idiot for _not_ reading the manual.


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## dr emulator (madmax) (Dec 8, 2010)

now thats what i'm talking about (shame it's in dutch)


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## (FIH) The Don (Dec 8, 2010)

dutch ?


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## dr emulator (madmax) (Dec 8, 2010)

(FIH) The Don said:


> dutch ?



 i meant danish 

anyways i found some on fleebay (just need to persuade my uncle to order me some, as they are from the us )


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## (FIH) The Don (Dec 8, 2010)

what about this? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/140mm-Fan-Gua...ponents_Fans_Heatsinks_SR&hash=item35ae49c451

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/140mm-Fan-Gua...ponents_Fans_Heatsinks_SR&hash=item4cf3a584d0


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## dr emulator (madmax) (Dec 8, 2010)

looks ok, just wondering what the acoustics are on it 

i'll see what my uncle says then i'll start looking at getting the dremel out 

strange though with more cases using 140 mm fans that their isn't more of them 
i mean only 1 seller has them in the uk


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## LifeOnMars (Dec 8, 2010)

Wrigleyvillain said:


> I think many of us share this sort of elitist sentiment and we have pretty good reason to but too many times I have found out later that I was an idiot for _not_ reading the manual.



Absolutely. It's generally a guy thing and then we blame it on the hardware if it doesn't work. Meanwhile the girlfiend/wife has been reading the manual and takes great delight in pointing out exactly what you are doiing wrong


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## (FIH) The Don (Dec 8, 2010)

LifeOnMars said:


> Absolutely. It's generally a guy thing and then we blame it on the hardware if it doesn't work. Meanwhile the girlfiend/wife has been reading the manual and takes great delight in pointing out exactly what you are doiing wrong



that is so annoying lol


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## Wrigleyvillain (Dec 8, 2010)

Yeah it's never a deal breaker to not read it but moreso I more often than not find a couple "oh cool" things in the average manual (especially for games). However occasionally there will be something that I was just straight up doing wrong or at least could've saved me some time and annoyance.  

Though I also admit to not being the most naturally mechanically inclined. At least for a guy who build his own computers and what not


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## $immond$ (Dec 8, 2010)

Does anyone know where to get extra parts for the case? I need a new top cover as mine keeps shorting out when I try using the USB/esata ports.


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## (FIH) The Don (Dec 8, 2010)

this http://cmstore.coolermaster-usa.com/product_info.php?products_id=500


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## Makaveli (Dec 8, 2010)

$immond$ said:


> Does anyone know where to get extra parts for the case? I need a new top cover as mine keeps shorting out when I try using the USB/esata ports.



I've heard of this people are saying the case has a grounding issue.

I haven't noticed it on mine, when did you buy yours?

All the post i've seen about this are from much earlier this year possible they fixed it in the newer shipments?


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## $immond$ (Dec 8, 2010)

Makaveli said:


> I've heard of this people are saying the case has a grounding issue.
> 
> I haven't noticed it on mine, when did you buy yours?
> 
> All the post i've seen about this are from much earlier this year possible they fixed it in the newer shipments?




I bought mine around launch, I am really regretting it. It is beginning to damage my components I lost a hard drive because of the constant shorting of my esata and USB ports.


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## Wrigleyvillain (Dec 8, 2010)

Hmm wow this is the first im hearing of this. I never use the top ports but still...


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## Mussels (Dec 9, 2010)

Wrigleyvillain said:


> Hmm wow this is the first im hearing of this. I never use the top ports but still...



i use mine constantly and have no problems with it.


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## Makaveli (Dec 10, 2010)

Swap now completed.

Had some issues with the Creative drivers anyone surprised lol.

It seems with the X-FI Fatality Pro PCI-E card you have to make sure windows doesn't auto detect and install drivers automatically. It kept setting it up as an HD audio device which worked fine for sound but I was unable to use any of the X-fi specific features. Once I made that change it then took the drivers.






With everything now up and running i'm very impressed with the performance of the Accelero Twin turbo Pro.


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## wisidsak (Feb 25, 2011)

How to connect SSD 1.8" to this DOCK







I thing its bigger than SSD


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## Wrigleyvillain (Feb 25, 2011)

For Windows 7 you want Daniel K's X-FI Support Pack 2.0 for apps and driver. Google that.


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## Owlmus (May 26, 2011)

Hey, this is my first post on these forums and I am a relative noob to computer building anyway.

I have a few simple questions I need to ask because I need some reassurance.

CPU: AMD Phenom X4 965 BE (3.4 Ghz stock)
MOBO: MSI 890FXA-GD70 - http://www.msi.com/product/mb/890FXA-GD70.html
RAM: 4 GB Dual Channel DDR 3
GPU: 5570 xd
PSU: Cooler Master Extreme Power Edition 600 W
Case: CM 690 II Advanced

1.) MSI R6950 Twin Frozr III PE/OC Radeon HD 6950 2GB ...

Will this fit in the case? 

2.) Will I need to replace my PSU?

I want to be extremely sure that this card will fit in this case. Seriously. Thanks for your help. I always read these forums but never post.


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## Evolved (May 26, 2011)

Owlmus said:


> 1.) MSI R6950 Twin Frozr III PE/OC Radeon HD 6950 2GB ...
> 
> Will this fit in the case?
> 
> 2.) Will I need to replace my PSU?



1) Yes, there is more than enough room to fit a 6950.

2) You might want to get a quality PSU at 750w (at the very least). If you plan to Crossfire another 6950, I suggest a high quality PSU at 850w will be perfect.

PSU's that I recommend

Single 6950 - http://www.pcpower.com/products/description/Silencer_760W/index.html

Crossfire 6950 - http://canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=33_441&item_id=036010

Overclocking is completely covered - feel free to overclock as much as you want with either of these two PSU's.


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## micropage7 (May 26, 2011)

(FIH) The Don said:


> how do you like the 690II white?
> 
> http://img.techpowerup.org/101205/690w.jpg



that looks nice since most of case come in dark color, but personally i like white pearl


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## Owlmus (May 26, 2011)

Evolved said:


> 1) Yes, there is more than enough room to fit a 6950.
> 
> 2) You might want to get a quality PSU at 750w (at the very least). If you plan to Crossfire another 6950, I suggest a high quality PSU at 850w will be perfect.
> 
> ...



Hmm... Are all the 6950's the same size? Even the 2 Gb? Like length wise? Not sure.


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## micropage7 (May 26, 2011)

Owlmus said:


> Hmm... Are all the 6950's the same size? Even the 2 Gb? Like length wise? Not sure.



yes it has the same size coz most of them in reference design
2 gb memory usually installed on front and back of the card so it wont add any length at all


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## Evolved (May 26, 2011)

Owlmus said:


> Hmm... Are all the 6950's the same size? Even the 2 Gb? Like length wise? Not sure.



A 'Referenced' design 6950 is around 10 inches long.

A 'Non-Referenced' design 6950 might vary (depending on the design of the aftermarket cooler). Even then, a 6950 would go *no higher* than 11 inches.

1GB and 2GB are both the same length.


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## Owlmus (May 26, 2011)

Evolved said:


> A 'Referenced' design 6950 is around 10 inches long.
> 
> A 'Non-Referenced' design 6950 might vary (depending on the design of the aftermarket cooler). Even then, a 6950 would go *no higher* than 11 inches.
> 
> 1GB and 2GB are both the same length.



Oh cool, thanks all of you. Mind me asking what Non referenced and referenced mean and the difference between the two?


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## Evolved (May 26, 2011)

Owlmus said:


> Oh cool, thanks all of you. Mind me asking what Non referenced and referenced mean and the difference between the two?



'Reference' is the original design of the video card by AMD or Nividia.
'Non-Reference' is a design by 3rd-party vendors (i.e. Sapphire, MSI, XFX, etc.)

'Non-Reference' also uses aftermarket cooling (much better cooling solutions; two fans and better heatsinks)

- Sapphire 'Vapor-X'
- MSI 'Twin Frozr II/III'

And they tend to be 'Factory Overclocked' out of the box (higher clock speeds vs. stock clock speeds).


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## Owlmus (May 26, 2011)

I see, thanks. Even though it could be potentially be 11 inches, it would fit fine you said right?


Thanks again.


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## Mussels (May 26, 2011)

non reference is usually not recommended however, evolved half hit on it.


non reference used to mean a better card: be it shorter, better cooled or better components. these days non reference often means its clocked 10Mhz higher, but with cheaper, noisier cooling, and cheaper parts on the card itself. avoid them, stick with reference and you'll know where you stand with the card in general, and on topic, how well it fits inside your shiny new coolermaster case.


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## (FIH) The Don (May 26, 2011)

Owlmus said:


> I see, thanks. *Even though it could be potentially be 11 inches, it would fit fine you said right?
> *
> 
> Thanks again.


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## Makaveli (Jun 2, 2011)

That's what she said


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## apoxius (Jun 3, 2011)

*V10 Cooler Question*

Good morning everyone. 

I was hoping to get an answer cause I can't find any useful info on the web. 

Has someone tried or seen or at least knows if the V10 cooler fits in CM II 690 without taking off any part of the case ?

Thanks in advance,


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## Wrigleyvillain (Jun 9, 2011)

All right guys I scored a new  Aquacomputer Aqua Box Pro  from a guy at XS. It's the same width and twice the height of an internal floppy drive. Any suggestions on mounting this thing? At this point I can't even remember if this case came with some type of 3 1/4" adapter for the 5.25 bays (and if so I can't find it though I do have the cut out faceplate...fail). 

A 5.25" Aquabox would obviously be a lot easier but this is what I've got and I'd like to use it in the front of my case hopefully...


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## DZZRtt (Jun 24, 2011)

Hello, guys. I was trying to pacify my CM 690. I have replaced every fan with quietiest fans i was able to find, replaced CPU and VGA cooler. Dont get me wrong it's almost inaudible from 2-2,5 m, or when someone talking in a room. But still i can hear it when i'm sitting next to it. is there any solution, how to make it even more quiet? I was thinking about applying some noise absorbtion materials. Will it rise overal temperature inside?


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## Mussels (Jun 24, 2011)

DZZRtt said:


> Hello, guys. I was trying to pacify my CM 690. I have replaced every fan with quietiest fans i was able to find, replaced CPU and VGA cooler. Dont get me wrong it's almost inaudible from 2-2,5 m, or when someone talking in a room. But still i can hear it when i'm sitting next to it. is there any solution, how to make it even more quiet? I was thinking about applying some noise absorbtion materials. Will it rise overal temperature inside?



as a silent PC user (and not just a quiet PC user) i can tell you the only way to get rid of the noise is to choose quiet components to begin with. get 'silent' fans and undervolt them, run only one or two internal hard drives (and power off the externals when not in use) and use as few fans as possible - for example, i ducted my CPU HSF to my rear case fan, so i needed one less fan. my GPU has a single 140mm fan that was already advertised as silent, and now runs at 10v to reduce it even more.


even at night i can barely hear it a foot away, and with my ceiling fan or desk fan on their lowest settings i cant hear it at all.


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## Chicken Patty (Jun 24, 2011)

Sometimes when I use my top USB ports I'll plug whatever it is I'm plugging in and it shorts and computer crashes.  Doesn't happen with USB's on the mobo though.

However it happens once in a blue moon so it's not soo much of a big deal for me at all.  Until something blows up because of it


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## destinyair (Jun 24, 2011)

Upz !!!


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## Hotobu (Jun 29, 2011)

Hi, I'm very interested in this case, have a few questions, and it looks like this is the place to ask

First off I'd like to know if two 140 mm fans can be installed with the HD cage in, or if I have to not use 1 or both of them if I want the cage in. 

Also I'd like to know how the LED on/off switch works. Is this a proprietary feature that only works with the installed fan, or will I be able to hook another fan to it and still be able to flip the lights? Is it possible I can daisy chain fans to the switch to turn them off as well?

Next I know that there's a dust film cover made for the PSU. It seems a bit silly of them to put it between the PSU and case. How well do you all think it'd function if I put it below the case?

Which of the fan holes do *not* have dust filters?

Finally do I have to be concerned with fan thickness anywhere? Coolermaster's site has the face dimensions for the fans well documented, but I want to make sure I don't get a fan that's too fat.

Oh and one last thing not related to this case specifically. Does anyone know where I can go to find single color "breathing" LED fans? (preferably on Newegg). I did a preliminary search on Newegg and didn't find any.

Thanks so much in advance for the replies. I'm pretty sure this is the case that I'm going to get no matter what, but it'd be nice to know these things ahead of time.


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## JATownes (Jun 29, 2011)

I will answer your questions as well as I can Hotobu:

1.) If you are referring to the bottom of the chassis, only one fan can be installed with the HDD cage installed.  If you are referring to the front of the chassis, one can be installed in front of the HDD cage, and one behind it;

2.) The LED switch is hard wired to the fan that is installed.  However it is not difficult to splice it to a different fan.  I have mine wired to my CCFL lights;

3.) The dust filter for the PSU works well as it sits, I do not know how you would install it below the chassis, unless you used sticky tape or something like that;

4.) The only intakes that do not have dust filters are the side intakes;

5.) Any standard fan should work, 38mm will be too thick for the front, but other than that you should be ok...The fan slot behind the MB tray will only accept a thin fan...25mm is too thick;

Hope this helps you out.  This case is pretty amazing, and probably one of the best I have ever owned, especially for the price.

Good Luck.


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## Hotobu (Jun 29, 2011)

Thanks for the quick reply that answers pretty much all of my questions. As for the case itself it's pretty much everything I was looking for. I must've spent 6+ hours looking at features, specs, videos, and thinking about what I did and didn't want. This one looks to be pretty much perfect. The only flaw that I can find with it is that you can't put two fans in the front. This would be better for looks, and for making sure that air is going across all the HDs. Still a single 140 with another in the back and another in the bottom should get me the same HD temps +/- like 2 degrees. 

I'm not familliar with CCFL lighting. I'm thinking that may be a little overboard for what I want to do, but can you link me to either some picks/merchandise/how to's. I'd like to at least consider it before I say no. Right now about the most I want are the breathing LEDs


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## JATownes (Jun 29, 2011)

I am using a pair of these.  I just replaced with switch that comes with it with the one in the case.  If you want to stick with LEDs, I would recommend one of these.  

Hope this helps.


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## Hotobu (Jul 9, 2011)

One more concern.

I'll be putting 6 HDs in this thing and I happened across a few people who commented on the tooless HD mounting design making that part of the case vibrate a bit causing noise. Can anyone who has a lot of HDs confirm or deny this?


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## Mussels (Jul 9, 2011)

Hotobu said:


> One more concern.
> 
> I'll be putting 6 HDs in this thing and I happened across a few people who commented on the tooless HD mounting design making that part of the case vibrate a bit causing noise. Can anyone who has a lot of HDs confirm or deny this?



sorry i cant help, i only run three internally, and about 12 externally (e-sata mostly).


I do have some random case vibration, but i removed that HDD area so it impossible for me to say how bad that gets.


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## Crap Daddy (Jul 9, 2011)

Also removed the HDD cage, running two that I don't even hear they're in.


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## Chicken Patty (Jul 9, 2011)

Running two here, no vibration whatsoever.


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## Wrigleyvillain (Aug 22, 2011)

Anyone install a dual 5.25" bay res in this thing? I will obviously have to bend a set of the alignment tabs down and in and wondering how tough that is gonna be first and foremost I guess...


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