Question 1

Is the side window prone to scratches?

Accepted Answer

It is a little if you run something as hard as your fingernail across it often but it should hold up well enough to build in and set it up as a display piece.  I replaced my original window with a pane of glass from a local hardware store and double sided tape.  Had to cut the tabs that hold the original but it is impossible to scratch now and only cost me about $20 if that.

Question 2

Does this case have any room to mount a reservoir on the front end of the case?

Accepted Answer

Larger video cards actually get pretty close to the front, so depending on the card it maybe a really tight fit. Now, if instead you go look at the Define S, it was made to allow a big Res in the front oblivious to what card you have in there.

Question 3

Has anyone who owns this case upgraded from a Define R5 or similar case? I just finished my build a month before the Define C came out and this would have been the perfect case for my needs given the R5 is quite large and is a tight squeeze under my desk. Need some advice on whether or not I should replace it with the Define C.

To anyone who answers, I appreciate it very much!

Accepted Answer

I've upgraded this case from a Define S, which to my knowledge is quite similar to the R5.  The two cases are roughly the same height and width, but the length is much shorter.  I certainly feel like this case is much more space efficient than the Define S - moreover, the PSU Shroud is a nice improvement.  Building with this case is a pleasure, and doing a rebuild with this new case shouldn't be very painful at all.  I love the look of this case, and I keep it on top of my desk with some LED's on the inside to show it off.   One difference to keep in mind is the HDD/SSD placement - in the Define S there was plenty of room for drives mounted on the backplate of the case - in the Define C, the HDD/SSDs are mounted in a cage within the PSU shroud.  There is space for 2 drives.  Furthermore, due to the PSU cables being routed thru the PSU shroud (at least in my build) it is difficult to remove any drives once the PSU cables are routed.  However, I certainly recommend the upgrade as it is a much more space-efficient and elegant case, especially for those who use NVMe SSDs.

Question 4

Would the Celsius S36 fit in the front?

Accepted Answer

Depends on the length of your graphics card (GPU). It can physically fit, but you might lose the 3.5 bay in the bottom, which could ruin the whole basement look with a hole in the front. I have 3 120's in the front of mine with about 2 inches of space near the top.

Question 5

Wondering if my noctua D14 will fit in here?  I look up the measurements, but I'm not sure.  Looks like it will be close one way or another.

Accepted Answer

Yes your D14 will fit (160mm with fan). I currently have a D15 (165mm with fan) in this case with no issues. Also good choice in a cooler!

Question 6

My GTX 970 Gigabyte G1 is 312mm long. In specifications it says maximum 315mm, so thats  3mm! Is the 312mm from the back to HIT the fan, or is that the safezone space before it get to close?

Would you recommend getting this case with a 312mm long GPU?

Accepted Answer

I have a Zotac 980ti Amp Extreme which is 328mm long and it does not touch my front fans, albeit they are extremely close. Now if you wanted to mount a front radiator that wouldn't work.

Question 7

I am planning on installing a Zotac gtx 1060 mini 3GB. How many more case fans should I install to keep my system cool ?

Accepted Answer

Two in the front and one in the back should be adequate.

Question 8

Has anyone tried replacing the stock exhaust fan with a 140mm Venturi, with the 120mm mounting corners attached?

Accepted Answer

Not possible.

Question 9

Can you install a 180-190mm PSU if you remove the 3.5" HD cage?  Specs state that the recommended max depth is only 175mm

Accepted Answer

I have the Corsair hx750i in this case without needing to pull the HDD cage. The PSU is right at 180mm long. There is about an inch of space between the PSU and the HDD cage - which is enough for the modular connectors and cables to bend out of the PSU area.  If I have to remove or add any connectors, I have to undo the two thumbscrews at the back of the case and slide the PSU out the back to have access to make the changes. You may be able to get away with a 190mm PSU, but it would be a very tight squeeze.  Anything more would definitely require pulling out the HDD cage.

Questions & Answers