RocketFish Case

[OverClockerNoob]

Ok I am building a new system.

Process Intel X3350 quad
8800 GT OC
Corsair 750 watt powersupply
Xitech for the cooling
5x 750GB F1 Samsungs...

My quesiton is I picked up this huge case for $60 bucks at BB today.. Will this case due... is it a good case??

Any comments/suggestions...

 

[LOUISSSSS]

why didn't u do research BEFORE u bought the case?

 

[EarthwormJim]

yes.

 

[DaQuteness]

I'd kill to get one of those :laugh: j/k

It's a really wonderful case. Shame it isn't available for EU, just for you in US.

 

[Zepper]

There are some poor design decisions as there are with many lian li cases: the side by side HDD cages - in mine drives located in the rear cage run from 3 to 5 deg. C warmer than the same drives placed in the front cage (w/ no drives in the front cage), all the perforations in the bottom of the case - too many not to interfere with any airflow planning and too small of a diameter to allow significant air flow, the strangled fan in the duct - it can barely move air in either direction due to the very restrictive venting but it is better on intake than exhaust. There are others, but those are the majors. Not too difficult to remedy as aluminum is easy to cut and drill.
. As with most Lian Li cases, even the bad ideas are executed very well. Everything lines up well and looks good in a lab equipment sort of way. Some of the choices were made to save costs to meet BB's price goal (anyone know what the original BB price was - I'm sure it was higher than the current $120. or less, but less than the $200.+ that the same case would list for with the L-L badge on it) like the cheap, slippery plastic feet and pop rivets on the 5" drive rack. But those are easily and cheaply remedied.
. Plus all sorts of Lian Li replacement and upgrade parts are available from several online resellers, so you can make of the RFFT just about whatever you want. Good for those who know what they are about and decent even for those who don't. But the sucker is HUGE!
Up on a pair of Rubbermaid step stools, it obscures the whole side of my desk...
There are several threads here with lots of info and insight into the RFFT, I suggest you read them - there are at least two in C&C and one in Hot Deals.

As was mentioned above, always better to do one's homework up front, rather than to seek validation after the fact...

.bh.

 

[Tim]

I agree with zepper on this... this case has potential if you want to work with it. Not a bad choice if that's what you plan on doing.

 

[Jakeisbest]

Once you see theplaidfad's rig you will want a rocket fish lol!

 

[manimal]

Original price was 299 list for this case at BB surprisingly.

 

[Tim]

Originally posted by: Jakeisbest
Once you see theplaidfad's rig you will want a rocket fish lol!

lol, Thanks for the compliment Jake. It took me 2 entire weekends to accomplish that, and there are a lot of things I might have done differently, but it was my first attempt at case modding. I have 3 rocketfish cases I'm selling, but I'm thinking about keeping one of them to revisit what I think I could have done better.... I'm also thinking about doing an extreme mod on it. We'll see.

 

[evident]

i just picked one up for $48 yesterday at BB. the thing is about 2 inches taller than my thermaltake armor (!!!!!!!) it looks sexy, and the build quality is superb. can't wait to work with it

 

[aigomorla]

you cant really go wrong with the rocket fish case if your looking for full tower.

The case is by far the best in its price range. When i got one, i was so impressed in it, i actually had to drag the hot deals thread into cases and cooling.

The case has a lot of potential if your a moder or not. Definitely a case worth looking at if your in the market for one.

 

[Tim]

Hell, I even bought a second one to see if I can "improve" upon my original mod. Still sitting new in the box right now awaiting my time.

At last thougHt, I was thinking about the different possibilities to mount the 2nd PA120.3 :evil:

 

[BadBrad]

Especially if you can find any left at BB for $50.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

Originally posted by: aigomorla
The case has a lot of potential if your a moder or not.

I don't quite agree, before any modding the case feels like an inefficient mess and the only way I'd see it might be worth it is if you have the larger server/workstation motherboard to house.

The changes made to this case over its 'real' Lian Li counterpart are enough that it just doesn't feel 'worth' it, the Lian Li branded version I'd almost gladly pay the MSRP whereas this case takes up so much space for what it does that it almost feels like a ripoff...that is before modding comes into play. I'd be apprehensive to potentially mangle a $300 case, but this gem @ less than $60 when all said and done is a potential throw away without too much worries in the worst case scenario, of which you write off as a relatively inexpensive learning experience

Originally posted by: theplaidfad
At last thougHt, I was thinking about the different possibilities to mount the 2nd PA120.3 :evil:

if you remove both HDD cages (and thus install any HDDs in the external bays) there should be enough room for it on the bottom...so one on the top and one on the bottom

 

[Tim]

Originally posted by: bunnyfubbles

Originally posted by: aigomorla
The case has a lot of potential if your a moder or not.

I don't quite agree, before any modding the case feels like an inefficient mess and the only way I'd see it might be worth it is if you have the larger server/workstation motherboard to house.

The changes made to this case over its 'real' Lian Li counterpart are enough that it just doesn't feel 'worth' it, the Lian Li branded version I'd almost gladly pay the MSRP whereas this case takes up so much space for what it does that it almost feels like a ripoff...that is before modding comes into play. I'd be apprehensive to potentially mangle a $300 case, but this gem @ less than $60 when all said and done is a potential throw away without too much worries in the worst case scenario, of which you write off as a relatively inexpensive learning experience

I'm not sure about all of that. I did my first "modding" ever on this case, and despite a couple of things I might have done different I think it came out pretty well. (Check the 'My Rig' link in my sig, LMK what you think)

Originally posted by: bunnyfubbles
if you remove both HDD cages (and thus install any HDDs in the external bays) there should be enough room for it on the bottom...so one on the top and one on the bottom

AFAIK, that's the only way I'd be able to do it without thinking up something else rather extreme.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

Originally posted by: theplaidfad
I'm not sure about all of that. I did my first "modding" ever on this case, and despite a couple of things I might have done different I think it came out pretty well. (Check the 'My Rig' link in my sig, LMK what you think)

Right, but my original point in disagreement is that the case isn't that great or awesome without modding, which you did do with excellent results (turning a mediocre waste of space rebadge into a formidable and self-contained WC awesomeness)

Originally posted by: bunnyfubbles
if you remove both HDD cages (and thus install any HDDs in the external bays) there should be enough room for it on the bottom...so one on the top and one on the bottom

AFAIK, that's the only way I'd be able to do it without thinking up something else rather extreme.

Then what are you waiting for!

 

[Tim]

Then what are you waiting for!

Two thermochill PA120.3's to fall into my lap, as well as the other parts needed. I'm actually running a FS thread now to get rid of stuff I don't use, and put it towards the purchase of the project. Among the items I'm selling, rocketfish cases lol.

 

[aigomorla]

Originally posted by: theplaidfad

Then what are you waiting for!

Two thermochill PA120.3's to fall into my lap, as well as the other parts needed. I'm actually running a FS thread now to get rid of stuff I don't use, and put it towards the purchase of the project. Among the items I'm selling, rocketfish cases lol.

LOL you got bored of the rocketfish, and now your addicted in trying to tweek out the system.

didnt woodbutcher and i warn you on the dangers of moding + watercooling?

Originally posted by: bunnyfubbles

Originally posted by: aigomorla
The case has a lot of potential if your a moder or not.

I don't quite agree, before any modding the case feels like an inefficient mess and the only way I'd see it might be worth it is if you have the larger server/workstation motherboard to house.

Well i cant think of many cases which would be priced under 60 dollars + allow you to drop in trisli videocards without much trouble, and a tuniq or TRUE with room to spare.

Also which has a ton of bays up front and 2 hard drive cages which can store 6 hard drives total.

However i dont see why your getting that case if your running tri sli. But you get my drift?

The case has a lot of potential for hardware. It fits the 1KW SR series without any problem. The only peeve i had is the ATX power cord, not the main rail, its a bit short cuz the psu sits at the bottom and the mobo is high up.

If you factor moding, the Goliath G series, which this case is mostly based off of, was the hottest case to watercool until silverstone's TJ-07 came out and spanked it out of the league.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

Yeah I know, $60 is hard to pass up, but I'd rather spend twice as much on something like the Lian Li PC-K7 for the extremely efficient use of space - unmodded it manages an extra 120mm intake and only one less slot for a HDD.

The excuse of cases not fitting a TRUE or Tuniq doesn't seem that real to me (I really feel that you have to almost go out of your way to find a smaller form factor case that won't fit the largest 120mm air coolers), I currently own 5 cases and all of them - including my smallest, the Antec Lanboy - can fit such coolers. That being said it isn't too hard to find the occasional awesome sale and/or rebate on a suitable Antec case that would offer a comparable price for a much more reasonably sized case

Its true that working in a larger and spacious case makes install processes potentially much easier and faster, but I'm more than willing to take my time to get that efficiency. For all the space that this Rocketfish consumes I feel like I need to do a mod to cram an additional computer into it to make it worth while, or at least a self contained WC setup like theplaidfad has going (although even then there's lots of unused space, enough to contemplate two 3 x 120mm radiators).

 

[Bluefront]

Well I'm not bored with my Rocketfish....... there's enough room to pull off any sort of mod, including a dual-mother board setup. I doubt there's any of these cases left for the $50 I paid, but you might get lucky.

I've only got a few complaints....I wish the aluminum had been slightly thicker. The side panels could fit better, and need some sound deadening. And the tiny screws used in several places, are easy to drop/lose. All stuff you can deal with or mod....

 

[dawp]

I got one of these a while back with the thought of mounting a dual or triple fan rad in top as i'm coming from aa older lian li pc6 and there just isn't the room for anything but a single fan rad in that, which is fine for just cpu cooling but once you add chipset and/or gpu it got overwelmed. Now I just need to get a rad and some fresh hose. Plus i think I'll also get a rad grill from frozencpu instead of the more common wire fan grills.

 

[Tim]

Originally posted by: dawp
I got one of these a while back with the thought of mounting a dual or triple fan rad in top as i'm coming from aa older lian li pc6 and there just isn't the room for anything but a single fan rad in that, which is fine for just cpu cooling but once you add chipset and/or gpu it got overwelmed. Now I just need to get a rad and some fresh hose. Plus i think I'll also get a rad grill from frozencpu instead of the more common wire fan grills.

If you're interested a triple rad for that, I just saw one in the FS/FT forums and it's a good deal. http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=2178119&enterthread=y It's the best rad you can get right now, and he's selling it with the shroud and you could probably negotiate a little lower price with the seller. I almost got it for myself, but my buddy got one from jab-tech last night, and I know he's going to get frustrated and just give it to me because I WILL make him cave in.

 

[dawp]

the PA series is the one for low flow fans isn't it. thats what i'm looking for and I should be getting my stimulus check next week so if he still has it then i may get it.

 

[Bluefront]

FWIW.....I just found another of these cases at BestBuy in Ellisville, Mo for $50. It was the last one there. So I suppose there are some of these still left at that give-away price. Don't know what I'll do with this case, maybe just keep it for spare parts. The fans are worth at least $8 ea. The rear intake fan housing goes for about $25. Plenty of stuff to sell off if you want.

 

[Tim]

Originally posted by: Bluefront
FWIW.....I just found another of these cases at BestBuy in Ellisville, Mo for $50. It was the last one there. So I suppose there are some of these still left at that give-away price. Don't know what I'll do with this case, maybe just keep it for spare parts. The fans are worth at least $8 ea. The rear intake fan housing goes for about $25. Plenty of stuff to sell off if you want.

lol... That is exactly why I bought 4 of them