Why does the Echo III require a Hydro CPU cooler?

[mistral]

Why does the Echo III require the Puget Hydro CPU cooler?

Silent PC Review recommends the Lian-Li PC-Q08 case that the Echo III uses, as do folks on Reddit /r/buildapc.

(I am curious about the Echo III because I want a small form factor programmer's workstation, and I'm not convinced the Echo II's 150W PSU can safely drive a 2500K or 2600K at max load along with hard drives and USB peripherals for tasks like compiling software while playing music in the background)

I haven't seen any commentary that suggests that liquid cooling is necessary or desirable on a system using this case, or on a stock-clocked Sandy Bridge CPU in general. Echo III includes a 650W PSU and no options for 2x graphics cards, so I don't see a lot of heat/power in a machine like this.

The only reason I can guess is this: The Serenity machines all use the Gellid Tranquillo, which is bigger than the Hydro cooler, so maybe case size is the reason Puget uses the small Hydro cooler in the Echo III?

Puget is willing to build a Spirit with just a Scythe Katana 3 to cool the CPU, and will even add an SLI 2x graphics card setup there, so it seems that the Katana might suffice in an Echo III as well. The Echo III comes with an H67, so there is basically no overclocking possible and it's possible to leave out a graphics card, so it seems like the system just won't get very hot.

So, what would be the consequence of offering a PC in a Lian-Li PC-Q08 with a small air-cooler instead of the Hydro?

[PCC-Wilson]

Hi Mistral-

As you guess, it's basically due to size. The only two coolers we've every tried in the system is the Puget Hydro and the stock cooler. The Gelid Tranquillo will not fit in the system. I'm not sure about the Scythe Katana 3, but I'm guessing it won't either. However, we do offer a low profile cooler in our Serenity HTPC system and that actually might fit in the Echo III.

http://www.pugetsystems.com/parts/CP...PU-Cooler-7445

If your interested, feel free to submit a quote and ask for the Scythe Big Shuriken cooler in place of the Hydro.

[mistral]

Between the time I started writing and the time I finished my post, I realized that the Hydro is a small CPU cooler, not nearly as large as the "system" liquid coolers on the Deluge or the Custom Liquid-Cooled PC.

So the Puget Hydro is roughly the size and price of a CPU cooler, using a liquid tube instead of metal for the heat pipe, I guess.

There's some "sticker shock" comparing the Echo II to the Echo III: for similar mobo/CPU/RAM/HD, the Echo III's non-optional video card, larger case+PSU, and different cooler add up to a $400 price difference, and at that point maybe someone should go for a Serenity Mini.

I guess I was hoping that the upgrade from Echo II to Echo III would be more like $100 for the roomier case and PSU, and have an option for integrated Intel graphics.

Correcting my earlier post: Would an Echo III work with integrated graphics? The H67 motherboard is compatible, but Puget doesn't offer the integrated graphics option. Does the PC-Q08 case block access to the integrated video output or something?

How does the Hydro liquid pump noise compare to the Gelid's fan and to the full-system cooling options, or to some other frame of reference like air-cooling on the Spirit or Obsidian?