Establishing the clearance options inside DS200 is essential for system builders who want to know the limitations of the chassis.
CPU Cooler
Space for big CPU coolers
For those going down the air cooling route there is approximately 170mm for the total height of the CPU cooler before it touches the side panel. Pictured is Noctua NH-U12P which is 158mm in height. This picture clearly shows plenty of space for flagship coolers which are usually around 160mm.
Graphics Card
DS200 can house long graphics cards
DS200 has a detachable upper HDD cage which can allow for extended compatibility for long graphics cards. Removing this cage will supply room for any card currently on the market but leaving the cage inside DS200 there is approximately 11” / 280mm. Pictured is XFX HD 7970 DD which is 10.5” / 270mm long.
Water Cooling
Room at the top for radiators
Just over 1” / 2.5cm at the top of the motherboard
There is space at the front of DS200 there is sufficient space for mounting a 240/280mm radiator but the HDD cages will need to be removed.
The more common place which enthusiasts will make use of is the top of the chassis. Aerocool has intentionally designed the top of DS200 to comfortably suit 240/280mm radiator support. Both radiator and cooling fan can fit within the cavity inside the top panel and a cooling fan can be attached on the other side of the radiator, inside the chassis since there is 1” / 2.5cm of clearance as shown above.
Adding in an ALC like the one pictured above (Corsair Hydro Series H100i) will not work very well with the default panel attached – because it is solid. So the inclusion of the secondary top panel is more preferable as it will allow ventilation, causing air to pass through it.
Cable Management
2cm behind the motherboard tray
The space behind the motherboard tray is essential for practising good cable management. In this region there is approximately 2cm of clearance between the back of the tray and the side panel – allowing for plenty of space to neatly arrange cables.
