[NEED HELP] Choosing Aesthetics vs. Performance for Hadron Air Cooling

Hardware Hub Cooling
1

I have been planning to do a Hadron Air build for a while now and have decided to implement these parts:

  • i5 4670k
  • MSI Twin Froz GTX 770
  • 8 GB Patriot Ram
  • ASUS Z97i-PLUS
  • Samsung 840 EVO 128 gb SSD
  • Hadron Air

I need help deciding between these two options and please choose not solely based on performance(obviously Noctua has better cooling) but also if the sacrifice of aesthetics is worth the performance. For example, I would only choose the Noctua option over the others if it allows for a significant temperature reduction and noticeable difference in noise (one of the things I hated most about my last build was the noise).

  • Noctua NH-U9B SE2 w/ stock Hadron Air exhaust fans replaced with Noctua NF-S12B (Example build: http://pcpartpicker.com/b/qWNG3C)) - If I end up going with Noctua, what lighting (RGB led strip, cold cathodes, etc.) should I use to make the build more bearable/pleasing-to-the-eyes and should I flip the Noctua NF-S12B's to be intake fans for positive pressure within the case to minimize dust?

  • Cooler Master Gemin II S524 w/ Corsair AF/SP 120 Fans - *Although not the best cooler, the large design of the heatsink fan covers up much of the space of the motherboard and hides many cables as shown here: http://pcpartpicker.com/b/qVMp99

  • (My preferred pick for aesthetics) EVGA mITX Cooler (nearly the same price as Noctua NH-U9B SE2) w/ Red LED Corsair AF 120 Fans - *As can be seen here: https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-awQalCSz4D0/U48M6oWzFdI/AAAAAAAAO08/xd_iD6ndTP8/w1364-h910-no/2.png, this build would look stunning but at nearly the same price as the Noctua set, I am concerned that I may be giving up on a lot of performance (am I?)

Notes: I've been having a lot of trouble deciding between these sets, so I would like to learn from you guys's suggestions and experiences. If you want to suggest a certain cooler, fans, or lighting configuration then I would love to hear it!

 
2

One quick point: I wouldn't get a GPU that vents into the case. I did a build with the Hadron and I found it better with a blower style fan. There just isn't much room in the case for exhausting hot air into it from the GPU in my opinion. When I had a dual fan GPU, I found that I needed to run the top fans higher to get rid of the heat, plus it added more stress to the CPU cooler as the internal temps were higher.

3

For the record, I like the 3rd option.

4

Do you have pictures/build log of your hadron air build?  Also, can you give me an example of gtx 770 that you reccomend?

 

5

I am currently working on a video build log that uses this case. I will let you know when I am done, but it could be several days.

6

As far as the 770: Most blower type "reference" cards are the same. So, I would purchase off of price. I don't have any particular recommendations beyond going with the top brands like MSI, EVGA, ASUS, Gigabyte, PNY etc... 

7

Here is the YouTube link to the build video that I did with the Hadron :

http://youtu.be/jEwSQsFSF3I