Case Opinions Requested

[profdlp]

Anyone have any experience with this case? (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16811144151)

Anything better in that price range that you would recommend?

[GHoosdum]

Looking for a replacement for your beast, I see. ;)

I don't have any experience with that particular case, but I have heard some good things about Aspire cases... and you know Newegg treats you right, so if there's something wrong with it, they'll make good.

I'm doubtful that that particular case will provide proper cooling, though. Did you see the rear exhaust fan grille? It appears that it could accommodate up to a 120MM fan, though... if you gave it a hit with the dremel to knock out that grille completely, it might do pretty well...

[Thrax]

Those fan grills are absolutely ghastly.

Take a look into the Gigabyte Aurora. Yes, I own one, but it's an amazingly-good case.

//edit: yes, it's a little more expencive, but I feel it just might be worth it.

[profdlp]

Those fan grills are absolutely ghastly.
I agree wholeheartedly, but they won't be there for long should I go ahead with this case. :ninja:

Take a look into the Gigabyte Aurora. Yes, I own one, but it's an amazingly-good case.

//edit: yes, it's a little more expensive, but I feel it just might be worth it.
My first priority is a new hard drive. (http://www.short-media.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50362) That case looks great, but it would put me a little over budget. I will keep it in mind, should I be able to swing both items. :)

[Datsun 1600]

Have four of these cases (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811119068), have decent airflow and house various dual-core dedicated folders.

Datsun 1600

[GHoosdum]

I second Datsun's recommendation.

[profdlp]

How would the Cooler Master look with pasty-beige optical drives? What are the chances of modding the front 80mm fan opening to 120mm? :)

PS: I am kind of set on a nice side panel window - ain't never had one before. :mullet:

[Leonardo]

I am kind of set on a nice side panel window - ain't never had one before. Which you can accomplish very nicely with a jigsaw (with high quality blade) and a couple good quality metal files for finish work, with steel or aluminum. It's a lot of hard work, but is nothing technical. Yeah, of course, there's the Dremel advocates, but I understand you'll go through quite a few cutting bits.

[airbornflght]

I made my side window with dremel cutting wheels. I used around 4 to 5 probably.

Just make sure that you get the beffiest ones that they have, they cost more but last so much longer.

also, it is the heat that tears them up, so if you plunge right in and start ripping away, the wheel will be smoked in a couple of minutes.

If you go slow, and make "strokes" with the wheel just taking off a little every time, the wheel will last much longer, just apply enough force to keep it down, but not to much. you can tell when it get hot, because it will start degrading rapidly.

also, if you go slow, you will get a much cleaner cut, pending you dont slip.

[Sledgehammer70]

Prof when it comes to cases, It mainly comes down to what appeals to you. Coolermaster makes a few great cases, I have one that is awesome, everything is hotswapable, and is very nice especially the HD's... No screws :)

I prefer some of the higher end Antec cases, they are a bit bulker but are built to last... I am running on a few of these and they just keep cool and quite.. http://www.antec.com/us/productDetails.php?ProdID=90511# it has space for let see... 6 80mm fans or 4-80 and 1-120mm.... the hard drive bays are removeable, and it has a nice front panel for sound and speakers along with a firewire connection.

The inside is great for older hardware as there is tons fo room, and the front cover will close to hide those evil miscolored drives :) and man does she look pretty at night with some blue lights :)

I also run a few of these bad boys

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ShowImage.asp?Image=11%2D119%2D029%2D13%2Ejpg%2C11%2D119%2D029%2D15%2Ejpg%2C11%2D119%2D029%2D16%2Ejpg%2C11%2D119%2D029%2D08%2Ejpg%2C11%2D119%2D029%2D12%2Ejpg%2C11%2D119%2D029%2D04%2EJPG%2C11%2D119%2D029%2D10%2Ejpg%2C11%2D119%2D029%2D11%2Ejpg%2C11%2D119%2D029%2D17%2Ejpg%2C11%2D119%2D029%2D14%2Ejpg&CurImage=11%2D119%2D029%2D13%2Ejpg&Description=COOLER+MASTER+Praetorian+PAC%2DT01%2DE1+Silver+All+Aluminium+Alloy+ATX+Mid+Tower+Computer+Case+%2D+Retail

they run very quite and ver coold, and even look cool with biege drives :)

But I think these cases might be out of the price range by allot :)

[Sledgehammer70]

http://www.mandmcr.com/online_images/Comp/comps1.jpg

I have to many cases Prof :)

[AlphaTrinity]

Anyone have any experience with this case? (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16811144151)

Anything better in that price range that you would recommend?

I don't have that case, but my friend does.
He really likes it, and his temperatures are pretty low with a 120mm fan in the back. I also had him move the 80mm fan that came with the case to the side panel for some extra air flow. He got the green/blue led one, but I think that the black/blue led one would look much better.
It looks like I'm a little late to give my opinion since there are so many other recommendations, but I just had to share :wave:

[vaio]

I recently bought an Enermax Chakra (U.K one sans 250mm side fan).
For circa £40 I recommend it.......has 120mm intake and exhaust and an 80mm side fan mounting, plus an air vent for PCI area.

The top two drive bays have spring loaded stealth covers.
Comes with blue led 120mm intake.

Good lil case for the money.

[lemonlime]

I absolutely can not recommend lian-li cases strongly enough, Prof. Check out the mid-tower models. There are some priced in the $100ish range. A little more expensive, but once you have owned one, you'll never want to buy anything else again. Models like the PC65 and the PC60PB (120mm fans) are priced quite reasonably. Definitely check them out.

Also, If you want something a little more bang for the buck, check out the Antec P180--great case for the price. Looks classy too (no window though).

[profdlp]

I absolutely can not recommend lian-li cases strongly enough...once you have owned one, you'll never want to buy anything else again...
As you see it, what sets them apart from the rest? :)

[csimon]

I absolutely can not recommend lian-li cases strongly enough, Prof.

I must agree from experience.

[shwaip]

I like the folded edges of the metal, and the thicker Aluminum in the lian-li cases. (For me,) It's questionable as to whether or not it's actually worth it to pay for the lian-li name, though.

[muddocktor]

And I'm another advocate of Coolermaster's cases, prof. They are also a very high quality product from my (rather limited) experience with them. Personally, I would go with the Centurion before the case you linked to. And if you want a window, This Centurion 5 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811119077) case has a window too, for $20 cheaper than the Apevia.

And right now I'm in the process of adding a window on my Coolermaster Praetorian case out of necessity; The monster hsf I have on my Opty dually is too large to fit with the case side on right now. So I just cut the window area out yesterday on the side panel and went to a glass shop and got a piece of 1/8" plexi cut today. I also went to Lowes and bought a small piece of red oak to make a spacer with to extend the window outward on the side panel for clearance.

I also did the dremel route myself and used around 6-7 cutoff wheels (the cheap ones, which work well if you don't crowd them) for the rough cut, then used sanding drums to get to my final measurements. Finally, I used a soft Arkansas sharpening stone to smooth the edges of the cut window out.

[gcstader]

I was in the market for a new case about a year ago and picked up a lian li pc-61. It was a bit expensive at like $110 but, it's worth every penny. I think they're going on newegg for $99.00 now.

I probably have about 15 pc cases layin around here and it's got to be the easiest to work with. If you swap components out like hard drives, pci cards, etc, you'll love the toolless design - everything comes off with thumb screws.

Here are a couple pics of it when I was putting it together.

Replaced the stock 80mm fans with these purple LEDs in the front :)

I've got a ton more high-res pics if anyone's interested in a seein a review of this case.

-Greg

[Datsun 1600]

Windows are easy, with time and patience.

Datsun 1600

Edit. A black Texta pen works well on biege drives.

[lemonlime]

As you see it, what sets them apart from the rest? :)

Top notch quality is what really sets it apart, IMO. The build quality is amazing--thick, polished aluminum throughout (everything from the PCI brackets to the thumbscrews are polished), removable mobo trays, tooless design. All fans are included (with good quality ADDA fans). In the case of the PC60/65, there is even an integrated 3-position fan controller in the front. Dust guards, and a really timeless design that never seems to go stale. They even include a poster-size schematic/blueprint of the entire case design for you. No bling, just function and a classy design.

I was skeptical when I first bought the PC65, but I don't think I'd ever buy another type of case again :)

[muddocktor]

I have no doubts about the quality of the Lian-Li cases; I've seen that beautiful V-2000 of csimon's. But, we are talking about a case in the $50-70 range for prof, not $90-100 (at least I am, because his first post was about a $70 case). If he can afford the extra moola for the Lian-Li that's fine, but if not there are other quality choices too.

[vaio]

Cheaper Coolermasters should do the job.
Plenty of budget cases with 120mm intake/exhaust.

[profdlp]

I'm considering all of your suggestions, thanks to everyone who has taken the time to respond. :)

While browsing around, I came across this one (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811208008). Any thoughts on it?

I really want the side panel window and would dearly love to do extensive case mods of my own, but 90% of my tools disappeared in an unfortunate "accident", and half of the rest are 180 miles away at the moment. Other than cutting out the built-in fan grilles and filing down the jagged edges I am not able to do a whole lot more right now.

Including shipping, I am able to go as high as $100. If it comes tricked out with all the fans, so much the better. If the case fans are not included, it would be nice if the price was under $100 by enough to at least buy a few cheapo fans for temporary use until I can get something better. ("Better" as in quieter, though at 120mm I think they're all likely to be quieter than most smaller "whiny" fans.)

Gee, I should have mentioned all this right from the start. ;D

[mirage]

I'm considering all of your suggestions, thanks to everyone who has taken the time to respond. :)

While browsing around, I came across this one (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811208008). Any thoughts on it?

I really want the side panel window and would dearly love to do extensive case mods of my own, but 90% of my tools disappeared in an unfortunate "accident", and half of the rest are 180 miles away at the moment. Other than cutting out the built-in fan grilles and filing down the jagged edges I am not able to do a whole lot more right now.

Including shipping, I am able to go as high as $100. If it comes tricked out with all the fans, so much the better. If the case fans are not included, it would be nice if the price was under $100 by enough to at least buy a few cheapo fans for temporary use until I can get something better. ("Better" as in quieter, though at 120mm I think they're all likely to be quieter than most smaller "whiny" fans.)

Gee, I should have mentioned all this right from the start. ;D

Prof, I usually prefer Scandinavian style and design, simple and functional. Considering quality, price, and your given requirements, I would choose either of the two below. The Thermaltake case is more expensive but a little more shiny. Both of them come with a 120mm fan. But my favorite would be Coolermaster.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811119110
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811133172

[muddocktor]

The case you linked to is a little gaudy for my tastes, but looks to have decent cooling, prof. Just assume that the included psu is a placeholder only and don't depend on that POS for actually powering anything more powerful than a K6-2 system. Mirage has also linked you to 2 nice case choices also, and both have space for 120mm fans front and rear, for less noise and better cooling.

[vaio]

Gigabyte Aurora is a decent case too, though may be a tad expensive.

[WuGgaRoO]

www.addtronics.com

awesome cases..and they are really nice to mod as well...but they can run a bit pricey...good luck with this prof.

but to be honest, a case is a case in all honestly, as long as it has a 120mm intake and 120mm outake and a side fan u cant go wrong

[profdlp]

...I would choose either of the two below...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811119110
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811133172
The first one you linked is a strong contender. Does it have the same glossy black finish as the second one?

Because...

I have seen the second in stores and love everything about it except the glossy black finish. I am kind of a nut about seeing smudges and fingerprints on things and that looks like an FBI special; I'd probably spend all my time polishing it. :vimp: I also wonder what it would look like after a year or two of banging it around.

The case you linked to is a little gaudy for my tastes...
Yeah, the more I look at it the more it has that B.E.M appearance. :p

Just assume that the included psu is a placeholder only and don't depend on that POS for actually powering anything more powerful than a K6-2 system...
Definitely. I'd rather get the case alone and not spend the extra $20 or so they're tacking on to the price for the chintzy PSU.


Gigabyte Aurora is a decent case too, though may be a tad expensive.
That name keeps popping up, and I will say that it looks tempting. The big hitch is that I'd have to wait a while before I could justify the extra money.

Whichever way I go, I plan to decide in the next day or two. :)

[profdlp]

www.addtronics.com
I really like the 6901B ATX FILE SERVER CASE (with the optional side window). I'm not sure about the dual 80mm fans in the back as opposed to one 120mm fan. :)

[mirage]

The first one you linked is a strong contender. Does it have the same glossy black finish as the second one?

Because...



I think it is matte finish on Coolermaster, and I agree finger prints can be a real trouble on the glossy finish of Thermaltake case.

[MAGIC]

i actually won that case in the raffle at the sm-lan05 its not very well put together. side pannels are flimsey and it just feels like it should cost less than it does. ide go with the coolermaster cent5. usually 55 bucks on newegg sometimes you can catch it on sale for 45-50 or for free shipping.

[profdlp]

[v][AGIC']i actually won that case in the raffle at the sm-lan05...
Which one? We've discussed about a dozen of them so far. :D

[MAGIC]

the original case you posted, sorry.

[profdlp]

[v][AGIC']the original case you posted, sorry.
Do the gauges on the front work as advertised?

[MAGIC]

they do. kind of a hassle to get all the little sensors placed, but they worked.

[DanG]

If you need a power supply, look at the antec sonata 2, comes with a 450w smart power psu and it's a great case. 92mm fan that sits right over the cpu fan, 80mm that sits right over the video card, a 120mm at the back and a 120mm right behind the drives. But there's no window.

[profdlp]

Last one (I think):

Thermaltake Soprano VB1000WWS (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811133022)

[lemonlime]

This one is $30 off right now :)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811112099

[profdlp]

lemonlime, if I wasn't so dead set on a side panel window I think I'd get that one. As it is, I'm having to reconsider not wanting to have to go modding one in by myself.

Oh, the agony of indecision! :crazy:

[Shalimar]

We currently have the following cases:

A: Antec 1088 AMGs, very good cooling. 120m exhaust & twin 80m inlets.

B: Antec 1080 AMGs, not as good in the cooling department as the above case. All 80m fans though this case gets a thumbs down from us.

C: Antec tx 605B i think it is, very good cooling again. 120m exhaust 2 80m inlets.

D: And the thermaltake Matrix cases, very good cooling, have a side window and 120m inlet + 120m exhaust.

A: C: D: is highly recommended, B: i would leave alone as it is not a very good case cooling wise.

Later

[Datsun 1600]

Last one (I think):

Thermaltake Soprano VB1000WWS (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811133022)
Had the aluminium Thermaltake Tsunami, which is the same case, to change the PSU the top connections plate has to be removed, and breaks easily as it is plastic, the plastic bezel behind the door, one word, flimsy. Cooling is good with front and back 120mm fans, if you upgrade the rear fan to something that blows air, has a window. These days I shy away from Thermaltake.

Datsun 1600

[mirage]

Anyone have any experience with this case? (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16811144151)

Anything better in that price range that you would recommend?


Prof, this case is on sale at newegg today, FYI

[csimon]

lemonlime, if I wasn't so dead set on a side panel window I think I'd get that one. As it is, I'm having to reconsider not wanting to have to go modding one in by myself.

Oh, the agony of indecision! :crazy:
http://www.crazypc.com/products/casemods/windows.htm

[MAGIC]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811119077
side window, cheap, well built, COOLERMASTER ... what else could you want?

[Leonardo]

Prof, you won't find a better value than that Centurian for that price. No way. I think you can stop looking now.

[muddocktor]

Heh, that's at least the 3rd Centurion case that he's been linked to (and I linked to it first :p ). But I don't guess that prof likes the layout or looks or something. I do know that I am really impressed with the build quality of my Coolermaster Praetorian RC730 case though. It's a more expensive aluminum case, but I imagine most of the extra cost is due to the use of all the aluminum in it compared to the Centurion.

[MAGIC]

only problem i had with the praetorian is its narrow.

[profdlp]

How narrow? My HSF is one of those tall boys. :)

EDIT: Never mind, I looked it up. :p

This past week has been quite busy for me. I'm hoping to get this decided soon.

Thanks again for all of your help. :wave:

[muddocktor]

[v][AGIC']only problem i had with the praetorian is its narrow.

It's not so much the case is narrow as it's that the removable mobo tray eats up a bit of the available width. And I agree that it's a drawback, but there are ways around that. In other words, I should be posting some mods I have done to mine soon so that I could put the side on with the SI-120 and monster Delta GFB fan. I figure that I have a couple more days of work on it left; have to let the polyurethane dry for at least a day or so before finishing it out. ;)

[MAGIC]

i wanna see

[GHoosdum]

[v][AGIC']i wanna see

Ask and ye shall receive! (http://www.short-media.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50556)

[profdlp]

Prof gets the sign. He toes the rubber, checks the runner at third, then delivers the pitch.

It's a sharp breaking curveball, and it looks like...

...a STRIKE! (Hopefully. :D )

Asking advice on a hardware purchase does not always have the result one expects. Fortunately, the outcome is often better than expected, too.

I guess what I was after when I started this thread was one of two outcomes.

Either:

1) Everyone would say that the case I linked to in my first post was wonderful, easing my mind as I went ahead and ordered it.

Or:

2) People would point out its shortcomings and recommend something better which would knock my socks off.

What I didn't anticipate was what really happened, though it seems so obvious now.

I started out with a rather feeble opening post. I didn't know it at the time, but I guess I wasn't quite sure to begin with what I really wanted in a new case. The points you all mentioned did much to help me focus on what I truly wanted to get. I also appreciate the advice given which has helped me avoid some less-than-desirable features I might not have noticed until it was too late. I'm on a really tight budget and probably won't get a "do over" on this anytime soon.

I finally decided to go with this baby (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811146026). I really like the style, it has the fan configuration I was looking for, and the price was right. I also came to realize that I really wanted a front door to conceal my three-different-shades-of-beige DVD player, burner, and floppy drives.

Thanks a bunch to all who took time to respond - I greatly appreciate it. :cheers:

[GHoosdum]

Cool deal. Let us know how the case works for you. :bigggrin:

[muddocktor]

While the case front isn't what I would pick for a case, it looks like it has a decent layout inside, prof. After all, looks are in the eye of the beholder. I did notice that it doesn't have an intake fan in the front, from the pictures posted at Newegg. Are you planning to add an intake fan in the lower front? That would help cool the hard drive area better, IMO.

The only other gripe I have about that case design applies to most any case in that price range. I like to have some open spaces on the side the mobo mounts to because I try to route cables behind it as much as possible to minimize clutter and improve airflow. But with some creative wire routing, you should still be able to get everything neat and out of the way.

I usually go ahead and assemble everything without taking time to do a real neat wiring job at first, and check and make sure everything is up and running correctly. Once I know that everything is good to go, I take the machine back over to my living room table then and take a bag of tie wraps and some diagonals. I then take all the wires off everything and start planning and executing my wire routing.

[profdlp]

...I did notice that it doesn't have an intake fan in the front, from the pictures posted at Newegg. Are you planning to add an intake fan in the lower front?
Yep. Ordered an extra 120mm fan along with the case. :thumbsup:


I usually go ahead and assemble everything without taking time to do a real neat wiring job at first, and check and make sure everything is up and running correctly. Once I know that everything is good to go, I take the machine back over to my living room table then and take a bag of tie wraps and some diagonals. I then take all the wires off everything and start planning and executing my wire routing.
That's exactly what I do. As I recall, when I did my current system it took me several hours to get it "just right". :D

[muddocktor]

Yeah, I also have this to look forward to next week when I transplant my new mobo purchase into my old Antec SX1040 case. I'll get everything up and running (hopefully) and then pull it back out and spend several quality hours with the computer, tie wraps and dikes in hand. :D

[Buddha16]

Cool case prof, i also have a NZXT case, the LEXA......I like it alot.:thumbsup:

[lemonlime]

We want pics! :D

Glad you found one you like, prof!

[profdlp]

Just to follow up on this, I got the case and love it. It was easy to get everything installed and the three 120mm fans are as quiet as a whisper. They also have lowered my CPU temp by nearly 10C at full load (Folding (http://www.joinfolding.com) - booyah!), so I may return to a little OC action.

A side benefit of the case window which I never considered is that I find myself much more conscious of cleaning out the dust bunnies. In a windowless case it's all too easy to forget about it until you see the temps go skyrocketing.

Thanks again to everyone who helped me reach a decision on this. :cheers:

[worker]

I'm considering the same case to replace the boring case on my wife's system. Good to hear you like it.

I'm also going to replace my case but I need something with more room. Anyone have any thoughts on this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811112105

[csimon]

I'm considering the same case to replace the boring case on my wife's system. Good to hear you like it.

I'm also going to replace my case but I need something with more room. Anyone have any thoughts on this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811112105
Does your wife need 2 power supplies?

[worker]

I plan on getting the same case as profdlp for her system. I'm considering the Lian-Li for use on my system. I don't "need" two power supplies but the ability to add another one is interesting. What I need is room for 6 ODD's and 6 HD's. My current case is too cluttered. The Lian-Li looks much more roomy.

[csimon]

I plan on getting the same case as profdlp for her system. I'm considering the Lian-Li for use on my system. I don't "need" two power supplies but the ability to add another one is interesting. What I need is room for 6 ODD's and 6 HD's. My current case is too cluttered. The Lian-Li looks much more roomy.
What about the value systems ...I love my v2000. Just a thought ...you may need 2 psu's when the physics processors come of age.