Conclusion - New Case Required

[Down the Pub]

evenin guys.


i'm posting this

a) because i'm being a bit lazy tonight

&

b) see a


right at the moment i have a TT armor j case. was alright to begin with. but now as i've changed things about and added stuff, the temps have started to increase a bit (hence the side is off most the time) and it's pain in the ass to keep clean as it's become a dust magnet and is getting cramped - so a new case is in order.

budget is a toughie - ideally £100 or less, although depending on time of year i may be able to strech it a bit further.

bigger the better, would like a full tower for the space and aero's but budget might not make it. so as much internal space as possible would be good to allow good airflow.

would like psu bottom mounted as this would allow space for a rad in the top - for future cooling.

a cpu backplate cutout would be nice so o didn't have to keep taking the damn thing to bits when i want to change the hsf and holes for cable management - not essential as i could punch these out at work in 5 mins. although holes for w/c would be desirable.

tool less is good for the lazy of us (me included ) although not essential.


i know this may seem like a tall order - but may be able to compromise in areas (like cable cutouts). so welcome the suggestions.

[MovedGoalPosts]

Is it a really new case you need. I'd suspect you have other cooling issues. Perhaps you are overclocking too much, or something isn't mounted properly? Can you believe the temperatures your motherboard sensors are suggesting? Are things like the CPU cooler block mounted properly? Are all fans spinning, and if so at what speeds - unless it sounds like something is going to take off the cooler fans aren't close to doing their job.

I use a very basic AKASA case that I got for something like £30. It just has fans at the front and rear, top PSU and a stock cooler on the Q6600 CPU and ATI 4870 GPU. It's also got 4 HDs. It does just fine.

[Down the Pub]

no o/c here at the moment, haven't restored the o/c profile since i installed 7 so everything is @ stock

to start with the intake fan is obscured by the hdd cage. i know that there is air going in - but over the hdd's and at the expence of good airflow to the rest of the case.

the mobo almost sits behind the psu at the top, and just below is the h50 rad. that means that the vrm's - i/o - and heat pipes are enclosed with very little airflow. hence i want to at least be able to move the psu to the bottom.

so overall i want some more space so everything is not as cramped, can get some good airflow through the case and room for w/c expansion.

I got a Coolermaster stacker its massive has space top and bottom for PSU and it was cheap @ around 80 quid. Unfortunatley they dont seem to do my model any more

I modded my case myself adding a side window and an extra fan intake to allow for better airflow

What about the Haf 922? http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...odid=CA-176-CM

actually cheaper with a window http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...id=7&subcat=29

---------- Post added at 10:18 ---------- Previous post was at 10:16 ----------

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...id=7&subcat=29 932 actually a lot bigger

[Down the Pub]

Originally Posted by zing

I got a Coolermaster stacker its massive has space top and bottom for PSU and it was cheap @ around 80 quid. Unfortunatley they dont seem to do my model any more

I modded my case myself adding a side window and an extra fan intake to allow for better airflow

What about the Haf 922? http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...odid=CA-176-CM

actually cheaper with a window http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...id=7&subcat=29

---------- Post added at 10:18 ---------- Previous post was at 10:16 ----------

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...id=7&subcat=29 932 actually a lot bigger

i came accross the 932 (nearly a tenner cheaper at scan and aria. won't use oc's after they tried screwing me a few years ago), the only draw back is the absence of filters - although that can be overcome using air-con or hoover filter pads. also not that keen on the HAF logo etched on the side.

i also want to wait and see what the new version the HAF X is gonna retail at. looks a bit nicer and has all the filters. rumour has it that it's gonna go for about £150. trouble is that there is a lot of good cases in that price bracket, and for say £40 over the 932 would it be worth it?

[idi banashapan]

if you're willing to put up a little more cash, I can recommend one of these;

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Lian-...m-Case-w-o-PSU

I got one myself a while back. I'm not into cases that look like they're drop ships in sci-fi programmes and do not sit looking at the inside of my case when using the machine, so no need for windows and the such, thus wanted something pretty indescrete. I like the subtle blue light it gives off, but that is as far as the 'mod-style' goes on it. it's bloody massive inside. I bought an HD5870, so needed a case that would harbour it comfortably - this case positively dwarfs the card, and it's not a small card! Lian-Li do make good cases, so well worth looking at them.

alternatively;

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/LianL...g-Case-W-O-PSU
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Antec...ays-Quiet-Case
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/NZXT-...t-Case-w-o-PSU

which are nearer the £100 mark

tbh I was using OCUK as refference rather than a sales option

[damien c]

If you could scrape the cash together go for the corsair obsidian 800d, reason being:

1: Absolutley huge space inside

2: Power supply is in the bottom in a separate section, and then there is room in the same section for 2 hdd's, with a 140mm fan drawing air in to the main section from the bottom of the case.

3. Space at the top for a triple radiator, and space on the back for another single fan, with a single 140mm fan blowing air directly over the hdd's and in to the space behind the mobo tray which is about a inch.

4. It has a removeable cover for the back of the cpu so you don't need to remove the mobo to add waterblock's or new hsf's.

5. It has space for a total 5 optical drive's and 6 hdd's, with 4 hdd's being in removeable caddie's, that only require 1 sata power plug as a adapter come's with the case for the 4 power socket's for the hdd's, and those cable's are coverd and out of sight aswell.

This case is excellent for space and cooling and with a bit of modding it will fit more than just 1 triple radiator in it aswell, which i will be doing when i change graphics card's.

It is allot more expensive but it is worth it really for the size of the case etc, it has plenty of room and with a bit of time you can hide 90% of cable's.

Your other choice of course is the Antec 1200 which is another very good case.

Cosrsair 700d

Corsair 800d

[Down the Pub]

Originally Posted by zing

tbh I was using OCUK as refference rather than a sales option

don't worry zing i know, just some e-tails don't stock what others do. i even avoid just browsing their site.....thats just me though.

Originally Posted by damien c

If you could scrape the cash together go for the corsair obsidian 800d, reason being:

1: Absolutley huge space inside

2: Power supply is in the bottom in a separate section, and then there is room in the same section for 2 hdd's, with a 140mm fan drawing air in to the main section from the bottom of the case.

3. Space at the top for a triple radiator, and space on the back for another single fan, with a single 140mm fan blowing air directly over the hdd's and in to the space behind the mobo tray which is about a inch.

4. It has a removeable cover for the back of the cpu so you don't need to remove the mobo to add waterblock's or new hsf's.

5. It has space for a total 5 optical drive's and 6 hdd's, with 4 hdd's being in removeable caddie's, that only require 1 sata power plug as a adapter come's with the case for the 4 power socket's for the hdd's, and those cable's are coverd and out of sight aswell.

This case is excellent for space and cooling and with a bit of modding it will fit more than just 1 triple radiator in it aswell, which i will be doing when i change graphics card's.

It is allot more expensive but it is worth it really for the size of the case etc, it has plenty of room and with a bit of time you can hide 90% of cable's.

Your other choice of course is the Antec 1200 which is another very good case.

Cosrsair 700d

Corsair 800d

as nice as the 800 is damien, there is no way i could justify £200+ on a case. as nice as the 700 may be, i couldn't justify just shy of £200 on a case.

if i kept streching my budget everytime i've brought something i'd be v.v.v.v.v.skint and the missus wouldn't none to happy either, on a whim i popped to scan on saturday and brought an a/c accelero twin turbo pro as wasn't happy with the hsf on the 4870. she didn't bat an eye lid, but if i spent £200 on the 800 - my kanckers would be on the block - but my gfx temps are now cool.

[Deathmaker]

It's at the mid/lower end of the Coolermaster price range but still a decent quality case: the CM 690 II is less than 80 quid.

Out of the box it's not uber chilli, but that's nothing a couple of quiet 120/140mm fans can't rectify. There's no shortage of places to put them either as it can take up to ten.

It ticks all of your boxes; there's space for a dual rad, it's tool-less, has a cut-out behind the CPU, bottom mounted PSU with filter & it's priced low enough to earn some brownie points with the missus.

About six months ago I gave my son my old system, an A64 X2 4200 running @ 2.7GHz and popped it into the 690 II's predecessor, the vanilla 690, and it handled the hot weather the other week with aplomb. If I was building it now, I'd spend the extra 20-odd quid for the revised version without hesitation.

HTH.

[vanman]

look here http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cas...ster-haf-932/1

[damien c]

Originally Posted by Down the Pub

don't worry zing i know, just some e-tails don't stock what others do. i even avoid just browsing their site.....thats just me though.



as nice as the 800 is damien, there is no way i could justify £200+ on a case. as nice as the 700 may be, i couldn't justify just shy of £200 on a case.

if i kept streching my budget everytime i've brought something i'd be v.v.v.v.v.skint and the missus wouldn't none to happy either, on a whim i popped to scan on saturday and brought an a/c accelero twin turbo pro as wasn't happy with the hsf on the 4870. she didn't bat an eye lid, but if i spent £200 on the 800 - my kanckers would be on the block - but my gfx temps are now cool.

posted just incase and the pics so you can see how much space there is with kit inside.

i reckon the antec 1200 or 900 would be ok for your budget and they do keep components very cool aswell.

If it's cool temps your after the antec 1200 is a good case and a fair bit better then the 900 although the stock fans can be hit and miss but near your budget and if you can take the blue led's it is a good case with plenty of space and options for further cooling.