Best inexpensive (<£50), preferably USB3.0 compatible, ATX case?

[Frankenfurter]

Hey all,

Ok. So, I'm building a new pc and I mayyyy have forgotten to factor a case into my budget.
Quiiite embarrassing, I know.

Luckily, I did factor in for £50 of overbudgetting, just in case I found a must-have deal on a better part than I planned on. Now it just means the better part will be 'a case' rather than 'no case'. >.<


Things I don't care about:
- Looks - honestly, can be ugly as hell, doesn't bother me
- Flashy lights, windows, etc.
- Build quality (to an extent, just trying to be realistic on that one >.<)
- Desk space

Things I do care about (aside from price obviously >.<):
- Air flow
- Decent built in fans (and room to add more)
- Easy to remove/return dust filters
- Roominess for big graphics cards etc.
- £££
And ideally, USB 3.0 in the front.


I think my best bet is currently the Corsair Carbide 200r which has some pretty good reviews on it, but is unfortunately right at the top of my budget at ~£50 (I'd rather spend less >.<).

Others I'm considering are:
Antec 300 (no USB3.0 and still right at top of budget but seems to have everything else I want)
Antec 302 (if I can find a deal or second-hand offer on it, it's a little over budget >.<)
Enermax Staray eca3171 (which from reviews seems pretty good but seems not to exist in shops)
and nzxt Gamma (which I'm having the same problem with >.<)


So yeah... any suggestions? Is the Carbide 200r going to be my best bet? Is there anything similar but a bit cheaper?
What I'd really like is something like the HAF 912, but a cheap(er) and cheerful(ler) version. xD

Thanks for looking!
Cheers,
Frankie

[Bagnaj97]

They don't have USB3, but the Bitfenix Merc Alpha/Beta cases (difference is top vents) cases are hard to beat for value and they're widely available. Build quality is good, plenty of space for cable management, plenty of screws etc supplied and good ventilation/fan mounting points.

OCUK has the Bitfenix Comrade in stock for the same price, which has a USB3 port, but I've not actually used one so can't comment on build quality etc. That said, reveiws are promising...

[ik9000]

+1 to bitfenix. And tbh, given the way the USB3 front panel on my survivor is slowly dying I'd suggest it is a blessing to buy your own USB3 front port adaptor. They don't cost much, and it will be easier to swap out should it ever go funny on you/when USB3+ comes out.

[Pob255]

The lower cost Enermax and Gigabyte cases are pretty much generic cases with branding.

The Zalman Z5 plus and Z12 Plus are worth looking at
http://www.quietpc.com/z5-cases
http://www.quietpc.com/zalman-z12-cases
The Z12 plus has a better hard drive mounting system but space for graphics card is more restricted (but still 290mm)

The Sharkoon Mask looks good, but I'm not sure on the cooling, but that's more because this is aimed at low noise, so there's not air vents in the top or sides and the front is rather restricted (all to prevent noise leakage)
It would depend on what you're looking to put in it as to how well it could cope.

[Frankenfurter]

Ah awesome - Cheers you two, I'll look into them now.

And that's a good point on the USB3.0 ports, ik9000... The next thing to expect is USB3.1, right? Which as far as I can tell has been released as specification only so far and isn't actually available to consumers yet. But then to run it I think I'd need a new motherboard anyway, and that's not happening any time soon - I've only just got my current one. Haha!


edit: oof - ninjad!
Cheers for those suggestions Pob - I should've said, noise isn't a concern unless it's actually abysmal. The airflow really is though so I think I'll not bother with the Sharkoon. I'll take a look at the other too though, cheers. I admit I hadn't looked at the Zalman's because of prejudice about the first one I looked into, the Z9, which had an awful moulded Z on the front decimating the front fan's airflow. Why, oh why would they do that?! xD But yeah, these two look much better, cheers.

[Pob255]

Well here's another the Z11 Plus
It's the same internal frame work as the z12, it's got 2x 80mm fans, one on each side panel for additional cooling, but I don't think they are filtered.
I suggest because quietpc have got a cheap b-grade one http://www.quietpc.com/z11-series
I was never too sure about this one until I saw it "in the flesh" at maplins, of all places, might be worth poping into one if it's close just to see it.
I also saw the carbide 300r which is a bit out of the price range http://www.scan.co.uk/products/corsa...usb-30-w-o-psu but I'll admit it is a really nice case.

EDIT: Unfortunately ebuyer no longer has Casecom cases (ok they have a couple left but it looks like old stock only) a shame as they are some good budget cases.
The CS-13 http://www.casecom.com.tw/pc-case/2012/CS13.htm or CS-14 http://www.casecom.com.tw/pc-case/2012/CS14.htm are great low cost mid tower options
And the CL-86 is a great oversized case http://www.casecom.com.tw/pc-case/2012/CL86.htm (it's basically a copy of the coolermaster haf X but was nearly half the cost at £70)

[SUMMONER]

How about a Fractal Design Core 3000 - £58.99 delivered

- USB 3.0 on the front panel
- removable dust filter on the front and bottom intakes
- 3 quality/silent 120/140mm fans included
- space for 4 x 140mm and 3 x 120mm fans total
- 3 way fan contoller included
- convenient 2.5"/3.5" drive trays
- modular drive cage design, so you can install an extra long video card

Click here for the full spec.


I am currently using their Define R3 case for my main computer and it is pure quality.

[Marc_92]

I would go for the 200r It pretty much fits your price, has usb3.0, can fit long gfx cards. Its probably one of the best budget cases out there atm.

[Frankenfurter]

@Pob - Yeah the 300r kinda makes me drool at the minute, it'd be exactly what I wanted if it wasn't for the price tag - I just can't afford it. (so often the case [pun not intended but awesome >.<]) HAF 912 too, all about the airflow! I'll look into the B-Grade Zalman though, cheers. I've never bought from quietpc also, are they good?

@Summoner - Looks awesome, but I can't afford it. Thanks for the suggestion though.

@Marc_92 - Yeah, I've been afraid of that as an answer because it's the one I know is most sensible, but I want to spend less if I can. Haha. I keep hoping to find one second hand or refurb but they don't seem to come up often - speaks for the quality of the case I suppose. Haha.


Lots to look at, cheers for all the answers everyone.

[Shivy011]

Bitfenix Merc and the Comrade are very good, cheap cases.

[Marc_92]

The Silverstone RL04B for £29.99 on scan today only.

[Yatagarasu]

The latter is most likely the best option up to £40, though you should consider adding at least one more fan to it.

Other reasonable options would be the Antec GX500 or the Zalman Z5 Plus.

[Goobley]

I've had good experiences with all Bitfenix cases I've used (2 Shinobis, 1 Merc and a Colossus) - I find the lines cleaner than those of the cheaper corsairs (although I do like the 200R) or zalmans - but that is definitely a personal opinion. In my experience the cheap zalman case I used once came with really quite rubbish fans, leading me to spend more money to replace them. Due to this I would personally recommend the fractal (a bit overbudget), the 200R or a Bitfenix

[Frankenfurter]

Hey, thanks for all the input here everyone! You lot rock!

I've listed all the cases and I'm keeping an eye out for good deals on them all now, and watching some unboxings/reviews/etc. I hate making decisions. Haha.

Marc and Yatagaruas - I'm going to look into the RL04B now, hadn't heard of it before so cheers for that. That's a few recommendations for the Z5 Plus now also, but it is competing with the 200r for price point. Hmmm...

Shivey and Goobley - Good to hear some support for the BitFenix cases, they have a fair few low budget options so that's given me a lot of options, cheers! Also, Goobley, I had the same concern about the Zalmans - so many fans at such a low price is a little suspicious to my cynical eyes. >,< Still, I'll check them all out anyway.

Thanks again for all your help everyone!
I'll let you know what I end up going for (as long as it's not too far away - I don't want to be bringing back dead threads willy-nilly )

[fma965]

I have a Zalman Z9-U3 and i love it, not the best case but is only £50ish. It has everything you could want for that price. My friend has a Zalman Z11 case and basically its the same, one is bulky and Futuristic looking the other more simple and imo stylish. But i suggest both cuz some of my friends like mine others prefer his.

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/zalma...e-case-w-o-psu
or
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Zalman-Z9-U3.../dp/B0084GVWZO

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Zalman-Z11-P.../dp/B007C008L2 <--- amazon #1 best seller

[Frankenfurter]

Awesome, thanks for the recommendation.

Personally I'm not a fan of the big Z thing on the front of the Z9 but the Z11 does look pretty good. I've got until next Saturday (when my RAM arrives and I want to start building) to get a case though, so I'm basically just hanging out on ebay all day looking for deals at the moment. Haha. I'm really hoping one of the cases I want will be in a good deal on scan though. *fingers crossed*