New Case - Guidance/Suggestions
I'm thinking about upgrading my case, as the current one I've had for a few years now and it's not great.
I've not really looked and don't know much about them, so thought I'd come for suggestions. I'm about to start looking properly but below is waht I think I'd quite like currently.
Main requirements:
Tooless (Built my mate a PC with XClio case, saw the benefit of )
Large so tinkering is easy and nothing's too close, plus room for expansion
Cable management (just to keep things tidier, I dare say I'll cock it up)
Enough room for HDDs
Additional extras that would be nice:
USB3 if possible (but meh, don't have a USB3 Mobo)
3x120mm fans so I can use my current Sharkoons
Easy access fan filters
Easy access HDD storage removal/swapping
Nothing above £100 really. Would have to be perfect for me to spend that much on it, ideally more around the £70. Styling I'm not hugely bothered about, am open to most looks tbh. (One could almost say I'm easy :p) I'm in no rush for a case either, so am quite happy to wait for a new release or whatever. Full towers as well I think..though I'm not entirely sure what that means :p
I'll update you with anything that I like to know if I'm going down the right route...
EDIT: Quite liking the look of the NZXT Phantom/Hades.
Re: New Case - Guidance/Suggestions
The lancool K58...I may be new to this build malarky but this is a seriously good case for less than £60. It has negatives but it has adaptability (8 expansion ports for one) and high end features (very good cable management and toolless design) and a hdd cage that you can aim in any direction if you want.
If you have a nVidia 480 then you would have to have some modding skills but anything else should fit
There wasn't a bad review for this case that I could find, but this was probably the most objective of the lot I felt.
http://www.clunk.org.uk/reviews/lanc...w/Page-13.html
Re: New Case - Guidance/Suggestions
The Storm/Raven are the 2 I like out of them, but they're still Midi's and dunno if that's what I want tbh :s.
Somewhat annoyingly I prefer the front on the Raven RV01 though. Not sure on the front Optical drive racks though on the 02 :/
The Storm Scout looks good...assuming it has a black interior but looks like it. HDD drives look well positioned too.
Tis annoying, I've watched a video on the NZXT and really like it :/ The design for toolless just looks so good and it's smexy in white :p
The RV02 looks weird inside...I think the mobo's sidewise? And the fans are on bottom/top :s Different but unsure how well it'd work/if I'd like a GPU vertical rather than horizontal. It seems unethical :p
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/Coole...de-Fan-w-o-PSU looks good. KNow it's over the budget but I think I saw a cheaper model somewhere....
Re: New Case - Guidance/Suggestions
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Attila the Bun
The lancool K58...I may be new to this build malarky but this is a seriously good case for less than £60. It has negatives but it has adaptability (8 expansion ports for one) and high end features (very good cable management and toolless design) and a hdd cage that you can aim in any direction if you want.
That's pretty cool case actually. Not bad for the price, quite like it :) Ideally I'd like something different...hence me wanting to steer away from Antec 900/1200 range as I just find them dull.
Re: New Case - Guidance/Suggestions
the Lancool K58 is actually a lian-li case and lian-li are quality case brand,but i would strongly reconmend the Coolermaster CM 690 II Advanced it is amazing case for the price you want and it can do all of the things you want and its actually bigger than your current case by good 100mm or so,well all case i reconmended are bigger than your current one.
Out of the ones i listed i would go for the CM 690 II Advanced.
Edit:
Bang for the buck:
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Silve...SU-Best-Seller
Re: New Case - Guidance/Suggestions
Quote:
Originally Posted by
kurosagi01
the Lancool K58 is actually a lian-li case and lian-li are quality case brand,but i would strongly reconmend the Coolermaster CM 690 II Advanced it is amazing case for the price you want and it can do all of the things you want and its actually bigger than your current case by good 100mm or so,well all case i reconmended are bigger than your current one.
Out of the ones i listed i would go for the CM 690 II Advanced.
Edit:
Bang for the buck:
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Silve...SU-Best-Seller
Fail, i didn't see the CM :p Looks good, like that the inside is black too (just looks better). More pics here at the bottom:
http://www.coolermaster.com/product.php?product_id=6638
But look! It's so pretty!:p
Re: New Case - Guidance/Suggestions
Quote:
Originally Posted by
AdamAnubis
Styling I'm not hugely bothered about
Yeah...right :mrgreen:
Re: New Case - Guidance/Suggestions
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Attila the Bun
Yeah...right :mrgreen:
Well..what I meant by that was that I didn't know why kind of styling I'd like...and I couldn't pin down a specific. That didn't mean I wasn't going to dismiss suggestions based on aesthetics ;) :p
Re: New Case - Guidance/Suggestions
As long as you don't go for the equivalent of an Alfa Romeo you should be fine
Re: New Case - Guidance/Suggestions
Indeed, the CM690 II is looking good, but I'd still quite like a tower case :/
Re: New Case - Guidance/Suggestions
Lancool k58 :) I love that case, although you'd need to get two 140mm fans for the top (no mounts for 120mm fans) and some of the Lian-Li fan grommited screws to mount the fans. http://specialtech.co.uk/spshop/cust...5&cat=0&page=1
Or go for the K62, all black, all fans included although they are blue LED and a window.
Also K62 Blue internals special edition http://specialtech.co.uk/spshop/cust...at=1651&page=1
K62 Red internals & fans special edition http://specialtech.co.uk/spshop/cust...at=1651&page=1
I do love the red version. :)
As much as I hate to say it the CM690 II is decent http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/Coole...r-Case-w-o-PSU
ThermalTake Element S http://specialtech.co.uk/spshop/cust...productid=8491
I think it's a nice looking case, but a bit heavy on the plastic.
ThermalTake Armor A60 http://uk.thermaltake.eu/product_inf...&parent_cp=#02
A bit small compaired to many of the cases sugested, but you really don't need a massive case most of the time.
ThermalTake Armor A90 http://specialtech.co.uk/spshop/cust...roductid=11840
Slightly larger version.
Both the Thermaltake armor cases have a very unique look to them, you may not like the look but it is still very destinctive.
NZXT Tempest EVO http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/NZXT-...r-Case-w-o-PSU
An update of the Tempest that ws a rival to the 900 and cm690 back when they came out, the original Tempest was plagued by build quality issues however NZXT have changed factories now so they should be a thing of past.
A Wildcard for you
NZXT Panzer box http://specialtech.co.uk/spshop/cust...at=1651&page=1
An inotive design that failed to take off, the psu is moved beside the motherboard, greatly reduces the height and increases the width which make the case look far smaller than it is.
However the downsides is it's not easy to do cable management on and the 2x220mm fans and mesh front/top make the case a bit of a dust magnet.
Oh and I scrubed the Hades off my list of nice cases, due to a rather major design flaw, the big side fan blocks large cpu air coolers and push/pull 120mm radiator setup on the rear fan slot.
What's more the filter on the side is held inplace by the fan screws, so if you remove then side fan then there's nothing to hold the filter on. :rolleyes:
Re: New Case - Guidance/Suggestions
Antec 1200....i only say that cause i'm a 1200 fanboy :)
Re: New Case - Guidance/Suggestions
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Pob255
The A90's okay, but doesn't take my fancy. The Coolermaster is winning it out atm, but the Thermaltake looks quite good. Might take a bit of a look further into what they have to offer.
The Hades..it looked kinda different/nice but I dunno, just didn't look right.
The Evo seems okay but again, doesn't stand out. The CM690 seems to tick most of the boxes atm.
I'm not sure either if I want handles :/ I don't do much LAN atm but want to...still not sure if it's worthwhile though.
So far:
CM690 II
Coolermaster storm (unsure which atm)
EDIT: Oooh, the CM690 also has modular HDD's. Only worry with the CM is the dust filters, trying to hunt down pictures of them but it seems the Antec HF systems are a bit better on that front.
Re: New Case - Guidance/Suggestions
The front filter is built into the case bezel if I remember correctly, basically it's steel mesh front with a fine mesh screen cliped in.
to clean you just pull the front bezel off,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ed4RC6r2NTk
Rodney Mathews, not the best of case reviewers but he does enjoy ripping the front bezels off pc's 2:04
The bottom vent filter is just a sheet of fine mesh with tabs that pop into slots, same as the filter in the top.
Areas that are not filtered and could do with it, are the two 140mm vents on the side panel and the 80mm one on the right side panel behind the motherboard.
?? do you mean the hard drive trays?
Or the special detachable hard drive mount on the top?
Or the fact that the cage is actually two cages? and the bottom one can be removed so you can put in ether and extra bottom fan or a 240 rad.
Personally I'd not call the CM690II different looking, the design isn't new, the original 690 has been around for as long as the antec 900, the 690 has always been one of CM's more popular chassis.
Oh and like the original 690 there is windowed side panel but atm you have to buy it seperately.
http://www.coolermaster.nl/shop/images/RA-692-KWN1.jpg
http://www.coolermaster.nl/shop/prod...roducts_id=249
Re: New Case - Guidance/Suggestions
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Pob255
The bottom vent filter is just a sheet of fine mesh with tabs that pop into slots, same as the filter in the top.
Areas that are not filtered and could do with it, are the two 140mm vents on the side panel and the 80mm one on the right side panel behind the motherboard.
Ahh I see, yeah. Not too bad then :)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Pob255
?? do you mean the hard drive trays?
Or the special detachable hard drive mount on the top?
Or the fact that the cage is actually two cages? and the bottom one can be removed so you can put in ether and extra bottom fan or a 240 rad.
I meant the HDD trays sorry, yeah. But the HDD mount on the top is good too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Pob255
Good :p I dislike the sidepanel. Having it all as a solid black box seems to work. Some cases are better with panels though. Mmm, that is my only issue with it is that it's stylish but also fairly generic. However, it does tick all of the boxes :)
I did look at the new Antec DF range, but the looks are too...harsh? Kinda clunky and plasticy looking. Same with the HAF932 a bit, but I think that's just because the front fan is shown as being red and that puts me off :/
I'll look more into the Tempest and the Evo, as they both look good/nice :p
EDIT: A90 is looking good. Element S is myeh, the airtake at the from behind the door confuses me. Looking at the Thermaltake Armor+ atm