Steel vs Aluminum

Can anyone who has owned both a steel and aluminum case comment on the cooling diferences?

If I use the same fans in both, what kind of temps difference would I see with the two materials?

Is the only real advantage to aluminum the ease of cutting and the fact it is lighter?

Hey there...

Welp, I've had a lot of types of cases, from huge to small, aluminum, steel, cross-breeds.

The actual cooling difference has been very low. Sure there has been a difference, but I am certain other people would also argue how big the difference is.

To me the difference is weight, and ease of modding.

In the latter case, I personally prefer working with steel, although steel is much tougher to work with, I feel it gives me the results I want, and I have been used to working with steel before.

But for most I take it aluminium is the best thing. Its light, its easier to work with (a dremel will do it like a hot knife through butter compared to steel),.

So its a matter of taste.. I'm a bit old fashioned here.. just like I prefer a good old IBM PS/2 keyboard ahead of a new logitech....

Cheers, Flix

I really want to get a beige case, but there is like NO aluminum cases in this color. I am not a big fan of the black and I think having beige on aluminum looks tacky. Sticking aluminum plates on beige drives looks tacky too.

So, I was thinking of getting a steel case, but was a little unsure of the cooling hit I will be taking if all things are equal?

If cooling is your only concern, then you need not worry. We're talking margins, not huge differences.

Just be aware that working with steel is harder than with aluminium, and if you're not familiar with working with metal in the first place, it will require some patience.

Cheers, Flix

I'd say it's more like no difference. Most measurements (almost none of which include a listed margin of error, which scientifically nullifies and voids the data) are not controlled enough to show any conclusive results.

Relying on heat transfer through your case is no way to make you computer cooler. The case doesn't touch any hot items except maybe a couple HDs. Aluminum or steel, the heat's gonna go out the holes, not through the walls.

I had a Chieftech Dragon case. I wanted a steel case, but the supplier was out at the time so I ordered an aluminum. The aluminum version seemed to be the same gauge metal as the steel cases. However it seemed rather flimsy, so that sucked.

As far a weight... well, that case, after 3 CD drives, 5 HDs, an Alpha hsf, 4 PCI cards, an AGP card, MoBo, fans, PS, and cables, it was beastly heavy.
IMO, cases are quite light when empty, beit steel, aluminum, or whatever.