Case ideas please - critera provided

[s_mack]

Yet another "which should I buy" thread I've spent DAYS researching, but there are just so many, and its been so long since I've purchased a case.

Probably 8 years ago I bought my last case - and it has been more than sufficient through 4 or 5 builds... until my systems were stolen a couple of months ago. Insurance has been sorted out, so its time for me to go shopping.

My last case was an Antec Sonata (original) and I (mostly) loved it! So my list of criteria below are heavily influenced by what I liked and what I didn't.

Budget: All else being equal, cheaper is better. However, I'm looking to spend anywhere from $150 to $350. Over that is possible, but it would have to be realistically justified. I would like my case to be a constant through the next 8+ years and 5+ builds, so I'm not averse to investing appropriately.

External Size: I have no exterior physical size requirements - I can make anything work.

Interior Size: The Sonata was a good size but I probably wouldn't want to go much smaller. ATX is obviously a must. E-ATX is a plus, but not a requirement. One of the mobo's I'm considering is an E-ATX technically, although I've read it will fit in, for example, the Corsair 650D (which is ATX only) so I'm not that concerned about it. Plus, its unlikely that will be the mobo I get anyway. I want to have no concerns about video cards or CPU coolers not fitting.

Cooling: Must have very good air cooling performance. I'm more about cooling by good design than cooling by adding more fans. I'm not an extreme overclocker and I don't run my systems hard or 24/7.

Quiet: The reason I went with the Sonata is it was, at the time, the "king of quiet". I hate hearing my PC and I spend a lot of time and attention working out offending sounds. So bigger/slower fans vs a ton of little ones. Good flow design. Quality construction. Etc.

Cable Management: One thing I did NOT like about the Sonata was that there was no where for cables to go. I see a lot of new designs have grommets for sending cables out the side and I think that's a great idea.

Drive Bay Design: I really liked the removable drive bays, but the design was lacking as they were very difficult to get in without having problems with the cables. I don't know of a better design really, but I don't want to fight with the drive bays. Not that I'm constantly in and out... but it was a pain whenever I had to add or change a drive.

Tool-less Design: NOT a requirement... but I do value it somewhat. The fewer times I have to go find a screwdriver, the better. However, that's only if it doesn't compromise the quality. In other words, I'd rather deal with screws than deal with a drive suddenly vibrating itself loose and falling to the case floor.

Front Panel: None of these are requirements... but I'd appreciate front-panel USB (3.0 in particular), audio, and eSata (or a SATA dock). These are just things I think are nice.

Availability: It needs to be available at either Newegg's or NCIX's Canadian sites. Preferably the latter because I get free shipping and (usually) additional discounts.

Looks: At the very bottom of my list is looks. And its the bottom for a reason - I couldn't care less what it looks like. Hot pink with fuzzy feet for all I care. So the only reason I'm putting it here at all is to enforce that I do NOT want to PAY for looks. If it looks good, that's a bonus - but I assign no value to it.


Cases I am currently gravitating toward (but this is by no means a restrictive list):
Corsair 650D (it seems to have what I want but gets mixed reviews)
Corsair 800D (although its expensive and I don't need hot-swappable bays)
Antec P183 V3 (Puget Systems' silent system uses it)
Raven RV03 (I know I said looks don't matter - but what were they thinking with those gold stripes???)
NZXT Phantom (only because it ranked #1 on this huge test freaks list - does that mean anything?)

Simple recap... in order of most to least important:

Functional/space --> Quiet --> Design/quality --> Cool --> Features --> Cost --> Looks.

I'd also appreciate recommendations on good quiet fans.

Thanks so much for any help!

- Steven

 

[s_mack]

Apparently, I wrote too much detail to get a response So I'll summarize:

Need case. $150 to $300. Like quiet, cool. What's best?

- Steve

 

[Seebs]

Apparently, I wrote too much detail to get a response So I'll summarize:

Need case. $150 to $300. Like quiet, cool. What's best?

- Steve

LOL...
I'm sure you'll get more responses. It takes a bit longer some times as people tend to get busy.

I'll have my go at this first.

- Corsair 650D - This case is just the "small brother" of the 800D and it will be better suited for water cooling as well; just on a smaller scale.


- Corsair 800D - This case is better suited for water cooling than air cooling. It will do the job on an air cooled system, but there are cheaper cases with much better air flow that still look good and have the features you seek.

- Antec P183 V3 - I don't know much about this case, but from the looks of it, and the fact that it is completely closed in (as in no vents in front or on the sides) I would say that airflow on it would be rather poor.

- Raven RV03 - It does look "different". Some people love it, some hate it. It's just a matter of taste.

- NZXT Phantom - This is another case that "polarizes" the market. Some people will call it "a work of art" while others will just run for the hills at the sight of it.



Now on to my suggestions.
Have a look at the Coolermaster cases. They have the HAF line (High Air Flow) and they are some of the best cases for air cooling on the market now. If you can get past the "industrial" look of the actual case; I'd say go for something like the HAF 932 Advanced. It meets every one of your requirements.

 

[s_mack]

See, and that's why I ask! Thank you for your answer. My wife wants to start a movie right now, but ASAP I will check out that case! No Coolermasters were even on my radar. Basically I started with the Antec Sonata IV (logical since I loved my Sonata), but reviews were less than glowing. In one review on silence, it was comparing it to the Raven, so I checked that out. From there it was compared to the 650D so I checked that out (and so on). Other than that, all I was going by was the level of discount I get at NCIX. For the Coolermasters, its an unremarkable 8% so it wasn't grabbing my interest from that angle, and NONE of the reviews in the line of this-leads-to-that mentioned them. So I'm glad I asked!

Thanks again. I'll check it out tonight. But overall, build quality is good? I thought I found a winner half an hour ago when I stumbled onto one I hadn't heard of - the Rosewill Thor V2 - and it was topping all the charts in terms of temperature and noise. it had EVERYTHING I wanted... on paper. But then in-depth reviews exposed it for bad build quality and poor design choices.

- Steven

 

[pwnmachine]

^^ If you are looking for a quite case, I can also suggest the NZXT H2, its an excellent case and has surprisingly good cooling(running a passive Mugen II and barely breaking a sweat). Might I add it looks awesome!

I will also +1 all of the cases Seba suggested, however the P183 does not have the best cooling as mentioned.

 

[thobel]

Corsair 500R on sal euntil the 23rd
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139009

I just built a system with it and its pretty nice. Bonus is the Corsair H100 fits in the top nice.

 

[pwnmachine]

^^ Just built one using that as well, great case! The side 200mm fan keeps it cool while keeping it quite, I also love how fan controllers are becoming standard features.

 

[s_mack]

I'm really liking that HAF 932 Advanced! It really does nail everything I'm looking for, except that I can't find any comparisons to other cases (you know, in a roundup or whatever) showing temps and decibels. But if you guys say its quiet and well cooled, then good enough for me. I'm wondering... it looks like with my discount structure that I can get the HAF X for only $2 more. Coolermaster claims that is their "flagship" product, so would that be the way to go? Or stick with the 932?

I ruled out the H2 for some reason - not that I can recall what that is right now, but it was on my list and crossed off. I have to take a close look at that 500R... with that sale, it looks like its $140 - $20 (newegg discount) - $30 (rebate) = $90. Not bad! But money wasn't my primary concern so I'll take a good look first.

Thanks!

- Steven

 

[thobel]

I'm really liking that HAF 932 Advanced! It really does nail everything I'm looking for, except that I can't find any comparisons to other cases (you know, in a roundup or whatever) showing temps and decibels. But if you guys say its quiet and well cooled, then good enough for me. I'm wondering... it looks like with my discount structure that I can get the HAF X for only $2 more. Coolermaster claims that is their "flagship" product, so would that be the way to go? Or stick with the 932?

I ruled out the H2 for some reason - not that I can recall what that is right now, but it was on my list and crossed off. I have to take a close look at that 500R... with that sale, it looks like its $140 - $20 (newegg discount) - $30 (rebate) = $90. Not bad! But money wasn't my primary concern so I'll take a good look first.

Thanks!

- Steven

Advanced has USB 3.0 headers I think

 

[onefstsnake]

I like my 932 quite a bit. That being said its not the most quiet case Ive owned.
Im sure thats because Ive owned a few Antec P series cases.

My opinion of the case:
Pros:
-lots of room! I have 120.4 worth of rads in the case and 7 fans and it doesnt seem cramped.
-great airflow due to lots of mesh areas.
-quiet with included fans
-works well for air and water cooling
-USB 3.0 front panel

Cons:
-included fans dont push much air...
-no vibration dampening.
-can be loud due to its use of lots of mesh.

That being said if you do go with the 932 I would swap out the included fans for something that push a bit more air (if you need the airflow). I run all my fans off a fan control so it can be quiet when needed.

I have looked at the HAF X and it didnt really impress me. Mostly because putting my watercooling setup in it would be a pain. But if your air cooling and its nearly the same price it may be worth it for you.

Here's a vid of my 932 setup. (not great quality )

Pic of a temp setup I ran for folding... lol a bit more messy than normal.

 

[Seebs]

I'm really liking that HAF 932 Advanced! It really does nail everything I'm looking for, except that I can't find any comparisons to other cases (you know, in a roundup or whatever) showing temps and decibels. But if you guys say its quiet and well cooled, then good enough for me. I'm wondering... it looks like with my discount structure that I can get the HAF X for only $2 more. Coolermaster claims that is their "flagship" product, so would that be the way to go? Or stick with the 932?

I ruled out the H2 for some reason - not that I can recall what that is right now, but it was on my list and crossed off. I have to take a close look at that 500R... with that sale, it looks like its $140 - $20 (newegg discount) - $30 (rebate) = $90. Not bad! But money wasn't my primary concern so I'll take a good look first.

Thanks!

- Steven

Here's a roundup of a bunch of cases (including the HAF-X)

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2011/11/18/cm-storm-trooper-review/2

 

[s_mack]

Thanks. Its too bad they don't do noise. I wish SilentPCReview.com would do more comprehensive listings and more frequent updates... then again, its easy to wish while they're doing the work I like their methodology but they don't put dates on things and I can't tell if new cases aren't on the list because they suck or if they just haven't tested.

 

[Chuggowitz]

As stated by others, the HAF 932 is a great case. I have one and while it's not the most quiet case, it's about on par with my old HP elite m9080n. Having said that, if you're playing games or watching shows/movies, you will not notice the sound (unless the computer is next to you on your desktop). 3/4 fans are 200mm and are fairly quiet. The case is great for airflow. The wire management is pretty excellent as well.

Another option, which someone previously mentioned is the HAF X, and since it's well within your budget it's worth a look. It's a tiny bit bigger than the 932 and has, somehow, more airflow. It also has rubber covers around the wire management holes which looks better than the 932, though frankly you probably wont notice.

 

[s_mack]

Thanks!

I think I'll probably go for the HAF X at this point. Although, I'm probably not going to be finalizing my cart(s) for a week or so, so if anyone else has any further suggestions, I'll be happy to read some more!

- Steven

 

[Seebs]

Thanks. Its too bad they don't do noise. I wish SilentPCReview.com would do more comprehensive listings and more frequent updates... then again, its easy to wish while they're doing the work I like their methodology but they don't put dates on things and I can't tell if new cases aren't on the list because they suck or if they just haven't tested.

That particular article that I linked you to was published on Nov 18th of this year. The way the reviewers work at that site is that all the data from older reviews is kept in a database and then when a new case arrives they just re-draw the graphs to include that particular case. So although the data on the graphs for older cases is old; it still is relevant as the reviews on each of the cases listed were done at the time each case was about to come out or it had just come out.

 

[pwnmachine]

Thanks!

I think I'll probably go for the HAF X at this point. Although, I'm probably not going to be finalizing my cart(s) for a week or so, so if anyone else has any further suggestions, I'll be happy to read some more!

- Steven

Be sure to run your cart by us here in the forums

 

[s_mack]

!!

That particular article that I linked you to was published on Nov 18th of this year. The way the reviewers work at that site is that all the data from older reviews is kept in a database and then when a new case arrives they just re-draw the graphs to include that particular case. So although the data on the graphs for older cases is old; it still is relevant as the reviews on each of the cases listed were done at the time each case was about to come out or it had just come out. View attachment 101673

I think you misunderstood my complaint Yes, that bit-tech article was up-to-date and very comprehensive, but it had no noise data. SilentPCReview has excellent noise data, but isn't up-to-date (or isn't clear if it is) and/or comprehensive. It'd be nice to see both!

You know what though... maybe I'll step back from my "quiet" desire a bit. When I'm gaming it doesn't matter at all, obviously. Its when I'm coding or designing something in SolidWorks where I might spend nearly 10 hours straight trying to concentrate... THAT is when the fans can really become distracting. I spent quite a bit of money and a ton of time shutting up my old system. The case made a big impact, but bigger still was replacing the fans, adding dampening and, eventually, de-tuning the system so everything just inherently ran cooler. I have a feeling, however, that with all the huge fans that are common now that they are quieter now anyway. I guess we'll see! Ideally I'd like a case that is (or can be) dead silent like the P183 but also rocks the charts in cooling performance. I guess that's not realistic (although that Rosewill I mentioned did both - unfortunately the build quality doesn't seem to be there. I'd pay twice the amount for that case if they put some quality of materials in along with their quality of design)

- Steven

 

[\dev\goat]

I looked at the silverstone raven RV-03 but I hated the way it looked.

Why not go with the Raven 02 ? It's a very similar design, but the components are rotated 180 degrees horizontally.. So your window is on the other side. You still have the 90 degree rotated motherboard mount, a HUGE case with loads of work room, and top notch cable management. The cooling is phenomenal too.. Loads better than my antec 300.

Edit:
-got your huge(quiet) 180mm fans (3 switches built under the removable top panel for speed control if you don't have a fan controller)
-looks good
-ssd has a neat hiding spot
-did i mention its huge and it looks cool ?

here's mine :

 

[\dev\goat]

Also wanted to show the scale vs some smaller objects. Like a 24 inch monitor and some beer bottles. If you don't want a HUUUUGE case then go with something else.

\\



does anybody wanna guess if my hyperthreading is turned on or off

 

[Seebs]

I think you misunderstood my complaint Yes, that bit-tech article was up-to-date and very comprehensive, but it had no noise data. SilentPCReview has excellent noise data, but isn't up-to-date (or isn't clear if it is) and/or comprehensive. It'd be nice to see both!

You know what though... maybe I'll step back from my "quiet" desire a bit. When I'm gaming it doesn't matter at all, obviously. Its when I'm coding or designing something in SolidWorks where I might spend nearly 10 hours straight trying to concentrate... THAT is when the fans can really become distracting. I spent quite a bit of money and a ton of time shutting up my old system. The case made a big impact, but bigger still was replacing the fans, adding dampening and, eventually, de-tuning the system so everything just inherently ran cooler. I have a feeling, however, that with all the huge fans that are common now that they are quieter now anyway. I guess we'll see! Ideally I'd like a case that is (or can be) dead silent like the P183 but also rocks the charts in cooling performance. I guess that's not realistic (although that Rosewill I mentioned did both - unfortunately the build quality doesn't seem to be there. I'd pay twice the amount for that case if they put some quality of materials in along with their quality of design)

- Steven

It's all good my man... My reply was aimed at the part of your post where you mentioned not knowing when these results had been taken.

As for the quiet part.
Here's my view on that: I'm a "beastly fan nut". I really don't care if my PC is louder than my vacuum cleaner. I run one of these on my heatsink for daily use and one of these on my test bench for extreme air benchmarking. The daily use fan usually stays at about 1000 RPM and at those speeds I can barely hear it over the other "stock" fans that came with the case (I have a CM 690 II Advanced), but when I do push the CPU and the fan spins up to speed it does sound like an airport hangar in my room.


Now; having said that... If you do go with the HAF-X; that case is so good with airflow that you will be able to slow your fans down to super quiet levels and still get good cooling for your hardware. So you won't really be sacrificing quietness for cooling performance; just add a decent fan controller to your list of purchases and tame the fans back a bit.