Help With Finding A Case

[Tank Geek]

Hey folks, I have been out of the loop for a while. The last PC I built was in 2018. It's the one I have now and it has a i7-9700k. I want to build a new one now. However, things have changed quite a bit since then. My main question is, what is a good case for todays standards? I am not building a gaming machine. I just want to build a regular machine with 13th Gen i5 or i3. Not looking to overclock either. There is no need for optical or 2.5" drives now either, right? It's all M.2 and USB it seems. Anyway, it has been my experience to not get a cheap case because they are a head ache to build with. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Tank Geek]

I am sorry, maybe I should do a bit more research before I ask questions. I have always built ATX boards. And it looks like I will want an ITX and Mini ITX. I will start looking.

 

[EarthDog]

There is no need for optical or 2.5" drives now either, right?

That's up to you... does your new system need an optical drive?

As far as 2.5" SSDs, they absolutely still have a place in a PC build! They are slower than NVMe-based m.2 drives, but the cost per GB is a lot lower. Typically people run a fast nvme drive for OS and frequently used storage, then extra stuff you want to be fast (read NOT backups) goes on the ssd.

You said you're not gaming so it sounds like you don't need to worry about space. A 2TB Nvme drive sounds like a winner for this build.

I dont knkw cases well, but know we have two members well versed in ITX that can help (@Blaylock and @Woomack )

 

[WrkBoot]

I like oversized cases because there's more room to work. This is my first computer with NVMe drives, I really like how they disappear under some cover on the MB.

 

[Blaylock]

Good Morning @Kenny Wilson. Congrats on your decision to upgrade your system.

What are your needs for your case? Unless you have a specific need for optical drive bays they are all but dead. Some of my favorite case manufacturers are (in no particular order) Phanteks, Cooler Master, MSI, and XPG. There are several other great brands out there too (Fractal Designs, Lian Li, Corsair...). There's a link in my signature for OCF recommended cases. That will send you down the right path at least. It does need some updating though.

 

[Woomack]

I would pick the graphics card first and later decide on the PC case (if the graphics card fits/have enough airflow). If you can live with an IGP and no SATA or optical drives, then anything will be fine.

Recently I've been more on the AMD side, especially with these lower CPUs. I was playing with Ryzen 7600, and it runs great at low wattage - 5.15GHz all core boost/~85W with Noctua NH-L9a-AM5 cooler, and it's quiet. It can work in as small PC case as In-Win Chopin (150W PSU included, but there is a 300W version too) with the mentioned Noctua cooler. Add a good ITX motherboard and DDR5 kit, and you have a nice high-performance mini PC.
You can do the same with Intel i5-13600 and Ryzen 7600.

From ITX motherboards everything I can recommend is quite expensive - something like ASUS Strix B650E-I Gaming or MSI Z790I Edge. These are not the most expensive, but still expensive motherboards that are well-equipped and support fast SSD and RAM.

 

[Zerileous]

Generally things to look for are airflow and those quality of life features you mentioned. As was said, if you need a GPU then the ability to fit said GPU is a major consideration. Generally with PWM fans of decent quality (these fans are controlled by a 4th wire which lends them the name 4-pin fans) a well ventilated case won't require them to run very loud. This is often as effective or more effective than noise dampening features like padding on the panels.

I would also suggest you consider your cooling options. With a mid-range 13th Gen Air cooling is just fine, but if you want an AIO you should decide that before picking a case, and get one that can accommodate the size of AIO you want. Also most tower coolers will fit in most cases, but its worth considering.

Aside from those things, if you can keep the PC off the floor it will stay cleaner, regardless of filters, so another nod to ITX there. You could also consider uATX, which for some reason tends to be more budget oriented while ITX is super expensive. Off the cuff I would guess that an uATX would meet your needs and maybe still compact enough.

Also look at things like USB-C, its becoming more common but not all cases will support front panel USB-C.

 

[Tank Geek]

You folks are super helpful and I want to thank you for your time and input. I was hoping I could build an ITX machine for about $600. That does not seem to be the case. After adding it all up, it will still cost at least $1000. So my budget cannot be met at this time. I'm just going to stick with this machine I have right now for another year. Again, thank you all!

 

[Tank Geek]

Some of my favorite case manufacturers are (in no particular order) Phanteks, Cooler Master, MSI, and XPG.

Ok folks, I'm back at it. This case caught my attention. It has a Type C on it and I like that. And it's an MSI, which is on your list. Any thoughts?

MSI MPG GUNGNIR 120R Black Computer Case - Newegg.com

Buy MSI MPG GUNGNIR 120R Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!

www.newegg.com

 

[Niku-Sama]

i'm gonna say pass:

same case they use on their prebuilt

 

[Blaylock]

The MSI Gungnir 120R is a good case. Linked here is my review of it. It is a fair bit better than the previous Gungnir 110R. For the money it is decent. I need to watch GN's video cuz I'm not sure what that clickbait title is referring to. In fact, the Gungnir 120R was the chassis I was using until I build my current rig which has an EATX motherboard so I switched to the Velox 100R, another very good case.

EDIT: I can tell you in the first minute that the case in the GN video is NOT the 120R. It looks more like the 110R.

EDIT 2: After watching the first half of the video it is in fact the 110R, not the 120R, and all the issues that are reported by "Tech Jesus" are more about the build quality of the prebuild and not the chassis in question, though airflow in the 110R is not great.

 

[Zerileous]

It looks like they improved the airflow, but I'm still not a fan of putting glass in front of fans.

 

[Tank Geek]

Cooler Master have always done me right. How about this one?

Cooler Master MasterCase H500M ATX-Mid Computer Case - Newegg.com

Buy Cooler Master MasterCase H500M ARGB Airflow ATX Mid-Tower with Quad Tempered Glass Panels, Dual 200mm ARGB Lighting Fans, Type-C I/O Panel, and Vertical GPU Slots with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!

www.newegg.com

 

[EarthDog]

I dont have any personal experience with that, but reviews called it good...

... along those lines, don't hesitate to search for reviews online while you wait for responses here. You can get great info from them while you wait for personal experiences here.

 

[Blaylock]

That looks like a newer variant of the H500P Mesh that I reviewed some years ago. It was a solid case. The H500 series is a larger case than the MSI Gungnir. That may be a consideration for you. You may need a larger one (as in my EATX build) or you might prefer a smaller one.

I would not hesitate to purchase an H500 series case with a mesh front. I think the very first H500 (non-mesh) had a full glass front and didn't breathe well.

 

[Tank Geek]

Thank you for all the help.

You know, when I tell people I built my PC their reaction is "You must be smart"...I tell them no, not like the guys on this forum that have helped me so much. These guys a way smarter than I will ever be. Anyway, thank you for the continued support!

 

[QuantumCookie]

Here's the Inwin Chopin Max (Titanium Gray, ordered from EU, "EU" powerplug). Received it today, otherwise an older case now.
Only 3 liters or something like that. Requires an ITX motherboard, and if you use a Ryzen 5700G on it, you don't need the gfx card.
Comes with a non-standard? 200W psu in it, so good for 160W (80%).

 

[Blaylock]

That should be fine for running a 5700G in its stock configuration. Just make sure you place it someplace that allows the warmed air to escape. (i.e. not under a desk-LOL)

 

[EarthDog]

Comes with a non-standard? 200W psu in it, so good for 160W (80%).

@QuantumCookie - I'm unable to see the label on the side, but if it's halfway modern (read in the last several years), close to 100% of the listed power is on the 12V rail. It should be able to output damn close to 200W.

Note that the efficiency rating of a PSU does NOT take away from its output, but pulls more from the wall. For example, if I have an 80+ Gold 200W PSU and my system is using 200W actual, it's pulling ~240W from the wall because of the efficiency (or lack thereof), not that it's output changes to 160W.

 

[QuantumCookie]

Ah, I was thinking, for long term stress, like gaming for hours on end every day with (somehow) very high power usage, I thought one would be wise to keep inside the 80% performance. Admittedly, only something I've read.

Btw, for the Inwin Chopin Max case, I am trying the following parts for a (hopefully) working Linux build:
Gigabyte Aorus Pro Ax (supports ECC) (Lacks the internal type-e usb-c header.)
Ryzen 7 Pro 5750G (supports ECC)
Mushkin Enhanced Redline, 2x16 GB, 3600 MHz, ECC ram, 1.4 V, (16-19-19-39)
Thermalright cooler, mixed with a black 92mm Noctua fan.
Although probably not necessary, I'll try ram cooling for the first time ever with 3x 40mm fans.

Btw, I learned today, as I received my new ITX case, the pcie card I ordered previously for adding an internal type-e (usb-c) header, doesn't fit, because I ordered the wrong variant, which was too tall. I had to order another one, that had a lower profile. The backplate on the pcie card, has to be removed, and won't have any support, other than being stuck into the free x16 pcie slot.

The 200W psu in the Inwin Chopin Max case, I tested this today, is literally silent when just powered on.