Which case to get? (Lancool K62 vs CM 690 II Adv. vs NZXT Tempest Evo) )

[nubki11a]

Hi all!

I have got all my parts now, I just don't know which case to get yet! I have been looking around on the internet a lot. The 3 cases that I ended up with are the Cooler Master 690 II Advanced, the Lian Li Lancool PC-K62 and the NZXT Tempest Evo. They all seem to have great airflow and features, I like the looks of the 690 a bit more than those of the K62, but the NZXT Tempest definitely looks best imo. The K62 and the Tempest both have a sidewindow, I find the window of the K62 rather ugly. So I don't know which one to get now, they all fit into my budget and they all have good reviews, though it seems: 690<K62>Tempest.

Does anyone have experiences with these cases? Or are they basically of same greatness?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Enablingwolf]

I don't want to be a jerk... Really.


I've had plenty of side windows and cases. Cut them, got them - Did all sorts of mods to them. All sorts of silly things.

Windows: They are not what makes a case neat or best. Matter of fact. They make it harder to get noise levels down or use for basic needs long term. If your one of the many who have a computer by your bed or in your room. It's going to suck. More lights and noise to sleep with. I have had machines that I could hear from the front room... Plus the long term, parts investment limits.
The only time a window is awesome. Is when someone comes over and you talk about your parts. Most of the time. They will not be able to understand half of what you are saying or even care. Now if you take the side of your box. They take notice and look a little closer. Sort of like when you have that hot rod car. All the sudden you ask... "Wanna see whats under the hood?" Then amaze them. Not like having the tail and scoop.
That windows is not going to help you man. It's gonna suck in the long run.

If you're looking for a good overclocker case. Think about a window for a case mod afterthought. A nice solid steel case. Will serve you through a few upgrades and 'events.'

My CM690, while small. Does a great job and will for some time. As like all my older cases. Eventually, get moved over to storage duty and sit there for years.

 

[nubki11a]

I don't have my case on my room (I wish ), and I also don't care about the noise as I always have my headset on. I am not really looking for the best overclocker case out there, I would like my case to have a good airflow, but I am not going to do crazy stuff with overclocking nor casemodding. I understand that a window isn't practical, but it'd just be cool to have one, it is a little plus.

I just think the K62 doesn't look really nice. The 690 II is okay, but the Evo definitely looks the best imo. I would like to know how their airflows are. I think they all have pretty good cablemanagement, the downside of the Tempest Evo is that it doesn't come with an SSD bracket, which I will be using.

 

[Ilden]

Just so it's said, I never "mount" an SSD. It's easier to slap some velcro to the back of the drive and hide it behind the motherboard tray.

 

[Enablingwolf]

Then the EVO it is. SSD are very easy to find a spot for. I had a SSD hang off a cable for 9 weeks, until I got to it.

 

[nubki11a]

Ilden, why don't you mount an SSD? I only use one HDD, so it won't be the lack of slots. Enablingwolf, do you really think that will be a good choice? I am leaning towards it... I just don't know lol, all of the 690 II Advanced's and K62's reviews are excellent and the 690 seems to be a popular case aswell.

 

[Ilden]

1) Screws. SSDs are light, emit no heat, contain no moving parts. Securing them with screws serves no purpose other than making it harder to remove.
2) Cable management. Two less cables to deal with at the drive bays. Run them up from the PSU, behind the motherboard tray, and that's it.

 

[Enablingwolf]

Enablingwolf, do you really think that will be a good choice? I am leaning towards it... I just don't know lol, all of the 690 II Advanced's and K62's reviews are excellent and the 690 seems to be a popular case aswell.

Only you can say if it's the best choice. Now if you would like further input. I like this case. It has good hardware, cable and airflow options. It can be a quirky product for some.// I happen to like this case and find it appealing. Even though it is not a big ticket name brand or visually fancy. Sure, it's not Lian-Li, but a nice case overall. Two custom builds I've done with the case model. I find it nice. Nothing amazing, but nice.

 

[nubki11a]

Alright, well I will check out some more reviews of it. Will probably buy the Evo. Thanks a lot for your help!

 

[Enablingwolf]

Buying a case is really hard. You have to balance years of use with performance. You're the only one who knows what your needs are.

When you do find your case. You'll know it when you see it.

Air flow from the bottom, air out the top. Letting all your parts inside breath.

 

[Prime]

I've had the original Tempest for about 3 years now and 2 builds. The only thing I've changed about it is a MB cut out to make cooling easier. The case has tremendous airflow and I dont think the Evo will disappoint you

 

[nubki11a]

Thank you for your reply! What do you mean by the MB cut out? I dont really have a lot of knowwledge yet about this. Does the original also have the blue vertical LEDs on the front? I read somewhere that they might stop working pretty fast.

 

[mjw21a]

If you wever want to look at a dual rad cooler like the Corsair H100 that will factor into it too. I purchased on thinking it would fit in my old Fractal Design R3, a great case. Quiet with good airflow, problem is the rad + fans wouldn't fit up the top.

In the end I got an Aerocool Blackhawk case which works perfectly. Somewhat noiser than my old Fractal case though it has some extremely nice features for the price. It's also fairly compact, maybe 1,5 inches shorter than my old case.

It has 1x top HDD dock + 2x front HDD hotswap bays. I'm quite impressed with this case all around. Build quality seems on par with Cooler Master cases I've seen, better than Thermaltake though not as good as your typical Antec case.....