PC-cases

D

dubyateeeff

Newcomer
I am looking to buy a new PC-case, it must be:
  • easy to install
  • not bad looking
  • have space for several HDDs
  • keep my stuff cool
  • included fans should be quiet

Do you guys have any recommendations or know of any sites that reviews cases and lists them etc?

Regards!
 
I've got chieftec and stacker cases. If you dont mind a relative big case than i'd choose one of those. Chieftecs are build like tanks, WW3 could break out and atleast you'd be sure your pc will survive no matter what. The stacker has about the most room for HDD's I think. You get 1 HDD bay with it wich can fit in 3 HDD's but you can put in anoter 2 or 3 I believe so more than enough room. Mine also came with 3 120mm fans wich are pretty silent.
 
I still want one of these so bad my teeth hurt. :???:

11-124-114-01.jpg


$86 shipped, a beautiful 240mm fan on the side, room for 120mm in the front and back; quiet and cool as hell.

You'll have to buy two 120mm fans separetely, but I've always thought that the ENERMAX Chakra really looked like a nice case. Personally I like the blue one, but I know I'm weird. ;)

Ooooh, just noticed the Uber Chakra...comes with the 120mm fan installed and has a side vent. Nice, but $140 is too much for a case IMHO. I'd still get the original.
 
Not bad looking rules out the Stacker and especially the Chieftec. It however makes room for the best looking case known to man, The Gigabyte 3D Aurora.

The above case proves Digi has no taste.

If you want cheap then go with this Rosewill. I can say personally that it is a wonderful case for the budget. You can remove that ugly side panel vent easily, after that it is surprisingly good looking. Comes with a rear 120mm exhaust, room up front for a 120mm intake, and you can add another fan where that vent is currently located. I have now built over 30 computers using this case and its all black variant.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
What about the Antec P182 (replacement to the excellent P180):

http://www.antec.com/ec/productDetails.php?ProdID=09182

It has 2 HD trays, for 6 drives in total, really good sound damping, cable management and airflow. It is also beautifully built in almost all aluminium and steel. Also looks discreet as long as you don't get the stainless steel model. Not many reviews as of yet because it has just come out, but it is supposed to be a refinement of the laready excellent P180, which I have found to be a brilliant case.
 
digitalwanderer said:
Cheapest I could find that P182 though was $172 shipped, that's a LOT for a case! :oops:
Click to expand...

I guess but I was happy when I paid 70 quid for my p180 once I could tell just how cool and quiet everything was as well as the fact that it is understated and beautifully built. Also the later model p180 were tests for the p182 and have all the changes applied but with a black finish and those are around $90 after rebate on newegg.
 
You mention nothing about size and/or weight so i'm just going to go ahead and say it.

Stacker?

Plenty of room for optical drives, as many hdd's as you want (via the 4-in-1 bays), dual PSU slots, plenty of silent 80mm/120mm fans, huge amounts of room. Heck..it's not even that heavy since it's mostly brushed aluminium. Insanely easy to install to, everything's layed out nicely and it's even got wheels if you're on the move :)lol: ...).

Or you could just go the 98% Standard Majority Choiceâ„¢ and get a P180. Personally, I hate those things to death. :smile:
 
Sobek said:
You mention nothing about size and/or weight so i'm just going to go ahead and say it.

Stacker?

Plenty of room for optical drives, as many hdd's as you want (via the 4-in-1 bays), dual PSU slots, plenty of silent 80mm/120mm fans, huge amounts of room. Heck..it's not even that heavy since it's mostly brushed aluminium. Insanely easy to install to, everything's layed out nicely and it's even got wheels if you're on the move :)lol: ...).

Or you could just go the 98% Standard Majority Choiceâ„¢ and get a P180. Personally, I hate those things to death. :smile:
Click to expand...

P180 is really a case for thoughtful and patient people. You really have to dedicate a little time and forethought to your installation, but it pays off in the end if sound is a concern. P180 is definitely not a case you want if you go to a lot of LANs though, it's pretty darn heavy.
 
Thanks guys!

I didn't want to limit my choices too much because usually the more parameters you consider the more the cases costs. I'll look into each sudgestion shortly.

Oh and "not bad looking", is what nerds write when they go for stylish ;)
 
Skrying said:
Not bad looking rules out the Stacker
Click to expand...


CM Stacker is pretty basic looking in design, i dont see whats ugly other then the fact that its a monstrosity since its a server case. I've been through quite a few cases and the Stacker will easily last me a lot longer then the others. Its built decently (i've had better but not in this size) and its got room for components of all sizes. Especially with the damn graphics cards getting longer and longer its nice to have a case thats basically not a worry at all (GTX is 11 inches or so? I could easily fit in another 4 inches which is insane compared to basic ATX Mid Towers). It also works well if you water cool as theres plenty of room for cord/tube management. AND theres room for fans galore plus the Custom CrossFlow one that CM makes. If you can stick it in corner out of the way i think its one of the better options. Oh and it has wheels! How can you knock a case with wheels. You cannot!
 
Don't know if the OP decided on a case yet, but I did! I purchased a Antec P180B last night, apparently Antec has been replacing the P180B body with a revision based on the P182, so it has some of the wire routing enhancements, which I really wanted. Also the $90 price tag after rebate was far to tempting to resist.

The rebate deal is going till the 20th of May, so if you were not sure before and want to jump on the deal then you might want to grab it now. For those who have not seen it, this is the Antec P180B. It is a very beautiful solid black that has a lot of class in its design, the way I like it.
 
Skrying said:
Don't know if the OP decided on a case yet, but I did! I purchased a Antec P180B last night, apparently Antec has been replacing the P180B body with a revision based on the P182, so it has some of the wire routing enhancements, which I really wanted. Also the $90 price tag after rebate was far to tempting to resist.

The rebate deal is going till the 20th of May, so if you were not sure before and want to jump on the deal then you might want to grab it now. For those who have not seen it, this is the Antec P180B. It is a very beautiful solid black that has a lot of class in its design, the way I like it.
Click to expand...

Yes, he did. The case I got is replacing a case that is 8 years old and counting. I have especially looked into HTPC-cases previously, they are sweet and cost quite a lot. The case I decided for, costs half of an (IMO) equal HTPC-case (ie comparing satisfaction, not features).

I looked at the Stacker, found it a bit ugly and too big. The two one's that don't cost a lot reminded me of my old, cheep case. But the P182 had a few reviews posted for it. I read them and when I was going to check the lowest net-price I saw that the P182 was the most popular one, so, that is what pushed me over. I didn't want to delve to much into this purchase, because I usually do that just to save a few pennies and it ends up taking too much time. I haven't really gotten used having lots (relatively to my poor childhood) money. So, the P182 it is for me. I also ordered a few cables with it. Cost me a bunch ;)

I'll be installing my Athlon +2800 in it on friday. (Will need my PC till then for work)

Thanks!
 
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