Torn between HAF XB and Corsair 350D Case.

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johnvonmacz

johnvonmacz

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Apr 27, 2012
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I've been doing my research for 2 months now and I'm really torn between these 2 amazing cases. Can anyone convince me why one is better than the other?

Anyway here's the specs:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($319.99 @ Amazon Canada)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H110 94.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($124.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Motherboard: Asus Maximus V Formula EATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($279.00 @ Canada Computers)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($122.56 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Seagate Momentus XT 750GB 2.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($109.99 @ Memory Express)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($94.99 @ Canada Computers)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($379.99 @ Memory Express)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($379.99 @ Memory Express)
Case Fan: Cougar Vortex PWM 70.5 CFM 120mm Fan ($12.12 @ DirectCanada)
Power Supply: Cooler Master Silent Pro M 1000W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($162.38 @ TigerDirect Canada)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($102.64 @ DirectCanada)
Total: $2088.64
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-05-16 17:20 EDT-0400)

*I choose V gene for the 350D.
Thanks for looking!
 
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marshallbradley
@johnvonmacz In my experience (and the experience of pretty much everyone who's owned an SSD) they are absolutely amazing. Boot up times become instant. Lifespan issues were originally an issue with SSDs when they were a new technology, but now they've become such a mainstay for high end computers and improved to the point where a decent SSD is going to last you at least 5+ years (unless you're doing something weird with it) which is more than can be said for 90% of the rest of your computer hardware. The number of writes you can have on most modern SSDs is about 10,000 per byte (assuming it's MLC NAND). That may not sound like a lot, but that's why you don't store stuff like your personal documents on the SSD, but rather stuff like the...
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johnvonmacz

johnvonmacz

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Apr 27, 2012
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I checked that HAF XB can fit E-ATX and 350D can fit mATX that's why I choose the V Gene if anyone can convince me that the 350D is better than HAF XB.
 
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marshallbradley

marshallbradley

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Sep 24, 2012
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@bigcyco1 I think from his comment he meant to link the Asus Maximus V Gene, which does fit those cases. He should correct that though it's true, he doesn't want to end up ordering the wrong motherboard by accident! EDIT: After some Googling it seems like EATX does fit the HAF XB, though not the 350D of course.

@johnvonmacz It's really a personal choice. To me the 350D looks about a million times better than the XB. I like the metallic finish (obviously as a 650D owner, the aesthetics are quite similar). The price is basically the same, and I have faith in all of Corsair's products, whereas Cooler Master can be a bit hit and miss in my opinion (also why I wouldn't go for that Power Supply, I'd feel much better off with maybe a Seasonic X-850).

The fact that you can buy the 350D with a windowed side panel already included is nice I think, and it ends up cheaper than if you did the same for the XB since it's sold separately (also the window is more viewable for the 350D).

I think as far as portability is concerned, tower rather than block shaped PCs are almost always going to be much easier to store and carry (assuming you have a bag of some description). Then again the handles on the HAF XB might come in handy in this case.

I'm a really big fan of the 350D though, and would likely have got it, had it been around at the time I was shopping for my case. In the end it really comes down to personal preference, don't go with something you don't like the look of!

M
 
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marshallbradley

marshallbradley

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Sep 24, 2012
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I think I've found where the confusion is stemming from. A proper E-ATX motherboard has dimensions of 12" x 13", whereas the Maximus V Formula has dimensions of 12" x 10.1", which is only 0.5" different from a standard ATX motherboard (12" x 9.6"). It's really a faux E-ATX board. Source: Forum Post and Offical Specs. You learn something new every day I guess.

A proper E-ATX board would have no chance of fitting the HAF XB though.

M
 
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johnvonmacz

johnvonmacz

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Apr 27, 2012
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Hi marshall, I want thank you for your info's and opinion and also to bigcyco1. I'm skeptical in getting SSD because it's too expensive and I saw an article in other tech sites (forgot the name of the site) that lifespan of SSD is not that good and that for the price and performance you rather get a HYBRID drive (SSHD). I don't know if it's really true tho.

And also, can you suggest a reliable 1000 watt psu that is not expensive because the build I'm doing is not final and I might switch it to SLI 780's or 770's when it's release by this summer. And I think that it might use more power.
 
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marshallbradley

marshallbradley

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Sep 24, 2012
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11,060
@johnvonmacz In my experience (and the experience of pretty much everyone who's owned an SSD) they are absolutely amazing. Boot up times become instant. Lifespan issues were originally an issue with SSDs when they were a new technology, but now they've become such a mainstay for high end computers and improved to the point where a decent SSD is going to last you at least 5+ years (unless you're doing something weird with it) which is more than can be said for 90% of the rest of your computer hardware. The number of writes you can have on most modern SSDs is about 10,000 per byte (assuming it's MLC NAND). That may not sound like a lot, but that's why you don't store stuff like your personal documents on the SSD, but rather stuff like the OS and big programs, which basically stay exactly the same after you install them. In order to use up the 10,000 writes, you'd need to install and uninstall something like 10,000x(120/5) = 240,000 5GB programs, which is unlikely to say the least. Everything other than programs/OS goes on your mechanical HDD. For a standard 120GB model (this is all you need as a gamer), they aren't any more expensive than the SSHD you linked. Check out the Sandisk Extreme 120GB for example.

Every article I've read about the lifespan of SSDs (even those done with TLC NAND, which has 5,000 writes) has shown that, unless you're doing something really weird on your SSD, you won't reach anywhere near the max number of writes during the warranty period (usually 3 years or so).

I have read about SSHDs before, but I'm not entirely convinced. It seems like a decent idea in practice, but personally I think a 120GB SSD suffices for 99% of gamers and is obviously faster. I think they're only worthwhile if you aren't going to have a mechanical HDD which is not true in your case.

If you really want a 1000W unit, I'd spend a bit more on an XFX ProSeries. I just have a lot of faith in Seasonic. If you want something inexpensive though, the Antec HCG 900W fits nicely, and should still have plenty of power for even SLi 780s.

M
 
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