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Thoughts on cheap cases?

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  • Cases
  • Build
  • ATX
  • Systems
Last response: in Systems
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January 25, 2014 7:55:09 PM

I'm preparing for a new PC build and trying to keep costs down. I'm planning on using a Micro ATX Mini tower (for space and cooling efficiency) and I found one that fits my tastes but I was told to steer clear because it's "a beer can." I looked around and found that almost all of the lower priced PC cases are made of this "beer can" materiel SECC. Google'd it a found that it IS in fact steel, but I'd like to know if this is a decent, sturdy material for a chassis?

In case anyone is curious (or if anyone has any additional thoughts,) here is the build:


    Rosewill FBM-02 MicroATX Mini Case
    CORSAIR CX430M 430W Power Supply
    MSI A55M-E33 FM2+ / FM2 Motherboard
    AMD A6-5400K Trinity APU
    Noctua NH-L9a CPU Cooler
    Crucial BALLISTIX Tactical 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 (1600)
    OCZ Vertex 450 128GB SATA III MLC SSD


More about : thoughts cheap cases

January 25, 2014 8:02:49 PM

After getting past the airflow and the connections, most cases start to become vanity items.
Even the cheapest case will be solid enough to hold your pc's innards inside it.
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January 25, 2014 8:04:48 PM

The smallest possible factor for how a case will affect the temperature of its components is its materials. What matters most is the airflow and the operating temps of the components. When you want a cheap case, just make sure it has the features you want and look at the reviews. I started out with a super cheap $20 case, and it cools the same as my new brushed aluminum fancy expensive case. What matters is the amount of cool air replacing the hot air and how the hot air is exhausted from the case.
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January 26, 2014 11:56:05 AM

Thank you for the input. After weighing the reviews, I decided to switch put the rosewill case. I'm going with the Fractal Designs Arc Mini. Its about double what I originally wanted to spend but is loaded with great features and better suited for airflow (and since I'm going with the stock AMD cooler, this is very important.)

Thanks again.
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