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Best Case For AirFlow, and Minimal Dust.

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  • Water Cooling
  • Cases
Last response: in Components
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July 21, 2014 6:27:36 AM

I'm looking for a case that has excellent airflow, since i'm not watercooling, but also does not build up dust quickly. I currently have the Rosewill Blackhawk, and the filters on it are horrible. I'm looking for a mid tower case preferably.

More about : case airflow minimal dust

July 21, 2014 6:29:07 AM

nehalpatel30 said:
I'm looking for a case that has excellent airflow, since i'm not watercooling, but also does not build up dust quickly. I currently have the Rosewill Blackhawk, and the filters on it are horrible. I'm looking for a mid tower case preferably.


what is your budget sir?
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July 21, 2014 6:31:15 AM

Just a small amount above a mid-tower.

Listed as Full , but not super huge.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Case: Corsair Graphite Series 230T Black ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $49.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $99.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guBAl6g8BlY
Review.
:D 
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July 21, 2014 6:38:22 AM

Leonell12 said:
nehalpatel30 said:
I'm looking for a case that has excellent airflow, since i'm not watercooling, but also does not build up dust quickly. I currently have the Rosewill Blackhawk, and the filters on it are horrible. I'm looking for a mid tower case preferably.


what is your budget sir?


My budget is 130, maybe a bit more if its worth it.

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Best solution

July 21, 2014 6:40:34 AM

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Case: Corsair 450D ATX Mid Tower Case ($94.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $94.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
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July 21, 2014 6:41:40 AM

SR-71 Blackbird said:
Just a small amount above a mid-tower.

Listed as Full , but not super huge.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Case: Corsair Graphite Series 230T Black ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $49.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $99.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guBAl6g8BlY
Review.
:D 


Hmm, its an okay case, but how is its dust control?

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July 21, 2014 6:45:02 AM

Phanteks Enthoo Pro

Easy to clean front comes off , top pops off , filters on bottom.

Best case I've owned.
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July 21, 2014 6:48:26 AM

don't get a plastic/steel case, get an aluminium one.
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July 21, 2014 6:49:30 AM

SR-71 Blackbird said:
:p hanteks Enthoo Pro

Easy to clean front comes off , top pops off , filters on bottom.

Best case I've owned.


But its full tower :/ , I like the design though. I have limited space at my desk.

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July 21, 2014 6:56:00 AM

cirdecus said:
don't get a plastic/steel case, get an aluminium one.


Any in mind?
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July 21, 2014 7:07:48 AM

steel construction all around, even the drive caddies themselves
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/nzxt-case-cah440ww1

review: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/nzxt-case-caph530w1

plastic exterior but amazing features
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/nzxt-case-caph530w1

review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v735bGH00rA

The previous cases recommended by blackbird are very very good, however personally i find their looks a bit too bland, they do offer amazing features nonetheless
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July 21, 2014 7:13:37 AM

Leonell12 said:
steel construction all around, even the drive caddies themselves
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/nzxt-case-cah440ww1

review: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/nzxt-case-caph530w1

plastic exterior but amazing features
http://pcpartpicker.com/part/nzxt-case-caph530w1

review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v735bGH00rA

The previous cases recommended by blackbird are very very good, however personally i find their looks a bit too bland, they do offer amazing features nonetheless


I was thinking about the h440, for a while until i saw the matter that it has restricted airflow. Even with high static fan, i don't think it would be sufficient airflow for the case, or should i leave the front and top off? I LOVE that case for its filters and amazing cable management.

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July 21, 2014 7:19:22 AM

SR-71 Blackbird said:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Case: Corsair 450D ATX Mid Tower Case ($94.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $94.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available


I bought this case and it is sweet. I really like the looks and it has 3 dust filters (top, bottom, front). I recommend it.

The one caveat is that it's a little flimsy compared to my previous case. But the 450D is cool, quiet, great dust filters, nice tool less assembly etc.
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July 21, 2014 7:22:00 AM

the H440 has restricted airflow however kudos to nzxt for including 4 fans in stock, the cooling is actually very good
http://www.techspot.com/review/828-nzxt-h440/page4.html

unless you live in a hot country you should be perfectly happy with the H440s cooling performance, i've seen people with sli configurations running on air in this case with no temperature issues whatsoever
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July 21, 2014 7:25:45 AM

Adroid said:
SR-71 Blackbird said:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Case: Corsair 450D ATX Mid Tower Case ($94.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $94.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available


I bought this case and it is sweet. I really like the looks and it has 3 dust filters (top, bottom, front). I recommend it.

The one caveat is that it's a little flimsy compared to my previous case. But the 450D is cool, quiet, great dust filters, nice tool less assembly etc.


There was one thing i was wondering. Can you remove the HDD drive bays from the case?
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July 21, 2014 7:27:53 AM

Leonell12 said:
the H440 has restricted airflow however kudos to nzxt for including 4 fans in stock, the cooling is actually very good
http://www.techspot.com/review/828-nzxt-h440/page4.html

unless you live in a hot country you should be perfectly happy with the H440s cooling performance, i've seen people with sli configurations running on air in this case with no temperature issues whatsoever


My living room gets pretty warm during the summer. I live in NY.
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July 21, 2014 7:33:52 AM

nehalpatel30 said:
Leonell12 said:
the H440 has restricted airflow however kudos to nzxt for including 4 fans in stock, the cooling is actually very good
http://www.techspot.com/review/828-nzxt-h440/page4.html

unless you live in a hot country you should be perfectly happy with the H440s cooling performance, i've seen people with sli configurations running on air in this case with no temperature issues whatsoever


My living room gets pretty warm during the summer. I live in NY.


oh ok then, a silent case may well not be for you then
in that case the 450D or the Phantom 530 i recommended earlier will have pretty good cooling
little cooling comparison of some cases, http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cases/2014/05/05/nzxt-...

EDIT: reading the post below, you can also mount fans onto the back of HDD cages in the phantom 530 :) 
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July 21, 2014 7:34:33 AM

450D is an okay case. Filters are a nice feature but have to be maintained to work. The second 140mm should have more open airflow. Front fans are nice but not really usefull if there being restricted by the frame. I recommand getting a case you can mount fans to the front of case and back of hdd cages for good airflow. Its really tough to find a good air cooling mid tower. I recommend finding one on the bigger end of midtowers. More room equates to more airflow. If you get the 450D I would get a pci slot cooler to move air under your graphic card.
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July 21, 2014 7:44:52 AM

Leonell12 said:
nehalpatel30 said:
Leonell12 said:
the H440 has restricted airflow however kudos to nzxt for including 4 fans in stock, the cooling is actually very good
http://www.techspot.com/review/828-nzxt-h440/page4.html

unless you live in a hot country you should be perfectly happy with the H440s cooling performance, i've seen people with sli configurations running on air in this case with no temperature issues whatsoever


My living room gets pretty warm during the summer. I live in NY.


oh ok then, a silent case may well not be for you then
in that case the 450D or the Phantom 530 i recommended earlier will have pretty good cooling
little cooling comparison of some cases, http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cases/2014/05/05/nzxt-...


Thanks for the comparison.

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July 21, 2014 7:47:05 AM

MkGriff1492 said:
450D is an okay case. Filters are a nice feature but have to be maintained to work. The second 140mm should have more open airflow. Front fans are nice but not really usefull if there being restricted by the frame. I recommand getting a case you can mount fans to the front of case and back of hdd cages for good airflow. Its really tough to find a good air cooling mid tower. I recommend finding one on the bigger end of midtowers. More room equates to more airflow. If you get the 450D I would get a pci slot cooler to move air under your graphic card.


Do you know of any mid-tower case with back mounted ssd, or a case that doesn't have much restriction of airflow on front fans?
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July 21, 2014 7:57:13 AM

nehalpatel30 said:
Adroid said:
SR-71 Blackbird said:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Case: Corsair 450D ATX Mid Tower Case ($94.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $94.99
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available


I bought this case and it is sweet. I really like the looks and it has 3 dust filters (top, bottom, front). I recommend it.

The one caveat is that it's a little flimsy compared to my previous case. But the 450D is cool, quiet, great dust filters, nice tool less assembly etc.


There was one thing i was wondering. Can you remove the HDD drive bays from the case?


Yes it only comes with one HDD bay. You can buy another one from corsair if you need more than 3 drives. You can also move the HDD bay it comes with up closer under the DVD drive bays.
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July 21, 2014 7:58:27 AM

Is your motherboard full ATX or M-ATX.
With M-ATX you can find smaller cases.
About what are the dimensions that will suit your space?
I had a space problem with cases that are longer than 16"

How much do you value quiet?

My take is that if a case has two 140mm front intake fans, you can get what you want.
140mm fans move enough air at low rpm to do the job and be quier.
If those two fans are filtered, you will have a positive pressure situation where little dust buildup will occur.
My case sits behind a single 200mm filtered fan and there is no dust buildup.

Looking at the options presented, The Corsair 450D looks good to me.
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July 21, 2014 8:06:00 AM

geofelt said:
Is your motherboard full ATX or M-ATX.
With M-ATX you can find smaller cases.
About what are the dimensions that will suit your space?
I had a space problem with cases that are longer than 16"

How much do you value quiet?

My take is that if a case has two 140mm front intake fans, you can get what you want.
140mm fans move enough air at low rpm to do the job and be quier.
If those two fans are filtered, you will have a positive pressure situation where little dust buildup will occur.
My case sits behind a single 200mm filtered fan and there is no dust buildup.

Looking at the options presented, The Corsair 450D looks good to me.


I have the Asus Crosshair V Formula Z mobo.
I believe the 450D will be plenty roomy with the HDD cage removed.
My PC can sound like a hair dryer for all I care, I have a noise cancellation headset, which i always use.
I'm thinking the 450D is the best choice.

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July 21, 2014 8:06:36 AM

MkGriff1492 said:
450D is an okay case. Filters are a nice feature but have to be maintained to work. The second 140mm should have more open airflow. Front fans are nice but not really usefull if there being restricted by the frame. I recommand getting a case you can mount fans to the front of case and back of hdd cages for good airflow. Its really tough to find a good air cooling mid tower. I recommend finding one on the bigger end of midtowers. More room equates to more airflow. If you get the 450D I would get a pci slot cooler to move air under your graphic card.


This is not entirely accurate. I read multiple reviews, and the thermal performance of the 450D is actually pretty good. My temperatures with a 3570K @ 4.3ghz and a GTX 770 SC are fine.

The 450D is actually a better performer than the 750D according to this article, in part because the 450D changed the front to a mesh with dust filter, so it runs slightly cooler and slightly louder.

http://techreport.com/review/26219/corsair-obsidian-ser...

When it comes to cases, bigger does NOT necessarily mean better. A smaller case with better airflow will outperform a huge case with hot spots...
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July 21, 2014 8:07:50 AM

There are 3 HDD bays in the P530, you can move them around inter-changeably to allow maximum airflow from the front 200mm intake, theres also a fan on one of the drive bays



The case has a SSD-mount behind the motherboard tray as well and a 10-fan hub


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July 21, 2014 8:09:00 AM

Adroid said:
MkGriff1492 said:
450D is an okay case. Filters are a nice feature but have to be maintained to work. The second 140mm should have more open airflow. Front fans are nice but not really usefull if there being restricted by the frame. I recommand getting a case you can mount fans to the front of case and back of hdd cages for good airflow. Its really tough to find a good air cooling mid tower. I recommend finding one on the bigger end of midtowers. More room equates to more airflow. If you get the 450D I would get a pci slot cooler to move air under your graphic card.


This is not entirely accurate. I read multiple reviews, and the thermal performance of the 450D is actually pretty good. My temperatures with a 3570K @ 4.3ghz and a GTX 770 SC are fine.

The 450D is actually a better performer than the 750D according to this article, in part because the 450D changed the front to a mesh with dust filter, so it runs slightly cooler and slightly louder.

http://techreport.com/review/26219/corsair-obsidian-ser...

When it comes to cases, bigger does necessarily mean better. A smaller case with better airflow will outperform a huge case with hot spots...


I have one small question regarding front filters. Is the filter the removable top that comes off, or is there one under the panel that's magnetic. Pictures show magnetic filters, but videos show that its just the front panel that's the filter.
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July 21, 2014 8:10:17 AM

And MkGriff if you have some reputable information or reviews showing the 450D to run hot, please post them. Everything I have read and watched said it is a really strong performer as air cooled cases go. It also will fit a corsair H110i in the top, and room for 2 more 120mm fans in the bottom. I'm pretty convinced it is a excellent air cooled case from both my readings and my personal experience with it.
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July 21, 2014 8:10:42 AM

Leonell12 said:
There are 3 HDD bays in the P530, you can move them around inter-changeably to allow maximum airflow from the front 200mm intake, theres also a fan on one of the drive bays



The case has a SSD-mount behind the motherboard tray as well and a 10-fan hub





It's full tower though. I wish the made this case in mid tower, with same/close specs.
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July 21, 2014 8:12:49 AM

nehalpatel30 said:
Adroid said:
MkGriff1492 said:
450D is an okay case. Filters are a nice feature but have to be maintained to work. The second 140mm should have more open airflow. Front fans are nice but not really usefull if there being restricted by the frame. I recommand getting a case you can mount fans to the front of case and back of hdd cages for good airflow. Its really tough to find a good air cooling mid tower. I recommend finding one on the bigger end of midtowers. More room equates to more airflow. If you get the 450D I would get a pci slot cooler to move air under your graphic card.


This is not entirely accurate. I read multiple reviews, and the thermal performance of the 450D is actually pretty good. My temperatures with a 3570K @ 4.3ghz and a GTX 770 SC are fine.

The 450D is actually a better performer than the 750D according to this article, in part because the 450D changed the front to a mesh with dust filter, so it runs slightly cooler and slightly louder.

http://techreport.com/review/26219/corsair-obsidian-ser...

When it comes to cases, bigger does necessarily mean better. A smaller case with better airflow will outperform a huge case with hot spots...


I have one small question regarding front filters. Is the filter the removable top that comes off, or is there one under the panel that's magnetic. Pictures show magnetic filters, but videos show that its just the front panel that's the filter.


There are 3 filters that are held on by magnets - top, bottom, and front. They are easy to pull off and replace (just be careful with the front one with the front one because you are exposing fan blades when you pull it off).

The filter design is very intuitive and one of my favorite features of the case. Google Linus tech tips video on the case if you want a better picture of how the filters work.
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July 21, 2014 8:13:52 AM

Actually the front one may have some plastic clips holding it on now that I think about it.. I'll have to check when I get home. At any rate it pops off really easy and easy to put back.
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July 21, 2014 8:16:07 AM

Adroid said:
Actually the front one may have some plastic clips holding it on now that I think about it.. I'll have to check when I get home. At any rate it pops off really easy and easy to put back.


Yea. Linus reviewed the case and showed its just clipped in, not magnetic, not a big deal as long as all filters are great quality, unlike my Rosewill Blackhawk, which are already starting to break.

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July 21, 2014 8:21:14 AM

The filters are made of metal. Honestly the build quality is a touch flimsy of the case overall - but I'm comparing to the Antec 900 I replaced... That Antec was built like a tank (and was quite heavy as a result).

The handfull of times I've pulled the filters off I haven't noticed any sign of wear. The filters on top/bottom I think will last for a really long time. If I had to guess the front plastic clips holding the front filter would be the first to go, but that's if you bend them too far or something.

Considering I'm not planning to take my PC to lan parties twice a week or anything I expect the case to last me years and years (hopefully through another build or two).
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July 21, 2014 8:29:39 AM

Adroid said:
The filters are made of metal. Honestly the build quality is a touch flimsy of the case overall - but I'm comparing to the Antec 900 I replaced... That Antec was built like a tank (and was quite heavy as a result).

The handfull of times I've pulled the filters off I haven't noticed any sign of wear. The filters on top/bottom I think will last for a really long time. If I had to guess the front plastic clips holding the front filter would be the first to go, but that's if you bend them too far or something.

Considering I'm not planning to take my PC to lan parties twice a week or anything I expect the case to last me years and years (hopefully through another build or two).


Hmm, seems like Im sold to this case. Thanks for being informative.
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July 22, 2014 3:04:35 AM

Adroid said:
And MkGriff if you have some reputable information or reviews showing the 450D to run hot, please post them. Everything I have read and watched said it is a really strong performer as air cooled cases go. It also will fit a corsair H110i in the top, and room for 2 more 120mm fans in the bottom. I'm pretty convinced it is a excellent air cooled case from both my readings and my personal experience with it.


lol When did I say it runs hot? It's cool Adroid if you like Corsair I have ram and a PSU. But not everything Corsair makes is top notch. The air flow around the video card isn't the best but this isn't the only case that suffers from this flaw. I would recommend a PCI slot fan to anybody using a mid tower that doesn't have side fans to blow on the gpu. An example AOC FC-2000 PCI Slot Case Cooler. If you want to look up case reviews on youtube use HardwareCanucks and not some others. I find him to be the most informative and unbias. For the money and built quality I find the 450D a bit overpriced so try to get a good deal on it. But that's my opinion it's totally up to you and wouldn't blame you for paying whatever you want. I'm an air cooler and from my experience the GPU cooling is the biggest issue if ambient temperature is a problem. If you have a decent heatsink you will never have problems with your CPU but GPU's are a different story. And if you want you go SLI or CF it becomes even a bigger issue :) . Good Luck.

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July 22, 2014 5:11:26 AM

I'm not a corsair fanboy, I just like the case. I own some corsair RAM also, but only because I bought 16GB of DDR3 for 79$ when the prices were bottomed out (GSkill or Crucial would have been fine had they been cheaper). Corsair doesn't make power supplies, so I don't recommend them.

And yes running sli is always an issue, need good airflow and I recommend the reference / blower type cards that exhaust they hot air out the side.
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