£90 Bang for Buck Case

What is the best bang-for-buck case which supports a h100i (preferably in the top) for around £90

Good comparison of those two here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdWXLAmmSjc

Nice video. I too have seen that before. But you're missing the point here. The title clearly says its for "Workstation Upgrade: From H440 to Enthoo Luxe".

Going 01 Min 19 Secs into the video, the reviewer himself clearly says "It's not a big difference, I need to add more storage to my workstation". That's the main reason why he precisely titled the video as "Workstation Upgrade: From H440 to Enthoo Luxe".

It's not a "Comparison of H440 Vs Enthoo Luxe", If you had missed the point.

Also note that the NZXT is smaller and sleeker than the Enthoo.

Cheers!

No, I didn't miss the point.... if ya get past the title and the 1st 0:19 , you can hear many more points and make many other observations. First off, he was using the video to make a lot more points then you let on.... and there are many other things one can learn beyond his stated reasons I may buy a new car for the "main reason" being my old one's was totalled in an accident....but wouldn't I now be in a position to compare the two ... aside from my "main reason" ? Wouldn't my experience with both be of benefit to someone buying a new car who wasn't in an accident ? Wouldn't my observations with regard to which one gets better mileage, seats more people, has better acceleration, has a roof rack, more towing capacity, better sound system, more comfortable seats, better stopping power w/ 4 wheel discs....etc be of potential interest to someone trying to decide between 2 models ? I might not even mention many of them but someone who "joined me for the ride" ... as we did w/ Dimitri ... might observe, "wow this suspension is much stiffer"

I much prefer the Phanteks but rather than trying to convince anyone either way ... Dimitri's reasons aside, the video is useful in and of itself. If he didn't say a word, a potential purchaser watching this video can see for himself / herself how the cases are constructed, how easy cable routing is, ..... yada yada yada.

The 7:40 video can not be summed up in the title or the 1st 19 seconds. The title and one short statement he made at the very beginning doesn't begin to encompass all he said and all that was shown after. Just a minute later he listed **all** his reasons for making the switch. Listen from 1:19 to 1:36 at what he actually said were all his reasons for the upgrade:

-He wanted Extra Storage ... might be of interest to someone buying a new case , no ?

-He wanted Roomier interior ... might be of interest to someone buying a new case; another person can see them side by side and want the smaller option

-He wanted Better Lighting ... anyone can see the lighting in the video and decide of it's something they like

-He wanted Better Cooling .... he'll get it, Phanteks fans have highest performance / noise ratio

Now let's move on to other differences that he points out which, while didn't factor into **his** original decision to upgrade, they are of obvious interest to anyone trying to decide between the 2 cases:

@3:10 ...... H440 has a "Terrible cable mess ....huge disadvantage of the H440 .... back clearance is very limiting"
@3:30 ...... Note the lack of push / pull on the H440 at this point, then see 4:50 mark
@3:55 ...... Likes the side panels on Luxe "I love the swivel side panels that open like car doors"
@4:30 ...... Compare the cable management on the H440 at 3:10 with this.... you don't see this as useful comparison ? This is HUGE
@4:35 ...... "I love the SSD placement...excellent utilization of this space"
@4:50 ...... "I installed the 2nd row of fans for push / pull
@5:00 ...... "I say fun because this case is designed to handle water cooling, no problem .... significantly larger than my previous case .... this makes cable routing a breeze"
@5:55 ...... "The optional lighting strips ...connect to built in cables"
@5:55 ...... "most importantly look how flat the cables are to the back panel"
@6:40 ...... "only gripe is the lighting strip adhesive... out of view w/ window on"
@6:45 ...... "definitely worth the extra ambience that the lighting adds, especially w/ the tinted window"
@7:00 ...... demonstrates the lighting options ... "makes it really stand out from the rest of the offerings"

It's not only about why **he** changed cases.... it's about what a potential purchaser can see by watching the video.... you can very clearly see very significant differences between the two cases with regard to cable routing, fan mounting, cable clearance, panel removal, water cooling, ease of access, support, lighting, and **not to be ignored** storage options .

Yes, the H440 might be described as "NZXT is smaller and sleeker than the Enthoo".... it's also one of the reasons he upgraded. Being thinner is the reason for the cable mess behind the MoBo. One person might like the extra room and the cable routing ease and neatness it provides, another might like the thinness of the H440 and be willing to deal with the cable mess cause once the side panel is they don't have to look at it. By watching this video, one is in a position to make a judgement between these competing design options.

One might watch a DVD because they heard the movie had great special effects .... but while that may be true, and that might get someone to buy it to check it out in their new home theater system..... after seeing it, they can still walk away from the movie impressed or dismayed because it has great / lousy character development, story line, scenery, cinematography. Actually seeing the movie ... from end to end, not just the opening scene can allow one to make those judgements. You see a lot more in that video than storage options .... which gives it value well beyond the title and opening 19 seconds.

Again, you missed the basic point. You're trying to make a comparison out a video that clearly says "Workstation Upgrade" from NZXT H440, which is a Mid-Tower Case to Enthoo Luxe, which is Full-Tower Case. Its like comparing apples to oranges. The towers are not even in the same category. So your comparison is unfair......

..... I would like to end by saying this,

I've laid down the facts in fair manner, and you had put down your own style of arguments. At the end of the day, It's up to "Akashkcx" to perceive from his own perspective and will decide accordingly. It's as simple as that.

Cheers!

No one is missing the point, your simply avoiding it and masking it with irrelevance. One can watch the video and make their OWN decisions. You close with a statement saying " At the end of the day, It's up to "Akashkcx" to perceive from his own perspective ".

Which is exactly what he can do on his own with out a video critic explaining it to him and telling him what he should and should not watch and why. I posted the link .... it killed the proverbial "2 birds with 1 stone" as it allowed one to get an inside look at both cases and comments from someone "who had actually used both cases" with 1 click ? Where's your beef ? I offered the link without commentary. Why wouldn't you want a potential purchaser the opportunity see see for themselves the advantages and limitations of both cases ?

Instead you responded to the "imagined slight" with misrepresentations of Dimitri's reasons for the upgrade and suggested it was meaningless and not worth the time and effort. This is clearly not the case. My response to YOUR post was not to AakashKcX but to you as you unfairly and inaccurately represented the video's content. My response was not directed at "dissing" the H440 but to counter the red herring argument that there was nothing of value to be gained for anyone, who was trying to choose between the cases, watching this because you falsely alleged that "he only did it for more storage".:

a) There clearly were more stated reasons why he switched cases, and
b) You can clearly see each case has advantages and disadvantages

Manny Pacquiao is a great fighter, Floyd Mayweather is a great fighter .... if you want to see the difference between the two, watch the fight and decide who won for yourself. Some people like the flail away style of a Manny or Arturo Gatti ... it certainly is exciting ....... others are more appreciative of the counter punching skill of a Mayweather or Ali. Pacquiao's loss certainly doesn't diminish his standing as a great fighter.

My thoughts.... watch the fight and draw your own conclusions .... or excuses.

I have actual, real-life personal experience with both cases, I am in a position to form an opinion based upon that experience.... I used the H440 on user builds tho since my personal puters are used for both business and personal use, the idea of no opticals just wouldn't fly. We are contractually required to deliver and file our documents in the format that regulatory agencies dictate and that's optical. I also have 6 temperature readouts in one 5.25" bay on my personal box, overclocking station in another and card readers in two others (camera buffs) .. But building for other users, colleagues, employees home machines, kids gaming machines, I have used many cases including the H440.... I enjoyed the H440 build experience.

Dimitri having had both cases is also able to form a comparative opinion. An opinion that you obviously don't like and are therefore arguing about its relevance to anyone. Those were his reasons, I have my reasons, you have your reasons for choosing the H440. You will note that he gave both cases the very same "Damn Good" rating which perhaps more than anything addresses the point that I was making and which you are intent on avoiding that either one might be better for a particular user based upon their specific needs.... a feature can be both an advantage and a disadvantage.

H440 Advantage - smaller form factor allows it to fit in tighter spaces
H440 Disadvantage - smaller form factor creates cable management issues due to limited space behind Mobo.

This is not "dissing" the H440.... it just points out that there is no "best" for all situations. In some instances, the Luxe will better fit and therefore be "best" for one useys needs. In other cases it might be the H440

I am quite content to let AakashKcX watch the video for himself, see the cases and the features with his own eyes and make his own decision based upon what he sees in the video which is why I added no commentary in my response to AakashKcX. I did not, as you did, attempt to dissuade him by misrepresenting a what is contained in a source of information. You responded with a "only reason / workstation upgrade / storage" argument which was both inaccurate and misleading. Dimitri very clearly listed multiple reasons for upgrading.

Now you introduce another baseless "not fair argument" about the cases not being in "same category"..... what category ? Are you referring to mid tower versus full tower...a designation that is defined solely and independently by each manufacturer.

Wikipedia defines a full tower as being "typically" more than 22" in height.... well if we use that definition then am I to understand that it is your position that the extra 0.04" of the Luxe's 22.04 height certainly gives it an unfair advantage ? Why is it unfair ? Did the OP specify a Mid Tower ? If we peeled the rubber "don't scratch the desk pads" off, then it would be under 22".... would it be fair then ? There were only two categories of stated interest to the OP.

What is the best bang-for-buck case which supports a h100i (preferably in the top) for around £90

Click to expand...

1. Does the case fit the H100i ? Yes it does.
2. Does the case £90 budget ? Yes it does.

Obviously if he has to fit the case under bookshelf, he will have a reason to favor the H440 but that was not stated. Larger (easier to work in, better cooling) versus smaller (uses less desk space) cases can be an advantage or a disadvantage depending on the relevant criteria.

There are no other categories stated and therefore none are relevant to the discussion at hand. I don't have an issue with either case, my only issue is your misrepresentation of what was contained in the video.

a-The H440 is thinner and if that appeals to you, than you should buy the H440 if the limited space behind mobo tray doesn't bother you
b-The Enthoo Luxe is wider and if that appeals to you because it allows much better cable management, you should buy the Luxe.

a-The H440 is shorter depth wise and if that appeals to you, you should by the H440. It is a perfect match for say an MSI Gaming 5 build w/ twin MSI 970s
b-The Enthoo Luxe has more depth and if that appeals to you, you should by the Luxe. It is a a perfect match for a Gigabyte Gaming 5 build w/ twin Gigabyte G1 970s because they will fit in the case. They will not fit in the H440 w/o removing the HD cage.

a-The H440 has less room height wise and if that appeals to you, you should by the H440. You can get a H100i there no problem.
b-The Enthoo Luxe has more height and if that appeals to you, you should by the Luxe. You can easily get a H100i in there with fans in push / pull.

a-The H440 has a fan hub which will power multiple fans. This will be a big help if you are running out of MoBo headers and have no interest ion controlling fan speeds.
b-The Luxe has a fan hub which will power multiple fans. This will be a big help if you are running out of MoBo headers and do want to control fan speeds with your MoBo utility

** This limitation goes away in NZXTs new Noctis 450 case which is a reported "upgrade" of the H440. I like the H440 design..... but the redesigned Noctis hurts my eyes. Hopefully, they will slip the new hub into newer production runs.

a-The H440 has no 5.25 bays which gives it a cleaner look.
b-The Luxe has 5.25 bays which give it the ability to use fan controllers, temperature monitors, card readers, opticals, overclocking stations, LCDs, bay reservoirs or use it as a water pump hidie-holes

a-The H440 is well designed for adding in CLCs with special accommodation for NZXTs own Kraken series coolers
b-The Luxe is well designed for CLCs but also is equipped with excellent custom loop features such as the anti-vibration pump mounts and reservoir mounts.

a-The H440 doesn't have any LED system so if ya not into "the bling", no sense having a feature you won't use. The NZXT Hue would be an option to add it ($34) but you'd need a 5.25' drive bay to fit it in.
b-The Luxe has a build in 10 color RGB LED system built into the case exterior and provides controls for turning interior LEDs on and off as well as adjusting their color. Nice.... if you're into that sorta thing.

In short, they are both excellent cases.... which one is best for any individual will depend on how many of those a / b scenarios above each user fits into. The one thing that is significantly different though that doesn't depend on user needs or preferences is the warranty. One has 5 years and one has 2 years.

I have a 2 seater sports car and a SUV. They are both great vehicles.... but one works better is some instances and the other is better in others. Pointing out the relative differences between the two is in no way a "Dis". If ya can only choose one car, you have to pick one that best fits your needs. You would argue that the only reason I bought an SUV is cause I have 3 kids .... I would argue that that was one of the reasons .... the reality is however that my kids all have their own cars, but my other reasons are the Porsche can't tow a boat, doesn't have a roof rack and is useless on my construction job sites and it's not well suited for packing up for a camping trip.

This Sunday....I have two builds to do .... one with a Phanteks Pro case for Mothers Day, one w/ either an NZXT H440, Corsair 500 or Coolermaster 922 for one of my youngest son's friends. He bought all his stuff online but wanted to actually see the before buying and is going to Microcenter Saturday.... I'll find out what he decided Sunday. I'm hoping it's not the CM.... I'm just fine with the other two.