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Four Full Tower Cases From $150 To $600

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  • Overclocking
  • Cooler Master
  • Cases
  • Intel i7
  • Product
Last response: in Reviews comments
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December 15, 2008 7:50:45 AM

With Intel's Core i7 920 looking like a solid overclocking play, we wanted to find the right full-tower case for our test benches. ABS, Antec, Cooler Master, and Thermaltake battle it out for chassis supremacy.

Four Full Tower Cases From $150 To $600 : Read more

More about : full tower cases 150 600

December 15, 2008 8:27:55 AM

Thank you Chris, another very useful article. Not enough case comparisons around, as I'm sure you realized.
I'll be sure to add the HAF to my recommendation list. I hadn't before because I thought all the extra holes would hinder cooling more than help. The hole in the MB tray sounds especially useful.
I would have liked to see on of the Cosmos cases included, although I suspect they are simply quieter but hotter.
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December 15, 2008 12:30:56 PM

Nice article.

Though, I'm curious. 40db+ isn't whisper quiet. That's freak'n loud. What's up with calling it whisper quiet?
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Related resources
December 15, 2008 12:39:33 PM

The three cheaper cases are powerhouses but too big and overkill for most people including gamers. I think the Antec's Three Hundred ($60 a few weeks ago on Newegg) suits the need for most people. 750w PSU are usually enough for SLI/Crossfire so 1000w+ aren't needed.
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December 15, 2008 1:11:18 PM

I'm curious when they will start releaseing more cases that have more depth, so that they have more room for today's much larger videocard solutions.
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December 15, 2008 1:29:30 PM

Ya I agree that case designers should consider making them have more depth. With this in mind though i'm sure vidoe card manufactors will only make their card even longer however.
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Anonymous
a b K Overclocking
December 15, 2008 1:35:46 PM

Lian Li has plenty of depth, and otherwise just huge (PC-A70).
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December 15, 2008 1:38:22 PM

Good article. Now it gives a procedure and template to test other cases as well. It'd be great to have a review of cases which could be "best of" a certain category (cooling, noise, ease of use, weight, etc). It would be even nicer if the results were put in bullet point form and were setup in a table like the ones used in hdd/video card tables. That would make it a lot easier to compare everything.
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December 15, 2008 1:40:17 PM

I do believe that all the cases available in the market these days are poorly designed especially when it comes to air flow. You may notice that front fans, rear fans, buttom, side and top panel fans -when combined- cause turbulence in air flow that reduces the overall air flow. That's why I buy a cheap $25 case and modded myself!!!
I have so many innovations regarding case designs that I hope someone buys them and excutes them in reality!!
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December 15, 2008 2:11:52 PM

Here is one of my ideas...
To put it plainly: air needs to be moved in one direction, preferably from down-upwards, since hot air tends to go upward by nature and the hottest part of any system (that's the GFX cards) is located at the lower part..Hence a PSU mounted at the upper part of the case (with its 120-140mm fan), with another 120mm top-panel exhaust fan and two 120mm buttom intake fans will be by far more efficient than all the available cases. To achieve this efficincy I close any other holes (even the ones the manufacturer meant for ventilation) so the air enters the case only from the buttom fans where I put dust filters to minimize dust inside my case. Furthermore I use a case with long "legs" to minimize inhalation of the dust at my desk's surface.
To minimize noise: I use
1.low RPM silent fans.
2.rubber washers between the fans and the case to minimize vibration noise.
3.cover all the interior surfaces with a layer of an insulator, that can be as simple as sponge!!!
4.even design external air ducts that divert the exhausted air (which carries the interior noise) to the back.
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December 15, 2008 2:27:41 PM

Fortunately many aftermarket CPU and GPU coolers helped me. They can be installed in a way that the fan moves the air upwards. There is evidence that the setup I suggested above reduces -though marginally- the power consumed by the CPU and GPU fans to reach thier designated rpm and increases the lifetime of these fans, since instead of meeting resistance, the one directional air flow helps them.
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December 15, 2008 2:48:58 PM

Heya,

I'm curious about putting sinulation in a case. I'd love to see measurments of noise levels in a case with just random sponges in the case versus not.Heya,

I'm curious about putting insulation in a case. I'd love to see measurments of noise levels in a case with just random sponges in the case versus not, and other solutions. Personally, I don't like lights and other stuff in the case, I don't look at my case, I look at my display. Reducing the case's obvious footprint and pressence is a nice thing. Less noise would be wonderful (especially since I use mine as a HTPC too). I've always been a fan of the blow hole (top fan to draw hot air out). Sealing up a case to reduce all holes to just air flow from bottom to top, with insulation of some kind to reduce noise would be a great project to try.

Again, I'd love to see some noise and temp measurements! To the forum? Got some ways to measure it?

Cheers,
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December 15, 2008 3:23:17 PM

Believe it or not the setup I mentioned keeps my E6750 (overclocked from 2.66ghz 1.23v to 3.8ghz 1.44v) under 55 c under full load (hours of dual prime 95) in a very hot room that lacks a cooling system(temps:40 to 50 c !!). (Don't be smart with me, we lack electrical power in my country and private small-groups generators are the only reason I can be online!!)

I don't have the means to measure the noise level but I can tell you -though subjectively- it is very quiet when using all the mentioned steps. In the end I wish someone with enough resources (like the guys at Tom's) tests my project and give the whole world accurate objective measures and compare them to the available cases..Even the high end ones.
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December 15, 2008 3:35:05 PM

In my last post I forgot to add that I use vertically-oriented Zalman CNPS 9500 LED as a CPU cooler.
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December 15, 2008 4:00:35 PM


600$ for a case? hahahahaha

almost spit out my drink when i saw the price tag

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December 15, 2008 7:16:27 PM

They should make an article on water cooling for the i7!
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December 15, 2008 7:35:51 PM

Getting there. Gotta remember that i7 is still new, so there aren't a ton of options available yet.
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a b K Overclocking
December 15, 2008 8:31:04 PM

Good write up. But should have increased the # of cases and droped the range to a max of $350-400.
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December 15, 2008 8:51:07 PM

Shadow703793Good write up. But should have increased the # of cases and droped the range to a max of $350-400.


Shadow,
Kept the number lower so I could spend more time with the cases involved--takes a deceptively long time to build each system up, test it, etc. The ABS case is actually the one that set the whole roundup off--it was a struggle finding enclosures that could compete. I think we'd all love to have that thing, but the price is just prohibitive. Even still, very nice to look at.
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December 15, 2008 8:56:39 PM

Wow, those are four hideously UGLY cases... I'll stick with the Cooler Master Cosmos series.
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Anonymous
a b K Overclocking
December 15, 2008 10:37:29 PM

Okay I'll bite:

1.low RPM silent fans.
2.rubber washers between the fans and the case to minimize vibration noise.

Okay, these 2 ideas are pretty well established. Although personally i have doubts about #2 really making a difference.

3.cover all the interior surfaces with a layer of an insulator, that can be as simple as sponge!!!

Right, but it can also be as simple as extreme fire and inhalation hazard. Make sure what you are using doesn't burn easily.

4.even design external air ducts that divert the exhausted air (which carries the interior noise) to the back.

This may seem like a good idea on the surface, but by restricting the air flow (you build additional pressure in the outlet) you might actually be increasing fan noise and heat buildup.

High legs are a good idea to prevent dust (i have this problem as well) but can be dangerous for someone who has the case on a carpet or other uneven surface, since it increases the chances of the case tipping over.
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December 15, 2008 11:17:48 PM

ccintronWow, those are four hideously UGLY cases... I'll stick with the Cooler Master Cosmos series.lulwut. the cosmos is as ugly as the ante c900 and 1200... ill jsut stick with the curves of a CM690 tyvm.

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December 15, 2008 11:19:25 PM

I bought a Lien Li PC-V2100 Plus. I am wondering why this case isnt included in a caparison such as this? Maybe its because its a full tower? Too big? Or, just too many cases to compare? Its cheaper than the ABS but I do believe it to be a better case. I think it has more room and easier hard disk drive bays!
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December 15, 2008 11:32:47 PM

ccintronWow, those are four hideously UGLY cases... I'll stick with the Cooler Master Cosmos series.


Good thing this is what matters i guess. The cases look fine as long as they do the job. Though all my comps are in the lian li pc-a70b. But if your more interested in your computer wining a computer case pagent then whatever.
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December 15, 2008 11:54:08 PM

Alcoholics AnonymousLian Li has plenty of depth, and otherwise just huge (PC-A70).


Agree, Lian Li has a plethora of Full Tower cases that are well designed and doesnt even get a mention.
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December 16, 2008 1:30:30 AM

Nice, though I picked up the twelve hundred from the egg on cyber monday for $119 and free shipping
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December 16, 2008 2:28:32 AM

Dmb and Chook--
Maybe you guys missed the mention, but ABS' Canyon *is* a Lian-Li case.
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a b K Overclocking
December 16, 2008 2:33:35 AM

ccintronWow, those are four hideously UGLY cases... I'll stick with the Cooler Master Cosmos series.

I'm not a real fan of the designs either, but I wouldn't call them hideous. There is a special circle of the local landfill reserved for the epitomy of ugly, such as the ASUS Vento.
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December 16, 2008 2:51:16 AM

You mean the F430 of cases? Awwww....
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a b K Overclocking
December 16, 2008 2:53:53 AM

If you merge Ferrari, PC case and vacuum cleaner together you get the Vento.
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December 16, 2008 9:53:09 AM

"and seven expansion slots (that’s right—no room for three GTX 280s, if that was what you were planning."
That was written for the antec 1200... i dont even know how you came to that conclusion.
2 slots per card x 3 cards is 6 out of 7 slots...
If you can fit 2 way sli , card at top card at bottom with 2 slots in center open you can fit 3 way sli..
This needs to be fixxed.
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December 16, 2008 10:31:43 AM

In order for that configuration to work, you’d need EVGA’s X58-based motherboard. The ASUS Rampage II Extreme, used for testing throughout this piece, will not support a three-way SLI setup, despite having three x16 slots. Bear in mind that 3-way SLI isn’t just about how many slots you have free—it’s all contingent on the platform you’re using. The cases with eight expansion slots, however, will work regardless, even if the third double-wide card hangs off the bottom of the board.
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December 16, 2008 1:10:48 PM

EnFoRceR22Good thing this is what matters i guess. The cases look fine as long as they do the job. Though all my comps are in the lian li pc-a70b. But if your more interested in your computer wining a computer case pagent then whatever.


you forgot the stupid drive on the side canyon, that's not just asthetic, it's dumb ! As long as it works, why not put the mb tray so stuff comes out the top too ? Plus, for home use, ppl do have to actually look at this crap ! Form should count to some degree almost always.
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December 16, 2008 1:17:29 PM

Come on randomiser , even the ventro is not as ugly as NZXT, remember the "transformer" cases from them, or the chenbro "gaming" aka "ugly" bomb ?
I refer you to this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
I'd take a Ventro any day over garbage like this, or the thermaltake case with one eye, the cyclops or whatever.
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December 16, 2008 3:25:35 PM

Not a single Lian Li case in the comparision? Not a very comprehensive study if you ask me.
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December 16, 2008 5:23:42 PM

I lov THG but sometimes......it takes 10 mins to prep a 1200 case - remove both doors, remove all the front bay screws, slide out the trays - easy tooless designs always fail securely hold drives. Comon guys, make the wiring look as bad as possible and make the $600 case look nice - lol! its suppose to look (this is only few extra mins to tuck a few wires) like this: http://i329.photobucket.com/albums/l373/warpedsystems/W...
ok nice article!
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December 16, 2008 7:03:54 PM

Thx for the article.

However, for me the Silverstone TJ07 is still the king of Fulltower case..

I can't believe anyone mentioned it in comments..
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December 16, 2008 7:33:38 PM

Pei-chen


Why in the world would you post this about an article for full-tower cases?? It wasn't titled 'cases for most people'.
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a b K Overclocking
December 16, 2008 9:29:49 PM

royalcrownI refer you to this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811146030

You have a point. I think I remember my dad wanting that case once, but I convinced him that after a few days of turning around in his chair he'll have to have physio on the knee he would keep bashing into the front.
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December 16, 2008 9:51:02 PM

I think it would be nice if the folks that operate this web site would do some polling to find the top ten components of any certian catagory which we want to be analyzed in this tests
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December 17, 2008 12:19:23 AM

Hello,
Can we please have confirmation of the fan (low, med, high) seeting used for the Antec 1200 sound measurments?
If the fans are were not all on low speed can you please provide sound level data with fans on low?
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December 17, 2008 12:30:48 AM

Greetings,
Fans were set to low for acoustic and thermal testing on the Twelve Hundred. If someone wants additional thermal performance, they are free to increase fan speed at the expense of acoustic performance, of course.

This should have been addressed in the piece—thanks for asking.

Chris
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December 17, 2008 12:59:35 AM

Pei-chen


Actually, I prefer the Antec 900 which I got for $50 the day before Thanksgiving.
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Anonymous
a b K Overclocking
December 17, 2008 2:09:40 AM

WOW im going to add this to my dream PC....*cough*
$4,578 *cough*
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December 17, 2008 3:57:10 AM

I'm an owner of the HAF 932 and I just wanted to say that the PSU does not have to be installed on the bottom. There are supports and a cover (with two 1/2" holes for water cooling) at the top of the case on the back. This cover will also screw over the bottom PSU opening. I think this should have been mentioned in your article. Also, man I'm sorry but the picture of cable management you have in this case is sad lol. I have a 850 watt Antec PSU, 3870 & a 3870x2 in a tri-fire and a water cooled cpu and NB, with hardly any wires showing. There are several holes cut into the MB tray so cable management is a breeze. Otherwise great article. I was pleased to see my case at the top :) 
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December 17, 2008 4:05:22 AM

O and i forgot to mention that there is room for a 3x120 radiator at the top, which i have installed with no issue. Awesome case
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December 17, 2008 4:56:23 AM

theLaminator


Nowhere was it said the PSU had to be installed at the bottom. In fact, in the installation section, I say:

"Unbolt that plate up top and relocate your power supply, though, and the case’s floor suddenly get a lot roomier."

Thanks for the positive feedback! =)
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December 17, 2008 4:23:26 PM

ccintron

Yup,The spedo ESPECIALLY looks like utter crap.
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