Please recommend a case

[sakrueger2]

Building a PC for gaming and general video/music use. Looking to purchase a Gigabyte 'P35' board, Q6600 G0 step, 2GB Crucial Ballistix DDR2-800 RAM, EVGA 8800GTS 320 MB graphics, Corsair HX620 PSU, Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD7500AAKS internal drive, one external drive, DVD/CD writer...etc.
May overclock CPU. Not looking for dual GPU setup.
I've been looking at Antec P182 and P190 cases to store the above equipment. Does anyone have an opinion on which of these cases would be better and why. Also, I would welcome all suggestions on other cases, but pls give me your reasons why the case would be better for my setup.
Thx in advance for your help

 

[chris1784]

I recommend you get a case you like.. its that simple, then look at the comments to see how they managed their air flow.

 

[systemlord]

I recommend the Antec 900 because if you OC or not it will keep your parts nice and cool, ensuring a long lifespan for all that you have put into it. The P182 or the 190 are good cases, but if you ever plan on putting an 8800GTX or anything like them in the future you might have a hard time fitting one. Antec 900 = windtunnel.

 

[ausch30]

The P182 has a plastic door which I don't like, it gives it a cheap feel but other than that it's a great case. The 900 is a good case as well and allows great cooling and all the vents pretty much eliminate dead spots in the case. There are a lot of good cases out there just look for one that fits your needs and style.

 

[bobbknight]

I picked up an Antec 900 from frys on sale for 80 dollars shipped.
2 12cm fans in front pushing air into the case.
1 12cm fan on the back pulling are out of the case.
1 20cm fan on top of the case pulling air out of the case.
The power supply fits into the bottom of the case, where the hot air from the power supply is pulled out of the case.
I have the best thermals without water cooling, and it's a very roomy case.
I holder for the floppy/usb memory stick unit is a bit odd as to how it installs, but from the front it looks cool.
This case moves air and the noise level is about the same as the three Antec lanboys I have.
I hope Antec makes the case for a few years, I really like it.

 

[systemlord]

I picked up an Antec 900 from frys on sale for 80 dollars shipped.
2 12cm fans in front pushing air into the case.
1 12cm fan on the back pulling are out of the case.
1 20cm fan on top of the case pulling air out of the case.
The power supply fits into the bottom of the case, where the hot air from the power supply is pulled out of the case.
I have the best thermals without water cooling, and it's a very roomy case.
I holder for the floppy/usb memory stick unit is a bit odd as to how it installs, but from the front it looks cool.
This case moves air and the noise level is about the same as the three Antec lanboys I have.
I hope Antec makes the case for a few years, I really like it.

The Antec 900 is a great gamers case and you'll love it. It has three setting for fan speeds min, med, and max.

 

[Charnondall]

ive got a Antec P182 myself, i was tempted to get a 900 when i was building my new rig but i decided against it for a few reasons.

1) its big and bright and i liked the idea of my case being dark and minimalist especially when watching shows on my monitor id hate a big blue neon thing at the corner of my eye. This was the main reason I chose the P182
2) The fans on both of these things are quiet tbh, turn them up to full speed tho and they are noisey. Only difference is the Antec P182 is more enclosed than the 900 so i feel that it would suppress the noise better.
3) 900 is better for air flow no doubts in that, but if u get a good cpu heatsink and generally good fans for a P182 it can do pretty well for airflow, but yes not as good as the 900.

So it comes down to a personal choice imo.

P182 – Plain, Sleek, Dark, Quieter,
900 - Cool Looking, Bright, Tad more noisey, Better Airflow.

 

[sakrueger2]

Thanks to all of you for your comments. The one reason I was shying away from the Antec 900 was that I read that the installation of the drives was rather difficult. Any one care to comment on this.
Thx

 

[SickPuppy]

I have the 182 and it is the best case I have had so far. I briefly considered the 900 but the flash and mostly possible noise turned me off. Yes the 900 is cheaper but the 182 is quieter. Setup is a little time consuming but the benefit for the time spent is the cleanest installation you will ever see. While the case does not flow as much air as the 900 the 182 keeps my system very cool (much better than my p150 did) and it does take 8800 gts cards without a problem. If you ultimately need more fans you can add another 120mm fan in the front of the case.

 

[sakrueger2]

Can anyone comment on whether they have any experience with the Thermaltake Armor cases and which model they would recommend. Also, between the Antec 182, 190, 900 and Thermaltake Armor cases, which one would you prefer and why????
Thx

 

[texasnightowl]

I was tempted by the p182 and the 900 and eventually with the Antec Solo. I decided the p182 was a bit bigger than I wanted (compared the dimensions against a case I have sitting in the location the new one will go). So then it came down to the 900 and the Solo. The 900 looks like a great case and it was top of my list for a while but I decided quiet was important since I already have one loud system running in the same room and in one review I read of the 900 if you use the middle cage fan then you can't load hard drives there and (less important) the case seems to be a dust magnet inside. Moves lots of air but no filtering. So I went with the Solo which is up for $90 - $40 MIR this week at NewEgg. I should have the case tomorrow and then will be waiting for my other components. The 900 still looks like a great case though and I was leaning towards it for quite awhile.

 

[Charnondall]

tbh drive installation on both cases is a bit yucky only cause its not tooless, so you have to unscrew the HDD cages then screw the HDD's into the cage, takes 5 mins but well that aint exactly a long time.

Only thing problomatic about both cases is that you have to remove the middle Drive cage to fit a 8800 GTX but a GTS fits fine. Personally id say get the P182 unless Crazy Good Airflow and Neon lights everywhere is your thing.

 

[sirrobin4ever]

Thanks to all of you for your comments. The one reason I was shying away from the Antec 900 was that I read that the installation of the drives was rather difficult. Any one care to comment on this.
Thx

I have an Antec 900....its a really nice, high quality case. Seriously though, the drive install isn't really that bad. Just make sure to use a magnetic screwdriver to put in the hard drive screws, otherwise it really would be quite difficult. Other than that, no major complaints.

Best of Luck

 

[spuddyt]

magnetic? hard drives? (never having used such a screwdriver)

 

[sirrobin4ever]

magnetic? hard drives? (never having used such a screwdriver)

Yep. Thats exactly what I meant. Nowadays, for a magnet to damage a hard drive, it has to be QUITE large. (They use very strong neodymium magnets inside of them) The only things that are vulnerable to data loss from magnets are tapes and floppy disks....so keep them away. Other than that, you'll be just fine.

 

[aevm]

I'm voting for the P182 because it's quiet and reasonably priced.

The P190 is overkill for a single 8800 GTS, and I don't like the 2-PSU arrangement, it doesn't make sense with one underused PSu and the other one limiting the system.

The 900 is nice, excellent for teenagers IMO with all those flashy lights, but a pain for watching movies and a bit noisy too.

I got a Silverstone TJ09 and love it, but it's overkill again for a system with a GTS. If you have a GTX or two and a lot of disks then I'd definitely recommend it.

 

[Archavious]

for a full tower I would do the PC-v2000 by lian li
for a mid tower i would do PC-A71 also by lian li

 

[aevm]

for a full tower I would do the PC-v2000 by lian li
for a mid tower i would do PC-A71 also by lian li

Don't get me wrong, the Lian-Li PC-V2000 is fabulous and I would be happy to recommend it. That's the one I wanted myself (went with TJ09 because it could be obtained two weeks faster where I live). BUT: 8800 GTS+Lian-Li PC-V2000 costs about the same as 8800 GTX+P182 and I'm sure the OP would like the GTX/182 combo more. The Lian-Li makes sense only if you have a nice budget and you don't have to cut corners anywhere else to afford it. Just my 2 cents... Maybe on a 19" monitor the GTS/GTX difference doesn't matter and a nicer case impresses girls and the GTS/Lian-Li combo wins

 

[KyleSTL]

I second the Lian Li vote. They're things of beauty, the Porsche of computer cases.

 

[Mati87]

I'd go with the 900, I have one and its not absolutely quiet but it does keep everything very cool at low fan speed. Dust isn't a problem because it seem that it gets stuck on the mesh and not a lot of it goes inside. I clean it out every 4-5 months just to stay on top of the dust build up not because it needs to be. If that doesn't convince you I'd go for any of the following:

1. Silverstone tj-09 if you have the cash
2. CoolerMaster Cosmos over the P182
3. CoolerMaster Rc 690 cheap, comparable to the Antec 900

 

[sakrueger2]

The cooler master cosmos looks like a nice case, but it's expensive. Anyone else have an opinion on whether the cosmos is better than the Antec P182 or 900?
Thx

 

[aevm]

I'd rather buy the Silverstone TJ09 for $270 + free shipping than the Cosmos for $200 + $27 shipping. I'd also prefer either P182 or 900. The Cosmos does a bad job as far as cooling and noise, apparently. I wouldn't know, I just read the reviews, haven't tried one, so don't take this too seriously.

I noticed some Thermaltake Armor models at $140 or so, maybe you'd like one of those.