Final Steps on Picking a Case

[Allanag]

Hi,

I have in the last few stages of picking a case and need a little more help. My price range is around $250.00 (American)

Currently, I am deciding between the CoolerMaster 1010 ESA, the Cooler Master 830 SE or perhaps a very roomy mid tower.

I would like there to be a good compromise between cooling and quiet. Also looking for a case that lends itself to good cable management. Will it also be necessary to buy a fan controller to control all the fans?


Here are the rest of the specs. I may be doing overclocking as well.

1. CPU Q9450
3. Motherboard Gigabyte GA-EX38-DS4
4. HSF Xigmatek HDT-S1283
5. RAM-GSkill DDR2 1066
6. PSU Seasonic M12 700W
7. GPU 8800 GTS 512(BFG)
8. Hard Drives Western Digital 640 GB SE16
9. DVD ROM - Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology SH-203N
10. Case Fans 3 Scythe S-Flex. (120 mm SFF21F)

Thank you for any help. Picking a case has been the hardest part for me.

 

[ausch30]

I have the Stacker 832 which is the same as the 830 except for the door and it's a great case. There were some issues with the first Cosmos which seem to have been fixed with the 1010 revision and it also is a great case. I think the Stacker might cool a little better but the Cosmos should be slightly quieter.

One thing about the Stacker series is that you have to be very aware of the noise output of the parts you put in it. The case is essentially a big screen and any noise from your components will be heard outside the case. Other cases with more coverage and sound deadening will be more forgiving. This is not a knock against the case you just have to be more careful when choosing parts.

As for running the fans, the motherboard you chose only has a few fan headers and the 830 can hold as many as 8 fans, not including CPU or NB fans. What I did was run "y" connectors for a few of my fans so I could plug 2 fans in one header. Most fans only use a fraction of a volt so you won't overload the header but if you use a high volume Delta or similar you won't be able to do this.

All in all they are both great cases and I don't think you would be disappointed by either but I might lean more toward the Cosmos for it's newer design and the E-Sata on the front panel.

 

[dobby]

If the stacker in your price range, Get it. this is (IMO) the greatest case on the market, it very roomy, it will taek BTX whenever they decide to make stuff in BTX.

this really is a greeat case.

i personally think the cosmos is Ugly.
i dont know if they still make it, but i have the the CM wavemaster, and that is an amazing case, it is very roomy, and has a removable MB tray.

 

[The_Blood_Raven]

The Stacker is not the best case on the market, there isn't one. Its cooling is good, but not abnormally so even with all fans. Cable management is not great, I would still invest in a Dremel. It is loud, but too loud. It looks pretty good though. The Cosmos 1010 still does not cool well, looks bad with that fan vent, and is still not worth the price. Go with either the Stacker 830/831/832, the Thermaltake Armor+, Silverstone KL03, or the Xclio Windtunnel Advanced. Picking a case is always the hardest part, believe me. Another case to consider, though its over budget, is the Lian-Li PC-A71/70. At Silverpcs.com it is only $225, but where it shines is with the optional window panel (if you need a winodw), $45, and the replaceable top panel with the 2 120mm fans (makes the great cooling greater), $30. With everything it is $300, without the window it is $255, and without the top panel it is $270. In the end this case is most likely the closest thing to the "the greatest case on the market". Hope this helps, if you have any questions feel free to ask or message me.

 

[kad]

I think Lian Li PC-A70 is the best
Price varies 179$-259$
Great space + 6x120 fans + Alum.body+Removable mobo tray
Check it and I'm sure you'll change your mind

 

[kad]

208$


http://www.ipcrepublic.com/lianli_full-tower-pca70a_1703_1795.html


http://www.ipcrepublic.com/images/products/TowerCase/PC-A70-A/pca70s_main.jpg

 

[The_Blood_Raven]

Wow Kad that is a great price, even i did not realise how cheap you can get that case, thanks.

 

[Allanag]

Thanks for the replies so far. That Lian Li does look pretty nice. I am still researching, but the Lian Li is a definite possibility. I am considering the Cooler Master 1100 over the 1010, due to the 1010 not having as good airflow and Blood_Raven I am going to check those other ones you mentioned as well.

Allan

 

[Allanag]

By the way, I noticed with the Lian Li PC-A70 that it is designed for extended ATX and not ATX. Therefore, I am assuming that since my motherboard is an ATX board, there may be compatibility or length issues with cables?

Allan

 

[Andrius]

Cable length issues are not likely.
Standard ATX : 12 inches (304.8 mm) wide by 9.6 inches (243.8 mm) long
EATX (extended ATX) : 12 inches (304.8 mm) wide by 13 inches (330.2 mm) long
(from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATX )

You should also check the Antec Twelve Hunderd case
(I think its inside your pricerange).
review : http://www.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=12726
Scythe Kaze Master 5.25" fan regulator (if you're interested, it's quite nice)
http://www.scythe-eu.com/en/products/pc-accessory/kaze-master.html

 

[The_Blood_Raven]

Only Newegg shows the Lian-Li as eATX only, it is in fact ATX, mATX, and eATX. Also Cable management is no problem, because there are many places to tuck cables.

 

[Allanag]

Thank you so far to everyone for all the suggestions and assistance. I appreciate it so much.

Well after more mind-numbing research and consideration, it is now finally down to just 2 cases.

The ThermalTake Armor+ and the Lian Li A71

I will make a final decision tomorrow, but all the help is very much appreciated.

Thank you again

Allan

 

[The_Blood_Raven]

The difference between the Thermaltake and the Lian-Li is not only that the Armor+ looks rediculous, and the Lian-Li looks classy. The true difference is quality, the looks are all just a matter of opinion. Quality, however, is one of the most important factors in a case, and this is where Lian-Li truly excels. thermaltake, however, is plagued with the use of plastic, bad quality control, and terrible customer support. If you are considering the Lian-Li then the Thermaltake is an obvious right off in my opinion.