Ideal case and powersupply for mid-range gaming

[Guest]

I'm building my first gaming pc and I know what components I want but I'm not sure what the best manufacturers of cases and power supplies are. I plan on gaming at decent resolutions (1600-1200 or lower) and would be interested in giving the cpu a mild overclock. What are the best cooling (and most quiet) cases for less than 120 bucks? I'm not into super flamboyant cases either, I just want to play games.Also what brands (and wattage) of power supplies would you reccomend for someone who will probably get either a single 8800 gt or the 4---- series radeons (when do they come out, by the way)?

 

[Silverion77]

Case: Antec P182 very good and quiet

PSU: Depends on how much u want to spend. I like Corsair, Thermaltake (above 750 no Q fan), Zalman but rly it all depends on the $$$ u want to spend on it. Check out http://www.jonnyguru.com/index.php for ratings...

Many will say PC&C but imho they are getting old and outdated
Also do u want modular (cables can be removed) or not

 

[ghstbstr65]

You may want to check out the Cooler Master 690 or the Antec 900. They may not be quiet but I'm sure you could set them up to be at least somewhat quiet. They are some of the top cases cooling wise.

 

[rgsaunders]

http://www.ozhardware.com.au/Case-Reviews/Antec-Three-Hundred-Gaming-Case-Review.html for a good inexpensive case. For quieter operation, use Scythe 1200 rpm fans instead of the Antec tricools.

I would recommend a PS in the 550-650W range, you don't need anything more than that for your proposed configuration. Make sure that it is a good quality unit, don't be cheap on the quality, but bare in mind that bigger is not always better, you want to be running a power supply that operates at its peak efficiency curve.

 

[royalcrown]

Thermaltakes are ugly ! Plus cooler Master cases are already faster stock...I have my case overclocked by 12 percent !

*it really doesent matter what case you get as long as everything fits...they just kinda sit there and hold your stuff*

 

[jsc]

I don't know anyone who simply stops at a "mild" overclock.

PSU? A good 500 -600 watt PSU will be more than adequate for what you say you want to do.

Case? If a tight budget doesn't affect requirements, personal preferences will govern choice. Like rc said, "they just kinda sit there and hold your stuff". Secondary requirement should be good airflow through the case at what you would call reasonable noise levels.

 

[jlabit]

If you are gamer and plan to overclock, you need a case with a good airflow. I learned this the hard way. Initially, I bought a Lian Li PC61 which is a sturdy well built case. However, I have an Intel Q6600 overclocked to 3.4, as well as a 8800GT video card, and was having problem with high temps in the Lian Li. I recently purchased an Antec 900 case and all of my temp problems have been corrected. The airflow through that case is unbelievable. Main thing on the power supply is quality. If your power supply blows, it will probably take the motherboard and memory out with it. I highly recommend this power supply. It is built like a Sherman Tank.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703005


$89.99 after mail-in rebate, with free shipping from Newegg. Good luck.

 

[nerdnic]

You really don't need as much power as you think, use this website to calculate your power needs:
http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculator.jsp
I really like the Corsair PSU's, they seem to offer very stable power, high 12v rail and at a good price.

 

[royalcrown]

yeah, everybody bitches about temps...but they don't realize the chips can run hotter than most overclockers like just fine..