My case is 10 years old, moderately ugly, and somewhat cheap, but with my current mods: it still sucks for cooling. I'm tired of polishing this turd, and I still have a long way to go yet to get even a dull shine. I draw the line at the obscene amount of work it will take to mod the very stylized front to house a fan AND make it look good in the process. I would try it, but this rickety case ain't worth it. So, I'm debating.
My big issue with the 690 so far is airflow blockage by that silly (IMO) HDD cage. Lian Li likes to do that crap too, but theirs are removable. I assume the CM 690's is riveted in, right? Are there any edges folded around others and crimped, welded, glued etc? How hard do you folks think it would be to rip it and flip it?
I run a Gigabyte P35, gtx 260, only two HDD, two ODD, PCI NIC, PCI sound card, and a Corsair vx550 (with an intake fan on the bottom). I have an Ipod. I use USB drives increasingly often.
Preferences (some are pretty much a given or at least very easy):
+ I need at least 1 front fan, at least 120mm (2x 140mm front fans: MUCH better, 2x80mm: no).
+ Open design in front of that fan (so, take the Antec P18x series for example...it doesn't look like air can easily be pulled through the front)
+ Big priority: a high quality power button. I don't care where it is, what it looks like, but it must be high quality.
+ At least 2 USB ports on the front or top (top or top front is better). I currently only use USB and audio. My M-Audio Delta 66 break-out-box and 2x 1/4 inch male to single 1/8 inch female adapter takes care of the connection I want for headphones, but it would still be nice to have good audio jacks on it. These are apparently problematic on some cases.
+ Very good airflow or at least potential for good air flow. Not just lots of places for fans, but a good path and intelligently placed vents and fan mounts.
+ No rattling.
+ Keeps the GPU cool.
+ My GPU can get air.
+ My stupid-long GPU doesn't block airflow to the rest of the case from the front fan(s) (this probably gives an advantage to cases with two fans, one on top of the other, in the front, so long as I don't have to put drives in the middle).
+ Durablity.
+ Using screws to secure drives and cards must be an option.
+ Classy looks (I don't care for the looks of the Antec 900 or 902, and as awesome as the HAF's are, I will not buy one. Call me shallow if you will, however I love Lian Li's aesthetics -mostly- but I don't think I want one of those either).
+ I'd also like the option to fit at least one deep fan like the Ultra Kaze in the front, and one on the back or top.
- Paying $125: too much.
- Lights: meh.
- Fans: I'll probably replace them.
- Cable management: I know it's important for air flow, but think creativity is sufficient here, and...
- Side window: wasted on me but I don't hate them or anything.
- Screw-less installation: It would be nice, only if well done, but it's one of those things I have no qualms sacrificing.
- eSATA would be nice, but this is a place I will probably definitely have to sacrifice.
- Aluminum: expensive, not as durable. I hear they rattle more, and more annoyingly. I don't lug my system around much, either.
So, what do you all think? Any suggestions? I mean, I'm not worried about the lack of cable management on the 300, or lack of screw-less stuff. These seem to be major complaints about it. Are the 590 and 690 more soundly constructed? Which case has the higher quality of IT'S OWN features. i.e. the 300 could have a really good screw system (admittidly, this isn't hard, but also not a given), but the 590 could have a mediocre or poor screw-less system (I hear it does). Some may say the 590 or 690 is higher quality because it at least has some attempt at it. I disagree with this logic. I'm also lightly considering the CM Storm Scout, but it's more than I would like to pay ($100 at newegg), and I have read bad things about GPU cooling in it, compared to other cases.
My big issue with the 690 so far is airflow blockage by that silly (IMO) HDD cage. Lian Li likes to do that crap too, but theirs are removable. I assume the CM 690's is riveted in, right? Are there any edges folded around others and crimped, welded, glued etc? How hard do you folks think it would be to rip it and flip it?
I run a Gigabyte P35, gtx 260, only two HDD, two ODD, PCI NIC, PCI sound card, and a Corsair vx550 (with an intake fan on the bottom). I have an Ipod. I use USB drives increasingly often.
Preferences (some are pretty much a given or at least very easy):
+ I need at least 1 front fan, at least 120mm (2x 140mm front fans: MUCH better, 2x80mm: no).
+ Open design in front of that fan (so, take the Antec P18x series for example...it doesn't look like air can easily be pulled through the front)
+ Big priority: a high quality power button. I don't care where it is, what it looks like, but it must be high quality.
+ At least 2 USB ports on the front or top (top or top front is better). I currently only use USB and audio. My M-Audio Delta 66 break-out-box and 2x 1/4 inch male to single 1/8 inch female adapter takes care of the connection I want for headphones, but it would still be nice to have good audio jacks on it. These are apparently problematic on some cases.
+ Very good airflow or at least potential for good air flow. Not just lots of places for fans, but a good path and intelligently placed vents and fan mounts.
+ No rattling.
+ Keeps the GPU cool.
+ My GPU can get air.
+ My stupid-long GPU doesn't block airflow to the rest of the case from the front fan(s) (this probably gives an advantage to cases with two fans, one on top of the other, in the front, so long as I don't have to put drives in the middle).
+ Durablity.
+ Using screws to secure drives and cards must be an option.
+ Classy looks (I don't care for the looks of the Antec 900 or 902, and as awesome as the HAF's are, I will not buy one. Call me shallow if you will, however I love Lian Li's aesthetics -mostly- but I don't think I want one of those either).
+ I'd also like the option to fit at least one deep fan like the Ultra Kaze in the front, and one on the back or top.
- Paying $125: too much.
- Lights: meh.
- Fans: I'll probably replace them.
- Cable management: I know it's important for air flow, but think creativity is sufficient here, and...
- Side window: wasted on me but I don't hate them or anything.
- Screw-less installation: It would be nice, only if well done, but it's one of those things I have no qualms sacrificing.
- eSATA would be nice, but this is a place I will probably definitely have to sacrifice.
- Aluminum: expensive, not as durable. I hear they rattle more, and more annoyingly. I don't lug my system around much, either.
So, what do you all think? Any suggestions? I mean, I'm not worried about the lack of cable management on the 300, or lack of screw-less stuff. These seem to be major complaints about it. Are the 590 and 690 more soundly constructed? Which case has the higher quality of IT'S OWN features. i.e. the 300 could have a really good screw system (admittidly, this isn't hard, but also not a given), but the 590 could have a mediocre or poor screw-less system (I hear it does). Some may say the 590 or 690 is higher quality because it at least has some attempt at it. I disagree with this logic. I'm also lightly considering the CM Storm Scout, but it's more than I would like to pay ($100 at newegg), and I have read bad things about GPU cooling in it, compared to other cases.
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