Which case is better?

[klunuts]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129066&Tpk=antec%20300%20illusion

it's for a gaming PC. Or anything under $75 better than these two?

 

[JohnnyLucky]

Both cases are good choices. Ventilation, airflow, and cooling capacity are excellent. I would recommend the Coolermaster CM 690 becuase it is a little larger than the Antec Three Hundred. There would be less of a problem installing the tall tower style cpu heatsinks and long video cards. Cable management is a little better too.

Lian Li which is well known for their aluminum cases has a subsidiary called Lancool that offers less expensive steel cases with plastic front bezels. The interior of the cases have some really great features found in the more expensive aluminum cases. They just came out with a new Dragon Lord series of cases suitable for gaming. The cases look like they have great potential. Some of the new cases are within your budget:

http://www.mwave.com/mwave/deepsearch_v3.asp?scriteria=lancool&ALL=y&TP=

 

[huron]

I love my Antec 300, but long video cards do not fit easily inside. I'd vote for the 690 in this case.

 

[klunuts]

I love my Antec 300, but long video cards do not fit easily inside. I'd vote for the 690 in this case.

yeah, i'm getting a xfx 4870 and i heard that it is pretty damn long, along with all other highend gpu's these days for the most part haha.

quick question; will a 500w antec earthwatts fit in the 690 (i know nothing about PSU sizes and such)?

 

[JohnnyLucky]

Yes, the Antec 500 watt power supplies will easily fit inside the CM690. In fact, the case can accomodate just about any atx power supply.

 

[MRFS]

If you compare ventilation alone, the CM 690 wins, hands down:

(1) 2 fan grills in the bottom panel help with the "stack effect"
(hot air rises);

(2) another important difference is the 3.5" drive bays:
removing and installing HDDs in the Antec is much more
difficult after a motherboard & cabling are installed;

(3) the CM 690 has 2 fan grills in the left-side panel,
Antec has only one;

(4) CM 690 has a fan grill under the CPU socket;

(5) CM 690 has two fan grills in the top panel;

etc.

After that careful comparison, buy the Cooler Master HAF-922 instead!!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197&Tpk=N82E16811119197


The HAF-922 improves on the CM 690 and on the Antec Three Hundred.

Note in particular the large opening under the CPU socket,
to facilitate installing proper backing plates for the HSF:

http://www.supremelaw.org/systems/heatsinks/warning.htm

Also, there is an extra PCI slot cover, for adding USB, Firewire
and/or eSATA PCI brackets without obstructing the motherboard's
expansion slots.

Cable management is a whole lot easier with the HAF-922 also,
because the holes in the motherboard tray are larger. We had
no trouble threading numerous cables from a Corsair 750W PSU
through similar holes in the HAF-932:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006
(no modular cables)

Lastly, the HDD cradles are the same as those in the HAF-932 --
really easy now, particularly after the system is fully assembled.

For an extra $40 USD, you'll never regret the extra expense.


MRFS