Help me choose a case.

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HeroicHero

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I've been having trouble choosing a case for my new build... It seems no cases are just right, so I figured I'd ask here.

The cases I've been looking at mostly are the Storm Sniper and Lancool K62. The problem with the Sniper is, it has a built in fan controller. I plan on using an NZXT Sentry, and two fan controllers would look redundant to me. The K62 seems like the perfect case, but I have two problems: Airflow and CPU cooling. I can't seem to determine if the K62 will fit a Hyper 212+. As well, I've heard the airflow on the K62 isn't too great. (I plan on OC'ing so this is sort of important to me) From what I've heard, the K62's stock fans can keep things up to 9C hotter than the 902's stock fans. (though I'm not considering the 902, I don't like it.) I could easily replace the K62's stock fans, but I'd rather not have to pay for more fans.

So I have a few questions. Before I ask them, my budget is roughly $150, but I'd prefer to keep it under $130. So:
How's the airflow on the K62? Is it sufficient for some OC'ing?
Will the Hyper 212+ fit in the K62?
Based on what I've told you so far, what other cases would you recommend for $130~ or so?

Please and thank you. ;)
 
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AMW1011

AMW1011

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The Lian Li K62 is your best bet. It does have great cooling, I'm not sure what you are worried about since case cooling tends to only go so far. I guarantee that the Lian Li K62 will do just fine for your uses. Also, whoever said that the Antec 902 is a full 9c cooler than the K62 is lying, I own an Antec 900 and the difference between all its fans on low and all its fans on high was 3c max, and you should expect even less of a difference.

The Hyper 212+ should fit just fine, the case is pretty damn wide.
 
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aford10

aford10

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Of the cases you're looking at, I'd go with the sniper.

The Antec 900 is nice. It did feel a little flimsy though.

Along the same designs, I'd throw the Coolermaster Haf 932 or 922 into the mix. It's a monstrous case with room for whatever you want. It's quiet and has great cooling.
 
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HeroicHero

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Alright, thanks for all the help. I'm leaning towards the sniper as I've read some less than desired situations with the K62. Among these are a lot of cracked side panels (the metal screws they use to hold it in place aren't flexible like a plastic screw would be -- this combined with how thing the panel is leads to cracks even under slight pressure), the covers on the top and front of the case are completely plastic (they seem quite flimsy), and I've seen a few people end up with missing screws.

That being said, the Sniper's tool-less PCI slots are quite flimsy themselves (good thing you can use screws instead), and I'd prefer a controller that lets me control each fan separately as opposed to them all being linked together. The reason being, since different fans have different airflow and noise levels, it'd be nicer to be able to keep track of them all separately. If only they Sniper didn't have that fan controller it'd be an easy choice. The HAF932 fits my needs perfectly, but lack of black interior and the red LED fans don't match my set up at all. There's a blue version of the HAF932, but not only is it sold out -- it costs $180.

So there's a little bit more thought to put into this. Any other suggestions?
 
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HeroicHero

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The 1200 is nice, but not only is it more expensive -- I need to add a fan controller's price on top of that. Plus I'm not a huge fan of the looks. I'm not a fan of the 902's looks either. Plus the front panel audio jacks share the same ground as the USB ports. This means static. Of course I plug my equipment directly into the sound card, but this still bothers me. There's just no perfect case unless I'm going to spend over $200. I'm just going to have to make some sacrifices... Still leaning towards the Sniper. It's pretty much my only option even if I have to deal with the fan controller.
 
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aford10

aford10

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If it makes the difference, the Antec 900 has a fan controller on each fan. They have a high, medium, and low setting. The only downside, is they hang on the inside, attached to the fan. So, to adjust the speeds, you'd have to pop the side off.
 
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HeroicHero

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That's definitely a bonus. (though I'd still prefer the Sentry 2)
 
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logan the huge

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NZXT Tempest EVO, maybe? I don't know how you feel about the styling, but it seems to have the features you're looking for:

6 fans
No fan controller
Blue LEDs
Black interior
Under $120

http://www.amazon.com/TEMPEST-EVO-POWER-BLACK-INTERIOR/dp/B002YT8B7E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1268088434&sr=1-1
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146062

PCwizkid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zrqZFgU4a0
3dgameman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZX2DeBCjXko

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/883/1
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NZXT/Tempest_EVO/3.html
http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/nzxt_tempest_evo/




 
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HeroicHero

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Alright well, the case looks good. A little less cable management than the Sniper, but it's more than workable. The only problem I see is airflow. The fans don't seem very powerful, especially when pulling through the amount of filters they put on there. Definitely something to consider, it's between this and the Sniper. Thanks a lot!

EDIT: Wow the EVO is amazing. My only real concerns are the HDDs mounting sideways and the fans being cool enough. I can't image mounting an HDD on it's side is healthy for the drive. (adds to noise too doesn't it?) And does anybody know how good the fans are on this thing? I'm curious to know how good cooling is. (I'm very interested in OC'ing.)
 
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logan the huge

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Yeah, the double filtration is excessive. I'd either remove the 2 fan filters or remove the foam inserts on the bottom 6 drive bay covers. Although, the latter option might make the front panel look imbalanced. Hard to tell without seeing it in person.
 
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HeroicHero

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Yeah, I can devise something for the filters. Right now I'd just like to know how well the fans are at moving air. I've heard they're around 40cfm~ which isn't bad. (not great when compared to the sniper though...) There's a lot of things to be weighed against eachother, and I'd really like to know for sure how good the stock fans are in this thing. I'll have to try to find someone who owns the case.
 
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logan the huge

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Didn't see the edit earlier. I don't think the vertically mounted hard drives will be an issue. There are quite a few cases that use them including many OEM cases like my old Gateway PIII system. The original WD 15.3GB drive it came with is still kicking after 10 years of use(my little sister uses the system now). Most external hard drive enclosures are also designed to be used vertically or horizontally.
 
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