Guidance on Case & Cooling choice

[seanr111]

Hello, I'm working on selecting the components of a new custom gaming PC I plan to build, however I'm having a lot of difficulty selecting a case. Also in my tech ignorance, I have no clue what sort of additional fans / filters / internal cooling units to purchase along side the case to get the most practical performance.

These are the criteria that I would like to find in a case (from most important to least important):

- - - - - - -

-Maximum cost of $140 w/ shipping
-can accommodate the internal components I have selected and be a practical base for future upgrades
-built like a rock
-excellent cooling performance w/ minimum machine noise
-minimal amount of dust collection
-decent cable management
-(aesthetics) the less lights and see through panels, the better

- - - - - - -

The components I would like to fit inside the case are:

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 955
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103674&cm_re=amd_phenom_ii_x4_955-_-19-103-674-_-Product

Mother board: ASUS M4A89GTD Pro AM3 AMD 890GX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131631&cm_re=asus_m4a89gtd_pro-_-13-131-631-_-Product

GPU: ASUS EAH5850 Radeon HD 5850
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121375&cm_re=asus_eah5850_directcu-_-14-121-375-_-Product

PSU: Antec TruePower TP-750 Blue 750W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371022&Tpk=antec%20true%20power%20tp-750%20blue%20750w

Aftermarket CPU Fan & Heat sink: Cooler Master Hyper 212+
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065&Tpk=cooler%20master%20hyper%20212

- - - - - - -

The brands and cases I was looking into based on the research I had done were:

Cooler Master - Centurion 590, CM690 II Advanced, and CM932
Antek - 300, 900, and 1200
Also I found many people who were enthused with the Liam Li cases



I would probably not buy a case with the idea of installing liquid cooling, as I've not the funds or know-how to make it happen. Also I would like to not do any cutting or extreme modification of the case, allthough I wouldn't be opposed to buying additional fans or cooling unit.

Also, while this question doesn't fit within the scope of this post I will ask it anyway in case someone feels extra helpful:
Is there any reason to put Blu-Ray capabilities in a gaming PC if you never plan on watching Blu-Ray movies?

I would like to pre-thank the helpful community of this forum before hand for any assistance or guidance they could give me, I wouldn't even consider attempting to rig together my own computer without your aid.

-Sean

 

[shovenose]

antec 300
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042
is one option i would think would suit ur purpose

oh and i would wait on the bluray until the pries go down a little bit.

 

[seanr111]

I actually love the look of that case. Do you think it would be able to fit 2 Radeon HD 5850s in Xfire if I upgraded to 2 of them later on?

 

[shovenose]

i think so, but it would probably block some od the hard drive bays, but i doubt you need more than 2 hdds

 

[seanr111]

Agreed, and the thing has 6 so blocking a couple is no problem.

 

[shovenose]

well, anything else i can help u with?

 

[seanr111]

Thank you very much, yes. How do you usually want to configure the fans inside the case for the best airflow? Also, how difficult is it to install a fan control panel?

 

[shovenose]

if u just want something likethis, it is as simple as attching the fans.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811999171&cm_re=fan_controller-_-11-999-171-_-Product
however, afaik,the fans that coe with the antec 300 have builtin fan controllers, but have 4pin (molex) connectors so they cat be hooked up to an extra fan controller.
the usual airflow is:
front bottom fans as intke,
and rear/top fans as exhust

 

[seanr111]

Good eye sir, and thanks to both of you for your assistance.

 

[seanr111]

Best answer selected by SeanR111.