Which case to buy?

[bgreeley]

Hey everyone,

I'm in the midst of building my new computer and I'm currently looking at cases.

The parts I'm buying are an i7-860, ASUS P7P55D-E Pro motherboard, most likely an 5770 or similar graphics cards, a 650W PSU and a few other items. I need something large enough where there won't be any sizing issues with larger graphics cards (I also might go SLI or CrossFireX) and I want there to have good airflow as well.

I'm currently looking at this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119077

I do like the fact that this case has a side panel window.

Would this do the job? Any other suggestions?

Thanks,
Brandon

 

[Henry Chinaski]

Here you have some good midtowers:

ANTEC 902
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-igk9kT2P8

COOLER MASTER 690 II ADVANCED
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGvBjEmXJnI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ed4RC6r2NTk

COOLER MASTER Storm Sniper Black Edition
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEzAGW-T-Zg

NZXT TEMPEST EVO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zrqZFgU4a0

Lian Li PC-7FW
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FtBh8FFvZM

 

[Henry Chinaski]

If you prefer a full tower, take a look at these ones:

ANTEC 1200:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0j3MNAQLuIQ

COOLER MASTER ATCS 840:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8_1cQkYTO4

COOLER MASTER HAF X:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLFbjR97moM

LIAN LI X-1000:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqZM4kPnZPY

Lian Li PC-A70F
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceQ9nwEnObQ&feature=related

SilverStone Raven RV02
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3l3al-eskoo

 

[fatkid35]

+1 on the tempest evo.

 

[geofelt]

If you are thinking about high powered gaming card/s, then you need good cooling . The case you linked to has only a 80mm fan in front, and a 120mm fan in back. Very poor cooling.

Look for something with two 120mm input fans and similar rear/top output fans.

 

[ssddx]

If you're going to have an i7 and a decent video card I wouldnt go with the centurion unless you don't mind modding the case to work. one 80mm and one 120mm are most likely not enough. Consider that my old pc is still running a single core athlon64 chip and 3 weaker 120mm's arent enough for that outdated tech.

If you are going to stick with air cooling then the antec 900&902 or 1200 are a great deal. They offer multiple 120mm mounting locations which makes the case a literal windtunnel. The 200mm top fan also seems to do a nice job of venting heat up and out.

I will admit that the HAF cases do seem like they would provide some pretty nice airflow options as well, however, if you want to upgrade these fans for any reason finding a good replacement might be hard. 180,200,230mm sizes are still in their infancy it would seem. If you are going to keep the stock fans then this doesnt concern you.

I was looking into the Raven RV02 case myself. If you have the pc sitting on the desk or hard surface the airflow in this case is ideal. Keep in mind that some of the longest video cards may just barely fit and that you might need cable extensions depending on your setup. Overall I would say this is a nice case for the money if you do not mind a little more setup time. If this is a con then go with the antecs instead.

Ultimately just look for a case that provides some decent fan mounting locations, fits your budget, fits your appearance standards and has enough room for your graphics card. Usually they state the max length card they will support. If you would rather leave that out of the equation then go with a full tower for sure.

 

[bgreeley]

Thanks for all your replies. I think the NZXT Tempest Evo seems like the kind of case I'm looking for.

Regarding that case though, will I have any issues installing my 650W PSU or a large graphics card?

 

[Henry Chinaski]

you won't have any problem. You can install your 650W PSU and the graphic card that you want, even a 5970.

 

[bgreeley]

Awesome. Thanks for the quick response. It should be fun piecing this system together over the next week or so.

 

[bgreeley]

Best answer selected by bgreeley.