Looking for a stylish case

Hey everyone. I'm in the market for a really nice looking case. Price low or high isn't much of an issue. I like black (usually), elegant, sort of monolithic cases.

I know this is subjective, but any recommendations? Everything I'm seeing is either bland, dull, or the complete opposite, loaded with LEDs and the like, which isn't really for me. I like the look of Lian Li's cases, especially the PC-X2000, but I'm not sure about the size.

My last case was the Antec P182, just so you know. It broke and I'd consider getting it again if there isn't anything nicer.

Cheers!

Reply to blzb

Well really nice looking is all a matter of taste, but im assuming you like the more simplistic ones. Heres a few:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811139002

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811119215

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811163121

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811112240

Keep in mind that there are better cases for less money, those are just the best bland and black ones :lol:

Reply to ares1214

I have the Coolermaster HAF922. Heap of fans to keep components cool (two front fans have LEDs, but there is a button adjacent to power and reset buttons to turn them off). Easy insert removal of HDDs and ODDs, perspex window on left with room for more fans, firewire/2xusb/mic/headphone inputs on front...

Anyway, look it up, very sexy, tough and well built case. Something different from your "simplistic" likes ;-)

------------------------------ CPU: Intel i7 920 RAM: 6gb ddr3 @1866mhz MOBO: Gigabyte EX58-Ud3R (upgrading soon) GPU: ATI HD5970 HDD: 128gb SSD, 2x500gb Raid 0, 1x 1tb, 1x 1.5tb MONITORS: 3x Acer 24" @1920x1080 ea CASE: HAF922 Periph: Logitech G19 & Razer Lachesis
Reply to hooray4boobies

Hello and welcome to the forums
HAF 922 is a great mid-tower case.If you need a full-tower one, then Coolermaster HAF 932, or Corsair Obsidian 800D are both good choices.(I have HAF 932 and its great)

------------------------------ The end is near...
Reply to Maziar

i would pick the HAF 922 = good air flow and lotz og space!

Reply to kivan2400

No price margins and a need for style and simplicity calls for one from the Lian-Li line up.. No other case manufacturer comes remotely close to their build quality and exquisity..

Reply to Emperus

No other case manufacturer comes close to Lian Li, especially in over rated-ness! :lol: Dont get me wrong, they make great cases, superb even. But some of their biggest advantages are all aluminum, which I dont consider an advanage unless you move it, tool less design, thats common these days, and having very good quality and quality control. To me, that generally isnt worth $300. And why is everybody recommending the HAF 922???? Didnt he say black and elegant? Not LED and rough??? Its a good case, id say better are out, but i dont really see how that matches what he wants.

Reply to ares1214

I agree with ares1214's choices annd i've linked some others and may have duplicated a couple.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 119-187-TS

Reply to davcon

OP has considered the Lian-Li PC X2000 as an option.. So definitely he does not has a price concern.. One can get a elegant case and mod it to his/her needs but one cannot get a HAF styled cases (no offence meant here.. I am aware of their fan following) and mod it to elegance.. With Lian-Li cases, you pay for what you get.. Sure they are not upto the latest and greatest features but their line up meets OP's demands.. A few good alternatives may be the CoolerMaster ATCS 840 and the Corsair 700D or 800D (recommended if a complete water cooled setup is employed)..

Reply to Emperus

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811112276

LIAN LI PC-B25SB Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

------------------------------ Lian Li PC-B25F w/ side window W-LM2AB-1, ASUS P6T DELUXE, SLI x2 EVGA GTX280, KINGWIN Mach 1 ABT-1000MA1S Modular,CORE I7 920 OCed (2.66 -> 3.8 GHz),Corsair TR3X6G1600C8D,WD Caviar Black 640GB, CoolerMaster V8, OCZ OCZTXTCC2 XTC Cooler Rev 2, Windows 7 H
Reply to mark_k

Well the problem with both the Lian Li and the 700D is that they dont have the best air cooling. If hes gonna water loop everything, 700/800D are amazing for that. To be honest, I think that Corsair and Lian Li have quite good build quality, so build quality isnt as much of a benefit of Lian Li. I heard that Silverstone is bringing out its new cases soon, RV03, FT03, and TJ11. The RV03 looked wierd and ugly, FT03 looked good, but the TJ11 looked AMAZING. Im not even a fan of all black boxes with nothing distinguising one side from the other, but this was taking all the good parts from the RV01, FT01, and TJ. 90 degree mobo (eh) BIG, looks like great cooling, amazing build quality, tons of features. There were a few videos on youtube showing a preview, ill try and find em.

Reply to ares1214

I'm liking the Corsair Graphite Series 600T. Its not out yet, end of next month but it has all of the great features of its bigger brother but its a more stylish case and a mid-tower design. I included the amazon link because newegg doesn't have a picture of it yet

Amazon

Reply to maflynn

More stylish? You mean more plastic? It looks too cramped, too plastic, and doesnt seem to have the best cooling. Not bad, but still.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to ares1214

Thanks for the replies everyone. I think my favourite so far are Lian Li's and the Corsair 700D. I'm not certain if I want anything massive though, as I'm not water cooling or putting 10 harddrives in there, so I've been looking at Lian Li's smaller cases too. While the HAF 922 looks to be a top notch case, I don't think it's really for me.

So far I've liked the PC-X500, the PC-8NB, the PC-B10 (though, I wasn't too keen on the door idea, with the door on my Antec P182 getting a bit annoying sometimes), the PC-B25FW oddly enough, despite the LED and rough top it's still a nice case.

One of the one's that appealed to me most though, was the PC-A05NB. However, I am slightly worried that it will look kind of stubby. Does anyone have one of these, or seen one? Do they look stubby?

By the way, what's the difference between the PC-A05N and the PC-A05NB?

Also, I wasn't sure about the side-ways pointing ODDs on the PC-X500 and the PC-X2000. Does this mean it's mainly for case modders or something? Or has anyone had any experience with this? Maybe it would be more useful than the front, as you usually sit to the side of the case anyway. Hmm, so many choices. :lol:

Thanks again people!

Message edited by blzb on 08-26-2010 at 05:37:11 PM

Reply to blzb

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811112248

That is one of the only Lian Li cases id recommend based on what you have said.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to ares1214

I don't have a PC-A05NB, but its a Mini Tower Case, of course it will be "stubby".

I prefer the 800D to the 700D if price is no issue, and the 800D is a very, very nice looking case.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 1&Tpk=800D

As long as you make good GPU choices, if you buy the right kind of fans, you can get DECENT airflow. Not great however.

When you say "monolithic", I automatically think you are going to want a full tower case.

You can look at reviews on youtube if you have not already to get an idea of these cases.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xsOzJfgzFY

Message edited by Helltech on 08-26-2010 at 08:29:16 PM

Yeah, thats why i recommend the HAF X over the 800D. $70 cheaper, USB 3.0, all the features and build quality, 2x the airflow. However that doesnt really match your aesthetic wants :lol:

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to ares1214

ares1214 wrote :

Yeah, thats why i recommend the HAF X over the 800D. $70 cheaper, USB 3.0, all the features and build quality, 2x the airflow. However that doesnt really match your aesthetic wants :lol:

Oh yeah agree, aethestics aside the HAF-X is one of the best cases you can buy, and its not all that expensive for what you get with it.

However I do understand the want for a sleek and stylish computer, and the HAF-X is supposed to look more militaristic than sleek.

Oh, and one reason I would get the 700D over the 800D if you don't care about a side window, is that it would be easier to mod 2 120mm fans on the case of the 700D directly over the GPUs, if you are into that, it would help alot.

Message edited by Helltech on 08-26-2010 at 09:37:16 PM

There is something missing from this thread. What is the intended use of the pc? Mainstream or gaming?

Reply to JohnnyLucky

My recommendations:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] -_-Product
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] pk=pc-a70f
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] pk=pc-a71f
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] -_-Product
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811112242

Can't go wrong with any of those. Note that you will get the best cooling out of the ATCS 840 or FT02.

------------------------------ Want Rock and Metal?

Paul Online Radio Network: http://www.paulradio.net/
Reply to AMW1011

Yeah, it stands to reason that the PC-A05N will be on the small side, I just wondered whether anyone had any experience with it. I really like the looks of some of these full tower cases, but I am wondering if, for my needs, they're gonna be a tad excessive. I've got to be slightly practical I suppose. :lol:

Oh by the way, as for my needs, I play games now and then, but more than anything it's for 3D work. I'm probably not going to be overclocking, SLIing or watercooling, hence my second thoughts on the full tower. Apologies for the contradictions people! I'm getting there though. Got it narrowed down to a few now. I'd quite like to see the PC-A05N in mid tower form. And by the way, that FT02B is quite nice, Silverstone seem to do quite a few nice cases.

Cheers people.

Reply to blzb

The way your needs are placed, it looks like the Antec 300 and/or the CM 690 II Advanced will suit you nicely.. Or you can look at the Lian-Li PC A71F (a full tower btw)

Reply to Emperus

LIAN LI Lancool PC-K62
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811112239
ZALMAN MS1000-HS1
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811235020

LE:Zalman MS1000-HS2

http://www.pcgameshardware.com/&me [...] 392&page=1

Message edited by mosox on 08-27-2010 at 07:13:46 AM

Reply to mosox

ares1214 wrote :

More stylish? You mean more plastic? It looks too cramped, too plastic, and doesnt seem to have the best cooling. Not bad, but still.

AFAIK, its mostly steel just like its big brother the 800D and the air flow is much better (purportedly) then the 800D. There's a front fan, top mounted fan and of course rear fan. The top fan can handle a rad as well, though I'm not sure this is a good case for water cooling.

While its not released, so its difficult to get real world results, from the youtube videos out there, it looks like it should be a solid perform.

Reply to maflynn

Im not saying it necessarily is more plastic, Im saying it looks more plasticy. And the air flow is better than the 800D? Well i suppose it could get much worse :lol: Im not saying it doesnt look decent, but its overpriced for what it is. The Storm Sniper BE for $30 less would be a better buy if you are into that look.

Reply to ares1214

ares1214 wrote :

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811112248

That is one of the only Lian Li cases id recommend based on what you have said.

That;s the one I have here are pictures of first my Antect 900 then I took evrything out of it and but it into my Lian Li case.

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/foru [...] l#t2069295

------------------------------ Lian Li PC-B25F w/ side window W-LM2AB-1, ASUS P6T DELUXE, SLI x2 EVGA GTX280, KINGWIN Mach 1 ABT-1000MA1S Modular,CORE I7 920 OCed (2.66 -> 3.8 GHz),Corsair TR3X6G1600C8D,WD Caviar Black 640GB, CoolerMaster V8, OCZ OCZTXTCC2 XTC Cooler Rev 2, Windows 7 H
Reply to mark_k

Does anyone know of a mid tower case with only one 5.25 drive bay? Preferably Lian Li, but all welcome.

Reply to blzb

Why on earth would you only want 1???? And there are no mid towers with only 1.

Reply to ares1214

Yes it's called a Laptop.

Message edited by mark_k on 08-27-2010 at 08:17:15 PM

------------------------------ Lian Li PC-B25F w/ side window W-LM2AB-1, ASUS P6T DELUXE, SLI x2 EVGA GTX280, KINGWIN Mach 1 ABT-1000MA1S Modular,CORE I7 920 OCed (2.66 -> 3.8 GHz),Corsair TR3X6G1600C8D,WD Caviar Black 640GB, CoolerMaster V8, OCZ OCZTXTCC2 XTC Cooler Rev 2, Windows 7 H
Reply to mark_k

Well a laptop isnt exactly a mid tower...Most people think that case type is determined by size. Its actually by number of 5.25" drive bays. Anything below 2 is HTPC, Mini ITX, one of those, anything 2-4 is Mid tower, and anything 5+ is a full tower. Thats why you wont ever really find a "midtower" with 1 5.25" bay.

Reply to ares1214

Ah, thanks for the clarification ares1214. Mostly it's because I only have one thing I want to go into a 5.25" slot. Having the blank covers there is pretty ugly, and I can't think of anything I'd want to fill in those slots. Hence my wondering as to whether a 1 bay tower existed. Is it really that odd? I don't know a lot of people that put more than a DVD drive in there. I don't want a card reader and have no use for a fan controller, so.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to blzb

Its not odd per se, I just couldnt really think of a reason to limit your self. I think, personally, 4 is a good number. 2 ODD's if ya need them, 1 for fan controller (some take 2 slots) and 1 for reader or hub. Although right now, I only have a DVD driver, so i see where you are coming from.

Reply to ares1214

blzb wrote :

Ah, thanks for the clarification ares1214. Mostly it's because I only have one thing I want to go into a 5.25" slot. Having the blank covers there is pretty ugly, and I can't think of anything I'd want to fill in those slots. Hence my wondering as to whether a 1 bay tower existed. Is it really that odd? I don't know a lot of people that put more than a DVD drive in there. I don't want a card reader and have no use for a fan controller, so.

Door = problem solved.

------------------------------ Want Rock and Metal?

Paul Online Radio Network: http://www.paulradio.net/
Reply to AMW1011

Correct, although my current case has a door, and I kinda find it annoying, atleast if it didnt open automatically when you pressed some remote eject button. To be honest, i like the look of 5.25" bays, vented of course, going down the whole face of the front, that way it has some uniformity, and the fans blend right in, and you get good ventilation, but thats just me.

Reply to ares1214

+1 to AMW's comments.. A door will solve your worries.. This is one reason i had recommended the Lian-Li PC A71F in one of my latter replies..

Reply to Emperus

My favorite for sure would be the Lian Li PC-X500. I believe it has been discontinued but is available as the ABS Canyon 595. I have two of them, and wouldn't trade them for any other case on the market.

Reply to dbanner

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