Gaming Case Advice

[da boi]

Hi, I was looking for something replace my "iCute Turbine" case. I was wanting something that had fan controllers but also a 2.5" bay to install my card reader. I looked at the Element V Black Edition and the Antec 902, but neither of these have, or appear to have, a slot for my card reader.
Could someone recommend a case for me.
Thanks.

 

[thechief73]

Hi da boi,

Finding a case with an included fan controller is probably going to be quite difficult, that said there are many add-on fan controllers out there that you can install yourself and they usally are not very expensive.

As for the 3.5" bay(I belive thats what you meant), alot of cases still come with these but they are usally listed in the accessories of the case because you have to remove a 5.25" front plate and replace it with a 3.5" plate that they provide you with.

Here is a 2-part Tom's article on some nice mid-tower PC cases that may help you out:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/antec-three-hundred-enermax-staray-cooler-master-elite-430,2707.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/nzxt-gamma-rosewill-challenger-silverstone-precision,2723.html

Also I dont not know what website(s) you are looking for a PC case on, but Newegg lets you search for cases by the features you are looking for.

 

[deadjon]

I do beleive the Antec DF35 has a 2.5 inch bay made for SSDs at the top, its very convenient, I know the DF-85 has one, im assuming its baby bro has one too. Its no use if the Card reader isnt SATA though.

 

[da boi]

Thank you for your speedy replies.
Unfortunatley I live in Britain, so newegg is not an option for me.
I really liked the look of the Thermaltake element V Black Edition but do you think I could get an adapter to mount my Card Reader, which isn't SATA.
Thanks again.

 

[thechief73]

Quick question are you sure its a 2.5" or is it a 3.5" like the old floppy disks?

 

[da boi]

Hehe, sorry, it is a 3.5".

 

[thechief73]

Ok, its np. Here is the only one I found on Newegg with the 3.5" bay for your card reader and a fan controller included as well. It is the Sunbeam VentMax IC-VM-BK: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811166054
I under stand your in the UK, I am just using Newegg for ease of reference and you can look up that particular model on the Uk sites you like to shop at.

 

[da boi]

Ok, its np. Here is the only one I found on Newegg with the 3.5" bay for your card reader and a fan controller included as well. It is the Sunbeam VentMax IC-VM-BK: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811166054
I under stand your in the UK, I am just using Newegg for ease of reference and you can look up that particular model on the Uk sites you like to shop at.

Thank you but I'm not finding anything similar to that over here.

I've decided to get either the Antec 902 or the Thermaltake element V, as I need a Full Tower. Although I still have 2 questions:
What is the Difference between the Thermaltake Element V Standard, and the Thermaltake Element V Black Edition?
Which is better the 902 or the element?

Your help has been much Appreciated.

 

[thechief73]

Ok, lets see. As far as I can tell the Antec 902 is also a Mid-Tower case, but I can say I own an Antec 300 and I am very happy with the build quality and features of the case.

As for the Difference between the Thermaltake Element V Standard, and the Thermaltake Element V Black Edition, I think it is only that the Standard has a plain steel finish inside and the black edition has a black painted interior. On the Thermaltake website the prices are listed as being them same for both models, I do not know if this will be the case at a reseller.

If I had to choose I would go with the Black Edition, I would prefer the painted interior myself, and that is if the cost of the case is not an issue. That said, the case has alot of really nice high end features and looks quite good also, which will stet it apart from some other cases. One thing I did notice is that it seems both Thermaltakes only come with one top fan the other is an optional upgrade as well are the VGA (exhaust) 50 x 50 mm fan x 2, I thought I would mention it just in case.

Here is a review of the Thermaltake Element V that I found: http://www.overclockersonline.net/reviews/thermaltake-element-v/

 

[da boi]

Hmmm... Is it worth taking a look at the Coolermaster Sniper?
I was really wanting something that could be virtually silent when I'm not gaming. I'm not too bothered about how loud it is once I'm firing away.
The Thermaltake doesn't have very much sound proofing and is apparently still very loud even with the fans turned down.
Thanks again.

 

[thechief73]

Well, just going by the specs. that each company provides, the Thermaltake fans should be overall slightly quiter than the Coolermaster, but I really wouldnt trust those numbers either, and also the Coolermaster is a Mid-Tower.

These fan specs cant really be trusted and your going to have to rely on reputable reviews, fan specs are the most unreliable numbers out there in the PC world, as their is no set standard method of measuring thier loudness and the companies can skew them any way they like. Each person precieves and has diferent opinions on what is too loud or a acceptable volume. But there are a few companies out there that do follow standard guidline of measuring db @ 1m, fan level.

Really all you can do is to look up the cases you like and read up on them and the reviews that are out there to make your own choice, there are plenty of good review sites out there that do quality work.

 

[da boi]

Thank you once again.
I shall keep on looking.

 

[drexeus]

Check out the NZXT Phantom. It has a built in 5 channel fan controller. Not sure about the bay drive adapter though, but you could probably spring that at any comp shop there. Heres the link to the review.

http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/nzxt_phantom/

 

[da boi]

Check out the NZXT Phantom. It has a built in 5 channel fan controller. Not sure about the bay drive adapter though, but you could probably spring that at any comp shop there. Heres the link to the review.

http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/nzxt_phantom/

Thank you very much, these case seems perfect.
I was just looking at the bit-tech review and it looks great.

 

[drexeus]

Glad to be of help. I really liked it too when i saw it. Big as hell, and not too shabby cooling. Good luck with the case hunt.

 

[da boi]

Best answer selected by da boi.

 

[Mousemonkey]

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