Best Case for $70

Antec 300 Illusion because of build quality, cooling and noise.

It would be a toss up between the 690II and the Illusion..
The 690II has alot of extra features compared to the Illusion.
I wouldn't build in the 300 unless i had a hybrid/modular psu or handy with power tools.=non-mod

The Raidmax Helios is a newer case, what do you think of it, it got 5, 5 star reviews. I think I am going to go ahead and try it and report back. It's always good to try something different btw here's a video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEzHtHiMcxs&feature=play...

Cm 690 II Advanced hands down.

How is the quality of the CM 690II Case? Is it solid and well put together? That's another one that's very similar to the Antec case I was looking for that I'm considering.

I'd try and fork out another $20 for an Antec 900, aside from that, I'd personally go for the 300 over the 690II, I've always viewed the Antec build quality to be superior, although not by a country mile - I've seen many people complain about building in the smaller antec cases, but I can't say I've had any problems, so long as you're agile with tools, and can visualise what'll end up where, they're fine to build in.

The 690 II Advanced is surely the better case out of the lot when considering overall statistics.. If considering only airflow, I guess the Antec 300 has the advantage.. 80$ is a strange budget though.. Partly because adding anotheg 20 brings in far better cases such as the Lancool PC K-62, CM HAF 922 and the CM Storm Enforcer (mostly a HAF 912 with few mods)..

Ok I will throw in the extra cash what can I get for $100.

That's more like it.. Now can we also know the hardware that you wish to fit inside..!?

Well since i own a 300,902,and a CM690II i'll tell you.
The 300 is a very well built case but barebones/utilitarian = no cable management or frills.Everthing is high quality 90% of the case is steel.
The CM690II has alot of extra features and is very well designed.
It definitely a much easier case to work in and cable management is very good.
Quality is very good but it has more plastic used in it's construction.
However it's executed very well and filters and fans,drive bays,etc are easily accessible.
It's not cheap plastic and actually better then the 300's plastic front panel.
The 900 is very similiar to the 902 which is just an updated version.
The construction is high quality and for the most completely steel other the the top panel which is durable high quality plastic.
All of these cases have their minor flaws and annoyances.
The 300 is a no-nonsense case that provides great airflow and quality construction.
It just won't look pretty inside= cables everywhere.
The 900 is a step-up from the 300 and offers a few more niceties like removable drive cages,window,better cable management,and extra fans included a quiet 200mm top.
The CM690II really delivers at it's pricepoint.
Offers much more flexibility for fan positions,the lower side panel fan mount can be utilized with 160mm tall heatsinks(can't do that in the Antecs).
The case interior is black,the bottom part of the drive cage(side mount) is removable,and toolless.
The top and front panels are easy to remove/clean and filtered.
The cable management is alot better, the cpu and psu have cut-outs.
Has an hdd hot swap,ssd mount,gpu retention bracket for dual cards.
Imo it offers the best value and features.

For $100 = LIAN LI Lancool PC-K62
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

i3 2100
Radeon HD 5850
Motherboard: Have not decided.
Antec 550w PSU
Gskill 4gb ram (2x2)
500gb western digital hard drive.
Hitachi dvd+

That's why I am saying is it really worth $100 to get a case.

To me a case is an investment. My Antec 1200 was about $150 when I got it a few years ago. It's on it's 3rd set of internals at least. So I could have bought 3 $50 cases and got a new one for each build for the same money.

If I was buying new today it would be the Antec DF-85 with no doubt. I love the feature set.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

The hardware query was just to clear up the space criteria and amount of cooling necessary (at the minimum).. As Anort3 has pointed out, case is like an investment which can be used through multiple builds.. Anyway, for your 100$ my first recommendation will be the CM HAF 922.. Next up is the Lancool PC K62.. You can safely choose the one which looks good to you..

Well it does also go down to wether YOU like it or not...

What about this?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

I like the window on this case, but I like the fans on the 300. This also has better cable management. Should I get this and buy led fans and lights for the case later on, make use of the window, or should I just buy the antec 300. Is the cooling on the Lian Li good for temporary use like a month. I won't be overclocking since I have the i5-2400.

The Sentey Optimus offers the same features as the Lian Li you've been looking at. It probably comes with more than enough cooling if that is a concern of yours.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Sentey-Optimus-C...

I don't recommend the 300 because of the front facing bays. The Lian Li and the Sentey will be much better options because no card you put in will block any of your bays.

Nice one.. Front intakes are important though as they improve cooling immensely (not of course it is drawing in air from a heater lol).. So do remember to put one atleast..