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The Final Five: Gaming Cases Between $80 And $120, Rounded-Up

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  • Gaming
  • Cases
  • Cooling
Last response: in Reviews comments
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August 29, 2012 4:39:33 AM

Hell yeah!!! NZXT Phantom 410 FTW!!
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4
August 29, 2012 4:40:40 AM

Toms should do a review on high-end cases featuring EXTREME watercooling.
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4
a b 4 Gaming
August 29, 2012 5:12:30 AM

idroidToms should do a review on high-end cases featuring EXTREME watercooling.


the only tiny problem at the most part i see in that is that it would be slightly harder to test thermal efficiency, since its being cooled by water, rather than air + hsf so in a wc build, the thermal ratings will be extremely close.
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1
a b 4 Gaming
August 29, 2012 6:01:40 AM

The Antec Solo II is not a case meant for gaming.
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5
August 29, 2012 6:10:39 AM

It would be nice to see a left-sided window case listing, there are definate advantages to a left sided window / upside down mobo config
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-1
August 29, 2012 6:23:25 AM

But, but, but.... The Phantom 410 is sooooo ugly...
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August 29, 2012 6:45:46 AM

amuffinThe Antec Solo II is not a case meant for gaming.
Well...Antec sent it anyway. Along with the Eleven Hundred. So they evidently had a plan.
back_by_demandIt would be nice to see a left-sided window case listing, there are definate advantages to a left sided window / upside down mobo config
Did you know that the reason many manufacturers abandoned the upside-down case was because some motherboard heat pipes supposedly didn't work right in that configuration?
iknowhowtofixitBut, but, but.... The Phantom 410 is sooooo ugly...
Eye of the beholder :) 

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5
Anonymous
a b 4 Gaming
August 29, 2012 8:16:46 AM

The Solo II would probably have done a little better with your LGA2011 / GTX580 setup, if Antec included at least one front intake fan. Any chance of a [quick, informal] re-test with an added intake fan or two? :) 
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August 29, 2012 9:34:13 AM

as
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-1
August 29, 2012 9:40:40 AM

I'm a fan of smaller cases

I have a qx-2000 case from aerocool. it's a nightmare for cable management and upgrading partsm but I like it

can toms also do an in-depth article on smaller cases?

particularly, I want a similar case as the qx-2000 but the PSU is mounted at the bottom so that adding items inside woundnt be too much of a chore.

thermaltake armor a30 looks awesome, but still has a top mounted PSU
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August 29, 2012 12:47:53 PM

HAF 912 (preferably the Advanced model) is also a great case. Maybe include it in a round-up some day, if you can...
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August 29, 2012 1:45:48 PM

I really appreciate seeing each of these cases setup in the same way with pro/cons pointed out. Really well done quick review of the cases.

My only complaint is that instead of the title "Gaming Cases Between $80 And $120" I would have titled the article "Overclock-able ATX Gaming/File Server Cases". I'm not sure why a gaming rig needs to be a 20" tower with room for seven drives and seven expansion slots these days. There are two large camps of gamers; those that overclock and those that don't.

For either camp, mATX is the best board to choose these days. Also, no gamer needs 2-9 external 5.25" bays unless they are also building a file server with hat swappable drives. They make file server cases for that. I think everyone appreciates lots of 3.5" and 2.5" internal bays but they should be optional and cooling and noise should always be the primary concern.

For the overclockers, these cases are sized but for those that don't intend to overclock a review of mATX cases would be a lot more what the common gamer is looking at these days. In the recent builder challenge, most of the rigs came with Core-i5 CPUs because the extra CPU power of the i7 didn't really help with the benchmarks that much. The graphics card was where all the bang for the buck in gaming is. Using that same logic, a lot of gamers are not overclocking their CPU because of the cost and hassle as well a reduced component life. More than ever I think you have have a true top tier gaming rig and not overclock anything in it.
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1
a b 4 Gaming
August 29, 2012 1:51:09 PM

This makes me pretty happy about the Cooler Master Storm Enforcer I've invested in. It's not as butt-ugly as the NZXT Phantom 410 and scores very close to it in value and efficiency.

I think CM, Antec and SilverStone are going to be pretty sadface about getting those tiny "perform admirably as well and are excellent values" words at the end instead of a big, fat award badge.

Excellent series of articles anyway. Extremely useful to have such a wide selection of cases compared. Case selection IMO tends to be one of the tougher things when putting a build together, it's usually harder to compare cases than CPUs or graphics cards.
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-2
a b 4 Gaming
August 29, 2012 1:55:06 PM

Very nice Article! :)  By now you've got to be numb of building.

Interesting you had the 400R and not the $115~$120 -$15 MIR Corsair 500R.

Cases must have good cable management, features, airflow, and quality -- beyond that it's a Beauty is in the Eyes of the Beholder.

Just a thought on your grid you might want to add e.g. 1. Front Ports, 2. Side Panel Cable Management, 3. USB 3.0 (20-pin/pass-through)
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-1
August 29, 2012 2:00:34 PM

jaquithVery nice Article! By now you've got to be numb of building.Interesting you had the 400R and not the $115~$120 -$15 MIR Corsair 500R.Cases must have good cable management, features, airflow, and quality -- beyond that it's a Beauty is in the Eyes of the Beholder.Just a thought on your grid you might want to add e.g. 1. Front Ports, 2. Side Panel Cable Management, 3. USB 3.0 (20-pin/pass-through)
#3 doesn't make a difference, because the ground rules mentioned in part one and linked in parts 2 and 3 say that nobody could participate unless they included 20-pin.

Without adding that restriction, Tom's Hardware would have gotten at least twice as many cases at just one per manufacturer, and four times as many cases with this series' "twofer" plan.

As a motherboard editor, I can't recommend anything that doesn't have 20-pin. So as a case editor, I can't recommend anything that doesn't support recommended motherboards. Yeh, I'm a little...well anyway, you did know that without this editor we might still be waiting for a front-panel connector standard, right?
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2
a b 4 Gaming
August 29, 2012 2:18:20 PM

RE: #2 ; one of the cases, searched them all first, showed a USB 3.0 pass-through and then I looked at the case's page (your Article) looking for the 20-pin. Admittedly I haven't read all of your article. Hmm...I think many MFG's haven't gotten your MEMO. In the last day or so I ran across some case, I think an Antec, that ships with 3 USB 3.0 ports with x2 20-pins -- so odd stuff is still out there being produced.

Many of the Corsair lines need a 'Version 1.1' with standardized USB 3.0 20 pins, Front Ports, and the 800D with SATA3.

Anyway thanks again :) 
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-1
August 29, 2012 3:05:40 PM

The Antec and Corsair appear to be the most attractive in my opinion with this cleaner and more sophisticated approach. I'm considering moving my PC from its 800D to a 500R
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-1
August 29, 2012 3:41:40 PM

What about CM690?
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Anonymous
a b 4 Gaming
August 29, 2012 4:12:36 PM

As an owner of the 400R, I'm surprised Tom's didn't mention how easy it is to mount an H100 cooler in the case. (with tons of room I might add, no need for anything custom) The 400R is very subtle also. No crazy angles, good looks, and the ability to turn off the included LED lights.

The H100 alone is why I bought this case over others. Although it doesn't take the overall win, I'm very glad to see it gets the 2012 approval. Makes me feel like I did good on my purchase. :) 
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-1
Anonymous
a b 4 Gaming
August 29, 2012 4:44:28 PM

I was torn between the CM Storm Enforcer and the CM 690 II Advanced. Both had removable HDD cages (SSD price wars FTW!) and good airflow. Both were priced VERY close recently, about USD$75 at both Newegg and MicroCenter. In the end I chose the 690 because it had a bit better fan support for my SLI GTX580. I'm really surprised the 690 was left out of the review, probably one of the Top5 cases for 2012 in this price range.
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-2
August 29, 2012 5:45:45 PM

So guess my Haf X case was a bad idea? It does the job and looks cool in my book.
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-2
August 29, 2012 6:09:47 PM

I really like the Antec Solo II, but that is some crappy cooling. The top vent PSU is surely hurting the overall airflow; The extra 120mm on the PSU would really have helped move some air out of the case.

Maybe switch to a higher flow 120mm exhaust fan and throw the stock fan as an intake in the front of the case. I have an old Antec Sonata that I did just that and it helped the thermals a lot with only a small noise increase.

I'd still probably choose the Solo II over the other cases in at least this article and probably the whole series base on aesthetics and build quality alone.
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0
August 29, 2012 8:07:40 PM

amuffin said:
The Antec Solo II is not a case meant for gaming.


Totally in agreement here. If they were wanting an Antec mid-range gaming case then the Eleven Hundred would have been a much better choice IMO. However, they probably requested a sample from Antec who sent them the Solo II. That's how it seems to work with these roundup reviews anyway.
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-1
August 29, 2012 8:48:36 PM

I'm cool with the NZXT because they remembered to put space for a bottom fan in it. It's the most efficient place for a fan to blow in cool air. Hot air rises, cool air sinks. If you throw cool air at your gpu, you allow for a direct pathway for air to go out of the case. Also it has a pretty freakin sweet look to it.

Also: Rosewill R5 anybody? Seriously that and the thor v2 are on opposite ends of this price range and they both are completely review-worthy cases.
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a b 4 Gaming
August 30, 2012 6:29:10 PM

No Antec 1100? Or HAF 922?

This is an utter absurdity. :p 
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-1
August 30, 2012 11:17:21 PM

DeusAresNo Antec 1100? Or HAF 922?This is an utter absurdity.
Look at the list of cases on the last page? Antec Eleven Hundred was tested in...part 1 I think.
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1
August 31, 2012 1:15:16 AM

I don't usually hate like this, but this guys cable management makes me want to vomit.
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0
August 31, 2012 1:38:18 AM

xcwolf said:
I don't usually hate like this, but this guys cable management makes me want to vomit.
Thanks!
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August 31, 2012 1:07:03 PM

Antec 902. I have one and am still very happy with it. Very decent case.
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a b 4 Gaming
September 1, 2012 9:37:52 PM

Crashman said:
Look at the list of cases on the last page? Antec Eleven Hundred was tested in...part 1 I think.


Yup, went back and found it. Scored fairly well. And I'm assuming the HAF 922 was tested in a different batch of cases.
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September 1, 2012 10:35:50 PM

DeusAres said:
Yup, went back and found it. Scored fairly well. And I'm assuming the HAF 922 was tested in a different batch of cases.
Luckily, Cooler Master only sent its Storm Enforcer. I say luckily because it's tough to fit more than five cases in a table, though a 4-part 4-way would have been OK.

But I don't think the HAF 922 qualified for this roundup. Does it have an internal 20-pin USB 3.0 connector? I'm fairly certain the original case was USB 2.0, and the updated version uses rear-panel pass-through cables, both of which would make it...irrelevant. See, I can be nice :) 
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1
September 2, 2012 12:30:13 PM

ArticleThe lack of any intake fan combines with an extra-tight fit to exacerbate our ventilation concerns.


Not to mention that the Graphics card is slightly warped to fit under the drive cage
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September 2, 2012 12:37:02 PM

ArticleHowever, a raised lip on its motherboard tray blocks half of our SATA ports.


That's a deal-breaker for me. And I'm sure may people will agree with me. I can't believe that a case with that flaw made it past the design stage.
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September 2, 2012 1:04:31 PM

youssef 2010That's a deal-breaker for me. And I'm sure may people will agree with me. I can't believe that a case with that flaw made it past the design stage.
It fits ATX boards. This board is wider than ATX, as explained in the article. Since most boards aren't wider than full ATX, the issue shouldn't matter to most builders.
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September 5, 2012 8:53:06 PM

I really like the Corsair 300R, glad that made a fairly good impression :D 
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September 5, 2012 11:05:54 PM

I like small cases so I choose the Antec one :D 
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September 7, 2012 9:14:40 PM

"A drop to $81 at Mwave puts NZXT’s Phantom 410 into its current high-value position"
Except Mwave wants $34 for shipping - so that puts Mwave in the rip off position.
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0
September 9, 2012 10:47:36 PM

The price of the NZXT Phantom 410 has shot up to $99 after winning...
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September 10, 2012 5:36:22 AM

mike205992The price of the NZXT Phantom 410 has shot up to $99 after winning...
Yeh, but you can get that price with free shipping at Directron. So it's still a great bargain.
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Anonymous
a b 4 Gaming
September 14, 2012 8:42:54 PM

COOLER MASTER HAF XM RC-922XM-KKN1 is my new favorite candidate for this category. Best feature is the 4x 200mm mounting places in a mid-atx tower. Also looks very spacious and is currently listed at $109.99 on Newegg (after rebate)
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September 17, 2012 11:31:53 PM

I like the Corsair case, heck I like all Corsair cases.
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November 7, 2012 2:11:43 PM

Why does NZXT cases look so damn gimmicky? That's the only thing I don't like about the phantom and why I refuse to buy it.
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November 22, 2012 3:29:37 PM

I absolutely love my Corsair Carbide 300R, it is silent with my Xigmatek Gaia, 2 stock case fans, and XFX HD 5770. It is a subtly awesome case, will not catch your eye, but if you look at it you know how awesome it is.
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December 9, 2012 11:39:37 AM

Frankly, I feel that Cooler Master's HAF XM is superior to the Phantom 410 at a similar price point, rather disappointed that it was left out of this review.
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December 10, 2012 2:59:59 AM

FiredropsFrankly, I feel that Cooler Master's HAF XM is superior to the Phantom 410 at a similar price point, rather disappointed that it was left out of this review.
Left out? And you complain here? When Cooler Master picked the case? Why don't you go to their forums and ask why they chose to exclude it?

Lots of blame to go around but not much fault.
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0
December 17, 2012 12:13:33 AM

Okay, everyone, take it easy on me. I haven't built a PC in about 10-15 years, and the technologies have evolved a bit.

I bought the Corsair 400 case because I wanted something with room inside. I knew that I was going to need it. Anyway, my question for you guys that have assembled a computer using this case: how do the front fans get their power, and is it being supplied by that Molex feed-through connector that is just sitting on the bottom of the case? Does that mean the two front fans are on full blast all of the time?

I'm putting in a Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD7 mobo, and GV-R785OC-2GD video board with 32GB of system memory, since the primary use of the computer will be 3D renders using Daz Studio and Lux Render, so I actually expect to tax the system quite a bit, but I'm not sure I need those two fans running at full speed all of the time. (Oh...CPU cooling to be handled by Antec 620 closed liquid system)

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