How do I know which size case is best?

If you're not space constrained I don't see an advantage to mid-size cases.

So, pretty much it all boils down to aesthetics, and what I want? There isn't anything performance-wise that one case size offers over the other?

simply put

the bigger the case the more fans you can add to make it run cooler


but if you dont overclock or watercool then it doesnt really matter


make sure graphics card can easily fit in case though some cases struggle with certain cards

Well, I don't overclock or have water cooling or closed-loop cooling, but having a case that actually, comfortably, FITS my peripherals has also been a concern of mine. I have been considering the HAF X or HAF XM just because I know I can fit everything in there with no issue.

Aesthetics are important. You will be looking at the case for a long time.
If you love the HAF series, buy one. I find them ho-hum.
If, on the other hand, you see an expensive case you lust after, go ahead and bust your budget and buy it. The price pain is fleeting, the enjoyment of the case lasts for a long time.
Check out lian li, fractal, Corsair, Antec Silverstone, and NZXT to name a fiew.

Your motherboard is a ATX size, with 7 expansion slots. It will need a mid-sized or larger case.
To my mind, any case that has at least one 140mm intake fan or two 120mm intake fans will generate adequate cooling.
With the advent of 2.5" ssd's and 3tb hard drives, any case should have plenty of space to hold your parts.

Past that, there are the issues of noise, and case dimensions.
If you don't mind noise, or have lots of space to put a tower, then ignore the issue.

I happen to like smaller cases.
I got into the issue because my desk space limited me to a case of about 16" deep.
As a result, I went to a M-ATX size which I heartily recommend.
One problem with M-ATX is that sli, while possible will be difficult because of the necessary proximity of the graphics cards.
My solution... forget about sli.
If I ever need a graphics upgrade, I will sell my GTX680 and replace it with a GTX690, or, more likely, son of kepler due out later this year. In the process, I still have superb cooling, and it is very quiet. Check my sig.

Size isn't too much of an issue, as far as dimensions go, since it will be on the ground next to the desk, and not on/in it. I wish I could see these cases in person, I think it would make my decision making much, much easier, lol. I think another important aspect is cable management. Where do you usually go to check out reviews, or do you completely neglect online reviews and go with your gut?

I agree, it is best to see some cases in person.
Can you visit some computer shops and check out what they have?

I find that cable management is only an issue with small form factor cases. With a midsized case or larger, there is always someplace to tuck away any unused power leads out of the airstream.
If you are interested in quiet computing, My main source is www.silentpcreview.com.
Other than that, any case review will give you a decent idea of what the finished case will look like with parts installed inside.
It used to be that some cases had a problem with long(11"+) graphics cards. But today's cards are shorter, and the cases are better designed to accomodate even such long cards.

A case is one of the better places to economize,if you really need to, since even a cheap case will work.
But, if you can't see one in person, read the review closely to see what the quality is like.

If the case will sit on the ground, next to your desk, I would look for one with top mounted on/off switch and usb ports.
Audio jacks too, if you will use earphones.
If you will use usb3.0 devices to plug into the front, verify that the front ports are usb capable.

That is usb 3.0 capable.

Unfortunately, the only electronic retail store in my area is Best Buy (at least, a store that would even come close to offering components for custom-building computers). So everything has to be done either from this site, or reading reviews on Newegg. From the first time I read about it, I sort of assumed I would be getting the HAF X. I like that it comes with wheels, has a window, plenty of space, and exceptional cooling. But the more I read about other cases, the more I started second guessing myself, lol.

I'm a big fan of the Corsair Obsidian 650D. It has great cable management and also looks great.

INTEL Core™ i5-3570 Quad-Core 3.4 - 3.8GHz TB, HD Graphics 2500, LGA1155, 6MB L3 Cache, 22nm, 77W, EM64T EIST VT-d VT-x XD, Retail

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooler, Socket 2011/1155/1156/1366/775/FM1/AM3/AM2, Copper/Aluminum
ARCTIC COOLING MX-4 All-Around Thermal Compound, Electrically Non-Conductive

ASUS Sabertooth Z77, LGA1155, Intel® Z77, DDR3-1866 32GB /4, PCIe x16 SLI CF /1+1*, SATA 6Gb/s RAID 5 /4, 3Gb/s /4, DP + HDMI, USB 3.0 /6, HDA, GbLAN, ATX, Retail

CRUCIAL 8GB (2 x 4GB) Ballistix Elite PC3-12800 DDR3 1600MHz CL8 (8-8-8-24) 1.5V SDRAM DIMM, Non-ECC

EVGA GeForce® GTX 670 FTW 1006MHz, 2GB GDDR5 6208MHz, PCIe x16 SLI, 2x DVI + HDMI + DP, Retail

CRUCIAL 128GB M4 SSD, MLC Marvell 88SS9174, 500/175 MB/s, 2.5-Inch, SATA 6 Gb/s, Retail

WESTERN DIGITAL 500GB WD Caviar® Black™ (WD5002AALX), SATA 6 Gb/s, 7200 RPM, 32MB Cache

RAID No RAID, Independent HDD Drives

ASUS DRW-24B1ST Black 24x DVD±R/RW Dual-Layer Burner, SATA, OEM

LINKSYS WMP600N Wireless-N Adapter, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n, Draft 2.0, PCI, Retail

COOLER MASTER HAF X (RC-942-KKN1) Black Tower Case w/ Window, EATX, 9 Slots, No PSU, Steel/Plastic

LOGISYS 12" Super Bright Sunlight Stick, Red

CORSAIR TX750 V2 Power Supply 750W, 80 PLUS® Bronze, 24-pin ATX12V v2.31 EPS12V 2.92, 4x 8/6-pin PCIe

MICROSOFT Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition w/ SP1, OEM


This here is a copy of my entire system, just in case it will give ya a better idea of what I am aiming for. Right now, I have configured the HAF X with a light-kit to make full use of the window.

Also, the only one I have considered other than the HAF cases is the Lian Li PC-K62

Lian li makes top quality cases. At half the price, it looks good to me.
But in the end, it is what looks best to YOU. Everybody has different likes.

The Lian Li is, to me, a very, very nice looking case. I love that it comes with a window and not the "rugged" look of the HAF series cases. Will it fit all of the components I have listed comfortably, though?

Everything will fit plus 2x what you have.

Is the cooling is that case on par with the HAF series?

With one 120 mm fan and three 140 mm fans its more than adequate for your build and I agree with you 100% on the aesthetics ..

Ok, cool. Is one of the more important things to consider that the case is ATX-compatible?

Yes, ATX compatible.

yup!