dottedquad

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I'm looking for a computer case but there are so many to choose from. What brand of case would you guys suggest I get?
 

dottedquad

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I currently do not have a budget. I want to get a case that will suite my needs now and in the future. I plan on getting a list of parts once I read up on which mobo, cpu, ram, and graphic hardware to get. I want to first start out with getting the case and psu first and buy each part after that once I get the money.

-Thanks
 

Kholonar

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There's loads of good cases out there so perhaps it would help if I told you some of the criteria for what makes a case brilliant.

Good caseflow - position of fans, whether you want ATX or ATX upside down. Have a look at this article: http://www.short-media.com/review.php?r=230
I recommend you have a fan exhausting either at the top-upwards or rear-backwards. Having a front intake to cool your hard drives can help to improve the reliability of your hard drives.

Enough hard disk,optical and 3.5inch bays. I recommend at least 2 hard disk bays, 2 optical bays and 2 3.5inch bays.

Quiet - mostly this is linked directly to 120mm fans. 120 mm fans move slow and don't give that high pitched whine of other fans.

Light - usually means aluminium construction, alos helps the heat exit the system.

Removable motherboard tray - not essential but it will help you live longer as it will lower your blood pressure during construction.

Whether you want the thing to be moveable (ie has handles, is slimer or is wider-and-shorter).

Tool-less design is perhaps not needed (most people have a screwdriver or two at home) but having your hard drives mount across the width of the case allows you to pull them out easier than if they are aligned along the length of the case.

Some other things to think about

You want it not to look like a dog's dinner?

Mounting joints that are rubberised help stop vibrations but my insensitive ears can't tell the difference.

Cubby holes and extra space for extreme cooling solutions - places to sit external radiators.

With that knowledge you can now look at cases and judge what is suitable for your needs. Just in case (pun not intended), here a review site:
http://www.bjorn3d.com/content.php?cat=8&Submit=Go&viewcat=1


Some other things
 
For my primary gamer, I used a POWMAX 702 MATRIX CP702-7:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811145054

This is a relatively flimsy case, with enough sharp edges to almost guarantee a blood offering, and a cheap PSU which should probably be "evacuated" as quickly as you'd move your bowels after a chili cookoff.

BUT...

For $37.50 (current newegg price), you get a side window with fan, plenty of drive space, room for 120mm fans front and rear (not included), and front audio and USB ports. Mine stays very cool (40-41c after hours of gaming), and runs quietly. I did replace the 80mm fan with a quieter one, but you may not care. I also ditched the PSU as described above.

Don't buy this if you will move it around a lot, or are constantly tinkering inside your PC. Otherwise, if you know what you're getting it's a great deal that I have no qualms about recommending.
 

yakyb

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http://www.akasa.co.uk/

head over to akasa and check out the eclipse-62 i love this case bought it for my build last year verry very well made case and great for cooling also check out the window mod for it i cannot sell this case enough i love it
 

pengwin

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ahh crap I meant to reply to this thread but here's my hardware list:
http://forumz.tomshardware.com/hardware/hardware-list-ftopict188149.html

for those who dont click here is the list

ABIT KN9 SLI Socket AM2 NVIDIA nForce 570 SLI MCP ATX AMD Motherboard

ATI 100-435721 Radeon X1900 CrossFire Edition 512MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card

AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ Windsor 2000MHz HT Socket AM2 Processor Model ADA3800IAA5CU

CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Unbuffered Dual Channel

Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 ST3400633AS 400GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s


ok, i would recommend, NZXT Lexa, something with a sidepanel fan if ur gonna dual gfx, it really helps out.
 

gimiguy

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asus p5wdg2-ws
intel pentium d 960
4gb ram
geforce 7950gx2
1 hdd


can i use a horizontal case for this config?