Part 2: Four More Gaming Enclosures Under $50

Features
By Thomas Soderstrom
published

Garnering playable frame rates from entry-level hardware often requires ambitious overclocking. We test four gamer-oriented cases to see if they're able to serve up the cooling needed to push mainstream hardware to hardcore performance levels.

Inside The PS05B

While several of the PS05B’s steel panels are designed identically to those of AeroCool’s VX-R, SilverStone specifies fan mounts for the top. These even have offsets of 0.1” for the center and mounting holes, adding around 0.2” of distance between the fan blades and grille for quieter operation.

Installing fans on the other side requires finding fans that perfectly fit the top-panel grill.  The fans that came with our Swiftech cooling system did not fit over its centering pegs, and the frames in our Scythe S-Flex fans were too thick to fit under the edge clips. Reinstalling the fan grille is also more difficult once fans are installed, since the center clips will be pushed out of alignment with the four relief holes punched into the sheet metal chassis. We'd suggest SilverStone-branded fans to those who really need the extra airflow, at least until the company comes out with a more exact list of recommendations.

SilverStone’s PS05B motherboard tray is also dimensionally-identical to AeroCool’s VX-R, but SilverStone turns its hard drive cage sideways to ease drive access. This prevents the drives from interfering with card installation, and vice-versa.

SilverStone uses trays, rather than rails, for its hard drives. This makes it easy to keep track of the mounting hardware, since it is already clipped into position by the factory. SilverStone also adds the fan filters missing from AeroCool’s dimensionally-identical bottom panel, though the power supply must be removed to clean its filter. We’ll count that a second, less-significant design issue.

A hinged card holder unlatches from inside the PS05B, extending through a rectangular hole in the back panel. We mentioned that many of the case’s panels are designed identically to those of AeroCool’s VX-R, and both enclosures have this hole, though only the PS05B uses it.

Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom is a Senior Staff Editor at Tom's Hardware US. He tests and reviews cases, cooling, memory and motherboards.
61 Comments Comment from the forums
  • The Antec 300 is the only case in the roundup that doesnt look and feel like your buying a cheap ass case. It is well worth the extra money and I dont think anyone should really consider building with anything less.
    Reply
  • AMW1011
    stm1185The Antec 300 is the only case in the roundup that doesnt look and feel like your buying a cheap ass case. It is well worth the extra money and I dont think anyone should really consider building with anything less.
    Have you actually used an Antec 300? The quality is only average. Plus it lacks a lot of features that all the others have. Seems pretty cheap ass to me.

    Note I've used one Antec 300 and two Rosewill Challengers in different builds. Quality wise I would put them pretty close, the Antec 300's paint finish is like sand paper, where the Challenger is smooth, however the Antec 300 has slightly thicker metal. Feature-wise, its no comparison, and everyone who saw them together preferred the challenger.

    Nice review Tom's. Hopefully you will move on to some more gamer class cases ($50-$100).
    Reply
  • pangedit
    Awesome article toms. Appreciate it :D
    Reply
  • wielander
    "Rosewill destroyed NZXT’s value leadership goals by putting a greater number of fans in an otherwise-similar chassis at the same price."

    Except that the NZXT gamma costs $7 less shipped (current and suggested prices) and has for a while now.
    Reply
  • sparkle_ftw
    I hope the HAF 912 get reviewed and compared. And centurion 590... but that is old and tom's did something with it a while ago
    Reply
  • ceps
    I love my NZXT Gamma (mostly cos no floppy slot and mate finish), although as mentioned, u need to buy fans, 6 fan slots but only 1 included.
    Reply
  • takeapieandrun
    Its pretty cool how cheap cases nowadays can top cases like the Antec 900 in some aspects.
    Reply
  • TommyV
    no offense to anyone who owns one of these cases, but all four of those cases are really ugly. All but the rosewill looks like a busted up autobot.
    Reply
  • RazberyBandit
    Well, you showed us 4 cases, but truly just two designs. The NZXT and Rosewill are almost identical, while the AeroCool and Silverstone are as well. You could have paired each general design together and pointed out their subtle differences simultaneously.

    If I were truly on a tight budget, I might consider one of these designs. But, it's easily argued that there are higher quality and more feature-rich cases (that don't cut any corners like grommets, fans, filters, etc.) within a $20-$30 earshot of these.
    Reply
  • Zplendid
    I love my Gamma because I got it for $35 with a $25 MIR(which I received). Can't complain about a $10 dollar case, eat it 300!
    Reply