A DEEP mid tower monochrome case w/removable drive cages?

[imported_boe]

Hello,

I was thinking about buying another Compucase LX-6A19 - I love the amount of bays you have for hard drives - I typcally put in two optical, one floppy, and at least three hard drives. I like the fact that you can easily remove the entire hard drive bays as well.

The only issue I have on my next rig is that so many video cards are rediculously long such as the 3870x2. I want to be sure I have no problems with long video cards should I get one and the Compucase LX-6A19 is at least two inches too shart if I get a long card.

Anyone here recommend a similar case but with a greater depth? I believe the Compucase LX-6A19 is about 17" deep.

I'll be looking for one without any doors as I tend to rip those off so I can easily get to the optical drives at all times.

Thanks

In summary - ideal case

1 - One color - I hate the half silver/half black white

2 - DEEP - ideally at least 19" deep for longer video cards

3 - removable drive cages. I really find it much easier to work on perhaps if it is deep that won't be as critical.

4- reasonable price - I'd like it to max out at $150 - the compucase LX-6A19 goes for about $40 - if they made the same case only 2" deeper I'd buy it again in a second.

I'm not too concerned about the fans or power supply as I use my own to make it quieter.

 

[Zepper]

Look at the Rosewill R5605 - door swings back against the side of the case, so you won't have to rip it off to keep it out of the way. Hard to find a better case for the money. I reviewed the 5604 w/ comments on the others in the series here:
http://www.techimo.com/reviews...roduct.php?product=431 . The Rosewill R6A series is the same as the Compucase - The R6X has a cleaner card area with the drives out of the way, but IDK what the actual length is there while the 5600 series has a measured 11". Anyway, the vid card makers have wised up and are making the cards shorter.

If you need deeper, take a look at the XClio WindTunnel or Tagan Monolith (same case).

.bh.

 

[imported_boe]

Thanks for the reply - it does have a front door that I don't want, it is not monocrhome - so it might be a good case but not right for me.

I can find plenty of deep cases - but most are more than one color, or have front doors - my goal is to meet all 4 criteria -

1. one color either black or white but not silver and black or silver and white etc.

2. deep - 19" or more or close to 19" on a full mid tower - not mini and not full tower

3. removable drive bays - I really like that feature

4. Reasonable price - anything under $150 I'd say is acceptable.

The Rosewill R6A34-BK would be fine if it was about 2" deeper. - I don't like the drives turned sideways but I may go with a R604-P BK or a R5717-P

 

[Zepper]

The 5605 is all black. The 5604 is silver/black and you can get it all black (or the 5604's silver parts snap out and you can paint them whatever color you want), but the door doesn't quite open 180 deg while the 5605's door opens 270 deg:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...3&Tpk=Rosewill%2bR5605
. That's why I recommended the R5605 and not the 5604. But the whole 560x series series is based on the same, fine chassis design.

It always helps to understand a message before replying to it. So I don't understand what you mean by "removable drive bays" but that is all I didn't understand from your OP... If you mean like the 6A series, then I know what you mean, but since there are really so few out there that have that, you may not be able to find something that's deep enough. The Silverstone Kublai KL02 has a nice removable drive cage and is plenty deep - all black too. I did a review of the KL01 (same as the 02 except it has a door) here: http://www.techimo.com/articles/index.pl?photo=296

And the Global Win from ComputerNerds :
http://www.computernerd.com/ca...nfo.php?products_id=29 -is very nice and almost entirely disassembleable - the plastic front bezel is gray, but easily solved with a can or two of Fusion. This case is the basis for the Akasa Eclipse 62 and the Ultra m998, both of which sell for over $150.00...

.bh.

 

[imported_boe]

Thanks for all the info - before I started this thread I probably would have purchased another compucase - now I'm leaning towards the http://www.newegg.com/Product/...1147056&Tpk=R5717-P-BK - while it isn't perfect it does seem like a reasonable choice. I hadn't looked at the rosewill models - seems like it is pretty close to what I want. I may modify the front lower grill for better airflow - we'll see how it all works out.

Thanks again for posting the info.

I'm getting stoked - I've got just about all the parts picked out but the motherboard and CPU I want won't be available till next month. I'm having a hard time deciding what to do about a video card but I probably have about a month to decide. Of course the VGA cooler solution depends on what I'll end up getting. I've built a number of similar quiet (not silent) cases and even all my IT friends are impressed with how silent my PCs are even with a few hard drives, optical drives, and gaming video cards.



I'll post the other system components I'll be putting in - just in case someone has some personal experience with these parts.



Gigabyte GA-X48T-DQ6 GIGABYTE GA-X48T-DQ6 ATXIntelMBoard GIGABYTE GA-X48T-DQ6 LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX Intel Motherboard ... Read More
Dealer Part N82E16813128068 Manuf Part GA-X48T-DQ6

Intel BX80569QX9650 Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 3.0GHz LGA 775 130W Processor Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 Yorkfield 3.0GHz 12MB L2 Cache LGA 775 130W Quad-Core - I might get the QX9550 - not sure

I may go with a 3870x2 or a couple of 3870s- I wish nvidia would release their new chips (not a dual GPU but totally new chips) The 8800GT isn't bad bang for the buck though - just the ultra and others don't give you that bang for the buck I'm looking for

Kingston Technology KVR800D2N5K2/2G Kingston 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Memory Kingston ValueRAM 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM

Seagate ST3500320AS Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500GB 3.5 SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb s

Seagate ST3500320AS Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500GB 3.5 SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb s


Seagate ST3500320AS Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500GB 3.5 SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb s


Generic Scythe SCSM-1000 Samurai CPU Cooler


SEASONIC USA SS-500GB SeaSonic S12 II SS-500GB 500W Power Supply SeaSonic S12 II SS-500GB ATX12V EPS12V 500W Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL CE CB TUV FCC


Samsung SH-S203B/BEBN Samsung SH-S203B/BEBN 20X Double Layer DVD+/-RW SATA Internal Drive(Black

Samsung SH-S203N SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model SH-S203N SAMSUNG Black 20X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 20X DVD-R 6X


Scythe S-FLEX SFF21D (800rpm) Scythe S-FLEX SFF21D Case Fan Scythe S-FLEX SFF21D 120mm Case Fan
I'm not sure if I'll get 2 or three - depends on the side vent.

http://www.coolerguys.com/840556081043.html
http://www.coolerguys.com/840556081500.html
http://www.endpcnoise.com/cgi-...acoustipackdeluxe.html
Home Depot - 2 Cans - plasti dip spray paint
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...1147056&Tpk=R5717-P-BK
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811999211
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16812123114

All things combined this comes to between $2100 and $2800 depending on my video solution and CPU - not cheap but I'll probably have it a few years.

 

[Zepper]

Note that the customer reviews on the 5717 tell the tale against the 5-egg R5600 series or the 4+ egg R6A series. Those are the only two series worth looking at of Rosewill, IMO. The 5717 has a very restrictive fan grill on the rear that will need to be cut out and I think I checked on that one and there is no fan mount at the front - relies on the rear fan to pull the air thru the front grill... Not good! Go to "read all reviews" and sort from worst to best to get the bad news.

.bh.

 

[Zepper]

Skip the Kingston Value RAM - I never had a stick of that that didn't go bad in a short time (less than two years is short to me regarding RAM modules). Warranty replace them and the replacements went bad eventually. I've got Corsair in that system now and no RAM trouble. Get Crucial, Corsair, OCZ or Mushkin instead - I think Crucial has a rebate going now.

I just got come HP 667 modules that were OEMed by Micron Tech (same as the Crucial basic modules) and tested the crap out of them with no errors. Clocked them up to 750 w/ no problems - many say they clock to 800 or more maybe with a little voltage bump. And get singles unless the Dual Channel kit is cheaper than a pair of singletons. I've never had a pair of singles fail to work fine in Dual Channel mode - just a marketing hype.

And measure your RAM voltage with a DMM (digital multimeter - see my HotDeal at sears for half price) - sometimes they are significantly different than what they are supposed to be by your BIOS setting. I don't like to take voltage reading right off the regulator pins, but that is often the easiest and helps locate the test point, so you might not have to do it that way a second time. Breathe and blink while testing, makes your hand steadier.

.bh.

 

[imported_boe]

Thanks - I'm reading the reviews and they seem to say I can put a 120mm fan in the front - I have a couple of them listed under things I plan to buy for this case.

I think you are right - I'll probably have to modify the front for better air flow or I may be able to put in a very shallow side fan - I'm OK with having to modify it as long as it doesn't look like crap when I'm done. I typcally drill and dremel my compucases for better ventilation anyways.

Sorry to hear about your bad luck with Kingston - I've probably bought about 100 of them so far and so far I haven't had any bad luck. I'm sure the Corsair is good as well - if I can get them for the same price or less I have no issue with trying them out.

 

[Zepper]

So you're OK with the cracking, plastic HDD rails, etc.? A case can last thru many cycles of core compnents, so why go with a bottom feeder for one feature that is largely irrelevant. The YY versions of the 5600 series go for 70 to 90 Euros ($100 and up) in Europe - makes the Rosewill versions a steal here. And their toolless drive rails are mainly metal - hard to break.

.bh.

 

[imported_boe]

While I'm definitely not thrilled about the rails - I have two thoughts - I read one guy had no problem just screwing the drives in directly - my other thought is that I might be able to use some of the various rails I've gotten from other systems - not sure if they'll fit or not but I have no issue with screwing.

Is that ideal - absolutely not!

I'm definitely not saying this is my ideal case - frankly I wish they'd put the drives in the standard direction.

I'd end up tearing off the front cover on the R5605 and then I'd be pissed I paid for something that makes it looks nice and now it looks hoaky. Ideally I'd combine some of the features of that, the 5717 and the R6A34 since all have features I want but none is perfect. I have no doubt they could make a great one if they did just combine those models to make a deep model - a slide out cage that faces a better direction for air flow and had better rails- just my opinion though.

 

[Zepper]

Oh, and the 5717 HDD rails also lack the rubber anti-vibe bushings that the 6A series and the 560x series have.

.bh.

 

[imported_boe]

Thanks the 6a units aren't deep enough for me - sadly as they look great otherwise - I'd definitely get one if they were just a little deeper as they are basically the same case I have now (which also is not deep enough). Are the antivibe units you are talking about the little rubber rings for the screws- or the pads for the cage to help with the cage rattling? I have rings for my screws and the plasti dip paint I spray the cage with does a good job of eliminating any rattle.

 

[Zepper]

The rubber bushings for the screws - they are built into the HDD rails on the 5600 series. You'd have to mod the 5717's HDD cage for them.

.bh.

 

[imported_boe]

Good stuff - I appreciate all the info you are sharing.

 

[imported_boe]

Should i put in a SIDE 80mm in the front next to the hard drives?

I just got the rosewill 5717-P-BK. Not shabby at all for $35! It has a little more space for longer video cards than my old case 6A19. It has a 120 in the back (i'll replace it with a scythe probably) It has space for a 120 in the front which i'll defintiely install. It has a grommet or whatever you call it going to the CPU - I'll have to trim with a dremel as it will probably be too long but that is much better than them supplying one that is too short.

I'll be putting a 120 on the side panel below the CPU vent - it has holes and vent area already. This is a good thing as my old video card ran warm as it didn't vent out the back.

The only thing I'm debating is that on the SIDE of the hard drives there is space for a THIN 80mm. I'm not sure if I'll do anything with that - it might be a good idea or it might just mess up the air flow from the 120MM in the front. Any thoughts or previous expeience? I'm also debating putting larger gaps in the drive cage instead for better air flow from the 120mm in the front.

Frankly I've seen CPU temperature programs and I've seen VGA card temperature programs. I have no idea if they exist for Seagate SATA drives.

 

[DerwenArtos12]

Originally posted by: boe
Should i put in a SIDE 80mm in the front next to the hard drives?

I just got the rosewill 5717-P-BK. Not shabby at all for $35! It has a little more space for longer video cards than my old case 6A19. It has a 120 in the back (i'll replace it with a scythe probably) It has space for a 120 in the front which i'll defintiely install. It has a grommet or whatever you call it going to the CPU - I'll have to trim with a dremel as it will probably be too long but that is much better than them supplying one that is too short.

I'll be putting a 120 on the side panel below the CPU vent - it has holes and vent area already. This is a good thing as my old video card ran warm as it didn't vent out the back.

The only thing I'm debating is that on the SIDE of the hard drives there is space for a THIN 80mm. I'm not sure if I'll do anything with that - it might be a good idea or it might just mess up the air flow from the 120MM in the front. Any thoughts or previous expeience? I'm also debating putting larger gaps in the drive cage instead for better air flow from the 120mm in the front.

Frankly I've seen CPU temperature programs and I've seen VGA card temperature programs. I have no idea if they exist for Seagate SATA drives.

answering your questions in reverse order, HDDsmart compatibility requires and internal temperature probe, therefore 99% of consumer class hard drives have them. Programs like Speedfan should be able to detect HDD temperatures.

Staggering your hard drives so there are gaps between them is a very good idea to help improve airflow from the front fan. I think an 80mm on the side, unless and exhaust is just going to interfere with the front fans flow.

I'd probably put an 80mm in as an exhaust for the hard drives and rely more on that bottom 120mm on the side pannel and the CPU duct for itake air flow.

 

[imported_boe]

Thanks for the info - I see you are answering my same basic question in another thread.

 

[RealGun]

typcally put in two optical, one floppy, and at least three hard drives. I like the fact that you can easily remove the entire hard drive bays as well.

I love my Cooler Master 810 for the reasons you site.

There is roome between the motherboard and drive area I put my pump behind the motherbaord and it does not touch the Drive area. Length is awsome!
There is room for 8 HDD and 2 DVD and a FDD.
The 4 HDD I have are under the DVD drive in the 4 in 3 cage. 4HDDs is teh space of 3 5.25 bays. and you can add another of these.

Wanna see what I did?
I added a few switches.