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Are aluminum cases really worth it?

K

Kamui

Senior member
Hi guys,
I am trying to figure out what to buy for my new case. Should I just stick with the conventional steel cases or should I venture for the new aluminum cases? I read somewhere that aluminum dissipates heat 3 times faster ... a interesting fact, but does it really work that well for a computer case?

Any thoughts ?

Thanks

Kamui
 
The heat transfer issue is a bunch of marketing crap.

Aluminium cases tend to be better made, more convenient and look better than most of their steel counterparts. They also weigh MUCH less.
 
The previous poster is right... Aluminum's conductivity is three times higher than steel.... but most of the heat dissipation in a computer is convection (and plain old airflow)... so a steel case is just as good.

The lighter can be nice if you move your case a lot... or you can do what I've done: I have an Antec SX1080B (great case, weighs a ton, though)... but mine's on top of a filing cabinet on wheels. If I need to modify/move it... I can just roll it around.

Also keep in mind that good aluminum cases are EXPENSIVE.

Best of luck!
 
I would say lightness is the key factor since Al weights in at a ratio of 26: 55... So its more than twice as light as a steel case, buts thats just assuming both cases have the exact same dimensions and are made the same shape and everything. Also Some one mentioned the better design quality of Al cases. This in only true some times just as some steel cases are very well made so beware what you are buying and have fun building your PC🙂
 
I've got a lian li and to me it was worth it. I plan on using the case for quite awhile, so I wanted to get something nice. IMO, the silver lian li's look great and they're built great too. If you won't be using the case for long, I wouldn't bother spending the money. But if you plan on using it for awhle, I think you'll find it is well worth the money.
 
just got my lian li this past week; its GRRRREAT.. hehe.. seriously though if you've got the cash and like nice stuff.. you can go wrong with lian li.
 
Take note though that steel cases will provide better EFI shielding and noise suppresion than aluminum cases.
 
I love my Lian-Li. It is worth every penny. As for better cooling, it didn't do anything for my temps. The Lian-Li is the cadillac of cases as far as im concearned. Im trying to convince my wife she needs one for her computer just so I can put a computer into one again. 🙂
 
Aluminum cases only cool better because they are better designed. Think about it: it would only let out the heat from the hot air inside the case. If you have good air flow (which is important in steel and aluminum cases), this will make no difference. If you made the same cases out of pure steel, you would see only a slight difference, if any.

It's this simple. Does a copper heatsink cool better than an aluminum one? Al most always yes. Now, if I turned the fan on, but laid the heatsink on the bottom of the case, would that cool the processor? Of course not. This is not as ridiculous of a comparison as you may think. Your proc isn't mounted to your case, is it? Why, then would the case material have much to do with the temperature of your components. In almost every case, aluminum will help. However, that's because in almost every case the air flow isn't ver good. Put some effort into case design and you'll see no diffference either way.

Sorry for the rant, I just get tired of reading people who make a big deal out of the fact that aluminum cases cool better. It's late; I'm delirious.
 


Kamui

You gotta actually see a Lian-Li to make your decision.

I thought the whole Aluminun thing was a bunch of hooey until I was on a business trip and had a chance to go to a fry's for the first time (The one by the burbank airport, very convenient if you got an hour to kill).

All I can say is seeing is believing. The cases are very well designed and very light. If I was building a computer right now I would give one of these cases serious consideration...............

 
you can also visit comp usa to check them out. at least my local cusa had some. it was slightly modded too..

BTW i did not buy an al case cuz it cooled better; i really dont believe that statement. i bought strictly for LOOKS

good luck
 
I have a small chilli professional aluminum case that I absolutly love. It's hard to work with, but it fits great in my (very) small room and looks absolutly sweet. If I had room for a bigger case, I would have gotten a coolermaster.

Most of the hooey about them being better cooling cases is just that - hooey. My reasoning is that I can't stand ugly beige boxes (or noisy boxes) and I wanted something with some style (gee, I should just get a mac.....the dark side is looking better and better all the time 😀)

 
I'll just add another vote for AL cases...

I too have a lian-li... the quality cannot be beat... it is significantly lighter than my old steel case... extremely sleek as well... it's a mid tower but the roomiest one I've ever seen.

The only downside, as others have said, is the cost. But if you've got the $$$, go for it.
 
Has anyone here used both the chieftec/antec steel SX1030 AND the aluminum chieftec AX-01SLD? I'm going to get an aluminum case soon, and I don't want to pay for a Lian-Li and wondered if anyone had used the new aluminum chieftec cases
 
I personally don't think that steel cases are all the heavy at all. It's all the components that really weigh it down.
 
I personally don't think that steel cases are all the heavy at all. It's all the components that really weigh it down.
Click to expand...

What case do you have now? my antec SX1040b is very heavy, and it only had minimal hardware (1 cd drive, 1 hdd, etc)
 
Take note though that steel cases will provide better EFI shielding and noise suppresion than aluminum cases.
Click to expand...

Although it may be true that steel technically supresses noise better, it won't be noticable. Also I'd like to say that I too bought my lian li not because I thought it would cool better, it doesnt, but because it looks awesome and its built great.
 
What case do you have now? my antec SX1040b is very heavy, and it only had minimal hardware (1 cd drive, 1 hdd, etc)
Click to expand...

My secondary computer uses a generic, yet very good case from eBay, and my primary system uses an Enlight 7237 case.

 
They're eye candy. If you want to spend the money, you could get one. Though I would not think of it as a "performance upgrade" at all.
 
I have a Chieftec coming in pretty soon. It's a yellow (Antec SX1040 model), aluminum model with a side panel with a large acryllic window. It was $129.99 at newegg.com with a Turbolink 420watt powersupply. Weighing in at a supposed 18lbs (haven't received the case yet), it's the same as the Antec/Alienware cases, Chenmings makes them I think, and it was relatively cheap for being aluminum. And, they have a variety of colors. Lian Li cases are nice, I saw some at CompUSA also. But dang, this case being aluminum and a power supply that big is a bargain. I'm probably going to replace it with an Enermax 550 or something because I've never even heard of Turbolink.
 
hehe I have a SkyHawk ALP4350U-SL case
very nice, and not very expensive at only $70

seen here

the pic isin't very nice, but if u see one in person its absolutly slick
 
Although it may be true that steel technically supresses noise better, it won't be noticable. Also I'd like to say that I too bought my lian li not because I thought it would cool better, it doesnt, but because it looks awesome and its built great.
Click to expand...
Friend, it depends on the thickness and quality of the material used. A 1.2mm thick steel will provide better EMI shielding and noise suppression than standard aluminum.
 
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