Be so kind as to recommend some cases?

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KalGor

Junior Member
Sep 28, 2004
18
0
0
Ok atm im looking at the CM Stacker, since it offers incredible cooling (actually planned on using all fans including 3 * 120mm intake on front).

But ive been wondering if all that cooling will REALLY be needed by myself.

The case itself is going to be used on a new computer im planning on building, and so there's no real hurry to decide on a case, but im planning in advance.

The system is going to be a A64 3500 or 3800, and then overclocked (hopefully) approx 20%.
Running on one of the new 939 boards, still waiting to see what is offered over the next copuple months.
Graphics im thinkin 6800 GT or Ultra (depending on budget at time of building).
OCZ 520watt PSU.
1 Gig ram.
XP-120 CPU cooler (if supported).
74 Gig Raptor HD.
Floppy/ 7-in-one card reader copy.
DVD Writer.

I mean when im looking at what im putting in, im thinking, do i REALLY need all THAT much airflow.
Can anyone with a CM Stacker (with all or majority of the fans in use) really come out and say its made a huge difference performance wise?
Would it greatly benefit my overclocking (yes good cooling is needed for overclocking, but will the CM Stackers cooling greatly increase stability)?
If you dont think so then PLEASE recommend me a case with decent cooling (baring in mind sound lvls).

I had thought about water-cooling but my lack of experience kind of put me off, dont want to risk damaging the new setup.

So as you can see im humming and harring over whether or not i should go for the CM Stacker, im looking for input from people with experience with a variety of towers.
As for budget, i would be willing to spend anythin up to £250 for the case along with fans for it (excluding the CPU cooler obviously).
Recommend to me you pros!
 
F

fanboi

Member
Sep 28, 2004
79
0
0
IMHO, Antec P-160 > all.

Quiet, good-looking, light, very functional, good cooling.

'Nuff said.
 
C

CraigRT

Lifer
Jun 16, 2000
31,440
5
0
Originally posted by: fanboi
IMHO, Antec P-160 > all.

Quiet, good-looking, light, very functional, good cooling.

'Nuff said.
Click to expand...

another vote for the P160... it's looks are subjective though. I think it looks almsot terrible but not quite.
I prefer the looks of the Coolermaster cases, but the antec has GREAT cooling, and it's nice and light.
not to mention the cool front display panel.
but it's a very functional case.
 
M

Mosad

Member
Oct 10, 2004
149
0
0
Antec Performance Plus 1080Plust AMG. Thats my vote... I love the looks... its so clean cut. Its also a very well made case with excelletn cooling and a great relaiabilty record... i am getting it for watercooling.
 
L

LifeIsTooShort

Junior Member
Oct 19, 2004
5
0
0
I just bought the Antec P-160 myself. I agree with CraigRT though that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I like the looks.
 
D1gger

D1gger

Diamond Member
Oct 3, 2004
5,411
2
76
I built my dream system inside the Tsunami Dream case, and it keeps cool and looks cool.
 
C

CraigRT

Lifer
Jun 16, 2000
31,440
5
0
Originally posted by: jose
I have the Stacker and love it. It's great for all the stuff I have in it. It is also great to work on because of the size.

I also have this Compucase also nice but not as big.

http://store.yahoo.com/directron/cslx6a19.html

Regards,
Jose
Click to expand...

that compucase or whatever it's called is fantastic... i don't know if they are called that where i get them, but for the higher end PC's I build for work, I use those cases... I really, really like it for a functional mid tower.

the picture doesn't do that case justice, it's well thought out and well built.
 
M

Mosad

Member
Oct 10, 2004
149
0
0
The problem with the P-160 is that it only stealths two drives... since i am going watercooling my bay res would show and would not look nice... in the Antec Performance Plus 1080AMG the door covers it all... it comes with a 430 True Power supply - itslef a 75 dollar value, and it is a big, proven, steel case - excellent for cooling - not so excellent for movment, which is not what i plan on doing. The closest picture i think that does it justice is on the antec site itself... then again, this is all personal opinion... The Tsunami, i think, is nice, granted, but something about it turns me away... perhaps it looks cheap? or as if i jumped on teh bandwagon... something about it...

Again, this is turning out to be a battle of opinions.
 
C

Codyz28

Member
Sep 11, 2003
141
0
0
Originally posted by: Snowice
i like the look of the Thermaltake Tsunami , but the funtionality of the p-160... decision, decision, decison :confused:
Click to expand...



I also vote for the Thermaltake Tsunami dream tower. This case is very cool, will never overheat anything inside, and looks awesome. I have the black one with a window, and beats the Antec Sonata in cooling and looks wise, my opinion. :)
 
P

prometheusxls

Senior member
Apr 27, 2003
830
0
0
Originally posted by: KalGor
Ok atm im looking at the CM Stacker, since it offers incredible cooling (actually planned on using all fans including 3 * 120mm intake on front).

But ive been wondering if all that cooling will REALLY be needed by myself.

The case itself is going to be used on a new computer im planning on building, and so there's no real hurry to decide on a case, but im planning in advance.

The system is going to be a A64 3500 or 3800, and then overclocked (hopefully) approx 20%.
Running on one of the new 939 boards, still waiting to see what is offered over the next copuple months.
Graphics im thinkin 6800 GT or Ultra (depending on budget at time of building).
OCZ 520watt PSU.
1 Gig ram.
XP-120 CPU cooler (if supported).
74 Gig Raptor HD.
Floppy/ 7-in-one card reader copy.
DVD Writer.

I mean when im looking at what im putting in, im thinking, do i REALLY need all THAT much airflow.
Can anyone with a CM Stacker (with all or majority of the fans in use) really come out and say its made a huge difference performance wise?
Would it greatly benefit my overclocking (yes good cooling is needed for overclocking, but will the CM Stackers cooling greatly increase stability)?
If you dont think so then PLEASE recommend me a case with decent cooling (baring in mind sound lvls).

I had thought about water-cooling but my lack of experience kind of put me off, dont want to risk damaging the new setup.

So as you can see im humming and harring over whether or not i should go for the CM Stacker, im looking for input from people with experience with a variety of towers.
As for budget, i would be willing to spend anythin up to £250 for the case along with fans for it (excluding the CPU cooler obviously).
Recommend to me you pros!
Click to expand...

I am not sure why anyone needs 3 120mm on the front intake. Its jsut a little like overkill especially if you only have 1 HDD. More fans actually make (believe it or not) more noise so you may be better off with just a borring old 1 in - 1 out arrangement.

WRT case cooling, there is a point of diminishing returns that is quickly reached w/ 120mm fans. Once your case temps are within 3C of ambient it really isn't worth it to try and blow more air (in or out) to reduce the overall case temps. All things being equal a 1-2C case temp change wont affect your OC or resulting stability much. If you are at a diminished return state, the only point of adding more intake fans is to pressurize the case and keep dust out (an ok idea) or to provide more airflow and convective cooling to a specifc place (HDDs VGA, CPU etc..) which can help to prolong component life. However teh HDDs , vid cards etc.. do not generally require forced convective cooling so the result is generally just more noise.

When I say case temps I mean the temperture of the case outlet. The ambient is the ambient room temperture set at the thermastat and measured at the case inlet.
 
P

pretzelb

Member
Oct 13, 2004
25
0
0
I have not seen this CM Stacker case before but jeeeshhhh, 3 120mm intake fans??!!! That's just silly if you ask me. How about some general guidelines for a good case?

[*] Largest you can get and use with your room / desk (easier to work on and cool)
[*] Steel and not aluminum if you want silence
[*] 120mm intake and exhaust
[*] Name brand or copy of name brand
[*] Good ventilation in front bezel
[*] Both side panels can be removed (makes mods easier)

Other than that, go nuts. You can probably start by just searching for "120mm" in the case area at NewEgg and see what comes up.

I think someone mentioned it but the key to cases is to try and get close to room temperature. It can be done with just single intake and exhaust if you do it right. Most Antec cases are examples of good basic case design. The LX-6A19 is another classic.
 
J

jose

Platinum Member
Oct 11, 1999
2,079
2
81
The CM Stacker has a 4 in 3 Device which is a cage that house's 4 - 3.5 hd's w/ 1 - 120mm fan in front for cooling.. You can add 3 such devices, I have 2 my self for 2 - 15k, 3 10k hd's.

It's not loud at all. The stacker also lets you mount your ps at the top or bottom of the case. I have mine mounted at the bottom, it runs very cool. Before w/ a Nitimiz case the same
ps ran very warm. The metal mess at the bottom of the case w/ casters keep your ps. running cool. I changed the rear fan to a Panaflow M1A 120mm fans & have a Zalman 7000Alcu
cpu fan w/ 2 - 4in3 devices. I get 54db at 1 ft away from the front of the case w/ all fans running at full speed. This is measured w/ a radio shack sound level meter..

Regards,
Jose
 
IEC

IEC

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Jun 10, 2004
14,597
6,075
136
Originally posted by: Mosad
Antec Performance Plus 1080Plust AMG. Thats my vote... I love the looks... its so clean cut. Its also a very well made case with excelletn cooling and a great relaiabilty record... i am getting it for watercooling.
Click to expand...

I can vouch for that, using one in my main rig right now with 5xCooler Master Neon Blue LED fans on a Zalman fan controller. :)
 
S

Subhuman25

Senior member
Aug 22, 2004
370
0
0
I'll throw in my $0.02 worth here.After long researching I settled for the Antec SLK-3700BQE.Why?
It's good quality,has a nice layout and looks handsome,expecially in black.It has good options like 120mm exhoust fan and a place for a 120mm front intake fan(filter already supplied) It's PSU is a 350W quality PSU.I love the side facing HD bays and the HD rails are superb as are the removable FDD cage and 5.25" slide rails.It has front USB ports.
I improved on this case by replacing the rear 120mm exhaust fan and adding a front one.I went with Antec Pro dualBB 120mm's,they push more air(I think 79CFM) @ low noise levels (20's db's) I also added an Antec NeoPower 480W PSU to up the ante for power consumption,although the stock one probalbly would have sufficed just fine.
All in all I have a very quiet(read almost silent) case with decent cooling and good power.IMO it's a hansome,non-nonsense,highly functional case and I'm very happy with it.
I'm not into the frills,glitter,gimmicks,disco cases or add-ons.This is a case you can set up in a living room next to audio equipment without it looking gawdy(gaudy sp?)
There is probably a good reason this is the case used by quite a few modders and sold under different model brands/names i.e. CompuCase LX-6A19,Acousticase etc.
And the price is definately a steal considering you leave it stock and maybe just add a front 120mm fan.
 
T

TotallyWired

Junior Member
Oct 15, 2004
17
0
0
Another vote for the CM Stacker.... http://www.newegg.com/app/View...=11-119-042&depa=1 Out of stock at the moment.
Lots of room for WC... power supply option top or bottom (or both for dual-power)... ATX, E-ATX and BTX ready, removable mb tray (after removing 15 screws I'm told), black model coming to U.S, BTX ready, steel, blowhole fan, 6 x USB in the front, BTX ready, 1 x 120mm front, 1 x 120mm back, 1 x 80mm top plus option of adding 5 more fans (if you like noise), optional side window (or just mod the existing), side panel has filter and option of adding 80mm fan)
Did I mention it was BTX ready?
 
K

KalGor

Junior Member
Sep 28, 2004
18
0
0
Thanks to all who have replied so far...

But if you havent yet... get your opinion in! I want to hear whar everyone recommends, and mainly why... totally open to options, nor will anyone flame your opinion (Everyone is entitled to one :)

To be honest im still hummin and harrin about what i want lol, so many nice cases out there, all with different features, but all that would make them a great case to own!

At this rate i can see myself doing Inney-meany-miney-mo, on the day of purchasin the parts lol :)
 
S

Subhuman25

Senior member
Aug 22, 2004
370
0
0
Antec SLK-3700BQE http://www.newegg.com/app/view...=11-129-140&DEPA=1 on sale for $75

PROS:
1.Reliable,notorious +quality brand

2.Good construction layout

3.Quiet case due to steel materials & 120mm fans & rubber HD grommets & silicone fan mounting pegs

4.Good cooling due to 120mmm fans & postioning(rear fan right under PSU exhaust-heat rises remember)

5.Comes with a decent 350W PSU already-again good brand name for PSU's

6.FSS cage removable

7.extremely simple drive installation - metal drive rails

8.Front intake removable,washable dust filter - easy

9.Thumbscrew panel removal

10.Sideways HD cage - makes seeing,chaning jumper settings easy,also cabling can be routed behind if you want and easy to hide then.From sitting here typing to you I can remove any of my drives within 20sec.

11.Handsome,no nonsense/frills/gimmicks/disco lighting - with me a big +

12.Front USB ports x 2 v2.0

13.MB centering standoff peg(minor but helpful with install)

14.Black color - personal opinion,like

CONS:
1.Heavier - affects you only if you're a LAN Party gamer constantly toting your PC around otherwise it's a benefit due to solidity,helping silence the case

2.No front audio I/O & only 2 front USB ports

3.No removable MB tray-only affects you if you take your MB constantly,tinkering system othewise it's a benefit due less moving parts = case silence

4.MB area a tad cramped - again only affects you if you remove MB a lot otherwise it's a snappy install.

5.PSU could be higher wattage output(exchanged mine for an Antec NeoPower 480W due to my power consuming components) otherwise it's a good PSU and runs most systems just fine

6.Front panel swing door - can be PITA if using FDD or optical drives a lot(changing CD's/DVD's a lot) Doesn't affect me 'cuz I don't much.Otherwise it's a benefit,keeps dust away from those bays more and helps silencing a bit too.

7.Not completely toolless - again mainly affects you if you change out hardware a lot.If not it's actually probably more secure & guaranteed to fit of slot cards

That about sums it it up for the Antec SLK-3700BQE
 
D

d3n

Golden Member
Mar 13, 2004
1,597
0
0
Just purchased two Silverstone TJ06-Bs to replace my game rig and fileserver cases. The fileserver doesn't need to level of cooling that the case provides but aesthetically they are awesome side by side.
 
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