case form question re: mini vs mid tower

[Blues X]

Anyone have an opinion on mini-tower vs. mid-tower cases? I'm looking at the Antec SLK1600 Mini Tower case (300wPS, for $49 at Googlegear.com). But I'm worried that it might be too cramped.

Googlegear has a house-brand case that's a mid-tower with a 300Wps for the same price (give or take a couple of dollars).

I can't afford any of the king-daddy cases right now, so I'm looking in the just-above-cheapo category. Suggestions are welcome.

 

[amdskip]

For that price range, get an evercase at newegg. Smaller cases are nice for space reasons but sometimes there isn't enough room for future expansion and heat buildup can be a problem if there isn't proper ventilation.

 

[Blues X]

plus, a small case and my big hands may not get along

Thx for the info.

 

[Blues X]

I checked out the Evercase at Newegg. The reviews are really positive, so I think I'm getting it. Thanks for the info.

I'm deciding on power supplies right now. There are two that look good and are in my price range. They are:

Directron Silent TT-350SS (here: http://store.yahoo.com/directron/silent370.html

or

Enermax 350W EG365P-VE http://store.yahoo.com/directron/eg351pve.html


Any opinions either way? Or other suggestions?

 

[mechBgon]

How about getting an Antec SX630II? Comes with a fairly good 300W PSU and a case fan, has a side door that swings right off, quick-release hard-drive cage, really strong and not too huge. You can get it from Staples.com with free shipping, and if you find the $10-off-$50 coupon code, then you can get it for $74 shipped (plus local taxes). That's less than the Evercase + Enermax combo would cost with shipping from Newegg, for me anyway.

If you don't mind a case with a door over the bays, there's also the Antec SLK2600 for $62 shipped before coupon & tax. Same Antec-brand SL300 power supply, but I don't believe it comes with a case fan.

 

[Kingofcomputer]

there is no exact definitions of mini-tower and mid-tower.
some manufacturers call this as mini-tower, some call this as mid-tower, some even call entry-level server case as mini-tower.

My definition of mini-tower is the PSU sits on top of the motherboard - block the cpu or ram slot, normally fewer than 3 5.25 bays.
Mid-tower is the PSU sits at least out of the motherboard, normally more than 4 5.25 bays.

When buying a case, you should look for the dimension, number of the 5.25 and 3.5 bays, not just how the manufacturers or the sellers call it as mini or mid-tower.