**Cheap ATX Cases**

[conehead433]

FWIW- I had ordered two cases from Amamax last December and received both with no problems. I paid $17 each shipped for a decent X-Window case (w/o PS). I guess if customers like me who had good results from Amamax would fill out ratings surveys there reseller rating would go up. Unfortunately usually just those with a bad experience respond.
In a previous thread someone was even warning people about giving them your credit card. Like I said I had no problems with them. The X-cases I had bought were decent cases also. The interior edges were all rolled and not flimsy at all.

 

[Pothead]

let me just add that some people have had bad experiences with aramax, there is an old thread that you can read up on...I personally bought a case, had it double boxed and came nicely with a window for 25 bucks which they jacked to 40ish afterwards.

If you look at the cases at ht, they have no front intake fans or at least no real way to get air in, with the window at least you can have another fan blowing or sucking from the window...aramax use to be cheaper until FW and AT hit their site.

 

[Redviffer]

Thanks for the heads up, this way if someone I know is looking for a cheap case, I'll point them in a good direction. If I can, I try to talk them into this: Vexx. This is a deal for locals, as I think their shipping would kill it for most. Taking the basic case, no extra's, comes to $51 (then I get to pay state taxes), but it's nice to support a local business for once. Virtually everything else I buy is online. Let me also state that you get what you pay for, a cheap case means a cost saving is taking place somewhere: usually a cheap psu, and in the end it could cost you more than you think. The nice thing is that the thing that usually fails is the psu-fan, and the bearings usually will start making noise, take that as a warning that it's time to replace it.

 

[mikeford]

Amamax has a funky order form, when I clicked on the $25 case a description page came up with a bunch of pull down menu options I didn't notice the first time, and that added $23 in fans and cables to the base $25 price. To get the $25 price you have to select each of the pull downs and remove the optional items, which I did except for $3 for a front USB and audio option, so my total was $28 shipped.

I suspect many issues people have are due to overclocking. I don't do it, and avoid the problems.

 

[mikeford]

My case arrived fine (single boxed which was my cheaper choice, so luck was a factor).

I have to say this is both the cheapest case I have purchased, and the best so far (power supply looks fine, but haven't tried it yet). Only problem is that I ordered it with a front panel usb and audio option, and it only has the usb, but I can't really complain for the price/quaility.

Putting the system together now, so I may have more comments later.

 

[mikeford]

I finished the system and all works very well. In fact kind of makes all my other systems look cheap.

 

[DefDC]

I ordered this case and received it last week. Arrived speedy and in good shape. Looks nice and has front USB and audio. Not bad for $24 shipped! They threw in a free cleaning cloth with their logo. Ran out of funds for more spare parts, my dang transmission died... 🙁 Looks like I'll be building a lot of systems to pay for car repairs... 😀

 

[dvinnen]

Last time I built a system, i bit on one of these $30 systems with a PSU...

PSU blew up on the first run of 3dMark 01. My guess is that it didn't have enough ventelation because it was only single fan, plus the fact that it was a $30 case/psu combo.

 

[DefDC]

I'm building a few home servers. Gonna put some old-n-crusty vid cards I have lying around in them, or just get a mobo with onboard gfx... Should work fine for that. I am worried about ventilation. It might be a good time for me to finally invest in some modding tools. 🙂

 

[jhbball]

which psu/case did your order? I was thinking of buying one of these cases from amamax with psu and using it for my athlonxp server? Any comments?