Clear cases?

[Jest3r]

I was looking at some sites and stumbled across some completely clear cases, which I assuming is made of acrylic. I had some concerns about these...

- General durability? (i.e. I can imagine glue wearing off)
- Enough room/slots for several customizations?
- Enough heat dissapation?

I plan on building a gaming computer, and I am weary to use a case such as this. Anybody have any personal experiences with these?

 

[Modelworks]

Don't worry about the 'glue' wearing off, its not a glue.
Its a solvent, like the kind that is used on pvc pipe.
If you have ever joined two parts of pvc pipe with the cement, you know its near impossible to separate after it dries.

Customizing would actually be easier than in metal cases.
You can cut acrylic with a hot knife or dremel tool fairly easily.
You can also add to the cases acrylic with cutouts of your own, attaching them by just using the cement.

Heat dissipation shouldn't be an issue either as metal cases really don't dissipate the heat, its the fans job to do that.

I don't really care for one myself because I don't like the clear look. I like the insides of my case hidden

 

[AmberClad]

Acrylic is incredibly easy to scratch. You'll need to treat that case with kid gloves if you want it to remain pristine.

 

[Zepper]

Easy to scratch, a dust and fingerprint magnet, doesn't contribute at all to containing/shielding from RFI/EMI radiations. Plus can be noisier than a steel case but may be less noisy than a lightweight aluminum case. Cooling can be a wash with a well designed fan setup. Generally not for work-a-day use - for store displays, trade show exhibits, science fairs, etc.

.bh.

 

[imported_wired247]

It will work just fine as long as your airflow is sufficient.

However, it looks disgusting after a while. you will see all of the dust very clearly, and zombie moths will take up residence from time to time

 

[coolpurplefan]

At least you can see the dust so you can get rid of it.

Sunbeam makes them and even keyboards to go with them. I think it's a pretty wicked idea although I haven't built one like that.

http://www.sunbeamtech.com/PRODUCTS/Acrylic/Acrylic.htm