Desktop case suggestions sought...

[squiddley]

Hi

I'm having trouble in finding a reasonable desktop style case. Strange! Towers are less viable due to kids and inquisitive fingers, so I need to transfer my bits into a desktop case. Putting the tower (Inwin AS500 I think) onto the desk is not an option Prerequisites are:

ATX (!)
2 x external 5.25" bays (CDRW & DVD)
1 x external 3.5" (floppy)
3 x internal 3.5" (3 HDDs)

A plus would be front USB and even better IEEE1394 & MIC
At this stage, price no object !

Goggle has been somewhat useful, but the majority of hits are either too small, or simply too simple. Seems that a desktop style PC is simply not supposed to be able to accommodate more than 1 or 2 HDDs. I've gone off towers anyway, as I don't bother to overclock anymore - thus heat is not as big a concern as before.

Grateful for any suggestions & links!
Thanks.

 

[salman327]

Definitely look into the Antec Performance plus series from newegg.com. They fit all the criteria (i'm 99% sure about the 3 hdd bays). They come w/ front USB and Firewire, and are very well known cases.

 

[Derango]

Hmm...haven't seen many desktop cases around..

 

[squiddley]

Antec's own site only have towers in the Performance plus range, and the value desktop one is unappealing. Newegg has some nice and obscure names but almost exclusively towers again. Bah! I guess Compaq have given the desktop form factor a bad name lol. Will have to hit the town tonight and see what PC Mecca has to offer... this is HK afterall ! Trouble is, there's a lot of cr@p around:

Spoilt for choice but .. yuck !



[Edit: OK, "case" solved! There's a woeful shortage/absence of desktop style cases, so I ended up with an "LG-E2002B" tower. This could be just the shop's own model name, and not that of LG Electronics. A VERY nice, simple, smart box, with front USB/audo/mic panel. Can't find it on the complicated LG sites, but the transplant is done, and a happy bunny here.]

 

[salman327]

What's wrong w/ the performance series? (Isn't suppossed to sound rude)

 

[Naythn]

What's wrong with this case?

I think it has enough room

 

[ChrisADuffy]

This is THE desktop case to get at Directron - Coolermaster ATC-600

Good luck.

 

[ChrisADuffy]

Bump for more suggestions

 

[Neuroanatomist]

Palo Alto makes a nice desktop case (it's actually convertible as either a midtower or desktop with the change of the orientation of the 5 1/4 bays.

I think they are the original OEM for Dell's older (white) Dimension cases.

link to Palo Alto

review @ arstechnica

They are usually available at www.directron.com

 

[Derango]

<< What's wrong w/ the performance series? (Isn't suppossed to sound rude) >>



He asked for a desktop case...the performance series are all tower cases.

 

[ChrisADuffy]

<< This is THE desktop case to get at Directron - Coolermaster ATC-600 >>



Heres that link again:

Coolermaster desktop case.

Any opinions? I think it is a work of art.

 

[salman327]

desktop case...the key word. Sorry, I guess I didn't read it right. Thanks for clearing that up Derango.