Hmmm....What case.....what power supply?

[Seabird]

I've decided to build my own computer and thought choosing a video card was difficult, boy was I wrong. Seems every component leaves me searching reviews for hours and hours trying to find a promising choice. Everything is starting to run together.

Well, now I've reached the case and power supply realm and have not a clue! Should I buy a case with a power supply, or should I buy them seperate? Are all power supplies created equal? Is a case just a case?

I sure would appreciate some advice or recommndations from the guru's out there!

Thanks!

 

[Viperoni]

You will want a nice quality case.
Something like the Antec sx830 or 1030's look good, and I hear they're pretty strong as well.
I have a Inwin q500n and I can sit on it....I'm 6foot 240lb's
Any quality power supply above 300 watts will do you fine, if you really want to invest in the future, get a 350watt Enermax.

That's about it

 

[mechBgon]

Here are some questions:

What's your budget like?
Do you plan to modify the case?
What will the system be equipped with, does it need room for lots of drives?
Is noise an issue for you?
Does it need to be light so you can carry it to LAN parties easily?
Do you need special features like front USB ports?

 

[Seabird]

I suppose the fact I have choosen to go with an AMD Thunderbird 1.1 would be helpful. Budget isn't a big issue, neither is weight or noise. I would like to eventually modify it, but only in the cooling area.

 

[Dundain]

Well, if you dont care too much about size (height, weight, etc) then I'd recommend the InWin Q500. Its a huge case, but has plenty of room for expansion, comes with space for 3 fans straight out of the box, and is pretty easy to get too. For $70 some not counting shipping I got it with a 300 watt AMD approved PS from www.mwave.com

You might also want to check out the SC-750A...it probably has the most amoutn of prebuilt fan spots of any case...but its very expensive...voer 150...

 

[fishingeek]

You can get the SC750A for around $135 if you look. I just got mine at googlegear.

 

[johneetrash]

i got an antec sx1030b with an enermax 330w power supply from directron... ordered it on weekend + new customer, came out to $135 with shipping.. it's a great looking case, very sturdy... i wish i had stuff to put in it though

 

[Stallion]

Check out Addtronics cases also as they are da bomb.

 

[Turdorf]

You might also look at the Yeong Yang cases that are at Case Outlet. I purchased their YY-1281 case which is a full tower case. It has the removable motherboard slot, and many extras. You can find the specific specs at Yeong Yang, but here are the main specs.

ATX V2.01 compliance
3-pieces cover unit - Easy accessibility
Hidden FDD design, keep the curve of bezel. Tested available for TEAC, NEC, YE-Data, Sony, Mitsumi, Panasonic, Samsung 3.5"FDD
Colorful bars available (optional)
Slid-in M/B mounting plate, easy for system assembly and pre-mounting.
Snap-in front panel, screwless and wire-free
Easy for system assembly and time saving
Supply the best ventilation
Rear lock bracket allows adding of optional security lock
Reusable metal cover for all exposed drive bays, allows systems' re-structuring and excellent EMI shielding
New-designed stainless fastener to replace the traditional M/B standoffs and screw, to save time and easy operation, no need screw driver
Standard front bezels and custom design available

The price you ask? How about $59 w/o power supply.

 

[S0me1X]

I just got a Yeong-Yang Lunar series for 49 + shipping (comes with 250w power supply). I absolutely love this case because of 1 reason:

It has room for TWO (2) 120mm fans. Not many "value minitowers" can support that claim!

 

[BigSmooth]

Seabird, I was in your exact situation about six months ago. I ended up getting an Antec KS282 mid-tower with the 300W PP303X power supply. I also threw a couple of 80mm fans into it.

For the first case I have ever built a system with, it did right by me. It was pretty cheap and it came with a quality power supply w/ a "smart fan". It's got a lot of room inside and it's good quality so you won't cut yourself anywhere. The temperatures stay low (and I am using the TaiSol HSF that came with my Duron) because the case has excellent airflow, especially when you add the 80mm fans into it..

Unfortunately, you can't get these from Onvia anymore with free shipping, but you can still get it pretty cheap. Here's a review and some user reviews.

Of course, I have no real frame of reference, but this one worked for me.

Edit: one side note... the metal I/O panel on the back of the case is a bit flimsy, and the holes for the mouse/keyboard inputs didn't match up perfectly to my ABiT KT7, so I had to cut the holes bigger. Antec will send you a new I/O shield for free if you have problems, though.
Oh yeah, here's a review of the power supply, as well.

 

[BigSmooth]

There's even a thread about the KS282 over in the Fatwallet.com "Hot Deal" forum... check it out if you are interested.

 

[Maverick2002]

Power supply? Enermax 330 watt for $55

 

[Turdorf]

I'm a bit confused about the enermax power supply. On the picture, there is a fan on the back like all power supplies, and there is also a fan on the side. Does the case need a hole in the side? What about tight cases where there isn't much room? How does this work?

 

[pbrain]

on the enermax, the fan on the side is the intake fan. depending on the case you put it in, it could actually be on the bottom or on the left side, sucking the air from around the cpu. it is positioned that way in the picture to show the fan.

 

[hagbard]

Enermax YES, Antec NO. I have two Elan Vital T-10 cases, really easy to work in and great quality. Check them out at http://www.elanvital.com.tw/ Elan Vital is largely owned by Asus, btw.

...hagbard