I have a case i dont like it bought a new dont like it either choices

zikronix

Golden Member
Nov 12, 2002
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Ok I have a CM690 Love the looks and the styling of the case it great. HATE the cable managment

So i picked up an Element S By Thermal right....Love the cable management hate everything else about it.

Then i saw the cm 690 II....awesome it think thats what i want.

I dont know what do you think.
 

Hey Zeus

Banned
Dec 31, 2009
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Buy whatever makes you happy bro. I just ordered the Stacker 830 after lusting over it for months
 

MisterDonut

Senior member
Dec 8, 2009
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When it comes to cable management, Sir Dremel knows best ! Just take one to the case, sing a Disney song, and watch all your problems go away.
 

RaistlinZ

Diamond Member
Oct 15, 2001
7,470
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91
Buy whatever makes you happy bro. I just ordered the Stacker 830 after lusting over it for months


I can see why. :D

cm_stacker_1_sm.jpg
 

zikronix

Golden Member
Nov 12, 2002
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my problem is im a cheap @ss the cm 690 i got it for 40 bux shipped the element s i got for 50 shipped...i know that 690 II is gonna be like 150.00

and i aint spending that...so out of what i have what do you think
 

MisterDonut

Senior member
Dec 8, 2009
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If you like the 690 better aesthetically, stick with that. Just take a dremel to it, and you'll fix your cable management problem. Remember, you have to stare at this thing everyday.
 

zikronix

Golden Member
Nov 12, 2002
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seriously if you look at the 690 it make you think wtf were they thinking with this halfass attempt at cable managment
 

LOUISSSSS

Diamond Member
Dec 5, 2005
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lol u bought 2 cases back to back and didn't even like that?????? how retarded lol
theres pictures and indepth reviews online that tell you every single thing about the case.

go ahead and buy that 3rd case, peeps like you are great for the economy
 

zikronix

Golden Member
Nov 12, 2002
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lol u bought 2 cases back to back and didn't even like that?????? how retarded lol
theres pictures and indepth reviews online that tell you every single thing about the case.

go ahead and buy that 3rd case, peeps like you are great for the economy

yea...the 690 i got i read that cable management sucked but i have some one whos willing to buy it for 70 which is cheaper than youll find it here in az. and more than i paid

then i got the element s and the cable management is cool but im not really a fan of the case...i went and looked at it at the local shop then when i got it home i was like meh....i can return that one or sell it for 80 which once again is more than i paid for it...so its not really a loss for me
 

MisterDonut

Senior member
Dec 8, 2009
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lol u bought 2 cases back to back and didn't even like that?????? how retarded lol
theres pictures and indepth reviews online that tell you every single thing about the case.

go ahead and buy that 3rd case, peeps like you are great for the economy

You could tell him to think before buying next time, instead of insulting him like that. Peeps like you are bad for this forum. Buying on impulse is not something uncommon in the world. It's called buyer's regret.
 
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Piano Man

Diamond Member
Feb 5, 2000
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Ok I have a CM690 Love the looks and the styling of the case it great. HATE the cable managment

So i picked up an Element S By Thermal right....Love the cable management hate everything else about it.

Then i saw the cm 690 II....awesome it think thats what i want.

I dont know what do you think.

The cable management of the cm690 is fine if you do two things:

1. Remove those crappy plastic cable runners
2. Cut out that lip out on the back of the MoBo tray. Maybe not the whole thing, but where you'd run cables.

At that point, the cm690 has awesome cable management since everything can go behind the MoBo tray. That's what I did for my dads build.
 

Tullphan

Diamond Member
Jul 27, 2001
3,507
5
81
I feel your pain about cases.
I started out with a custom-made-for-me LX-6A19 & it started going downhill from there.
I'd always loved the looks of the LL V1000B, but didn't want to pay the premium.
I bought a CM 690 back when there were practically giving them away. It was ok...nothing special...made cheap, imho.
I finally found a pre-owned V1000B that had been slightly customized & purchased it. I wasn't real thrilled with my temps, so..........
I found an older Alienware case...really cool looking. I think it was the MJ-12. Well built, kept the hdd's cool, but didn't help the cpu temps.
Next, I bought a P180B back when they were dirt cheap...then a Sonata III. Again...they were OK, but nothing special. The P180 cooled a little better, but the side panels were cheap & broke easily.
I found a Stacker 830 at a really good price...again, seemed to be made cheap & wasn't that much better with cooling.
Back to my LL.
I continued in my search for a case i'd like as good or better than my LL when I came upon a deal for a Coolermaster Sniper. I thought this would be it...big azz fan on the side, front & top. Excellent cable management. Nope. Wasn't impressed.
Back to my LL.
All the reviews in the world won't help you make up your mind...believe me, I read & re-read reviews on the majority of these cases (save for the Alienware), but in the end I stuck with a case that I always liked even though it didn't get glowing reviews.
What i'm trying to say is get a case that YOU like...one that YOU'LL be happy with. Don't continue spending $$'s on something you won't be happy with...just spend them on something you will.
With that being said, after owning 3 CM cases, I seriously doubt i'll see another in my future. They just don't seem that well made, IMHO.
 

Hey Zeus

Banned
Dec 31, 2009
780
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I feel your pain about cases.
I started out with a custom-made-for-me LX-6A19 & it started going downhill from there.
I'd always loved the looks of the LL V1000B, but didn't want to pay the premium.
I bought a CM 690 back when there were practically giving them away. It was ok...nothing special...made cheap, imho.
I finally found a pre-owned V1000B that had been slightly customized & purchased it. I wasn't real thrilled with my temps, so..........
I found an older Alienware case...really cool looking. I think it was the MJ-12. Well built, kept the hdd's cool, but didn't help the cpu temps.
Next, I bought a P180B back when they were dirt cheap...then a Sonata III. Again...they were OK, but nothing special. The P180 cooled a little better, but the side panels were cheap & broke easily.
I found a Stacker 830 at a really good price...again, seemed to be made cheap & wasn't that much better with cooling.
Back to my LL.
I continued in my search for a case i'd like as good or better than my LL when I came upon a deal for a Coolermaster Sniper. I thought this would be it...big azz fan on the side, front & top. Excellent cable management. Nope. Wasn't impressed.
Back to my LL.
All the reviews in the world won't help you make up your mind...believe me, I read & re-read reviews on the majority of these cases (save for the Alienware), but in the end I stuck with a case that I always liked even though it didn't get glowing reviews.
What i'm trying to say is get a case that YOU like...one that YOU'LL be happy with. Don't continue spending $$'s on something you won't be happy with...just spend them on something you will.
With that being said, after owning 3 CM cases, I seriously doubt i'll see another in my future. They just don't seem that well made, IMHO.

A case is only as good as the fans you load into it. The Sniper case fans SUCKED but the case rocked when i loaded it with 100cfm fans :)
 

Tullphan

Diamond Member
Jul 27, 2001
3,507
5
81
With the exception of the Sniper case, I used Yates & Scythes fans.
I was also trying to go for somewhat quiet...something else the Sniper didn't provide, even at low speed.
I don't want a case that's going to sound like a 747 taking off! :)
 

zikronix

Golden Member
Nov 12, 2002
1,324
0
0
The cable management of the cm690 is fine if you do two things:

1. Remove those crappy plastic cable runners
2. Cut out that lip out on the back of the MoBo tray. Maybe not the whole thing, but where you'd run cables.

At that point, the cm690 has awesome cable management since everything can go behind the MoBo tray. That's what I did for my dads build.


hmm intresting concept....im disassembling the box today as im getting ready to replace my c2d 8400 with an i7 870.
 

JoshGuru7

Golden Member
Aug 18, 2001
1,020
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Spending money on a case makes sense when you consider that you'll have it for longer than anything else and the airflow and fan layout do affect the speed, noise and stability of your system. Cramming a lot of expensive components into a $20 AR case will work but I'd simply rather put a $350 card into a $150 case then a $450 card into a $50 case.

I like the HAF-932 ($140?) a lot if it isn't going in your bedroom and you aren't planning on moving it very often.
 

mentalcrisis00

Senior member
Feb 18, 2006
522
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0
Personally I think the Thermaltake Element S is a great looking case. Sleek, simple, with a touch of flair in the LED fans and the areas they're mounted. I'm always a sucker for the matte black interior/exterior finish as well :) I had a case crisis for something like 6 years, I went through so many cheapo cases and still I was unhappy with all of them. I tried modding cases, building my own cases, and sifting through hundreds of reviews to find something I liked both functionally and aesthetically. Just recently I looked into the Antec P180 case again because I remember seeing it a couple years ago but didn't want to spend that much money. I finally said what the heck and bought it on the FS thread new for under $100. I couldn't be happier, it's much more quiet than my old case and I'm all for the sleek and simple design.

I'm not saying you should go buy a P180 case but what I think I'm saying is that you have to settle for something that you think looks good and will serve your needs. If you take into account that you've already spent about $150 or more on 2 cases and still aren't happy, you might want to look at the higher price point.

However if you are happy with the looks on the CM690 I second what others have said, just mod it for better cable management. Be careful not to take too much metal off as you might render a brand new case useless. Be sure to take out all the components as there will be alot of metal shavings that will ruin your hardware (sort of obvious but I thought I'd put it out there). Also make sure when you're done to thoroughly clean the case and smooth out the edges of your cuts. It might even be worth it to roll the cut outs so there aren't any sharp edges, although this is hard to do without precision tools. I've seen rubber edge material some have used to cover cutouts of that sort but have no idea where to get it. I'm sure someone will chime in and clarify the stuff I'm talking about.

Good luck.
 
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