Looking For a New Case

[ShadowValentine]

Hello,

This is my current case:
http://i750.photobucket.com/albums/xx145/ValentineShadow/Case/IMG_20130830_134953.jpg

Its side panels were damaged, and unfortunately I have been unable to find replacements. So I was looking to upgrade; It's a full tower case, Lian Li PC-V2000, and I'm looking for something similar in size (No taller though). Any suggestions?

Forgot to mention, I am located in Australia. However price differences in America are probably similar to those in Australia, so recommend away ^^

Budget, probably <AU$400 if possible, but it's flexible.

 

[lehtv]

Can you state what hardware is going into the case and if you have any preferences regarding overclockability, noise levels and LEDs

 

[ShadowValentine]

Sure.

Currently, I'm thinking of porting my entire system over, which contains:
ASUS Rampage III Formula
Intel i7 950
3 x 4GB Corsair Dominator
ASUS GTX 680 DirectCU II
Corsair HX 1000W

I'll be looking to fit 2x SSDs, 1x DVD drive and 7 HDDs inside.

I don't intend on going overboard with overclocking, probably minor software overclocking without messing with voltages. My CPU has a strange after-market heatsink which has two fans sitting unsecured on top of the PSU (See picture). Not sure what to do with that, exactly...

Noise level, preferably low but it's not a huge deal. LEDs also not a huge deal, I prefer less to more for those but wouldn't turn a case with LEDs away.

I've got another thread here about changing some parts when I port systems.

EDIT: Something that also has a / support for a Dual 2.5in to 3.5in SSD Bracket Adapter too would be nice, but I'm pretty sure every case would... Well, it's here just in case =D

 

[lehtv]

Hmm, that's a lot of drives. Few cases have more than eight 2.5"/3.5" slots. I would suggest getting a Fractal Design XL R2 which has eight 3.5" HDD trays (all compatible with 2.5" devices.). You can try if that dual 2.5" adapter works here, that would mean the 8 slots are enough to install all your drives. Or get one 5.25" to 3.5", or get rid of one of your HDD's. What capacity are your hard drives?

I'd also get a CPU cooler that you can actually attach fans on

 

[ShadowValentine]

I'm looking at replacing them, since one is being a pain. There's more detail on the other thread I linked, I might replace them with 2TB caviar blacks.

Your link doesn't work. And like I said, it's weird xD Might just buy another Cpu and install that, use the stock cooler on that. Don't know much about coolers, or really hardware in general xD if there are any suggestions on good coolers I'll definitely take them on board.

 

[lehtv]

Arctic Cooling i30 is pretty balanced. Not the highest performer, but it's quiet, inexpensive, takes up a moderate amount of space and it's covered by long warranty.

Fixed that link.

I wouldn't buy Caviar Blacks. Seagate ST2000DM001 is a lot less expensive per gigabyte. Or if you upgrade your mobo+cpu, you can use 3TB drives like ST3000DM001

 

[ShadowValentine]

That case looks pretty good, could put these fans in (they seem pretty low-q though). Are those Seagates as reliable as WD? I'm rather new to hardware in general, so forgive me if these questions have been asked before xD

Would I be better off getting a better cooler if I can spare the money, or is that my best bet?

 

[lehtv]

Generally yes, any hard drive will have about the same life expectancy. The main reason Black costs more is it's supported by a 5 year warranty. The Seagate drive is actually faster.

With your overclocking goals, you don't really benefit from a better cooler.

 

[ShadowValentine]

The Asus Rampage III Formula had two oc settings for the i7, one puts it up to 3.33 (which I'm currently running) and another that clocked it higher that I'll look at when I get home. Will either of them be a problem to run?

I ran a p95 test on it, held at about 75C under full load with the current cooler.

 

[lehtv]

Sorry, just realized the i30 is not compatible with the older LGA 1366 socket.

Do you have Thermalright over there? Look for HR-02 Macho, True Spirit 140. They are usually not very expensive and perform almost as well as Noctua D14

Cooler Master 212 EVO is a classic, should handle up to about 3.5-3.6 but it's a bit noisier than the above, and not as efficient. Also don't forget Cooler Master TPC coolers.

Scythe Mugen 3/4 are both excellent.

 

[ShadowValentine]

http://www.austin.net.au/cooler-master-tpc-812-vertical-vapor-chamber.html
http://www.austin.net.au/coole-master-x6-socket-am2am3-intel-socket-11.html


Found these after a quick look, I'll look through PLE, MSY and PC Case Gear in more detail when I get home. it looks like we don't have the Scythe or Thermalright. I'm willing to order online if the difference is worth it though

 

[lehtv]

TPC812 is good, a bit on the expensive side for what it is but good. The other one I have doubts about

 

[ShadowValentine]

My phone was being awesome, so I'll just edit this post.

Yeah, the second link looks like it's slower and less efficient, but about half the noise. Not that it matters to me. It'll be about 3 hours before I get home, I can do a more thorough search then.

So the Fractal will be my best choice for a case?

 

[lehtv]

You posted that already

 

[ShadowValentine]

Shh, it's gone now =P

 

[lehtv]

I doubt the X6 will be half the noise of TPC-812. The max. dBa rating for the TPC-812 assumes you run it at full speed. I would recommend using the "silent" mode adapter which caps the RPM at 1600. Even that's a bit higher than what I'd find acceptable with most fans, but you have the further option of adjusting the PWM control mode in BIOS, usually there are options like silent, balanced, performance or low/mid/high.

Also, dBa ratings are not always be trusted, although since these are coolers from the same company they are probably fairly comparable.

 

[ShadowValentine]

So in your opinion, don't worry about upgrading the CPU, just change the heatsink and get the Fractal?

Also, where would that be in Bios?

 

[smitbret]

The Fractal Design R4 will fit the bill, too, if size is an issue. You can mount the SSDs behind the motherboard and save the HDD bays.

 

[lehtv]

So in your opinion, don't worry about upgrading the CPU, just change the heatsink and get the Fractal?

Whether you should upgrade the CPU is up to you... i7-950 is no slouch, but on the other hand a current gen CPU would be quite a lot faster per thread, and the GTX 680 could definitely benefit from a new CPU in games that are CPU dependent. In addition, your hardware is getting older and older, the sooner you sell it the better price you're going to get. New hardware would also save a bit of electricity, so by holding off the upgrade you stack up electricity costs that could be reduced from the initial cost of the upgrade

You could probably keep your 3x4GB of RAM and either use 2x4GB or add another 4GB module. An i7-4770K and a decent board can be had for $465 ($375 at Microcenter).

Also, where would that be in Bios?

Depends on the motherboard and which BIOS it uses. Check your manual... Asus boards typically have good fan control options

 

[Aikouka]

Hmm... you know, I've been pondering selling my Lian Li V2000, but mine's black. I'm rather surprised that your side panels bent. I've joked in the past that if I ever heard an intruder in my apartment, I would just grab my V2000's side panels and ward them off!

 

[Jacky60]

Have you considered Xigmatek Elysium? It's going to house my new build and seems about the best available for anything near its price.

 

[ShadowValentine]

Nah, the contact I got the system from tried to mod it and failed dismally...

What would you recommend as a good upgrade, the board you linked or was that just an example? I'm starting work again now, so I'll do some quick searches when I can and might do a more thorough search when I get home.

Also would the ram then be quad channel, since apparently it's in triple channel now?

 

[lehtv]

The board was an example but coudl also be a recommendation. Z77X-D3H is a well rounded board, not extreme or overflowing with needless features, but is has way more than the bare essentials. Another example is Asrock Z77 Extreme4 which actually has a bit better sound quality and more power phases for the CPU (neither of which makes or breaks the deal).

RAM for LGA1150 is dual channel, which means you can run it in pairs of two. Having four modules won't make it quad channel unless you're on LGA2011.

 

[aigomorla]

care to explain to me what got damaged?

the side pannels on a V on the back side is a very thick ALU.

If your talking about the plexiglass window u had... why not just replace that window?

you wont find better cases in honesty... the V series from LL is one of there most epic cases.

 

[Aikouka]

you wont find better cases in honesty... the V series from LL is one of there most epic cases.

If only they were made these days and had all the modern conveniences that we're used to. My biggest complaint about the V series is the poor cable routing -- especially from the PSU.

They're definitely great cases though. I think I owned every single model as I had a V1000, V1200 and V2000. I still have the latter two, and I built a PC for my mom in the small one. When she brought it into a tech place, they were surprised to see a case with wheels. :biggrin: