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Looking for a top quality Case - Suggestions welcome

A

Alkali

Senior member
Thanks to the guy who posted links to good websites (in a sticky), I went to one of them and found 2 case manufacturers I hadnt seen before, Cooler Master, and Thermaltake. I really like the design of both the top Thermaltake 6000 series case and the CoolerMaster 710 - but they also seem very functional, which is great.

Basically I have started a project for my latest computer by buying all the basics (but real quality basics) first (including case), then I'll get down to buying the mobo and CPU/Ram later - probably around the time of Clawhammer's and/or >3Ghz Pentium 4's. The decision about all that equipment wont be made yet, I'll wait till the rest is ready. For now, all I'm concentrating on is the Case 😎

If anyone feels like contributing to my project, by way of comment or instruction, please have no hesitation 🙂

Heres my basic requirements:

1. I live in the UK, so I have to always check if they are US companies that they do shipping, fortunately most do nowadays 🙂
2. Must have some real nice design concept whatever that may be, side window would be very nice to have
3. Cost is not an issue, I will put up to £300/350 (around $500) into the princess of all cases (excluding PSU)
4. The bigger the better, minimum of 4 internal 3.5" drive bay slots, excluding FDD slot
5. Cooling - Must be capable of taking multiple fans, the more the better (Thermaltake's solution seems to be great, 5 quiet case fans (2 front, 2 back, 1 side))
6. Cooling - I'm not a water-cooling guy, in fact overclock very rarely, I just like really nice and cool running hardware - although I will get those Thermaltake passive RAM heatsinks for my RAM.

Regards,
Tim
 
holy crap, 500 bucks? damn.

well, my vote goes to antec. maybe aluminium? but really, if i had the time and that much money? I'd mod the crapp outta that case.
 
Well I did lots of rooting around, and found my perfect case... my only problem is that it seems its only available to be shipped to Japan and the US :Q

Heres the beauty the MT-Pro 3000 DP2 Deep Purple case


Please someone tell me you have one, or know where I can ship one from, I've fallen in love with a PC case.... 😀 The only problem is the price is just a little bit expensive, but hey whos counting... $881 with a colour-matched DVD-Rom

*thinks

Ok so thats a lot of money and even over my own budget (which I thought was well enough)... but I guess if you want the best you pay through the nose *cough*

Regards,
Tim
 
Anyone know anyone with a soldam case, or know of an english language version of a review for a product of theirs? I know of only one from 3DVelocity of the 1100 model.
 
Are you aware that the Coolermaster 710is actually the Antec SX10x0/Chieftec DX-01 case with an aluminum faceplate on it? You get all the benefits of the Antec/Chieftec case (great cooling, lots of bays, excellent construction) with a cool aluminum faceplate, AND you can switch the door so it opens from left-to-right.

I got one to replace my SX1040 and I love it. It's a little expensive (I paid $129 for the case with no PSU) but it's visually a cut above the SX1040 and performs just as good.
 
Thanks for the info Ralf 🙂

At the moment here is my shortlist:

-Antec SX-1240 Tower Case
-Lian-Li PC-75 Aluminium server Full Tower
-Thermaltake Xaser II 5000 Plus Tower
-Coolermaster ATC-110 Case with Window Side Panel
-Coolermaster ATC-410 Case
-Soldam MT-Pro 2200 Mid Tower Deep Purple
-Soldam MT-Pro 3000 DP2 Full Tower Deep Purple

More suggestions or comments very welcome 😎
 
Thanks nagger, (I've chosen the PC-75 version from Lian-Li as it has a built-in window pre-installed 🙂 Only problem i can see with that case is that I would be unconfortable put the drives in sideways
rolleye.gif


Anyway, updated list:

Lian-Li PC-75 Aluminium server Full Tower (HDD's in lower cage have to be vertical)_______________£238.00_________Chillblast.com
Coolermaster ATC-110 Case with Window Side Panel______________________________________£191.00__________PCMods (linked from OCPrices) / Chillblast(£260)
Soldam MT-Pro 2200 Mid Tower Black with colourmatched DVD-ROM & CDRW & Opt01, Opt02_______£665.00__________Soldam
Soldam MT-Pro 2200 Mid Tower Deep Purple with colourmatched DVD-ROM & CDRW & Opt01_______£740.00__________Soldam
Soldam MT-Pro 3000 Black with colourmatched DVD-ROM & CDRW____________________________£592.00__________Soldam
Soldam MT-Pro 3000 DP2 Deep Purple__________________________________________________£508.00__________Soldam
Soldam MT-Pro 3000 DP2 Deep Purple with colourmatched DVD-ROM__________________________£584.00__________Soldam
Soldam MT-Pro 3000 DP2 Deep Purple with colourmatched DVD-ROM & CDRW___________________£699.00__________Soldam

I'm having a hard choice whether to stick with a 'normal' Lian-Li or CoolerMaster, or go with the Top-line Soldam.
 
Check out some of the Chieftec cases if you havn't already. Aluminum versions of the Antec cases (although now I think antec has their own line) and they come premodded with a very spiffy looking window. They are all over the place, and you can probably pick one up in the UK.
 
I just heard this morning, that Vapochill's cases have all been slashed in price!!! down to 500 euros!

Maybe I should get one of those babies, and run a P4 at 3.1Ghz.. 😀
 
Thermaltake case are antec/chieftec cases with an aluminum door and the hardcano cooling thing. 🙂 Pretty

I say go Lian-li. If you ever get the opportunity to see (actually feel) all of these cases in person, you will understand why. The Lian-li is simply one of the best quality cases money can buy. Also, there is nothing wrong with your hard drives being vertical.

In regards to the MT-Pro, it is simply not in the same class as the Lian-li. I think that it is made by the same folks who manufacture the lower end Enermax cases (CS-003-A106). Why? The insides are almost exactly the same!

If you like the all anodized aluminum, go Lian-Li. If you like simple aluminum construction go antec/chieftec. If you like a fancy pretty simple aluminum construction, go Coolermaster 710.

 
Another vote for the Lian Li. I've had mine for about a year now and it is easily the best case I've ever had. Great quality, cool, good looking and light. I've modded mine with a window, blue neon, 8 fans and ordered aluminum drive bezels to match the case. (I painted the floppy to match)

If you have the money - you can't go wrong.
 
So has anyone actually got this model of Lian-Li? The PC-75 Aluminium server Full Tower?

I think the only reason why I already hav'nt already bought it is because of mounting those drives in the lower drive bays sideways, it just seems unatural to me, but I'm sure you guys are right.
 
if it makes you feel any better, our rack storage servers here almost all of the hard drives are mounted sideways.

these include old proliant servers, and our dell poweredge servers.

Keep in mind, even the server towers that we have from compaq and dell, they all come with kits to mount them sideways - I'm thinking these manufacturers wouldn't allow that if there was a problem with hard drives mounted sideways.

and if anybody is going to dwell on heat dissapation, don't even start. If anything, mounting them horizontally is bad ESPECIALLY if you have no fans because the heat from one hard drive gets trapped under the next. at least with mounting them sideways, heat can escape thru convection (heat rises remember), but we lian-li owners don't give a sh*t because of the two HDD cooling fans in the front 🙂

here is a pic of my pc60

to answer a few questions, yes, I have a cooling fan in front of those 3 hard drives in the middle. I'll be filling up the bottom once my order comes in....all about that, 4x80gb IBM gxp120s and 3x60gb lolololol
 
Thankyou for you input DongTran 🙂

I'm pretty much thinking either the Lian-Li PC-75 or CoolerMaster ATC-110 (with built-in window) now.... and I will go for the Lian I think due to its size (I'm sure its larger than the CM).
 
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