Need a new mid-tower case. Budget, features, airflow, looks (in that order)

[GeneralS]

Trying to find a case for under about $70 (well under $70 OK too ). I need one with spots for 80mm fans (60mm spots don't help), space for one up front, and one below powersupply. Blowhole and/or side panel fan mount a plus, but not necessary. Prefer steel. Removable motherboard tray and all other features friendly to constantly opening, replacing, tweaking, etc. would be great too, and would really like a case I don't need to remove a power supply when I want to change cpu fans, that kind of thing. Needs to be mid-tower, because a full tower won't fit under my desk (and I don't need that much space). Case will never contain more than 3 5.25" drives, 1 floppy, and 3 hard drives (currently @ 2, but trying to think ahead).
Looks: would prefer black, but just non-beige ok too. Sorry to trouble y'all, but I'm getting frustrated (not to mention overwhelmed).

 

[GeneralS]

Is that just greedy? :/

 

[Pete]

I'd recommend the Antec SLK3700, but it doesn't conform to all your requests. On the plus side, it has two 120mm fan mounts; on the minus, no removal MB tray, and it may be too tall. I think it's a great case, though (rubber HD mounts, fan filter, easy install of 5.25" drives, good PSU, etc.). It should be ~$70--check PriceGrabber.

I own the SLK2600, smaller and without most of those nice features, but it's a good and good-looking (I really like the color--CompUSA may still sell it, if you want to see it in person) little case for the money, and it (barely) fits under my desk. My next case would be a 3700 or a Sonata, though--better cooling with less noise.

 

[GeneralS]

Thanks, pricegrabber has it for $65 shipped. I really got attached to the idea of a removable mobo tray, tho, spose I'll keep looking.

 

[KF]

When you find that case, please let other people know.

Removable trays don't seem to be as easy to find as they once were. And people don't seem to be to enthused about them any more. I wonder why.

I have an old Inwin (full tower) with a removable tray that slides out the back. It comes out with the PCI cards and all, or used to. Unfortunately with the huge 80mm fan on top of the large CPU heat sink, it wont quite make it out the back opening. Taking the tray out to put the HS on was one of the primary attractive features. Since I have to take the fan off even to slide the tray out, it is easier to just leave it in for things like changing memory. You had to pull out the ATX power and other wires anyway, so it wasn't all that convenient before either.

What are the uses of a removable tray in your opinion?

Here is one thing I absolutely do not want on a case. A door covering the CD and the power switch. I don't know about other people, but I put CDs in the DVD and CDRW. The dang door is in the way. If the door were hinged on the right, it wouldn't be so bad, but I have my case on the right so I can use my right hand, and since the left side of the case is the side that opens for hardware changes, it is more convenient having the case on the right for that reason too.

Anyway I got an slk2600 on sale at CompUSA for $50 AR. I spent considerable time trying to figure out how to get the front door off without breaking the teeny little plastic hinge pins, so I could possibly put it back on. Well they put it in, didn't they? Probably snapped in. Why can't you get it out? The little extra trick is that you can bend the plastic door outward in the middle quite a bit, and thats enough. Then a little screw driver prying under one hinge gets it off undamaged. ( Yeah I know you need three hands, or almost. EVERYTHING needs three hands.) Plastic! That's how they do things. (But it is possible to make things which snap in that won't snap out. I know ... They make remote controls like that.)

 

[Cerb]

Originally posted by: GeneralS
Trying to find a case for under about $70 (well under $70 OK too ). I need one with spots for 80mm fans (60mm spots don't help), space for one up front, and one below powersupply. Blowhole and/or side panel fan mount a plus, but not necessary. Prefer steel. Removable motherboard tray and all other features friendly to constantly opening, replacing, tweaking, etc. would be great too, and would really like a case I don't need to remove a power supply when I want to change cpu fans, that kind of thing. Needs to be mid-tower, because a full tower won't fit under my desk (and I don't need that much space). Case will never contain more than 3 5.25" drives, 1 floppy, and 3 hard drives (currently @ 2, but trying to think ahead).
Looks: would prefer black, but just non-beige ok too. Sorry to trouble y'all, but I'm getting frustrated (not to mention overwhelmed).

Evercase e4252
Beige (fugly)
pics
Black (nice)
pics

Steel: check, and very sturdy.
Mobo tray: near impossible to find nowadays unless you go microATX or pay big bucks. I plan on buying my neighbor a new case so I can get one when I make a custom case out of (hopefully) a beer case.
80mm fan mounts: check. Will also fit 120mm in the front, but not really designed for it
Blowhole: check, and it works fine with the blowhole open but no fan (how I prefer it)
You will have to take out the mobo, not the PSU, for those CPU changes. If you don't want that, go coolermaster and PAY .
Airflow: BIG CHECK. This case cools near anything just fine with only a 7v rear exhaust fan, even with crappy CPU coolers. Just do a simple tuck of the IDE and floppy cables and you're totally set for cooling.

 

[techiecool]

well i am looking at the slk3700 and evercase 4252 an i can't seem to decide between the two. it will house either a 2.4C or barton 2500. pete/cerb, any tie breakers between the two...cooling and quiet are my main objectives. thanks

 

[mrzed]

Well I just got the 3700 and I can tell you that in both cooling and quiet, it would be far better than that evercase.

Advantages: Built in 120mm fan mounts front and rear, rubber HD grommets to reduce noise.

Evercase: could be modded to accept 120 front from the looks of it, but not easily on the rear.

Note that the 3700 stock is not really a silent pc. It pretty good, about on par with the average Dell tower, but the PSU is a little bit loud. It is easy to silence it a bit by unhooking one of the 2 PSU fans though.

 

[GeneralS]

Thanks for the input re: mobo trays. I've never had one, but found the idea attractive and I hadn't thought about stuff like large CPU heatsinks etc. getting in the way (I've got a largish fan on a largish 60-80mm adapter on a largish heatsink, so I imagine I'd be in trouble ), so I suppose I can scrap that. The evercase looks like the one for me at this point: It's a little bit cheaper, grills and mounts are for 80mm fans instead of 120 (wouldn't normally be an issue, but I really like these panaflo L1as and I just picked up 6 of them), it doesn't have that front panel cover door thingy (that I don't want or need), it has a fan mount that'll blow nice cool air right to the CPU, but doesn't have one up front (till I find my dremel), it's decidedly less perty than the antec, but I'd like to find a review of the evercase.

 

[joshg]

Well, another thing that you might consider is that, every time that I have seen it, and IMHO, Evercase = "off brand"

Not that there is anything wrong with that...

But the current case that I am/was using was branded as an "Evercase" by the website that I bought it from. It was, well.. a case. Nothing to get too excited about. Cheap feeling, thin metal exterior that's really floppy and just not very sturdy feeling. The paint is rough and course, and, just as the metal, of very thin material. Nothing too special about it, you got your drive bays, motherboard mounts, PSU hole, etc... Everything feels rough and you could probably slice your hand open at any moment on the metal. Like I said, "just a case...".

However, I'm doing a major upgrade (well, basically a new computer but reusing drives and video card, I guess ... ). I ordered an Antec SLK3700AMB last week and received it yesterday.

Well, after I did a few mods to my Abit NF7-S board and installed the CPU and HSF, it was time to put it in my new case... So I got out my knife and proceeded to open the fancy box that my Antec case came in.

After I opened the box and removed the case, I immediately noticed something significant about it - this is a QUALITY item, in a MUCH different class than the "off brand" computer cases that I'm used to! The paint was very shiny and smooth, and the actual metal and body of the case was THICK and STURDY! Being my first experience with a "name brand" case, I'd never seen anything like it!

Anyhow, after getting it out and taking it apart, you notice that the attention to detail (and quality in that detail) is very phenominal. I'm in love with this case!

Heck, even the screws are smooth, shiny, heavy steel! (as opposed to the lightweight steel alloy screws that have come with every other case I've used - and I used to build PCs for family, friends, friends of family, friends of friends of family, etc. etc... once one person learns they don't stop calling! )



... Basically what I'm trying to say is, I recommend NOT buying an "off brand" case just to save $20 or so.. trust me, the difference is WORTH IT!

If you've ever worked with other cases and then try out a name one (like Antec), then you will definitely notice a difference almost immediately!

That's just my $0.02, take it as you will...

 

[GeneralS]

Bleh, you're just trying to make it difficult for me
Found some other cases that suited me better than the 3700 : http://www.ninjalane.com/display.aspx?docname=antecsx635 but nothing in my pricerange.

 

[mrzed]

If the 3700 is too much for you, and you want 80mm fan mounts anyhow, look up the SLK2600AMB. It's the little brother, having most of the features of the bigger one, but 80mm instead of 120 fan mounts. It should be a little smaller too, and about $20 less.

 

[pspada]

Try TheChipMerchant's $34 Raidmax case

Part#: 41400
Power Supply
350W
External Bays 5.25"
4
External Bays 3.5"
2
Internal Bays 3.5"
4
Cooling Options
(1) 80mm side auxiliary case fan (Included)
(1) 60mm back auxiliary case fan (optional)
(4) 80mm front auxiliary case fans (optional)
Special Features
* Excellent mid size case
* AMD Athlon Approved power supply
* Front USB

 

[Cerb]

Originally posted by: joshg
Well, another thing that you might consider is that, every time that I have seen it, and IMHO, Evercase = "off brand"

Not that there is anything wrong with that...

But the current case that I am/was using was branded as an "Evercase" by the website that I bought it from. It was, well.. a case. Nothing to get too excited about. Cheap feeling, thin metal exterior that's really floppy and just not very sturdy feeling. The paint is rough and course, and, just as the metal, of very thin material. Nothing too special about it, you got your drive bays, motherboard mounts, PSU hole, etc... Everything feels rough and you could probably slice your hand open at any moment on the metal. Like I said, "just a case...".

Ew...there is a crappy looking one on Newegg as well, but the 4252 has never cut me...the Epox backplates do, however.

However, I'm doing a major upgrade (well, basically a new computer but reusing drives and video card, I guess ... ). I ordered an Antec SLK3700AMB last week and received it yesterday.

Well, after I did a few mods to my Abit NF7-S board and installed the CPU and HSF, it was time to put it in my new case... So I got out my knife and proceeded to open the fancy box that my Antec case came in.

After I opened the box and removed the case, I immediately noticed something significant about it - this is a QUALITY item, in a MUCH different class than the "off brand" computer cases that I'm used to! The paint was very shiny and smooth, and the actual metal and body of the case was THICK and STURDY! Being my first experience with a "name brand" case, I'd never seen anything like it!

The E4252 is as well built. However, you're baout to list a few things that make the Antec costlier. I like the Evercase E4252, and you cannot beat it for the money, but "You get what you pay for" works out well, here.

Anyhow, after getting it out and taking it apart, you notice that the attention to detail (and quality in that detail) is very phenominal. I'm in love with this case!

Heck, even the screws are smooth, shiny, heavy steel! (as opposed to the lightweight steel alloy screws that have come with every other case I've used - and I used to build PCs for family, friends, friends of family, friends of friends of family, etc. etc... once one person learns they don't stop calling! )



... Basically what I'm trying to say is, I recommend NOT buying an "off brand" case just to save $20 or so.. trust me, the difference is WORTH IT!

If you've ever worked with other cases and then try out a name one (like Antec), then you will definitely notice a difference almost immediately!

That's just my $0.02, take it as you will...

 

[Cerb]

Originally posted by: mrzed
Well I just got the 3700 and I can tell you that in both cooling and quiet, it would be far better than that evercase.

With stock fans, yes. They use some cheap loud things w/ the Evercase.

Advantages: Built in 120mm fan mounts front and rear, rubber HD grommets to reduce noise.

Evercase: could be modded to accept 120 front from the looks of it, but not easily on the rear.

Lots of work to get one in the rear . Very easy for the front. has room for grommets on the HD cages, but no actual grommets.

Note that the 3700 stock is not really a silent pc. It pretty good, about on par with the average Dell tower, but the PSU is a little bit loud. It is easy to silence it a bit by unhooking one of the 2 PSU fans though.

 

[GeneralS]

Sigh OK. With that more specific info above, it's down to three cases. An Antec 635B II ($70-110), the Evercase($35), and a Chieftec Dragon ($25-60). The Antec is by far the nicest of the cases, so it's now a matter of deciding what kind of quality I need to justify an upgrade from my current case.

--Edit/update: Ebay auction came and made my decision for me. Found the Evercase for even cheaper, and couldn't say no. Hope Cerb and Joshg are right and wrong, in that order. Thanks to everybody who posted