New case needed

[leegroves86]

Want a new computer case, I have this Antec right now: http://www.tweaknews.net/reviews/antecplus1000amg/

The only problem with it is that it has only 80MM fan holes. Needless to say, the 80 MM fans are loud. Also, the front door is broke and the case is scratched up. The main problem is that its really loud. I want a new case that has 120 mm fans that keep things cold & QUIET. Also, I'm thinking about watercooling the cpu & gpu so that I can have a really quiet system.

I'm considering buying this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811233003

I really like the look of antec's but they dont' have all the 120 mm fan slots I want. The gigabyte seems almost perfect. 3 120 mm fans slots, holes pre-drilled for water-cooling, side window (A must!) and the side window doesn't have a hole in it (For a fan) so it should keep the sound in a bit better.

Its prolly not the best looking case out there (compared to antecs) but it will definitely work. It also is expensive, $150 for a case seems to much. Its a bit bigger than what a I need but I'd rather have it to big instead of 2 small. One more thing, if u look at the pics on newegg, the front fan looks to be completely useless due to the fact that right behind the fan is a steel HDD enclosure. Now maybe its just me but that doesn't seem to be the best way for air to come in.

Any other case suggestions? It will be a bit before i buy a case so i could wait until a better one comes out in the near future.

 

[EndGame]

P180. I like the Gigabyte and all, but, for my tastes.............the thing is just butt ugly.......... I like the smooth clean lines of the P180 and it fills all the needs I have for a case and keeps it very cool with great airflow. Either is good, but when push came to shove.....I just couldn't deal with the looks of the Gigabyte........

 

[leegroves86]

P180 is sure a nice case, but it doesn't have a window I wan't really wanted to spend 1k plus on a computer and not be able to see it! I really do need a case with a side window...

 

[FlasHBurN]

Akasa FTW!

 

[leegroves86]

hmm, never heard of akasa.... and they seems to be based in UK.

 

[FlasHBurN]

Originally posted by: leegroves86
hmm, never heard of akasa.... and they seems to be based in UK.

Overcool.com actually imports them to the US. Check out the other thread for some more information on it. I just wrote up a short review on my first impressions.

 

[iRONic]

Originally posted by: leegroves86
One more thing, if u look at the pics on newegg, the front fan looks to be completely useless due to the fact that right behind the fan is a steel HDD enclosure. Now maybe its just me but that doesn't seem to be the best way for air to come in.

The front[intake] fan works fine if you space the hdd's out.

Assorted pics

 

[Kahlos]

Deffinatly the P180. Its a sweet case. I have one my self. Really do you want better peformence or just being able to look at the computers insides. The cases which have been said so far look like they have flimsy plastic case. Get the P180 trust me. Its a beast. Its strong, good airflow and looks good.

 

[FlasHBurN]

Originally posted by: Kahlos
Deffinatly the P180. Its a sweet case. I have one my self. Really do you want better peformence or just being able to look at the computers insides. The cases which have been said so far look like they have flimsy plastic case. Get the P180 trust me. Its a beast. Its strong, good airflow and looks good.

You clearly know nothing about the Akasa then. They are almost equivilent to Lian Li in build quality, have more features, and are cheaper.

 

[iRONic]

Originally posted by: Kahlos
The cases which have been said so far look like they have flimsy plastic case.

The only plastic part of the Aurora 3D is the front lower bezel. The door is made from .025 aluminum and it's held on by real hinges. All in all a very solid, well made case.

 

[Zepper]

Aerocool Masstige/Coolview or Spiral Galaxies. AOpen Nouveau. Nexus Breeze. Or maybe something like this: S-10000 (or this: KeyPower A10-B, but you'd have to do your own window - no biggy. Thermaltake Armor, Shark, Eureka (did it get its name 'cause it sucks)/Thermalrock Circle (basically same as Spiral Galaxies, et al.). CoolerMaster Stacker. Check the Silverstone line too.

Browse around here too: http://www.yycase.com/ - if you find one you like, you'll have to find a place to buy - hard to find at a discount.

And here: BTOS

have fun
.bh.

 

[Kahlos]

Your right i don't know about aska but i know that the P180 is great

 

[Fluence]

Interestingly, I currently own an Antec Plus 1000 AMG, and am considering the Gigabyte 3d Aurora, and somewhat the P180.

Which did you end up purchasing? Especially if the Aurora, can you tell me your impression? I'm leaning heavily towards the Aurora despite the ugly bottom front piece, due to several critical factors:

1) I'm most likely going to go with a water cooling setup, is the P180 very easy to install a water cooling system in?
2) Weight. The Aurora weighs 1/2 of what the P180 does.
3) PS placement. People seem to have trouble with this due to hard drive placement.
4) Some reviews complain about noise from the P180.

Well, the post is over a month old, but I'm curious which one you ended up with and your opinion.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Boyo]

I almost bought a 3D Aurora. It is an excellent case, both in quality and airflow. Now they are offering it with a large side window along with the original mesh side. You can't go wrong with this case. It's huge, built like a tank, and primed for modding. You can easily put a 120mm blowhole for increased air flow efficiency, or a side intake. If you are spacing your HDD's, you have nothing to worry about with the front air intake. Those are the great qualities of the case. Aesthetics? That is all a personal preference, so don't buy a case because someone is telling you another case looks better. That's their preference, what's yours? I love the way the case looks, but in the end, the case was too big for my space and needs.

If you have any doubt about the Aurora, here are two reviews from very reputable websites. Bjorn3d - Aurora Case Review. X-bit labs Aurora Case Review

 

[Fluence]

I've pretty much settled on the Aurora, and am now trying to figure out a water cooling solution. Even though I don't love the way it looks, functionality comes before aesthetics, I don't hate it's appearance by any means, and it's the only case I've seen which features all of my desired features.

Of course, I may change my mind between now and when I figure out which MB and cooling system I'm going to implement, but I've read a lot of reviews and surfed Newegg for far too long already...

The water cooling system for this case is where I'm currently stuck...

Gigabyte's solution seems rather paltry, but is made for the case, after all... Thermaltake's Big Water SE is only $80 and seems decent, but ... I have a case which can fit a nice large radiator... building my own system is probably the way to go.

So, Boyo, which case did you end up with instead of the Aurora, and why?

 

[Boyo]

I wish I could help you with your water cooling, but I'm not enough in the know so you are better off asking one of the experts. But you won't have any trobule running water cooling in that case. Here is a review of the Aurora using a water cooling kit, which should give you a better insight as to whether it will fit your needs. bit-tech.net - Aurora & WC Kit

I went with a Lian Li PC-7 Plus II. Lian Li make great cases, so almost any model you choose will be a solid choice. There are several reasons why I chose this case. I wanted a well built aluminium case, with a nicely laid out interior and good air flow. I also wanted my case to have nice lines, and a clean front. I like that Lian Li uses its own bezels, making the color of your optical or FDD irrelevant. The case itself was inexpensive at $90.00, which allowed me a lot of room to mod the case and personalize it. In the end, it fit all of my criteria for how I wanted a case to look, the quality, and allowed room to improve.

Picking a case takes a long time, because just when you think you found the right case, there is a flaw that gets under your skin. Have an idea of what you want in a case, what you can do with the case, and whether or not you can wake up every day and smile at your own personal case. Visit websites and read case reviews, and visit case dealers like Performance-PCs.com Their selection runs the gamut, and the will do any custome mods that you may want. In fact, I cheated and bought my case from them and had them do all the modding. A lot easier than doing it myself, plus I live in a Condo, so where would I use a dremel on aluminium? I'd still be picking up the shards.