Please help decide: Compucase 6a21 vs Yeongyang-5604 vs Antec SLK3000 vs Enermax Chakra 3052?

[Ygrec]

Hi there,
I'm trying to match a cool&quiet budget case for the system as seen in my profile. I suppose cooling shouldn't be too big a problem, since I have a very modest system with onboard video. Have read many reviews and browsed a few forums, including this one, but still can't decide. The looks are not that important, I find all of them OK, the question is which of the above is better in terms of airflow/quietness/solid construction? I plan to install two (or one, if I get Antec, which apparently comes with one good fan) Glacialtech Hydrodynamic Bearing 12cm case fans.
I kinda tend to get the Compucase 6a21, 'cos it's the cheapest and yet seems to have everything - 0.8 SECC, anti-shock pads for HD and solid build, but while this case is often mentioned, I couldn't find a single detailed review or recommendation (just one in Dutch). Also, this case has been around for quite a while - perhaps the newer ones are better? And in one of the forums someone wrote that 6a21 is not well constructed for keeping it quiet.
Yeongyang-5604, a.k.a. Rosewall R-5604, seems pretty similar to 6a21, only for some reason it's about 2kg heavier, and it would cost me about the same. Antec also seems OK. For Enermax I found the most reviews, and they are pretty good (the only problem mentioned is the flimsy top panel cover). Enermax would cost me about $25 more - but that's not a problem, I'm just thinking about the "Massively curved meshed front panel" - isn't that bad for noise isolation? Besides, if Enermax isn't any better than the Yeongyang or Compucase in terms of isolation, circulation and build quality - why pay more?
So I'd appreciate any feedback, especially from owners of one of the above cases, especially the 6a21, which I tend to prefer.

 

[Zepper]

Welcome to the AT forums, just in case I missed you.

Where did you find the 6A21? Hard to find any HEC/Compucase any more except occasionally at Directron.

I'm a Rosewill/YeongYang fan. See my review of the Rosewill/YeongYang R5604 here: http://www.TechIMO.com/reviews/ it's under Cases > YeongYang. I tend to like the 5605 now as it seems to be a combo of the best features of the 5601 (270 degree door swing) and 5604 (generic 3.5" external bay - the 5601 has a dedicated floppy bay) - too bad they left a reset button off of the 5605...

The Rosewill R6A series is the same inside as the Antec SLK3000-B and the HEC/Compucase 6A19 series. Lots of models, some of both the R5600 and R6A series are almost always on sale. The new R6X series looks like a nice option too and on free shipping right now.

I still like the R5604 as well as any of the cases I've had thru here since I sold mine - none of which leaves as much change in your pocket (unless on a substantial rebate)...

.bh.

 

[Ygrec]

Thanks for the welcome, and thanks for the reaffirming my faith in 5604. Actually I've already read your review of it. I wanted to get it initially, then found 6a21 (I'm in Israel, and HEC/Compucase seems to be popular with the local dealers, especially 6a19 and 6a21), then found a few recommendations for Enermax Chakra 5052 over the Compucase, and got confused. I also kinda thought that 5604 might be too heavy - how stupid of me, I assembled a 10kg dumbbell and realized it's not too bad. Especially as I'm not into LAN parties. I understand that the fans that 5604 comes with are not exactly the best or the quietest, but I was going to replace them with Glacialtechs anyway. Still it will cost me less than the Chakra or Antec. I suppose that seals the deal.

 

[Zepper]

I kind of thought you weren't in the States. Take a moment to fill out your user profile so you may be bothered less with links that aren't useful to you.

The fans that came with my 5604 weren't bad at all for OEM units, but I'm not sure whether those were Rosewill's choice or came with from their OEM - you know they aren't going to put a lot of $$ into them either way... The 5604 is a solid case - I don't much care for flimsy, but I might end up keeping the CM Mystique 631 of the bunch I've got here and it's the flimsiest...

Do you have a link to the 6A21, so I can see what it looks like? Thanks. That's OK, looks like Newegg has one very similar and the Compucase Optimus they have is slick and has one of those 250mm side fans. Looks like the CM Centurion chassis inside there.

.bh.

 

[Ygrec]

Actually, I did fill it in the user profile...
And here's 6A21: http://www.compucase-hec.co.uk...oduct_detail.asp?pid=8 - it's on the HEC UK site, but no pictures of the interior. Here http://www.hec-group.com.tw/mo...ry=midi_tower&model=6a you have more pics of the 6A series.
I thought about CM 690 (which is a bit too large for me) or CM 534, but then again didn't find anything special in its looks or the features, and it's actually more expensive here than either Compucase or Yeong Yang. Yeong Yang does seem to be the winner (and why did you ever sell it, if you liked it?).

 

[DerwenArtos12]

Is something like the Cooler Master Elite 330 outside your preferences? The 690 is a good case, I like the CM532 better than the 534, comes with 120mm front and rear unlike the other 53x's. It's getting outside of it's price class here but, I LOVE the lian li pc-7b, it's more than likely going to be my next case, that is if I decide against water cooling.

 

[Zepper]

Maybe didn't fill in the second tab of the Profile as when I click on your avatar or the little man icon with the blue exclamation, there is no info.

Yup, all like the 6A19 or SLK3000 on the inside, just diff. faces. Looks like the Rosewill R6A series are based on those.

Why did I sell it? Because I like to try different things (and write nitpicky reviews about them, so I don't get many offers of freebies from the mfrs.) and I was able to sell it for more than I paid for it. Besides, if I really don't stumble across something I like better, those are almost always on sale here... Right now the R5604 is under $60. shipped.

.bh.

 

[Ygrec]

Zepper, I really understand that - I also like to try different things, although usually I don't write reviews about them.
6a19 does look like R5604 on the inside, and both are supposedly made of 0.8mm SECC, but strangely the R5604 is quite a bit heavier - I wonder why. I guess that should be good, after all.
DerwenArtos12, CM Elite 330 is fine by me, I just kind of overlooked it. 690 looks good, but again a little too large for me, I'd prefer something like CM 330 or 532/534. I had a look at Lian Li, and decided it's hardly worth the asking price. Do you reckon the CM532 or CM330 would be a better buy than, say, YY/R5604? Again, I don't care much for the looks, as long as the case is well built and has decent circulation and isolation.

ETA: I've just taken a close look at CM330, and it's really too light, which makes me suspicious, as does the meshed front panel - surely that's not very good for noise isolation. CM 532/534 do look good, the question is are they better than YY/R5604 (R5605 doesn't seem do be available here)? Still looks like the R5604 is the best buy.

 

[Zepper]

When you get the 5604, you'll see where the weight is. Two extra layers of metal in the rear fan grill for strength, painted dress panel on the bottom - extra metal, the mobo tray is full length yet is not part of the right side of the drive racks thus extra metal. Plus the drive rails are mostly metal rather than plastic. And it is 0.8mm SECC while the 330 is probably 0.7 or 0.6mm (C-M's product page doesn't divulge). It's definitely in there... The 5604 has a higher casitude score than the 532 (which has a mesh front and no door to let the noise out, and no rubber bushing for the HDDs, but that one is better than the 330.

There is almost no info on the 532 left on the US site - must be on the way out...

.bh.

 

[Ygrec]

Thanks, thats pretty much what I thought. I'm probably going to order the 5604 tomorrow.