[Wall of text ahead. I figured I'd be thorough. :whiste:]
Hello all,
Currently, I have a Cooler Master Storm Sniper holding my computer's guts in. It's a good case, but I'm looking to change it out for various reasons.
I don't particularly care about size of the case, although I'm pretty horrible at cable management (and I just have a LOT of cables), so a larger case with ample room behind the motherboard tray is nice.
Size-wise, the only thing the case would need is to support ATX motherboards.
I'm looking for a case with support for at least 4 hard drives, 2-2.5" and 2-3.5". I'd prefer if the drive bays supported 2.5" drives without adapters. I don't have a preference on whether it's a tool-less design, as long as it has mounts for 2.5" drives. It'd also be nice to have a SATA backplane, like in the Thermaltake Level 10 GT, but that's not necessary.
After my experiences with the hard-to-access dust filters in my CM Storm Sniper, easily accessible dust filters are a must. It's preferable that there is not much in the way of getting to the dust filters. A great example is the SilverStone Temjin TJ08B-E that I used for a home server build. Unfortunately, it's too small to house my build.
This is the main issue that's making my search difficult.
Right now I've got my eye on the NZXT Phantom 630, but there are a couple niggles I have with it, namely the dust filter on the front; you have to remove the entire front fascia to access it. I worry that the plastic pegs that hold the fascia on would get worn out and eventually break with repeated removal/replacement. Having said that, I really love the idea of the rear I/O lighting, the 2.5" mounts behind the mobo tray, and the price is good. My only other concern stems from an issue my brother has with his NZXT Phantom (the original), involving some audio interference if he plugs headphones into his front panel. It's basically unusable. (I use my headphones on a daily basis.) I'm sure they've fixed this issue in the more recent iterations.
Other than that, I really like the 630. If it weren't for those minor issues, I probably wouldn't be looking for alternatives.
I was looking into the Thermaltake Level 10 GT a little while back, as well. It's a little pricey, and reviews on Newegg raised some concerns, including the quality of the latch that holds the side dust filter, and the annoyance of the fan LEDs resetting at boot, among other possible quality issues that shouldn't be present in a >$200 case...
I just wondered if anyone had input about the Phantom 630, or suggestions about another case for less than $200, preferably. (I'm definitely willing to look at cases more expensive than that, but I have my limits.
)
On a slightly related note, where would be a good place (other than Craigslist) to sell a used computer case without a box?
Thanks for reading, and thanks in advance for any advice you may have!
TL;DR: Looking for a case with easy-to-access dust filters like this, ATX mobo support, 2.5" drive mounting without adapters. Saw NZXT Phantom 630, like nearly everything about it, but I worry about having to remove front fascia to access front fan filter. Suggestions?
Hello all,
Currently, I have a Cooler Master Storm Sniper holding my computer's guts in. It's a good case, but I'm looking to change it out for various reasons.
I don't particularly care about size of the case, although I'm pretty horrible at cable management (and I just have a LOT of cables), so a larger case with ample room behind the motherboard tray is nice.
Size-wise, the only thing the case would need is to support ATX motherboards.
I'm looking for a case with support for at least 4 hard drives, 2-2.5" and 2-3.5". I'd prefer if the drive bays supported 2.5" drives without adapters. I don't have a preference on whether it's a tool-less design, as long as it has mounts for 2.5" drives. It'd also be nice to have a SATA backplane, like in the Thermaltake Level 10 GT, but that's not necessary.
After my experiences with the hard-to-access dust filters in my CM Storm Sniper, easily accessible dust filters are a must. It's preferable that there is not much in the way of getting to the dust filters. A great example is the SilverStone Temjin TJ08B-E that I used for a home server build. Unfortunately, it's too small to house my build.
This is the main issue that's making my search difficult.
Right now I've got my eye on the NZXT Phantom 630, but there are a couple niggles I have with it, namely the dust filter on the front; you have to remove the entire front fascia to access it. I worry that the plastic pegs that hold the fascia on would get worn out and eventually break with repeated removal/replacement. Having said that, I really love the idea of the rear I/O lighting, the 2.5" mounts behind the mobo tray, and the price is good. My only other concern stems from an issue my brother has with his NZXT Phantom (the original), involving some audio interference if he plugs headphones into his front panel. It's basically unusable. (I use my headphones on a daily basis.) I'm sure they've fixed this issue in the more recent iterations.
Other than that, I really like the 630. If it weren't for those minor issues, I probably wouldn't be looking for alternatives.
I was looking into the Thermaltake Level 10 GT a little while back, as well. It's a little pricey, and reviews on Newegg raised some concerns, including the quality of the latch that holds the side dust filter, and the annoyance of the fan LEDs resetting at boot, among other possible quality issues that shouldn't be present in a >$200 case...
I just wondered if anyone had input about the Phantom 630, or suggestions about another case for less than $200, preferably. (I'm definitely willing to look at cases more expensive than that, but I have my limits.
)On a slightly related note, where would be a good place (other than Craigslist) to sell a used computer case without a box?
Thanks for reading, and thanks in advance for any advice you may have!
TL;DR: Looking for a case with easy-to-access dust filters like this, ATX mobo support, 2.5" drive mounting without adapters. Saw NZXT Phantom 630, like nearly everything about it, but I worry about having to remove front fascia to access front fan filter. Suggestions?
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