What's your favorite case to use now and why?

[Miramonti]

What would you say is your favorite current case right now and what features do you appreciate the most in them?

I'm looking to get caught up on what favorites are out there because I haven't looked at cases for years, and am looking to upgrade/update mine. Convenience, flexibility, and good cooling potential are key because I will probably have it for a very long time.

So which case or cases are your favorites?

 

[MustISO]

Some of the newer Antec's 900, P190, P182, TT Armor Series, TT Tsunami and Coolermaster Stacker.

 

[adairusmc]

TT Armor

Nice big case with lots of options/customizeable as far as fans and airflow go, and the armor fins have actually stopped my computer chair from crashing into the case a few times.

 

[Miramonti]

Originally posted by: adairusmc
TT Armor

Nice big case with lots of options/customizeable as far as fans and airflow go, and the armor fins have actually stopped my computer chair from crashing into the case a few times.

lol

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: jjsole
What would you say is your favorite current case right now and what features do you appreciate the most in them?

So which case or cases are your favorites?

Well, I gotta say, on the high-end: The Mountain Mods U2-UFO is my favorite.

I'm running a MM U2-UFO Opti-1203, although I gave (and I mean GAVE) MM the idea for the Horizon, so I *guess* I should buy one. They have been wildly popular, by all accounts.

In the upper mid-range: It would have to be the Silverstone Temjin TJ.09/TJ10. Damn it! They finally got it right and deserve more respect from the community!

Lower mid-range: I love the NZXT Lexa "Retro Toaster" case (with suitable mods) and the Antec P182 SE. Why? I dunno - I just do!

Low-range: This will probably shock ppl but... I like the Enermax Uber Chakra! Watch Rod's review and see what you think. BTW, these things look MUCH more impressive in person than the pics suggest.

*edit*

Scratch that! Here are some decent pics of the Uber Chakra!

Er...

You didn't ask, but I hate anything and everything made by Lian Li. They make me wanna hurl (don't ask, don't tell, don't pursue)! If you go that route, you're on your own...

 

[Skott]

I like having my cases ontop of the desk. Get it up and above the floor and dust. Also nice having it real close. So lately I been bitten by the SFF bug and this is my newest fav case. Its a Qmicra. Smaller than a tower but bigger than most SFF boxes.

http://i190.photobucket.com/al...5/Skott62/IMG_1779.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/al...5/Skott62/IMG_1778.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/al...5/Skott62/IMG_1777.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/al...5/Skott62/IMG_1776.jpg

 

[tylerdustin2008]

Hey Skott you have any internal pics. I love my U2-UFO, but if i ever switched to anything smaller it would be the Qmicra.

 

[Miramonti]

Originally posted by: VinDSL

Originally posted by: jjsole
What would you say is your favorite current case right now and what features do you appreciate the most in them?

So which case or cases are your favorites?

Well, I gotta say, on the high-end: The Mountain Mods U2-UFO is my favorite.

I'm running a MM U2-UFO Opti-1203, although I gave (and I mean GAVE) MM the idea for the Horizon, so I *guess* I should buy one. They have been wildly popular, by all accounts.

In the upper mid-range: It would have to be the Silverstone Temjin TJ.09/TJ10. Damn it! They finally got it right and deserve more respect from the community!

Lower mid-range: I love the NZXT Lexa "Retro Toaster" case (with suitable mods) and the Antec P182 SE. Why? I dunno - I just do!

Low-range: This will probably shock ppl but... I like the Enermax Uber Chakra! Watch Rod's review and see what you think. BTW, these things look MUCH more impressive in person than the pics suggest.

*edit*

Scratch that! Here are some decent pics of the Uber Chakra!

Er...

You didn't ask, but I hate anything and everything made by Lian Li. They make me wanna hurl (don't ask, don't tell, don't pursue)! If you go that route, you're on your own...

I'm fascinated by the U2-UFO, altho am not doing water cooling [yet?] and would be curious if these would accomodate the oversized air coolers, atleast one of them and perhaps a smaller one for the second motherboard. And how are they to work on... Consolidating my two primary computers would be ideal and I wouldn't be opposed to the price as long as tweaking them is very convenient/accessible. I couldn't find additional pics of the cases, only the one product shot but no internal shots to see how they open etc.

To you and tylerdustin2008, what are disadvantages or complaints about these, besides the obvious size and price?

 

[Miramonti]

Originally posted by: Skott
I like having my cases ontop of the desk. Get it up and above the floor and dust. Also nice having it real close. So lately I been bitten by the SFF bug and this is my newest fav case. Its a Qmicra. Smaller than a tower but bigger than most SFF boxes.

http://i190.photobucket.com/al...5/Skott62/IMG_1779.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/al...5/Skott62/IMG_1778.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/al...5/Skott62/IMG_1777.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/al...5/Skott62/IMG_1776.jpg

I like the small footprint and the very easy reach/proximity. How is it to work on/swap out etc., pretty cramped? (and could it fit a large air cooler?)

 

[Miramonti]

Originally posted by: VinDSL

Originally posted by: jjsole
What would you say is your favorite current case right now and what features do you appreciate the most in them?

So which case or cases are your favorites?

Well, I gotta say, on the high-end: The Mountain Mods U2-UFO is my favorite.

You didn't ask, but I hate anything and everything made by Lian Li. They make me wanna hurl (don't ask, don't tell, don't pursue)! If you go that route, you're on your own...

Ok I won't ask...hurling not pretty...and I'm sure someone else will offer their comments about why they suck or are overrated etc....if you don't that is.

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: jjsole
I'm fascinated by the U2-UFO, altho am not doing water cooling [yet?] and would be curious if these would accomodate the oversized air coolers, atleast one of them and perhaps a smaller one for the second motherboard. And how are they to work on... Consolidating my two primary computers would be ideal and I wouldn't be opposed to the price as long as tweaking them is very convenient/accessible. I couldn't find additional pics of the cases, only the one product shot but no internal shots to see how they open etc.

To you and tylerdustin2008, what are disadvantages or complaints about these, besides the obvious size and price?

I'll try to keep this short...

If you want to put two mobos in one case, you'll want to get the MM Duality.

Look at this page and you'll see the Duality was recently awarded the "OCIA.NET Seal of Approval".

Below that, you'll see the Opti-1203 was recently rated 5/5 Stars by XTREMESYSTEMS.ORG.

Either one would be a good choice, IMHO.

Yes, there is plenty of room for oversized coolers - plenty! Convenience/accessibility is unsurpassed! Everything comes apart with little thumbscrews. You don't even need a screwdriver...

Personally, I don't have ANY complaints with the U2-UFO, et al, not even the price! LoL!

Mountain Mods rocks! If you don't see what you want, let them know and they'll build a custom case to YOUR design. No kidding! They'll give you a price, and deliver the case on the date promised. These guys are the best!

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

My favorite case to date: Enermax FS2300. I absolutely love the case, I have never had issues with it nor never been disappointed in buying one. I could be happier with my Lian Li that I have. My original Coolermaster was a nice case, but they don't make it anymore.

 

[aigomorla]

http://i125.photobucket.com/al...aigomorla/IMG_0721.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/al...aigomorla/IMG_0726.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/al...aigomorla/IMG_0727.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/al...aigomorla/IMG_0725.jpg

http://i125.photobucket.com/al...aigomorla/IMG_0722.jpg


Bwahahahaha <3 my U2

 

[SparkyJJO]

I really like my Gigabyte 3D aurora 570.
Solidly built
aluminum so it doesn't weigh too much
great cooling - dual 120mm fans in the back, one in the front, and a mesh side panel
not overly blingy but isn't totally plain either
plenty of room inside for even the largest mobos
has some wire management built in

I have the black model, the whole case is anodized black, not painted, and has a brushed aluminum look to it. Really nice looking

 

[CurseTheSky]

My favorite case is my current one - the Thermaltake Kandalf LCS.

The stongest point of the case, to me, is the looks. It has a very classy front-panel design that holds a 3x120mm radiator (it could probably be rigged up for just fans if you don't use liquid cooling), while hiding the optical drives any other goodies. The front panel folds out in two seconds (the large, radiator section folds to the right, while a shorter piece similar to the front flaps on the Thermaltake Armor case folds to the left), with decently strong magnets to hold the two together during normal operation. The entire case is designed for liquid cooling hoses and radiators - not just the stock system that Thermaltake includes. There are various punchouts, mounting brackets, and other nice features giving you a lot of flexibility without having to bust out the hacksaw. For a first time liquid cooler, the stock system is a decent start. It certainly doesn't keep up with many of the more popular options (Swiftech, etc.), but it at least performs on par with the high-end air coolers. It's EXTREMELY easy to put together, and comes with everything you need (radiator already installed, pump and reservoir ready to bolt on, waterblock ready to attach, tubing, and two bottles of coolant). Overall, the case seems like it was built for quality (everything is study, no rough edges, etc.) and should give you plenty of room the add just about anything you need (I have an 8800GTX with a hard drive installed right across from it, and there's still about two inches of clearance between the two). Three other small but notable features include a plastic parts drawer installed in a 5 1/4" bay (not including the parts drawer and power / reset buttons, there are still eight 5 1/4" bays left for you to play with), dust filters on nearly every case opening, and the ability to unscrew and remove the "quick attach" PCI card holders, so you can screw your devices in instead.

The wost part of this case is definately the price. It runs about $280 - $300, and a good $80 - $100 of that is probably for the liquid cooling components. In my opinion, Thermaltake would sell a lot more of these cases if they offered them without the liquid cooling. While their system is adequate (3x120mm radiator, so-so waterblock, lower performance pump, and only 3/8" fittings) you could definately do better by piecing together your own system. The case is also EXTREMELY heavy, weighing in at FIFTY POUNDS *BEFORE* you put anything extra into it. Finally, the air flow out of the top of the case seems a bit choked due to the dust filtering material. It works great at keeping the dust out, but it definately cuts down on the air flow (and noise...) coming out of or going into the case.

Overall, I'm very satisfied with my purchase. I was just about to make a post for advice on some liquid cooling equipment to place the stock stuff when I saw this thread...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811133024

Edit: read the review from 6/12/2007... 8600s in SLI? Ouch.

 

[tylerdustin2008]

Mine would have to be my U2-UFO. Check out my thread, i just updated it. No other case can do what this one can.

 

[Skott]

My Qmicra is the original. The new Qmicra v2 will take a bigger hsf than the 9500. Its an inch taller than the v1 but otherwise same size. The V2 also uses 120mm fans and has room for watercooling whereas the v1 doesnt. It also has an improved way of removing the lid over the v1 model. Go to PCDLabs and look for Dgephri's build. He's got a v2 mod in progress thats really cool. He also has a worklog about it at HF.

I do have some internal pics but they arent very good. Sorry about the quality. Also this was before wiring management was done. Here they are:

http://i190.photobucket.com/al...5/Skott62/IMG_1757.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/al...5/Skott62/IMG_1758.jpg

http://i190.photobucket.com/al...5/Skott62/IMG_1759.jpg

 

[tylerdustin2008]

Thanks.

 

[tofumonster]

Antec's P180.

there's a three pre-installed fans and two potential intake mounts for more fans. I like the grandeur of the super big full tower and the two chambers are nice for seperating the cooling.

 

[zero2dash]

Lian-Li PC-A05B
$89 shipped right now on NewEgg
Looks beautiful
Love the inverted mobo/cooling setup
(rear 120mm intake straight to cpu, front 120mm exhaust in front of HD cage, psu goes up front)
Fits large aftermarket coolers (Tuniq)
NO DOOR
Great size (looks small but fits ATX)

 

[nZone]

Current: P180 (it's going to be retired tonight)

Next: Zalman Z-Machine GT-1000 Black (currently on hold at UPS Facility)
(Thought about getting the QMicra V2 but I didn't want to wait)

What I like about GT-1000:

1. Aesthetic
2. Size (not too big not too small) TJ09/Stacker 832 are nice but they're whopper size
3. All aluminum (4-5mm thick)
4. Layout and Configuration
5. Windows
6. I want something that I can place on the desk.

 

[arley]

For what it's worth:

Newegg has the Antec Nine Hundred with free shipping and a $40 mail-in rebate, making the net cost $89.99.

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: nZone
Current: P180 (it's going to be retired tonight)

Next: Zalman Z-Machine GT-1000 Black...

Are my eyes deceiving me, or has Fatal1ty become so commonplace that the Koreans are cloning 'his' products now?!?!?!

Sorry, but the first thing I thought, when I saw this case was... cool, a Fatal1ty case!

Then, I was pissed 'cause all it was, like, that's just another stupid Zalman rip-off!

Am I wrong about this?

Where did you hear about this case?

 

[nZone]

It's not a clone of Fatal1ty case. This is a revision of the Fatal1ty case. There is two doors now as oppose to 1 door. The case now can accommodate 6 hard drives as oppose to 3 drives. Other minor fix is the pci slot filer, now they are individual piece.

I guess Zalman didn't want to license the name "Fatal1ty" anymore that is why the newer revision does not have the name in it.

After owning this case, I don't think it's a Zalman rip-off IMO. The case cool my components way better than p180 did and doing it with silent. I can say, as I owned it now, it's my perfect case despite the price is high at $399. I will not buy any other case again. The only bad thing I find about this case is that my EVGA 680i SLI motherboard I/O backplate doesn't align. Now I run my pc without the I/O backplate.

 

[ding5550123]

I have an X-Mask case that I bought at a local computer store. IT came with a psu and 3 80mm fans w/ blue LED's. It is a Mid Size ATX Case with 4 5.25 bays and 2 external 3.5 bays and 4 internal 3.5 bays w/ a remvable cage. It has a locking drive cover with a spiderman head that lights up. (my computer is appropiatly called "Spider-Man")