I own a small computer company, and we are so tired of not being able to find respectable looking cases. When Apple switched to Intel, I got excited that maybe we wouldn't have to build systems any longer. Unfortunately, that is not a perfect solution, though it is one we have started to pursue.
At the same time, we sometimes need systems for customers that just don't fit Apple's plan, and thus we find ourselves working on 2 estimates for computers. One for a very basic server, and another for some workstations. So here's where the problem comes in...
We know what guts we want. Not a problem. But what is happening in the world of cases. It seems to swing between two extremes, with a lot of stupidity in the middle. At the low end, we have Foxconns, which look as cheap as they are, and don't look convenient for assembly. At the "high end", the entire industry is looking to emulate/one-up Apple or a modder, with results that if they didn't affect us, would be hilarious.
I was just browsing on our distributor's site, and there is a very limited selection. The Antec Sonata seems to be the lease expensive (at least you can leave the light unplugged). But the Antecs we used in the last year seem to have decreased in quality, and cable routing/management capability.
Is there no end to this stream of subpar cases, with their brand names emblazoned on the front panel (or if an Antec, hole-punched in the side panel)? Any ideas for a case that looks ok, has decent build quality, is quiet, and doesn't require PS extension cables to accomodate a "Thermal Zone!!11oneoneone" (no offense to hobbyists who want the thermal zone. We are sure they work well, but they are not practical for us with our current guts)?
At the same time, we sometimes need systems for customers that just don't fit Apple's plan, and thus we find ourselves working on 2 estimates for computers. One for a very basic server, and another for some workstations. So here's where the problem comes in...
We know what guts we want. Not a problem. But what is happening in the world of cases. It seems to swing between two extremes, with a lot of stupidity in the middle. At the low end, we have Foxconns, which look as cheap as they are, and don't look convenient for assembly. At the "high end", the entire industry is looking to emulate/one-up Apple or a modder, with results that if they didn't affect us, would be hilarious.
I was just browsing on our distributor's site, and there is a very limited selection. The Antec Sonata seems to be the lease expensive (at least you can leave the light unplugged). But the Antecs we used in the last year seem to have decreased in quality, and cable routing/management capability.
Is there no end to this stream of subpar cases, with their brand names emblazoned on the front panel (or if an Antec, hole-punched in the side panel)? Any ideas for a case that looks ok, has decent build quality, is quiet, and doesn't require PS extension cables to accomodate a "Thermal Zone!!11oneoneone" (no offense to hobbyists who want the thermal zone. We are sure they work well, but they are not practical for us with our current guts)?
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