Why do people go cheap on computer cases?

[BeauJangles]

I think most people flame when cases get over $200 because you can find cases (Chenming, etc) that will have just as good cooling as the $200+ cases... thus most people see them as wasteful.

 

[TinkyWinky]

I'm finally getting around to building myself a new system after years of putting up with this POS. One of the first things I decided was that I was going to get a decent case to put it all in. I've spent way too much time wrestling with covers that don't quite fit, breaking off plastic panels trying to remove or replace them, wrestling for half an hour trying to get and IDE cable plugged in without having to pull out half the components, etc etc etc. I'm not terribly handy, nor terribly patient, so I made an early decision not to get something thats gonna aggravate me.

It looks like I'll wind up getting an Antec SX1035B. I thinks it's a 1030 with a 350 watt power supply, and should be just what I need. I'll probably spend about $110 for it all told. Is it worth that much more then some $40 generic case? For me, I think so. Would I spend an extra $200 to get an all aluminum super case? No.... it's not worth it to me. If thats where your priorities are, and what you want to get, then more power to you. And if you can buy a $40 case and it does everything you want it to do and you're happy with it, thats cool too.

Lets see if I figured out the instructions right, and you can take a look at my current rig...

http://www.anandtech.com/mysystemrig.html?id=14883

 

[Keroppi]

I always go cheap on the cases because the money saved goes elsewhere. The biggest disadvantage is the low quality power supply that comes with it. I just got an ENERMAX EV465P-VE 431W for one of the cheap case because the power supply went out. I was impressed by the built quality of the power supply. It made me more confident in powering an Amd 1.4Ghz and three 7200rpm hardrive. Other than that, all my computers runs with the side panel open with a fan blowing air across the hardrive and out the case.

Maybe my next project will be a cardboard box with an expensive powersupply, modified power switch, running an overclocked AMD CPU connected to an 18 inch LCD.

 

[ChrisADuffy]

Now that is cheap!

 

[SpyKey]

Well, yeah, I have an SX830, but the real question is "How long will ATX be around? Is it worth to invest?"

 

[bozo1]

Let's see, my PC-70 was around $225 w/o psu. 4 Lian-Li RH-600 drive racks at $59/each.

Why? Because it looks cool.

 

[TinkyWinky]

<< Let's see, my PC-70 was around $225 w/o psu. 4 Lian-Li RH-600 drive racks at $59/each.

Why? Because it looks cool.
>>



"Looking cool" is not sufficient reason to shell out that kinda cash. Better that you should use it to replace a perfectly good three month old video card, so you can play Q3 at 120fps instead of a poky 115.




Myself, I'm looking forward to double-digit framerates when I play TFC.

 

[KouklatheCat]

Hey its your money spend it however you want. Personally I like to put a few bucks more into something im going to use a lot. My "guest" computer doesn't get used much so I bought an el cheapo case. But on my everyday machines I got an Enlight 7237.