why do people pay so much for computer cases?

Page 3 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

archcommus

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2003
8,115
0
76
Speaking of that, what's up with BTX? Think I'll be forced to get a new case for it by, say, next summer?
 

PingSpike

Lifer
Feb 25, 2004
21,758
603
126
Originally posted by: archcommus
Speaking of that, what's up with BTX? Think I'll be forced to get a new case for it by, say, next summer?

I dunno, I've been worried about that too. Is AMD going BTX or is that going to be an intel only affair?

Its funny because BTX is basically just a return to the old AT motherboard layout with ATX features. :p
 

randomlinh

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
20,846
2
0
linh.wordpress.com
Originally posted by: MAME
people pay money for stupid crap all the time


think rims

uhhh... have you ever had a set of SSR Comps? 13lbs@17" is very very nice for auto-x.. well, 16" probably better and even lighter.. but 17 looks better ;)

Anyway, it's personal preference... I'd really like to have one of the lian li cases.. looks extremely nice, but the one I want is @$300... yeah.. not in this lifetime.
 

Horus

Platinum Member
Dec 27, 2003
2,838
1
0
Originally posted by: vi_edit
I :heart: my Antec Sonota.

So quiet. So easy to work with. So nice looking. Easily worth the $90 I paid for it a few years ago.

I :heart: my Antec Sonata II case. I bought it because it's BLOODY QUIET, and it's built like a brick. All the other ones I'd owned were flimsy and light.
 

JujuFish

Lifer
Feb 3, 2005
11,457
1,058
136
Originally posted by: miri
119.99? People pay more than that for a pair of Nikes

But Nikes are complete. You don't need to add anything to use the function they were designed for.
 

Monkey muppet

Golden Member
Sep 28, 2004
1,241
0
0
Originally posted by: JujuFish
Originally posted by: miri
119.99? People pay more than that for a pair of Nikes

But Nikes are complete. You don't need to add anything to use the function they were designed for.

except your feet of course - the trainers aren't going to run themselves
 

CKent

Diamond Member
Aug 17, 2005
9,020
0
0
A quality case is definitely worth it. Personally I wouldn't drop $120 on one - Antec makes some very high quality cases in the $50-$75 range. My all-steel one weighs almost 50 lbs and you could park a tank on it. It was $60 when I bought it a few years back, but it must have been popular because it went up to $80 and its new model is now going for almost $100. Easy to work with, solidly constructed, good airflow. That last is very important - heat can kill hard drives faster than OJ Simpson.
 

Aharami

Lifer
Aug 31, 2001
21,205
165
106
i bought my Antec for $100 around 5 years ago. Still holding up like new. I love it.
 

sswingle

Diamond Member
Mar 2, 2000
7,183
45
91
The expensive case wont fall apart if you take it to a few LAN parties. I have a $50 that did not come with power supply, and its been nice and solid.
 

bhanson

Golden Member
Jan 16, 2004
1,749
0
76
Someone I know personally a couple years back bought a $400 (or was it $500?) case. It was wood plated.

Stupidest. Purchase. Ever.

Quality cases are nice but that one was all fluff.
 

Pliablemoose

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
25,195
0
56
I've got a $120 p180 & a $40 Skyhawk, they both have their pluses & minuses.

The Skyhawk is a pretty good case for the $...

The Antec is seriously quiet.

I've had some real POS cheap cases that were no fun to build or own, and have the scars to prove it...
 

skace

Lifer
Jan 23, 2001
14,488
7
81
You can make a $20 case into a $100 case if you have the tools needed to make your own fan mounts and drive mounting trays / etc. But for most people it is more simple to buy them prebuilt that way. I am not talking windows and blue cathode lights either, I'm talking good fan mounts that you can put large fans on and quiet your case down. I paid $200 something for my Lian-Li and don't regret it. I can take the entire thing apart including every drive mount without a single screwdriver. I like the case and it is as good now as when I bought it 3 years ago. At the time I bought it, I was looking for a clean, simple case with a small footprint and it was one of the few that wasn't the size of a server case.

This time around, I'm trying to find an excellent micro-case, but thing's aren't going so well. I want a single hard drive system this time around.
 

EvilYoda

Lifer
Apr 1, 2001
21,198
9
81
I really want to try one of those p180 cases in the future, looks like a good design. running 2 Antec LANboy's right now.
 

Nocturnal

Lifer
Jan 8, 2002
18,927
0
76
Quality. I do PC Tech work and I've seen client's come in with their $29.99 cases that feel like cheap sheet metal and it's all wobbly. It's just unbelievable that they wouldn't spend quality $ on their cases in which all their quality components lie within.
 

Accipiter22

Banned
Feb 11, 2005
7,942
2
0
Originally posted by: PingSpike
Originally posted by: Accipiter22
LOL I thought I had posted a question just like this....then I realized it was my old thread...but yeah, my $30 Raidmax case doesn't look/perform/feature anything really different from the 200 dollar ones I see..

Yeah, I just did a search for an old thread I posted in and ended up finding like 50 that I thought needed a read, including this one.

And have you seen some of the low end cases on newegg? They come pre-riced out, so even if I wanted all that crazy light crap on my computer I still wouldn't have to put down a lot of cash.

The only complaint I have about my case is its made out of steel. I like flimsy aluminum better because its so much lighter, plus my dremel cuts through it like butter.


yah, so you don't even need to spend 100's on the riced out cases anymore, mine has pretty much all the same features as a case that costs 6 tims as much..
 

acemcmac

Lifer
Mar 31, 2003
13,712
1
0
I have the P180 which I paid 100$ for. I work inside my case farily frequently and my old chieftec was prone to overheating, so I had to pay a premium for a box that would fit my needs.

Why buy a 300$ video card when integrated video does the job just fine? My video would overheat in a heartbeat in any other case... its the same notion to me.
 

Leper Messiah

Banned
Dec 13, 2004
7,973
8
0
my Antec SOHO series case is a beast. Solid steel construction (I stood on top of it while screwing in a lightbulb, 4 easy to install fans, screwless drive entry, removable cages with fans on the front, 400 watt PSU, etc. Much better than the $30 POWMAX my brother got (considering the PSU he got with that one died in 2 days, he had to spend $60 to get a new PSU. So he spent $90, I spent $100, and my case is hella better than his).


I want one of those stackers though. 3 120s and a 300 mm radial fan...mmmm
 

TurtleMan

Golden Member
May 3, 2000
1,424
0
76
Ya.. the p-180.. sitting in my living room.. i haven't open it yet..
right after I bought it... the bloody Antec released P-150... :\
now i want the P-150 instead, bc of their HD silent setup..

O the price for the case now is about 170$, but you get what you paid for,
I have some of the cheap metal case too, but one time I dropped it,
it has a big dent to it :\ :\ cheap metal...

Getting a case is not just , mine is made of metal and have air hole and crazy light, but the usability and function of the case. I can compare two LCD, same size, same brightness, but one of them have better timing and verticle viewing and built-in USB hub, so you really end up wat u paid for.. and not just simple comparsion.
 

Accipiter22

Banned
Feb 11, 2005
7,942
2
0
Originally posted by: RBachman
A quality case is definitely worth it. Personally I wouldn't drop $120 on one - Antec makes some very high quality cases in the $50-$75 range. My all-steel one weighs almost 50 lbs and you could park a tank on it. It was $60 when I bought it a few years back, but it must have been popular because it went up to $80 and its new model is now going for almost $100. Easy to work with, solidly constructed, good airflow. That last is very important - heat can kill hard drives faster than OJ Simpson.

my friend paid 20 bucks for his case. it's so light it has a handle on it, he can carry the thing with two fingers. I'd rather have that than a 50 lbs. case.....I don't get why people need this heavy duty cases? are you playing paintball or laser tag and diving all over around your cases??!
 

dquan97

Lifer
Jul 9, 2002
12,010
3
0
Originally posted by: PingSpike
Originally posted by: archcommus
Speaking of that, what's up with BTX? Think I'll be forced to get a new case for it by, say, next summer?

I dunno, I've been worried about that too. Is AMD going BTX or is that going to be an intel only affair?

Its funny because BTX is basically just a return to the old AT motherboard layout with ATX features. :p

I believe Intel is the main proponent for BTX and it may be a while until it picks up more followers. Dell came out with the Dimension 9150, which looks like a BTX case.

<- enjoying his Super Lanboy for $60...it even comes with a tool case!
 

PingSpike

Lifer
Feb 25, 2004
21,758
603
126
I guess I just can't see spending $150 on a case, because I might want to use it as a foot stool or any extra chair at some point. I've experienced some low end cases that cut your hands all up and have screw holes that are off, but not all cheap cases are like that...some of them are very good.