BANG FOR BUCK COMPONENTS (and why you should get them)
Hopefully I will do all of the components, but for now, I just have the case writeup.
Depending on feedback, I?ll do psu and video cards next week.
1. Case
The case is a component that offers no raw performance gain, no benchmark advantage and a good one will cost more than a lot of the other components in a system. So, why invest in a good case? One reason is cooling ability. Proper cooling is essential to a stable system, gaming or non-gaming. If you?re not an over clocker, it is less of a factor, but
perhaps you need a certain amount of hard drives allowed or maybe you want a really quiet case. Whatever the purpose might be I can assure you that there is a case for you out there! Things to look at when considering a case:
?chassis material- aluminum vs. steel; Most of what some people say about aluminum?s superior cooling ability is myth because it rarely applies to cases. The big advantage aluminum has over steel is weight. Aluminum cases are ideal for LAN gamers because they are easy to transport from place to place. Steel? not so much. Steel cases do have some advantages, contrary to popular opinion. They are generally quieter and sturdier, great for a workstation or something of the sort.
?Cooling ability- Most new cases have switched to 120mm fans as the standard because they can push more air at the same noise level, or the same amount of air at a lower noise level. Look for cases that have either one or two 120mm fans included, but beware, not all case fans are created equal. For instance: thermaltake fans are louder than other fans despite their specs. Consult cases and cooling for some good fan options.
?Noise- Something that plagues thin steel cases and aluminum cases, especially cheap ones is a lot of vibration. Vibration equals noise. To overcome this, many cases will include rubber noise dampening grommets or something of the like. Components that are likely culprits for vibration noise are the PSU, hard drives, optical drives and fans. Many new cases use anti-vibration mounting, but some still use the traditional screw mounts, try to be sure your new case has these vibration isolation accessories. Also on the topic of noise, check the specs of the case you're getting for the noise level of the fans included with the case. Many times you can get a cheep fan upgrade that will not cost a lot, but produce great results.
?Expandability and interior space- If you are building a high end workstation, you will probably want a lot of hard drive space, however if you?re a high end gamer, you may need room for a water cooling system. This may bring form factor into consideration. The form factors of today are ATX, extendedATX, microATX, and BTX. The form factor may also influence what type of motherboard you get, but I?ll get into that later. Many of the high end cases, though expensive offer vastly superior interior upgradability, and cooling performance as well, simply because of their space. They also may have room for dual psus, which may become a necessity to enthusiests in the near future. Also remember: i you plan on an interior water cooling kit, you will need a lot of room in your case and unless you are really good at organizing wires, tubes and objects, this will most likely mean a full tower case.
?"Moddability"-Another component that a growing number of people have to consider is the ability of a case to be modified. This may include anything from adding fans were there aren't brackets, to decking out your case with windows, special effects, even a whole new design. In general, a case that is less curvatious is easier to mod. Cases held together with screws are easier to mod than cases held together with bolts, and for the most part, aluminum bezals are easier to mod than plastic bezals because they cut easier and are cleanly attached to the current setup, unlike plastic bezals which are almost infused into the case structure. Want to mod your pc case to look cool but don't know where to start? mnpctech.com has lots of products and some great ideas to get you started. To do some modification, you'll need the proper tools. For thinner cases, a dremmel is sufficiant. For a more heavy duty approach, check out something like this.
That?s just a quick rundown of what factors should go into choosing a case. Here?s a list of a few cases that are a great value and ?perform? well. I realize that much of the consideration that goes into choosing a case is subjective, my goal is to provide suggestions and insight, not to attempt to impose my will on you, please take my suggestions a such.
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Lian Li pc7b +2
The lian li pc7b +2 packs an aluminum chassis, 2x12cm fans, impeccable layout and good airflow into a sleek package. No bling here, just a smooth utilitarian look. It lacks vibration dampening, but at $90, you can get lian li quality for cheap!
Antec p180b
The antec p180b is a complex case in the interior so it may not be suitable for the first time builder, but if you know what you're doing its good cooling ability and decent noise reduction are a big plus if you're looking for a relatively inexpensive mid-tower. **A note** Bestbuy is recieving the p180 and is selling it for $80 here.
Aspire X-Qpack (mATX segment)
CoolerMaster Ceturion 531
Antec slk3000b
Lian Li pc-g70b (eATX segment)
Lian Li pc-201b (high end server segment)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hope this helps!
Hopefully I will do all of the components, but for now, I just have the case writeup.
Depending on feedback, I?ll do psu and video cards next week.
1. Case
The case is a component that offers no raw performance gain, no benchmark advantage and a good one will cost more than a lot of the other components in a system. So, why invest in a good case? One reason is cooling ability. Proper cooling is essential to a stable system, gaming or non-gaming. If you?re not an over clocker, it is less of a factor, but
perhaps you need a certain amount of hard drives allowed or maybe you want a really quiet case. Whatever the purpose might be I can assure you that there is a case for you out there! Things to look at when considering a case:
?chassis material- aluminum vs. steel; Most of what some people say about aluminum?s superior cooling ability is myth because it rarely applies to cases. The big advantage aluminum has over steel is weight. Aluminum cases are ideal for LAN gamers because they are easy to transport from place to place. Steel? not so much. Steel cases do have some advantages, contrary to popular opinion. They are generally quieter and sturdier, great for a workstation or something of the sort.
?Cooling ability- Most new cases have switched to 120mm fans as the standard because they can push more air at the same noise level, or the same amount of air at a lower noise level. Look for cases that have either one or two 120mm fans included, but beware, not all case fans are created equal. For instance: thermaltake fans are louder than other fans despite their specs. Consult cases and cooling for some good fan options.
?Noise- Something that plagues thin steel cases and aluminum cases, especially cheap ones is a lot of vibration. Vibration equals noise. To overcome this, many cases will include rubber noise dampening grommets or something of the like. Components that are likely culprits for vibration noise are the PSU, hard drives, optical drives and fans. Many new cases use anti-vibration mounting, but some still use the traditional screw mounts, try to be sure your new case has these vibration isolation accessories. Also on the topic of noise, check the specs of the case you're getting for the noise level of the fans included with the case. Many times you can get a cheep fan upgrade that will not cost a lot, but produce great results.
?Expandability and interior space- If you are building a high end workstation, you will probably want a lot of hard drive space, however if you?re a high end gamer, you may need room for a water cooling system. This may bring form factor into consideration. The form factors of today are ATX, extendedATX, microATX, and BTX. The form factor may also influence what type of motherboard you get, but I?ll get into that later. Many of the high end cases, though expensive offer vastly superior interior upgradability, and cooling performance as well, simply because of their space. They also may have room for dual psus, which may become a necessity to enthusiests in the near future. Also remember: i you plan on an interior water cooling kit, you will need a lot of room in your case and unless you are really good at organizing wires, tubes and objects, this will most likely mean a full tower case.
?"Moddability"-Another component that a growing number of people have to consider is the ability of a case to be modified. This may include anything from adding fans were there aren't brackets, to decking out your case with windows, special effects, even a whole new design. In general, a case that is less curvatious is easier to mod. Cases held together with screws are easier to mod than cases held together with bolts, and for the most part, aluminum bezals are easier to mod than plastic bezals because they cut easier and are cleanly attached to the current setup, unlike plastic bezals which are almost infused into the case structure. Want to mod your pc case to look cool but don't know where to start? mnpctech.com has lots of products and some great ideas to get you started. To do some modification, you'll need the proper tools. For thinner cases, a dremmel is sufficiant. For a more heavy duty approach, check out something like this.
That?s just a quick rundown of what factors should go into choosing a case. Here?s a list of a few cases that are a great value and ?perform? well. I realize that much of the consideration that goes into choosing a case is subjective, my goal is to provide suggestions and insight, not to attempt to impose my will on you, please take my suggestions a such.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lian Li pc7b +2
The lian li pc7b +2 packs an aluminum chassis, 2x12cm fans, impeccable layout and good airflow into a sleek package. No bling here, just a smooth utilitarian look. It lacks vibration dampening, but at $90, you can get lian li quality for cheap!
Antec p180b
The antec p180b is a complex case in the interior so it may not be suitable for the first time builder, but if you know what you're doing its good cooling ability and decent noise reduction are a big plus if you're looking for a relatively inexpensive mid-tower. **A note** Bestbuy is recieving the p180 and is selling it for $80 here.
Aspire X-Qpack (mATX segment)
CoolerMaster Ceturion 531
Antec slk3000b
Lian Li pc-g70b (eATX segment)
Lian Li pc-201b (high end server segment)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hope this helps!