Help Me Choose A Case

[ImprezaWRX48]

I'm currently looking to assemble a new pc and have every part chosen except for the case. I'm on a fairly tight budget and this pc will be used mostly for word/internet/messaging but also for lite - medium gaming.

I like the Antec SLK3700AMB ($105 CAD) because it it a reliable name + psu and looks ok, and has a 120mm fan with room for a second

--> also like the Raidmax Scorpio 868 because it is cheaper ($80 CAD), but has a 420 w psu (don't know how good) and 3 80 mm fans, (Room for 4 more) also looks pretty good

--> Another one I was wondering about was the A-Top X-Gamer (Don't kno if anyone heard about it but it's being recommended to me by a friend which works at a computer store) It has a 400 w psu, a 120 mm fan on the back, 80 mm on the side + front and is the same price as the Antec ($105 CAD), plus it looks really good and comes with tons of extras

My question is : If you were in my shoes which would you chose?
--> Also what are good readings on a power supply (in the 3.3v rail / 5v rail / 12v rail)
--> Also what is the recommended wattage for a psu these days? will 350 be enough if I want to upgrade to a high end graphics card further down the road?

Tnx for the help! :beer:

 

[Injury]

As far as the readings on the rails go, they shouldn't really vary more than 0.5, in my experience. Some higher end PSUs come with readout sheets or a sticker on the packaging that will say something like:
12v = 12+-.05
or something like
12v = 12 ~.05

Which will tell what amount of variance is expected.


If you are on a budget, then you need may want to think of it in two different ways: Get the best you can now so you don't have to replace it anytime soon OR get the cheapest you can now, save up a bit of money so when you do need a new one you can get the top of the line.

You will rarely be dissappointed with the Antec cases, but some of the newer ones tend to get cramped fast.

It is mostly a matter of what you intend to put in there. You have mentioned how many fan spaces each one has, but for what you said you plan on doing, you won't need to do much fan work (mostly because you won't have a reason to overclock)

 

[harrkev]

Originally posted by: Injury
(mostly because you won't have a reason to overclock)

You need to have a reason to overclock???

My advice (free, and worth every penny):

You can get by with a cheap case, as long as you have enough cooling. You take your computer's life in your hands if you use a cheap power supply.

More money on a case generally buys better looks/room/convenience/silence (assuming that it has enough fans). These are nice, but you can live without them. A cheap power supply may give you lots of BSOD's.

I tend to trust Antec power supplies, but even then, if you only have an Antec 350, if you upgrade to something with a little more power later, 350 might not be enough and you will have to replace it. An Antec 400, on the other hand, should give you a lot mroe life.

 

[ImprezaWRX48]

So no one ever heard of the X-Gamer?

BTW tnx for the help guys

 

[Cerb]

Antec: you want this one. It and the Evercase E4252 simply rock when it comes to actual use, and the Antec here has a great finish.
Raidmax: 420w. Crap. That Antec 350w that should come with the SLK3700 will blow it away. And it is a much flimsier case.
Xgamer: Eh. Doesn't look that that good of a case.

If you're on a real budget, get a decent PSU and a PoS case, then upgrade the case later. Otherwise, the SLK3700-AMB will serve you well.

 

[jose]

goto directron.com look for the compucase LX6A19 $39 & get whichever ps you want.

Regards,
Jose

 

[Injury]

Originally posted by: harrkev

Originally posted by: Injury
(mostly because you won't have a reason to overclock)

You need to have a reason to overclock???

No, but voiding warranties and potentially damaging expensive hardware (which sounds like it would be very costly to him to replace) just to browse the internet and type up some documents with no noticable difference is enough of a reason NOT to overclock.


You can claim it's hardcore to overclock the hell out of things just because you can, but in most people's scenerios it is really just stupid.

 

[quickford]

If you're not afraid to beat your case into submission to make it work, go to Newegg and get a 30 dollar Maxtop case with side and top fan. Ditch the crappy power supply and get a nice one for 80-90 bucks, then use a Dremel tool or something like that to grind away the rivet on the I/O shield that blocks clear access to the AGP slot.