Please recomend a Full Tower Aluminum case

[markrb]

I currently have the Lian-LI 65 and I do like it, but it is becoming a bit small for my needs.
I am now running 7 drives and might be adding more.
The case can hold them, but the cables are becoming very cramped and working in the case
is a nightmare. I am always knocking a drive out accidently when I do something.
So now it's time for a full tower.
I defintely need to stay under $200 and the lower the cost the better.

Thanks,
Mark

 

[Gretzky]

you can get a nice big Chieftec aluminum case for around 75 bucks from newegg.com

 

[godmare]

Check this out!
This has been around a while, but appears to be still good

EDIT:
Okay, evidently that case isn't aluminum.... if you desperately want to shell for aluminum, though, take a look at these.

 

[markrb]

Thanks, but that linked case is not aluminum.
Newegg has it for $63 so it's a good deal. Just not what I am looking for.

Do all these cases have that clear side panel?
I personally hate it.

The Chieftech at Newegg is either $70 + $10 shipping for the blue or
$79 + free shipping for the silver. Gotta love marketing.
The other colors I am not really interested in.
So far this looks like it fits my needs.
Anyone have one and do you like it or hate it?

if you desperately want to shell for aluminum

Just want to ask. Have you ever had a full tower steel case?
They are heavy. I would much rather pay a few bucks to save my back.

Mark

 

[godmare]

Yeah, I can understand the desire for aluminum, definitely. You made it sound like you were strapped for cash.. As for the cases on that site, wether they all have the window, you're guess is as good as mine.. prolly it says somewhere...

I've never had a FT steel case, no, but my mid-tower steel case is a hefty 33 pounds

 

[Bovinicus]

I like the Thermaltake Xaser II 6000A/B. That will be my next case. The price isn't too insane, comes with 5 quiet fans, no PSU (I like to buy my own), and the LED is nice.

 

[Feldenak]

Originally posted by: markrb
Thanks, but that linked case is not aluminum.

The Chieftech at Newegg is either $70 + $10 shipping for the blue or
$79 + free shipping for the silver. Gotta love marketing.
The other colors I am not really interested in.
So far this looks like it fits my needs.
Anyone have one and do you like it or hate it?

I can't find it specifically mentioned so I would assume neither of these cases has a removable mobo tray?

 

[Egrimm]

Originally posted by: Feldenak

Originally posted by: markrb Thanks, but that linked case is not aluminum. The Chieftech at Newegg is either $70 + $10 shipping for the blue or $79 + free shipping for the silver. Gotta love marketing. The other colors I am not really interested in. So far this looks like it fits my needs. Anyone have one and do you like it or hate it?

I can't find it specifically mentioned so I would assume neither of these cases has a removable mobo tray?

Yup, but they are designed so they are very roomy even with drives installed so it isn't as bad as it could be.

Edit: And yes, the fulltower Chieftec steel cases are heavy, building a rig for a friend in one currently and glad that my rig won't be so hard to move =)

 

[Feldenak]

Originally posted by: Egrimm

Originally posted by: Feldenak

Originally posted by: markrb Thanks, but that linked case is not aluminum. The Chieftech at Newegg is either $70 + $10 shipping for the blue or $79 + free shipping for the silver. Gotta love marketing. The other colors I am not really interested in. So far this looks like it fits my needs. Anyone have one and do you like it or hate it?

I can't find it specifically mentioned so I would assume neither of these cases has a removable mobo tray?

Yup, but they are designed so they are very roomy even with drives installed so it isn't as bad as it could be.

Edit: And yes, the fulltower Chieftec steel cases are heavy, building a rig for a friend in one currently and glad that my rig won't be so hard to move =)

The reason I ask is a mobo tray gives me a place out of the way to run cable (behind the tray) and I figured a removable mobo tray would be rather handy since I'm building a rig from the ground up for the first time.

 

[Fallen Kell]

Just wondering what you guys are considering a "FULL" tower, cause all the cases you are pointing to/talking about are "Mid-Towers". A "FULL" tower has more then 4x5.25 external drives, at least from every true definition I have ever heard.

 

[markrb]

The Chieftec case is a full 10 bays. 4 x 5.25 and 6 x 3.5.
Besides that there is space under the drive bays.
It's more a function of overall size then the amount of bays.
Have a look at my LIAN-LI. It has the ability to have 12 drives, but try getting half that many
in such a small space. Sure you can put the drives in there, but the cables become such a mess and too
tight to work with.

Mark

 

[jetgamer]

get the New Thermaltake Xaser III V2000A or V1000A,D
Look great.

 

[deepinya]

These say aluminum in the description.

 

[Spac3d]

Hrmm.. I have one of those chieftec cases and they aren't big enough for me

I have 6 harddrives, dvdrom, cdrw, and only 2 slots open for new drives. There really isn't much room for expansion... not to mention I have an Antec TruPower 480watt and have already had to use Y connectors to power everything in the case (still some components arent powered).

Bump for finding BIG cases that aren't too ugly.

 

[markrb]

Just got the case and I am dissapointed in the size. I was definetely picturing a larger case.
It is 3"s taller then my Lian-LI and it doesn't waste the top inch with overhang like the Lian-LI.
So inside it's probably at least 3 1/2" to 4"s larger and that better then what I had, but I would have
prefered larger. It will work better then the LIAN-LI though, at least for now.

Mark

 

[Egrimm]

Originally posted by: Spac3d
Hrmm.. I have one of those chieftec cases and they aren't big enough for me
Bump for finding BIG cases that aren't too ugly.

The Lian Li pc7x series is big, 6x5¼ bays, 3x3½ and 5x3½ inside and a couple of inches deeper than normal cases which makes them much, much easier to work in than normal (Chemning/Antec/Chieftec for example) cases. They haven't got the removable mobo-tray though but the size of them makes it nearly unimportant.