Recommend me a Case

[Angerisagift]

I've been strongly considering the Antec 900 as the case for the new system I'm building, namely because it seems to include all the fans I would need and would be a huge step up from my Raidmax Scorpio case

Q6600
8800GT
2GB PC6400 DDR2 800Mhz
Corsair 450 VX

but am open to suggestion for other cases people have had better experiences with
my Scorpio currently has 7 80mm fans

4 mounted in the front grill and 2 in the rear for exhaust
not to mention a side window fan.

it's loud as hell and it doesn't help that my office doesn't get the best circulation and the room can get kind of warm.

I'm not looking for anything extreme, if anything I may do some minor overclocking in the future with an aftermarket CPU cooler, would also like it to be a bit quieter.

since the 900 can run around the $100, this is about as much as I'm willing to pay so if you recommend something that's just a bare case, please factor fans into the price as well.

 

[BlueAcolyte]

If you can afford the Antec 900, great. If you don't mind saving some money, you can get the Cooler Master 690. It comes with 3 120mm fans and has space for some 120mm/140mms and a 80mm, totalling 8 fan slots.

ninja edit

 

[imported_Scoop]

CM690 is an awesome case for it's price, three 120mm fans included. No way to beat that. Even if you could get antec 900 for it's price, I'd take the CM690.

 

[Zepper]

Assuming the rebates come thru, then it's hard to get more case for the money right now than the 690. Metal is a bit thin allowing it to be very weak at or near the grill openings. Drive trays could have been better thought out so you could put the drive connectors either way - I would have preferred connectors to the left instead of the way they have to be now. Front panel connector shields are not grounded to nearby chassis metal as they should be. These issues can be overcome.

.bh.

 

[imported_Scoop]

Zepper: I don't see your point about the HD bays. The way they are is so that the cables are kept hidden and not in the way.

 

[Zepper]

Well, to me it's a PITA to have to open both sides of the case to do serious work on the HDDs - better to have a choice than be stuck with a PITA... I have to actually move the whole case to get to the right side in my room arrangement.

.bh.

 

[CallMeJoe]

Antec Solo is a very nice case. Heavy construction, damped side panels, a 120mm exhaust fan provided & spots for 2 92mm fans to cool the HDD bays. Silicon isolation or rubber-band suspension for your HDDs. Excellent airflow pattern, though not as roomy as the 900.

Keep in mind that you don't need a plethora of high speed fans to cool your case, just an intelligently designed airflow. I have a mildly OC'd E6300 (2.625GHz) on a P5N-E SLI, cooled with a Sunbeam Silent Whisper. Orthos rarely cracks 57 degrees in a 25 degree room. I have just a Yate Loon 120mm exhaust (quieter than the Antec Tri-Cool supplied with the case) and a YL 92mm blowing across my Raptor OS & programs drive.

 

[Mucker]

Go for the 900 or the CoolerMaster 830. Bothe are on sale AR ($60 and $109)

The 900 with the 200mm fan on top simply can't be beat. The case is so well ventilated that the fans can be set to slow (silent) and it still cools supremely. If you orient your cpu HSF to blow directly into the 200mm fan, cpu cooling will be top notch.

The CoolerMater 830 is excellent. The removable mb tray makes putting a big sink on a breeze. The quality is uber for the money.

 

[Angerisagift]

I'm definitely in a toss up between the 690 and the 900, not crazy about the power and reset button locations on the stacker, but I do like the dual side vents, it seems like the upper vent on the left side would definitely help with CPU airflow.

on the other hand the mammoth 200mm fan on the Nine Hundred, takes me back to simpler times when bigger was better, and a precision strike was not always the answer sometimes you need that proverbial "big stick" and I'm a fan of side windows.

 

[Ozoneman]

Newegg has a deal on P182 case right now for less than the $100 you budgeted.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...5&CMP=AFC-Bensbargains


http://www.antec.com/us/productDetails.php?ProdID=81820

 

[Mucker]

The only flaw I see with the 690 is the hard drive mounting. It will block alot of airflow from the front 120mm. The Antec Sonata's and Super Lanboy suffered the same restriction. If CM would re-engineer the hard drive mounting to straight conventional, it would be almost perfect IMO.

 

[imported_Scoop]

Originally posted by: Mucker
The only flaw I see with the 690 is the hard drive mounting. It will block alot of airflow from the front 120mm. The Antec Sonata's and Super Lanboy suffered the same restriction. If CM would re-engineer the hard drive mounting to straight conventional, it would be almost perfect IMO.

And then you could no more use a 8800GTX in the case and the cords would be all over the place. Not a very good tradeoff in my mind.

 

[richwenzel]

newegg is running a special through its newsletter on the 900, $59.99 shipped.

however, i am neither recommending nor not recommending the case, just an alert on price.

http://promotions.newegg.com/N...mail-_-top-_-Moredeals

 

[ibex333]

Dont mean to hijack the thread but I got a quick question.

I just ordered the RC-690 from egg, and I'd like to know what would be my "receipt" that I have to send in for the MIR? Is it the "Order confirmation" printout?
It says on the printout that my order is being processed... Will CM have a problem with that? Is there something else I should print out from egg's site?

 

[skillyho]

Originally posted by: ibex333
Dont mean to hijack the thread but I got a quick question.

I just ordered the RC-690 from egg, and I'd like to know what would be my "receipt" that I have to send in for the MIR? Is it the "Order confirmation" printout?
It says on the printout that my order is being processed... Will CM have a problem with that? Is there something else I should print out from egg's site?

I usually use the packaging slip from the shipment, or a printout of the invoice they email you if a packaging slip isn't provided.

 

[drjman]

with an 8800 GTX the Antec 900 will be tight. I have a Thermaltake Armor now with an 8800 Ultra that fits fine. On the 900 the harddrive bays get in the way of the PCIe power plug. 8800GTS works ok in the 900 but not the ultra or 8800gtx

 

[Earfoam]

Originally posted by: drjman
with an 8800 GTX the Antec 900 will be tight. I have a Thermaltake Armor now with an 8800 Ultra that fits fine. On the 900 the harddrive bays get in the way of the PCIe power plug. 8800GTS works ok in the 900 but not the ultra or 8800gtx

Not true. The GTX is 10.5 inches long and the distance between slot mount and drive bay on the 900 is 11.5 inches. As long as a hard drive is not directly in line, there will be no problem.

Not only that, but the GT the OP is using is only 9 inches long. Plenty of room in the 900.

 

[Zepper]

Print out the invoice they emailed to you or go to the web site and into your account. You can print a copy of the invoice from there. I occasionally don't receive the invoice by email until after I've received the item as I'm so close to the ChiefValue location in NJ.

.bh.

 

[imported_Scoop]

Originally posted by: Earfoam

Originally posted by: drjman
with an 8800 GTX the Antec 900 will be tight. I have a Thermaltake Armor now with an 8800 Ultra that fits fine. On the 900 the harddrive bays get in the way of the PCIe power plug. 8800GTS works ok in the 900 but not the ultra or 8800gtx

Not true. The GTX is 10.5 inches long and the distance between slot mount and drive bay on the 900 is 11.5 inches. As long as a hard drive is not directly in line, there will be no problem.

Not only that, but the GT the OP is using is only 9 inches long. Plenty of room in the 900.

What if somewhere down the line all the hard drive slots are used and he tries to use two 8800GTX in SLI. He's bleep'd.