Which of these cases is the better choice?

[Comp625]

I've been considering getting a new case. Either the:

ENLIGHT EN-7237AZ MEDIUM TOWER P4 CASE - OEM with 340Watts Power Supply, AMD and Intel P4 Approved, 4 5.25" Bays and 2 3.5" Bays. Model#: EN-7237AZ $60

or the

MAXTOP CSX-147K-GF-USB-GRAY **Cool Case** With 2 Additional Fans : 1 x on the Top Panel and 1 x on the Side Panel ** Intel P4/AMD Ready 350W Power Supply 2xFans 7-bay Front USB Connector Mid Tower PC CASE - RETAIL Fan: Sleeve. Dimensions (DxWxH): 18.5" x 8" x 17". Drive Bay: 5.25" External x 4, 3.5" External x 2, 3.5" Internal x 1. Model#: CSX-147K-GF-USB-GRAY $50

I really like the Maxtop case's exterior design. Interior seems roomy. The 350W powersupply unit on the Maxtop is from QMax (or something like that). I don't know how to read the power ratings on the side of a PS unit (newegg gives you a nice picture of the side of the Qmax powersupply) so I don't know if it's any good or not. Currently at home, I have a 300W Enlight so if the 350W QMax sucks, I have a nice backup available. I like the Maxtop's top and side fan. According to one of the reviews on newegg, the 2 case fans do not make that much noise.

However, friends have been recommending me the Enlight 7237 because of it's roomy interior and "rails" on the drivebays. I've heard alot about the Enlight but on the exterior, it looks a bit plain. Yes yes I know, you build computers for its performance, not for beauty pagents.

I'm a newbie at PC building (this shall be my first PC building experience) so go easy on me.

I'm going to put in an Epox 8KHA+ with a 1600+ XP, 512mb DDR Crucial RAM, WD 40gb HDD, CL 8x4x32 CD-RW, 48x generic Cd-rom drive, etc etc.

I'd really appreciate your input on which case I should get. Right now, I favor the Maxtop because it looks so cool. The Maxtop case listed above is fairly new, so product reviews are rare. Your help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Dethedrus]

Well, I know nothing about the Maxtop case, but I've built in excess of 100 systems using various 7237s. The only complaint I have is the stiffness of the front bezel. Otherwise, it's a sweet case, though granted a bit plain.

 

[LanEvoVI]

I've built numerous comps w/ the Enlight 7237 case and have nothing but good things to say about it. But I saw that Maxtop on Newegg and like the way it looked also. I just ordered the Maxtop for the computer I'm building for my roomate. I'll be able to give some comments on it in about a week...

 

[PlatinumGold]

i built a machine the other day w/ the enlight case. i love the case. very nice. i know nothing about the other case you mentioned.

 

[NorcoO1]

Or you could go for a Antec/Enermax/Chieftech case....because we all know how sexy those cases are, hehe. And you can pick up a chieftech case with no fans for $69 bucks.

 

[Comp625]

Nah Norco1. I'm on a tight budget. $69 for a case without a powersupply is going a wee-bit too far for my wallet. So far the Maxtop case looks like to be the most bang for the buck. It comes wiht 2 case fans, a 350W Powersupply and a damn nice case. The Enlight is $60, has a 340W Powersupply, decent exterior case but has alot of good reputation from fellow Anandtech Forumers.

LanEvoVI, I'd love for you to keep me up to date on your progress with the Maxtop cases. They look VERY tempting but it's just so new that no one has really bought them and have commented on them yet.

 

[Comp625]

Here's a picture of the QMax powersupply unit that comes with the Maxtop case. It shows the PS ratings, stuff that I don't know how to read. Does the powersupply look any good? I've asked a few associates of mine, and none of us have heard of Qmax.

Picture of QMax Powersupply (has ratings sticker on it)