2OLD2PLAY
Search

Which case to get?

S
SirPoonga

This is the only thing holding me back right now.  I am trying to find a case for my new computer.  I am building a quad core with the low end 8800gts.  This means I need cooling.  But I also want it quiet.  Here's the three cases I am thinking about and why it's on the list.  I am also getting an asus motherboard that is fanless (meaning it doesn't use fans to cool the bridges).  I am also getting a modular psu so I only have the cables I need.

First, the cool thing about all of these cases is they are tooless, at least when it comes to putting the hdd in.  Also they all have a tool box with plenty of room (such as to store the extra psu cables).

I am going to list them in order of my current preferences.

Thermaltake Armor with 250mm fan
It has a huge fan.  It pushes alot of air and is very quiet (16db).  The 120mm fans are pretty quiet too.  The 90mm fans I might replace with silenx fans to get more quiet.
The advantage this case has is the huge fan and plenty of room.  However, I am getting a tall heat sink (thermalright ultra 120) so I hope there is room for it.  The case does look wide.  There would be minimal cables around the motherboard as I would put the hdd in the cage next to the psu.  This case is also completely tooless, unlike the others.  You don't need screws for the expansion slots.  The only thing that worries me is the heat sink is meant for wind tunnel effect.  I think the huge side fan might disturb that.  The reason I am using that heat sink is it significantly out performs everything else for the Q6600.  This case also has more fans then the others, but they are big fans so they should be quiet.

Antec P182
This seems to be the case everyone is using right now.  I like it because it looks simple.  The power supply on the bottom is interesting.  With two 120mm fans in back and top there would be plenty of airflow.  The one thing I have heard is 8800 cards are a tad too long.  Though all you have to do is remove the middle hdd cage.

Gigabyte 3D Aurora 570
The advantage this has is all the space.  It's a huge tower.  It does have two rear 120mm fans.  This is also the most expensive of the three.  The led logo projection feature is funny.  Part of the reason this is so big is it is designed to house the Gigabyte water cooling kit.  That's also why it has the two 120mm fans on back, you are suppose to be able to bolt the radiator on the back.

Also, with no overclocking, how big of a PSU would I need to power a quad core system with a low end 8800gts?  I have a 550W selected.

Comments (10)

N
NewBoyX·
I have no clue which one is the best, but the Steel look of #3 is nice.
N
NewBoyX·
I have no clue which one is the best, but the Steel look of #3 is nice.
S
SirPoonga·
I like the look of it too. The bad thing is it is the most expensive. But it's on the list due to size. This pic shows how much room is around the motherboard.\r http://www.guru3d.com/admin/imageview.php?image=8635
S
SirPoonga·
I like the look of it too. The bad thing is it is the most expensive. But it's on the list due to size. This pic shows how much room is around the motherboard.\r http://www.guru3d.com/admin/imageview.php?image=8635
R
Rhysode·
Hey Poonga,\r \r Had a negative experiance with thermaltake. Basically - dead light on case, repeated calls to \"support\" went unanswered, customer (a guy I knew) said fuck the light, didn't care but was pissed about the \"tooless\" feature being a complete POS. Putting a USB device in the expansion slot, when pushing thumbdrive into the back of the case the clip would give way and the card would push off the bus. I offered to unscrew the clip housing and screw in the devices by hand - also too late for him to care and just uses his mobo USB.\r \r This was 3 years ago. I bet they have improved their screwless device clips. The guy got over the light but I called those mugs 3 days in a row during the week - nothing. The fans were loud too. \r \r If the fucking guys didn't ignore me, release a crappy design, I wouldn't badmouth them. I hear they have improved but I wouldn't recommend them based on that old experiance.\r
R
Rhysode·
Hey Poonga,\r \r Had a negative experiance with thermaltake. Basically - dead light on case, repeated calls to \"support\" went unanswered, customer (a guy I knew) said fuck the light, didn't care but was pissed about the \"tooless\" feature being a complete POS. Putting a USB device in the expansion slot, when pushing thumbdrive into the back of the case the clip would give way and the card would push off the bus. I offered to unscrew the clip housing and screw in the devices by hand - also too late for him to care and just uses his mobo USB.\r \r This was 3 years ago. I bet they have improved their screwless device clips. The guy got over the light but I called those mugs 3 days in a row during the week - nothing. The fans were loud too. \r \r If the fucking guys didn't ignore me, release a crappy design, I wouldn't badmouth them. I hear they have improved but I wouldn't recommend them based on that old experiance.\r
S
SirPoonga·
Changed my mind. I misread a review.\r \r I am going to get an Antec Nune Hundred\r \r http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2036830,00.asp
S
SirPoonga·
Changed my mind. I misread a review.\r \r I am going to get an Antec Nune Hundred\r \r http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2036830,00.asp
S
SirPoonga·
Actually, after reading posts on the silentpcreview forums I will be going with the P182.
S
SirPoonga·
Actually, after reading posts on the silentpcreview forums I will be going with the P182.