Hardware & Technical Choices Choices Choices - Which case?

GuruNot

GuruNot
Ok, so I am starting to build a new rig. It has the potential to become an uber rig, depending how far I want to go and I need a case to match.

I currently have an Antec P180 which to be honest I think is a really good case. However it only handles Standard ATX boards and as there is the chance of me using an XL-ATX or E-ATX board with water cooling I need something bigger and more modern but quiet.

I appreciate cases are incredibly subjective , but I would be interested to hear opinions on the following candidates:

NZXT Phantom 820
NZXT Phantom 630
fractal design define xl r2
corsair obsidian 750d

Or hear about any others not on my list.

Current top contender is the 750d, but I will probably swap the supplied fans with some BeQuiet Silent Wings fans.
 
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Wolfs Spirit

Wolfs Spirit
NZXT Switch 810 Full Tower Gaming Case

I had my focus on a top of the line american custom mega tower , but forgot the name of it.. will post it when i remember , reason i do not have it because it was too expensive at the time
Because i wanted to build an Big Bang-XPower II computer and that board doesnt fit in most cases.


got it : CaseLabs STH10

review : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBDTBHVIJiA
 
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MacArthur

M
I'm very nearly ready to buy my ED PC. I'm probably going for the Nanoxia deep silence 5 case. It's pretty big, can accomodate larger form factors, giant air coolers etc. I would have considered the even more gargantuan deep silence 6 but it won't fit under my desk. 644x655x250mm and > 20kg :eek:

EDIT: Blimey, just had a look at that caselabs one :D
 
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Asp Explorer

Asp Explorer
I'm still waiting (and drooling) for this:

http://www.razerzone.com/christine

Razer_Project_Christine_04.jpg
 

Yaffle

Volunteer Moderator
Yaffle
I have something very similar (earlier edition I think) of the Corsair one.

It's generally well built, easy to get to all the parts and has plenty of space. Good cable management too.
It is excellent for water-cooling, and has good thermal management for air cooling.
First case I have ever used without losing any blood.

Downsides:
Power supply needs long cables. If your M/B ATX input is in an awkward place you may need an extension.
Front panel covering hotswap bays catch broke after about a year
Top cooling vents attract objects such as paperclips.
One USB3.0 port on the front is dead, dodgy cable.
 

GuruNot

GuruNot
Well ordered a case and PSU from Scan today, PSU was the AX860i as stated but it ended up with a slightly different (and mahoosive) case.

A Phanteks Enthoo Primo:

Enthoo-Primo_1.jpg

It certianly classes as a full tower! More detail about Phanteks first case are here.
 

CMDR Texas Stu

CMDR Texas Stu
I'd make sure it will house cooler if you want that and as quiet as you like.
Most of the rest isn't as important. I do like some nice extras though, like my modular fans are removable for cleaning, and other best stuff
 

GuruNot

GuruNot
Case and PSU arrived today. The box the case came in is truely massive. Will install PSU and transfer bits over the weekend hopefully!!
 

GuruNot

GuruNot
Thanks

Yaffle said:
Good luck, hope it goes without any cuts and boots first time.
Click to expand...

LOL, certainly worked with cases over the years that are lethal , especially Fujitsu Siemens!!

The finish on the Phantek is top class though and it is very spacious, so there should be no "Case Rash" this time.

Once I have transferred my existing hardware over the next dilemma will be what GPU do I upgrade to .......
 

MacArthur

M
Nice case. The phantek is on my radar but not in my basket, bit too spendy for my liking. Noise insulation is also a big consideration for me so after seeing the caselabs offerings I'm now thinking of getting one of their techstations and building a massive wood and foam soundproof chassis around it. Something to keep me busy until the game is released.

http://www.caselabs-store.com/tech-stations/
 

GuruNot

GuruNot
MacArthur said:
Nice case. The phantek is on my radar but not in my basket, bit too spendy for my liking. Noise insulation is also a big consideration for me so after seeing the caselabs offerings I'm now thinking of getting one of their techstations and building a massive wood and foam soundproof chassis around it. Something to keep me busy until the game is released.

http://www.caselabs-store.com/tech-stations/
Click to expand...

My current Antec P180 is very quiet and a nice case, it is around 6 years old and showing its age , lacking the new feature of modern cases. Hence the change. The Phantek is a relatively expensive case but I am hoping it will last me for a good while too.
 

GuruNot

GuruNot
A lot of room:

Up and running:


Old and New Cases:


Sorry for the Poor Quality, the camera on my phone is pants.
 

Yaffle

Volunteer Moderator
Yaffle
Looking good!

Which way is the fan on the CPU blowing compared to the back panel one?
 

GuruNot

GuruNot
Yaffle said:
Looking good!

Which way is the fan on the CPU blowing compared to the back panel one?
Click to expand...

Airflow is front to back and (bottom to top)

2 x 120mm on front drawing in to case, Heatsink fan pushes through fins, rear fan pushes out back of case.
 

Gangsta

G
Corsair 600T Watercooled

My current rig is now classed as entry level due to the Ralative age of the components which I built up over the last 5 years, its based around a X58 Asus P6T + i7 920, I upgraded the case a few years ago to the Corsair 600T, which was small compared to most gaming cases and still allowed me to fit (some cutting of case involved) 360mm Radiator for the watercooling, Rwin 5.25" Resvoir/Pum and the R6970 GPU and i7 CPU waterblocks.

it was quite cheap as I avoided getting top spec new parts, total cost was £350 for the case and all the watercooling parts.
LoJggtUu.jpg

OFd9XJ4a.jpg

Corsair case is well built, and has ample space for drives and good cable management options. However the fan controller is pretty useless so I installed my own 3.5" NesteQ Max Zero.

I have overclocked it to over 4gig and it barely hits 60c, when running Alpha 1.1 build.

As you can tell I am quite pleased with the case considering the low investment I have put in it.
 
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