Easiest to build in cases?

TPCEA · Dec 21, 2023

Night said:
If you wish easier access to components, you should opt for a "bigger" mid-tower or maybe even full tower, lots of room there, and loads of fan options. My old CoolerMaster HAF XM was a breeze to work with, you can freely work and access all of the components. I'm not really sure what the equivalent of such case would be these days. It was considered a mid tower, but it was more of a full than mid sized.

I have the Corsair 5000x, which is a fairly large mid-tower, and I agree that it helps... except for certain challenges, like when your AIO tubes are too short to reach where you want to mount it.

67Elco said:
Check them out online and you will see the benefit.

I was really hoping for your perspective. I see a terrarium that can have mesh sides.

67Elco · Dec 21, 2023

TPCEA said:
I have the Corsair 5000x, which is a fairly large mid-tower, and I agree that it helps... except for certain challenges, like when your AIO tubes are too short to reach where you want to mount it.

I was really hoping for your perspective. I see a terrarium that can have mesh sides.

Mine will be here Dec 27...I can show you then.

TPCEA · Dec 21, 2023

67Elco said:
Mine will be here Dec 27...I can show you then.

I look forward to it! Thanks!

DemonicRyzen666 · Dec 21, 2023

Really no mention the HAF 700? It topped the charts on air cooling in Techpowerup's reviews.

I'm disappointed I went with the corsair 7000D airflow the Clips that hold the Glass door are plastic on this heavy door they broke from the weight of the door already. Not to mention the hinges on mine can barely hold the glass panel level in the first place.

67Elco · Dec 21, 2023

TPCEA said:
I look forward to it! Thanks!

JayZ gives a really honest overview of the Montech King 95...likely better than anything I can provide.

Double-Click · Dec 21, 2023

I'm honestly a big fan of my current case (Meshify 2 Compact).

The side panels pop on/off easily, as does the front and top dust filter.
It's got plenty of room (by my standards) to work in and enough behind the mobo tray even with some half-assed cable management.

DemonicRyzen666 said:
Really no mention the HAF 700?

Anything HAF really, the 932 was cavernous; you could swap parts in and out of that like a pit crew.

kapone32 · Dec 21, 2023

DemonicRyzen666 said:
Really no mention the HAF 700? It topped the charts on air cooling in Techpowerup's reviews.

I'm disappointed I went with the corsair 7000D airflow the Clips that hold the Glass door are plastic on this heavy door they broke from the weight of the door already. Not to mention the hinges on mine can barely hold the glass panel level in the first place.

There are pros and cons for the 7000D. I went from a Enthoo Pro 2 to a 7000D and there are a few things that make it a good case but not great. You hit on the biggest gripe. Those plastic clips are not strong enough and can easily make a door impossible to close. Even just setting the case on the floor can lead to frustration. On a positive note it is very cavernous so building in it is no problem.

freeagent · Dec 21, 2023

P4-630 said:
Hmmm, not good enough, I'm still missing an exhaust fan!..

It is pretty hard to get a mini flag to wave so violently

That setup was pretty crazy

TPCEA · Dec 22, 2023

67Elco said:
JayZ gives a really honest overview of the Montech King 95...likely better than anything I can provide.

I wish you hadn't shown me that video.

Dragam1337 · Dec 22, 2023

I don't know if it is the easiest to work in - all ultra towers are fairly easy to work in... but i love my old cooler master cosmos 2, which has been modded to suit my needs in regards to cooling and airflow.

Unlike all newer cases it has space for bluray drive, which is a necessity for me.

TPCEA · Dec 22, 2023

TPCEA said:
I wish you hadn't shown me that video.

Do you realize just how hard it is for me NOT to order that case? I'm just about out of space in my bedroom and that case really is sexy (in a compugeek sort of way, of course)!

67Elco · Dec 22, 2023

TPCEA said:
Do you realize just how hard it is for me NOT to order that case? I'm just about out of space in my bedroom and that case really is sexy (in a compugeek sort of way, of course)!

Tell me about it...my Sky Two is barely two months old and when I saw that case I just face palmed. I'll load up the Sky Two with a 3700X rig that is sitting idle at the moment. The new King 95 coming will be in Black...haven't built a Black case in years. It will have some colorful bling inside that should be showcased with that design.

iameatingjam · Dec 22, 2023

I like my Lian Li Lancool II Mesh Performance, its definitely good at keeping things cool. I really could have gone without all that area for hdds though. Makes the case feel a bit more cramped compared to the Apevia one I had before (cant remember the model sorry). I guess you could count that as negative if we're rating ease of use. Then again if you do have a need for several hard drives, then it'd be a plus.

FoulOnWhite · Dec 22, 2023

Easiest case i have had to build in, was the lian li o11D, as the front and side come off to give good access to the interior. With both sides and the top and front off it is very open for building in.

Massdeth · Dec 22, 2023

I guess ill be the old guy that nominates these: Lian Li V1000, V2010 and of course the all star: the Caselabs SMA8! :clap:

15 Case Power Tower Round-Up

The side panels are attached by only one screw with a central lock. You have to remove the thumb screw before you can pull out the latch by about half an inch. Then you can remove the lid. The layout

www.tomshardware.com

Lian Li PC-V2010 Full Tower Chassis - Bjorn3D.com

Lian Li has been making aluminum computer cases for over twenty years, maybe even yours. And they ma

bjorn3d.com

CaseLabs SMA8 Review - ExtremeRigs.net

If you’re a fan of the site you’ll know that we are a fan of CaseLabs and have built a few projects with their cases as well as reviewed quite a few of them also. CaseLabs are one of the few boutique case builders out there today and out of those few boutique vendors they …

www.xtremerigs.net

TPCEA · Dec 22, 2023

Massdeth said:
I guess ill be the old guy that nominates these: Lian Li V1000, V2010 and of course the all star: the Caselabs SMA8!

15 Case Power Tower Round-Up

The side panels are attached by only one screw with a central lock. You have to remove the thumb screw before you can pull out the latch by about half an inch. Then you can remove the lid. The layout

www.tomshardware.com

Lian Li PC-V2010 Full Tower Chassis - Bjorn3D.com

Lian Li has been making aluminum computer cases for over twenty years, maybe even yours. And they ma

bjorn3d.com

CaseLabs SMA8 Review - ExtremeRigs.net

If you’re a fan of the site you’ll know that we are a fan of CaseLabs and have built a few projects with their cases as well as reviewed quite a few of them also. CaseLabs are one of the few boutique case builders out there today and out of those few boutique vendors they …

www.xtremerigs.net

Very interesting, that SMA8, and looks like it was designed for people needing very serious computing power (I mean, TWO PSUs?!). I wanted to read their review of the SM8, which they mentioned in the summary, but didn't see it. Is that website still active? I didn't see the InWin ModFree, either. Thanks!

Old, eh?

Vario · Dec 23, 2023

SMA8 and other Case Labs products are no longer sold so only available second hand for a lot of money.

TPCEA · Dec 23, 2023

Vario said:
SMA8 and other Case Labs products are no longer sold so only available second hand for a lot of money.

~~Right, Case Labs went belly up again.~~

gurusmi · Dec 23, 2023

I'm building my actual rig into an Anidees AI CRYSTAL XL AR 3. That's a (for my usage) real great case with plenty of room. I added two Radiators (420mm, 360mm) and also a Distroplate(360) into it. Also i added 2 5,25" drives. Originally one BluRay Burner and an Aquaero 6 Pro. One should consider that this case has 4 USB3 connectors. This is in my case important as my board has only one connector and i needed a Moddiy adapter to fully use all four plugs. An Y-Wire doesn't work. All Over i used 4 140 fans and another 9 120mm fans. I also got 2 Farbwerk360, one Quadro and a second pump integrated.

Massdeth · Jan 6, 2024

TPCEA said:
Right, Case Labs went belly up again.

CaseLabs is back and reorganized, but they are still putting together what cases and parts they will begin with. https://caselabs.se/ Hopefully, they are MORE successful this time around. Obviously, that doesnt help anyone right now who would need a case like those, but you could always go Thermaltake and get one of their copys.

TPCEA · Jan 6, 2024

Massdeth said:
CaseLabs is back and reorganized, but they are still putting together what cases and parts they will begin with. https://caselabs.se/ Hopefully, they are MORE successful this time around. Obviously, that doesnt help anyone right now who would need a case like those, but you could always go Thermaltake and get one of their copys.

Yup, I communicated with the guy on LTTF and he said that the claims that they're bankrupt are not true. On the flip side, he recently got promoted so he has even less time to devote to rebuilding CL, so I wouldn't expect to see anything soon.

Tomgang · Jan 6, 2024

I must say my case phanteks enthoo 719 was a blast to build in. Even with a complicated build like my dual system in it. I really like this cases layout. Lots of space (yes its a huge case) and the many features for configurations is something i really like. Both when i build it, but also when i make upgrades to it. Even throw its a big case. i have pretty much manage to fill it out entirely. I only have 1 sata SSD bracket left to fill up, else it is entirely full of stuff.

IF you need a big case, with lots of configuration needs, phanteks enthoo 719 is not a bad choise. Also for water cooling is great. downsides exspensive and yet comes with no fans at all.
I have not a single regret of my phurcase of it. It fits all my needs.

tabascosauz · Jan 6, 2024

TPCEA said:
Yup, I communicated with the guy on LTTF and he said that the claims that they're bankrupt are not true. On the flip side, he recently got promoted so he has even less time to devote to rebuilding CL, so I wouldn't expect to see anything soon.

I've been hanging out on the discord for a while. It is pretty chill and active with lots of CL owners, but don't expect progress anytime soon.

I don't care what anyone says, there isn't and will never be an equivalent to Caselabs for modular and builder-friendly cases. I got my S3 a year ago for the same reasons.

FoulOnWhite · Jan 7, 2024

TPCEA said:
Yup, I communicated with the guy on LTTF and he said that the claims that they're bankrupt are not true. On the flip side, he recently got promoted so he has even less time to devote to rebuilding CL, so I wouldn't expect to see anything soon.

It says on the link they went bankrupt in 2018, i believe that over some guy on LTTF

tabascosauz · Jan 7, 2024

FoulOnWhite said:
It says on the link they went bankrupt in 2018, i believe that over some guy on LTTF

CaseLabs Makes a Comeback Under New Management

Friends, fans, and former customers of CaseLabs, I have the great pleasure to announce that CaseLabs is officially back after the bankruptcy in 2018! We are now under new management and have re-located to Sweden, but don't worry, everything you knew and loved about CaseLabs will remain the same...

www.google.com

Processor	Ryzen 9 7900 - Ryzen 7 8700G - Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Motherboard	MSI B650 Project Zero - MSI B650 Project Zero - MSI B650 Project Zero
Cooling	Custom water loop - Noctua NH - P1 - Custom water loop
Memory	64GB DDR5 - 64GB DDR5 - 32GB DDR5
Video Card(s)	Integrated - 780M - Red Dragon RX 6800 XT
Display(s)	Samsung Odyssey G7 32" WQHD 2560x1440 240Hz
Case	JONSBO D300 - JONSBO TK-1 - Montech King 95
Power Supply	Be Quiet 12M 850 - Be Quiet 12M 750 - Corsair 850
Mouse	Logitech G403 + Logitech Trackman Marble
Keyboard	Logitech G512
Software	Win 11 - AIDA64 - HWInfo - Afterburner

System Name	S.L.I + RTX research rig
Processor	Ryzen 7 5800X 3D.
Motherboard	MSI MEG ACE X570
Cooling	Corsair H150i Cappellx
Memory	Corsair Vengeance pro RGB 3200mhz 16Gbs
Video Card(s)	2x Dell RTX 2080 Ti in S.L.I
Storage	Western digital Sata 6.0 SDD 500gb + fanxiang S660 4TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2
Display(s)	HP X24i
Case	Corsair 7000D Airflow
Power Supply	EVGA G+1600watts
Mouse	Corsair Scimitar
Keyboard	Cosair K55 Pro RGB

Processor	Ryzen 9 7900 - Ryzen 7 8700G - Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Motherboard	MSI B650 Project Zero - MSI B650 Project Zero - MSI B650 Project Zero
Cooling	Custom water loop - Noctua NH - P1 - Custom water loop
Memory	64GB DDR5 - 64GB DDR5 - 32GB DDR5
Video Card(s)	Integrated - 780M - Red Dragon RX 6800 XT
Display(s)	Samsung Odyssey G7 32" WQHD 2560x1440 240Hz
Case	JONSBO D300 - JONSBO TK-1 - Montech King 95
Power Supply	Be Quiet 12M 850 - Be Quiet 12M 750 - Corsair 850
Mouse	Logitech G403 + Logitech Trackman Marble
Keyboard	Logitech G512
Software	Win 11 - AIDA64 - HWInfo - Afterburner

System Name	Stugots V
Processor	Ryzen 7 5800X3D
Motherboard	MSI MAG B550 Tomahawk
Cooling	Thermalright PA-120 Black
Memory	2 x 16GB G.Skill 3600Mhz CL16
Video Card(s)	ASUS Dual RTX 4070
Storage	500GB WD SN750 \| 2TB WD SN750 \| 6TB WD Red +
Display(s)	Dell S2716DG (1440p / 144Hz)
Case	Fractal Meshify 2 Compact
Audio Device(s)	JDS Labs Element \| Audioengine HD3 + A8 \| Beyerdynamic DT-990 Pro (250)
Power Supply	Seasonic Focus Plus 850W
Mouse	Logitech G502 Lightspeed
Keyboard	Leopold FC750R
Software	Win 10 Pro x64

System Name	Best AMD Computer
Processor	AMD 7900X3D
Motherboard	Asus X670E E Strix
Cooling	In Win SR36
Memory	GSKILL DDR5 32GB 5200 30
Video Card(s)	Sapphire Pulse 7900XT (Watercooled)
Storage	Corsair MP 700, Seagate 530 2Tb, Adata SX8200 2TBx2, Kingston 2 TBx2, Micron 8 TB, WD AN 1500
Display(s)	GIGABYTE FV43U
Case	Corsair 7000D Airflow
Audio Device(s)	Corsair Void Pro, Logitch Z523 5.1
Power Supply	Deepcool 1000M
Mouse	Logitech g7 gaming mouse
Keyboard	Logitech G510
Software	Windows 11 Pro 64 Steam. GOG, Uplay, Origin
Benchmark Scores	Firestrike: 46183 Time Spy: 25121

Easiest to build in cases?

TPCEA

67Elco

TPCEA

DemonicRyzen666

67Elco

Double-Click

kapone32

freeagent

Moderator

TPCEA

Dragam1337

TPCEA

67Elco

iameatingjam

FoulOnWhite

Massdeth