# Looking for new case, suggestions wanted



## Thrackan (Jan 9, 2009)

Hi all,

I'm getting a bit bored out with my small Asus V3 Barebone case. The thing I find most annoying is the lack of depth, my SATA power connectors are touching my RAM 
I'm looking for a new case, but there's so many models and manufacturers that I'm a bit lost.

Current Dimensions: 13.94" Height x 6.61" Width x 14.96" Depth 
2x 5,25"
1x 3,5" external
2x3,5" internal
V3 case

*What a case must have/be:*

Minimum of 1x120mm front intake and 1x120mm rear outtake. Obviously not too obstructed by too small-holed mesh or something. 80mm's are too noisy. Fans preferrably not included or low noise and high quality.
Solid quality. I don't want to cut myself or bend panels when I bump into them.
Black. I hate white/silver/aluminum colored cases, so black or a nice dark color.
Depth more than the current 14,96" or some very handy component install option to negate that requirement.
Midtower or smaller. Fulltowers are not an option. Must fit uATX.
Decent cable management space
No flashy "gamer cases". See examples below.
1x5,25" external (dvd), 1x3,5" external (cardreader), 2x3,5" internal (hdd's)

*Things I'd like:*

Window in sidepanel (or a clean sidepanel which I can molest later on)
Enough space to optionally install a watercooling setup later on
Fit for ATX motherboards. I might switch sometime.
(Semi-)Toolless install of hdd's/DVD etc.

*Examples and what's right and wrong with them:*

Sharkoon Rebel9 Economy Click

Pros: I like this kind of look, the 9x 5,25" bays make for good installation options. Front 120mm and rear 120mm are well placed.
Cons: Well, the front bezels are flimsy, so are the sidepanels. Also, this is a screw-only design and according to several people, the screws are flimsy as well. I'd prefer at least some level of toollessness.

Lian-Li PC-A05 Click
Pros:
Size (small!) due to front-mounted PSU.
Good HDD installation
With front intake and rear outtake.
Enough depth (19,2")
Cons: It's too clean! Just a bit of mesh on the front would make such a difference. The brush-clean look Lian-Li always has somehow puts me off a bit, and it's a bit too pricey for me to take that for granted. The PC-A59, Click, would be better if it didn't have this *horrible* PSU placement.
Though I'd still prefer a clean paint/coat look over the alum look.

*So, what do I want?*

A case that's not bigger than the Rebel9 in height, with a bit of a mesh-look, not too clean and a good depth and quality build incorporating some good options like the Lian-Li does.

I especially like the top-to-bottom bay design of the Rebel9 for its versatility and the Lian-Li front-PSU design for its space saving and cable management potential.

Budget is completely dependant on how good the case is in my opinion, though 200+ bucks cases are most likely not going to happen


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## Drizzt5 (Jan 9, 2009)

Some people consider the Aurora 570 a "gamer case".

I think of it as the best case I've ever owned, great for everything, perfect for a watercooling loop. And if your not watercooling it still is big and great enough for air cooling. I had a tuniq tower in mine before I had my watercooling.


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## kyle2020 (Jan 9, 2009)

Antec 300? Antec P180?


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## Thrackan (Jan 9, 2009)

meh, see below...


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## Thrackan (Jan 9, 2009)

Thrackan said:


> This review put me quite off on that case. And that's besides the refrigerator-look.





kyle2020 said:


> Antec 300? Antec P180?



The threehundred looks like what I want, the p180 is not my thing. Too clean (and silvery).

crap, I quoted instead of edited...


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## kenkickr (Jan 9, 2009)

I would have to recommend the Cooler Master 690 series.  The original kinda has a yucky side due to the 2 120/140 fan mounts but there is a window panel you can get for it.  They also have a Nvidia Edition that looks good unless you don't care for green.  Plenty of room and is ready for Dual 120 Rad on the top and has 2 holes in the back for tubing if you mounted a rad externally.  The airflow in this case is decent but if you look at mine I added another 120 mount plate to the front and air flow is much better.  

Original 690: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137

Nvidia Ed 690: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119157

690 Window side panel: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811999177


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## kyle2020 (Jan 9, 2009)

Thrackan said:


> The threehundred looks like what I want, the p180 is not my thing. Too clean (and silvery).
> 
> crap, I quoted instead of edited...



antec 300's are joys to build with, ive used 3 in customer builds to date. Excellent cooling, decent cable management and low key looks.


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## Thrackan (Jan 9, 2009)

kenkickr said:


> I would have to recommend the Cooler Master 690 series.  The original kinda has a yucky side due to the 2 120/140 fan mounts but there is a window panel you can get for it.  They also have a Nvidia Edition that looks good unless you don't care for green.  Plenty of room and is ready for Dual 120 Rad on the top and has 2 holes in the back for tubing if you mounted a rad externally.  The airflow in this case is decent but if you look at mine I added another 120 mount plate to the front and air flow is much better.
> 
> Original 690: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137
> 
> ...



Out of those 690's, I prefer the original one. Have to see how big it is in height though, but that's review browsing I'll do later on


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## Gam'ster (Jan 9, 2009)

Link
Remove the hdd cage and place hdd somewere else and you got good airflow there are a few examples of this in the case gallery.
Link2
Thought id throw these into the mix, there are optional side windows for the case in link 1 unsure about 2 but i think the sidewindow from case1 would work.


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## AsRock (Jan 9, 2009)

Still like my TT Armor case. I have this one but got it $40 cheaper. I just had to replace the fans as we do not use a Air condisioner for summer time which is like 80f-95f.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133154

Or there M9 which is much cheaper.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133058


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## Thrackan (Jan 9, 2009)

Gam'ster said:


> Link
> Remove the hdd cage and place hdd somewere else and you got good airflow there are a few examples of this in the case gallery.
> Link2
> Thought id throw these into the mix, there are optional side windows for the case in link 1 unsure about 2 but i think the sidewindow from case1 would work.



It's the brushed Lian-Li look that puts me off unfortunately. The design of their cases is usually fantastic, but the looks are not 100% to my liking.



AsRock said:


> Still like my TT Armor case. I have this one but got it $40 cheaper. I just had to replace the fans as we do not use a Air condisioner for summer time which is like 80f-95f.
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133154
> 
> Or there M9 which is much cheaper.
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133058



The Armor is not my thing due to the front "armor" doors, the M9 looks good though!


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## HolyCow02 (Jan 9, 2009)

Thrackan said:


> It's the brushed Lian-Li look that puts me off unfortunately. The design of their cases is usually fantastic, but the looks are not 100% to my liking.
> 
> 
> 
> The Armor is not my thing due to the front "armor" doors, the M9 looks good though!




M9 Is good but so is the V9... its getting pretty good reviews. I like Thermaltake myself, ill be getting the Spedo Advanced Package for my next build


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## BarbaricSoul (Jan 10, 2009)

I really like the look of my Lian Li V1200B


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## Thrackan (Jan 10, 2009)

HolyCow02 said:


> M9 Is good but so is the V9... its getting pretty good reviews. I like Thermaltake myself, ill be getting the Spedo Advanced Package for my next build



I was looking at the V9 too, but I'm still trying to get used to the top  It's not as ugly as I thought it to be and for 80 euros in my "favorite" shop...



BarbaricSoul said:


> I really like the look of my Lian Li V1200B



That's actually the first Lian-Li I'd consider! Yay for this look

I'm gonna make a small list off of all of your suggestions now. Let's see what I come up with 

I'm including my own "suggestions" to get the best info here.
*I'm not going to buy:*

*Sharkoon Rebel9 Economy* - Good looks but lacks quality and features.
*Most Lian-Li models* - Overall good design but not the looks I like.
*Gigabyte Aurora 570* - It looks like a refrigerator with an ice cube dispenser 
*Antec P180* - Same panel look as the Aurora 570. Not my thing by looks.
*Thermaltake Armor* - The Armor that gives this case its name is also what puts me off.

*I was considering:*

*Thermaltake M9* - Good looks, but unfortunately not very widely stocked here...
*Lian-Li V1200B* - Looks great, costs approx. 172 euros. Would be a good price if the competition wasn't priced at least half of it...

So, we are left with three candidates:

*Antec Three Hundred* - 55 euros and just down the road
*Coolermaster CM690* - 69 to 72 euros in shops I've bought something before (and wasn't screwed obviously)
*Thermaltake V9* - 72 to 81 in the same shops
Since the 300 now has a huge advantage, I'm going to be fair and read some more reviews of all 3 of them. Hey, I want the best case, not the one that's the most nearby. 

*Suggestions are still welcomed!*


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## EnergyFX (Jan 11, 2009)

have you looked at InWin?


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## Thrackan (Jan 12, 2009)

EnergyFX said:


> have you looked at InWin?



Didn't even know it was a brand until I Googled it 

Very shiny plasticcy stuff as far as I can see, haven't seen a case I like on their site atm.


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## King Wookie (Jan 12, 2009)

While I do think you have some good options there, maybe also look at the CM590.
http://www.coolermaster.com/products/product.php?language=en&act=detail&tbcate=17&id=3927

I got mine with the side window and I appreciate the subdued looks. To give you an idea:
http://forums.techpowerup.com/showpost.php?p=1070035&postcount=372


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## Thrackan (Jan 12, 2009)

That 590 looks nice too, I gave it a quick look before, but it has potential indeed. Thanks for the suggestion.

How's that 4-in-3 module treating you?


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## LittleLizard (Jan 12, 2009)

coolermaster centurion 534. is not flashy, it has ur fans and is sturdy
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119106


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## Thrackan (Jan 12, 2009)

LittleLizard said:


> coolermaster centurion 534. is not flashy, it has ur fans and is sturdy
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119106



I'd prefer the 590 and 690 by looks. Thanks for the suggestion though.


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## King Wookie (Jan 12, 2009)

The hard drive 1? Came with the case.

A pita to paint, but uses rubber grommets to isolate the drives. Still uses screws, but works fine.

You just need to pay attention as to which side is top.

I'll be getting another at some point as it's an easy way to mount another intake fan.


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## Thrackan (Jan 12, 2009)

I've added that CM Centurion 590 and the NZXT Tempest to my list of cases I need to check out more thoroughly


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## Lionheart (Jan 12, 2009)

I have a nice case here for you man, hope you like it, not sure if its your style though!


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## Thrackan (Jan 12, 2009)

CHAOS_KILLA said:


> I have a nice case here for you man, hope you like it, not sure if its your style though!



Waaaaaay over the top


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## Lionheart (Jan 12, 2009)

lol, oh well i tried, good luck finding one!


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## Thrackan (Jan 12, 2009)

I'm currently being very charmed by the Coolermaster CM590, thanks again for the suggestion King Wookie!
As far as I can see it has all the pro's I want, including an optional windowed sidepanel and a pretty good place to mount a 2x120mm rad by the time I'm ready to spend on watercooling.
The only current cons I see is I have to buy the sidepanel seperately, but maybe another shop will be easier on that. Otherwise, this is the case I want 

EDIT:
I've ordered it, yay! Been a while since I've been excited about a *case* lol...


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## Thrackan (Jan 14, 2009)

So I've built my system into this Centurion 590 and it's *nice*! Here's a little sum-up on what I've noticed about the case.


No sharp edges (no cuts!)
Minimal amounts of plastic, some on the backside of the front panel and the top of the front panel where the power button is located, but it looks solid enough.
The looks are exactly what I was hoping for, though the paint job looks a bit flimsy on the sidepanels.
Window sidepanel is nice! Too bad it had to be bought separately, but I might use the original panel to mod some stuff.
Multiple fansizes possible on most fanholes. Even though I only use 120's for now, that's a nice extra.
The 4-in-3 module with fan is pretty nice.
The fans that were preinstalled were amazingly enough pretty quiet.
Cable management is doable, but a larger hole near the PSU or some more holes would have been nice.
Manual hasn't been necessary throughout building.

There is some stuff I didn't really like (not that it's a total bummer):

The tool-free clip-in system on the 5,25" bays sucks balls. I've screwed everything in since I could easily wiggle every bit I just clipped on (DVD, fancontroller, 3,5" adapter) except the 4-in-3 module, which was tight enough even without clips or screws.
I tried to reverse the 4-in-3 module to mount my hdd's backwards (cable management!) but that was not doable. The SATA and power cables would have pushed on the front panel.
One of the clips on the sidepanel was not correctly bent. Easily fixed, but it wasn't good.
I think my PSU is giving a slight humming sound. Might be due to the fan being too close to the carpet now, so I will try reverse mounting it (fanside up).
Some larger holes throughout the entire 5,25" bay rack on the right side would have been nice. I had to lead the cables of my fans through the only larger hole available, the one on the top of the bay rack.
I mounted a backplate on my mobo while I was at it, but backplate + insulation + screws was too thick to fit on the mobo tray. I removed the insulation and replaced it with ducttape 

And now, for some testing results. Remember, before, this system was in a cramped minitower!
...:shadedshu
The biggest bummer is that the CPU temps under load (with 80% fanspeed) are *exactly* the same!
GPU temps should be lower, but I still have to measure it due to my Catalyst Control Center being corrupt/dead after a Windows repair.
I'm going to fit some exhausts in the top later on and see if that helps. Otherwise, I might be going for a Scythe Kama Bay 3-bay 120mm fan in the top three bays or something.

Altogether, a 45 degrees under load isn't that much anyway though, and most of the time during normal use, my CPU cooler doesn't go past 40% fanspeed... Might be time to clock this baby back up to 3.2Ghz and beyond


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## 1Kurgan1 (Jan 14, 2009)

I'm alittle late, was going to suggest the CM690. But you made a good choice in the 590, CM makes good products.


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## Thrackan (Jan 14, 2009)

1Kurgan1 said:


> I'm alittle late, was going to suggest the CM690. But you made a good choice in the 590, CM makes good products.



The 690 was one of my picks


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