# Cooler Master RC-690 or Thermaltake Armor?



## CDdude55 (Jan 21, 2008)

Which case its best? I'm looking to a case with good cooling and is able to fit a 8800 GTX and future cards. Feel free to post your 690's or Armor's.

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

Armor:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133154


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## calvary1980 (Jan 21, 2008)

2 different animals, one is a mid tower the other is a full tower personally I don't like Thermaltake cases it's not that they are not intuitive (after all they do steal from cooler master, than lian li steals from thermaltake ) but there cases are just too aggressive looking. The 690 has great cooling and features I think it's the best case under $100.

- Christine


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## CDdude55 (Jan 21, 2008)

I still wonder is the 690 can fit a 8800 GTX or Ultra?


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## CDdude55 (Jan 21, 2008)

Or i could get the Cooler Master Cosmos.


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## Gallatin (Jan 21, 2008)

i have the (armor jr. mid tower)(full tower armor i think is useless for gaming or just a home pc). if it helps is great. cable managment and cooling  is good but from look and price is exelent


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## acperience7 (Jan 21, 2008)

I remember reading the reviews of the 690. As far as I've seen it will fit an Ultra. I heard some people say however, that if you have a _very_ tall CPU heatsink that it may interfere with the fan. Also a number of people complain about the power/reset buttons being low quality, and easily breakable, but as far as I know and have heard it is still a quality built case. Some people had problems with the HDD racks and the power connectors for the HDD's. I think it was a clearance issue of some kind. I don't know much about the Thermaltake cases, but I have almost only good things about them. I believe that both will easily support water cooling solutions as well.
Personally I would get the CM-690, or if you can wait, check out the CM-Cosmos S case when it gets some reviews in. I don't think you could wrong either way though. If you do get the Thermaltake I would get a side panel with a fan in it too.


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## vega22 (Jan 21, 2008)

my specs might give you a clue.

i cant really knock it tbh and for the price its great. you might want to get some satas with a 90 degree plug tho as mine do catch on the side panle slightly.

also, dont waste your cash on a gtx and get 1 like mine or wait for the 98gx2.

take a look at the room inside of my case just ignore the mess


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## CDdude55 (Jan 21, 2008)

marsey99 said:


> my specs might give you a clue.
> 
> i cant really knock it tbh and for the price its great. you might want to get some satas with a 90 degree plug tho as mine do catch on the side panle slightly.
> 
> ...



How big is the case? Does it have alot of room inside to fit alot of things?. Thats a nice pic of the cases insides. And i to have a arctic cooler freezer 7 pro but can you mount it the other way?(like with the fan facing the CD drives)


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## vega22 (Jan 21, 2008)

its quite roomy inside for a mid-tower with alot of room for more stuff,infact im currently looking at watercooling and i think it will fit easily. the cooler will fit anyway i only fitted it that way so the fans in the roof could pull as the normal fan pushed the air thru.

what you cant see are the 2 fans i have on side panel or the other one in the 3 empty drive bays.

the only thing i can say im not too happy with is the hdd rack, altho there is a fan in front of it there is not enough holes for the air to get thru and flow over the disks. mine sit a couple of degrees c higher than they did in my last case which had the rack sat at 90 degree to this but that is a small niggle. i have seen sombody who popped the rivets out and turned it around so that is always a possibility.


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## CDdude55 (Jan 21, 2008)

Do you think it can fit a GTX?


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## Richieb0y (Jan 21, 2008)

this case has good airflow much room and a bit cabe mang here are some pics

sure it will fit a GTX


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## CDdude55 (Jan 21, 2008)

Those pics look awesome. Thanks.

I hope my PSU cables can reach, if not i will just get some cable extensions on newegg(for my 8-pin cpu connect and the motherboard power connector.


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## Cold Storm (Jan 21, 2008)

I believe that the RM-690 would be your best choice. I've liked the armor, but the more I look at it, the more I like the RM-690... I will say the cosmos is good.. but rm-690 is yours!


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## CDdude55 (Jan 21, 2008)

I like the Cosmos to. But my PSU hates it.

My PSU:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341010


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## Cold Storm (Jan 21, 2008)

why??? it holds it... so why???


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## CDdude55 (Jan 21, 2008)

Cold Storm said:


> why??? it holds it... so why???



Because the cables may not reach. But i can always buy cable extensions from newegg.

like these:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812198005
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812198007


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## Cold Storm (Jan 21, 2008)

I've had to get a few... but thats because its so huge! lol... love that thing so much... lol


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## CDdude55 (Jan 21, 2008)

Cold Storm said:


> I've had to get a few... but thats because its so huge! lol... love that thing so much... lol



How tall it is compared to the Armor?(Need it to fit under my desk) We had to take the feet off of my bro's Kandalf just so it could fit under the desk.


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## Cold Storm (Jan 21, 2008)

the armor is 22 inches, and the cosmos is 24


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## CDdude55 (Jan 21, 2008)

Cold Storm said:


> the armor is 22 inches, and the cosmos is 24



Crap that sucks. And i guess i can't make it shorter right?


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## Cold Storm (Jan 21, 2008)

cosmos no... thats the reason my best friend didn't get it... the armor you can i believe?


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## CDdude55 (Jan 21, 2008)

Cold Storm said:


> cosmos no... thats the reason my best friend didn't get it... the armor you can i believe?



Ya the Armor you can screw off the feet of it. Guess i have to go with the Armor.


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## Cold Storm (Jan 21, 2008)

I think you will like the armor.


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## baztop3 (Jan 22, 2008)

CDdude55 said:


> Or i could get the Cooler Master Cosmos.



If you want a good cooling case then dont get the cosmos it's one of the nicest case you can get IMO but it's below average on the cooling front it's designed for low noise not low temp.  
Ive never been a fan of the Armor just dont like the look of them,  out of them 2 id go for the rc-690.


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## Cold Storm (Jan 22, 2008)

baztop3 said:


> If you want a good cooling case then dont get the cosmos it's one of the nicest case you can get IMO but it's below average on the cooling front it's designed for low noise not low temp.
> Ive never been a fan of the Armor just dont like the look of them,  out of them 2 id go for the rc-690.



I disagree... and disagree highly. I have a Vantec Tornado running in my system right now.. I have a fan controller yes, but even when I've put the side panel on its never been as loud as my tv or the fish tank next to the computer.. Then when its lights out I turn it down! 
 As for air flow, its negative pressure... so you do need something else... but if you can, build it for that.. my temps are good and its ocing like a mad man.
I know its your Opinion and has one that no one can change... but on this I do disagree...


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## WarEagleAU (Jan 22, 2008)

CMdude, you cant go wrong with any of your choices. Being resorted to the Armor is like a gold medal in a platinum medal event. The Cosmos is bad ass, its got a 10 Kick ass from Maximum PC, along with the Gigabyte Aurora Mercury, which you didnt mention (they found nothing wrong with that case). The Armor and Armor JR are massive and plenty big enough. So is CM-690 and RM - 690. Enjoy the challenge of selecting which beauty holds your awesome rig,.


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## ktr (Jan 22, 2008)

IMO, avoid cases with bottom mounted power supplies. There is no point in having them there.  Its gonna make wiring a living hell, and you will never be satisfied.


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## netlooney (Jan 24, 2008)

Coolermaster 690 it's the only way...


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## khemist (Jan 24, 2008)

Just ordered the cosmos myself  will be here saturday ..then will have a go at installing the 220 compact again .


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## dazed554 (Apr 16, 2008)

ktr said:


> IMO, avoid cases with bottom mounted power supplies. There is no point in having them there.  Its gonna make wiring a living hell, and you will never be satisfied.



I have the 690 and I am very satisfied with it, you just need to make sure you get a psu with long cables. Wiring was a problem to some extent,but I was happy with it once that was out of the way. I like how having the psu at the bottom allows for 2 large fans in the top of the case. This was only my second case and the first one I used was sh*t, so I guess I was easily impressed. I also got it a good deal on it around christmas, it was about $40.


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## CDdude55 (Apr 17, 2008)

Well i got the CM690 now, and it is a great case. And ktr and ghost 101 are right, there is no fan vibration absorbments and i have a fast fan on the side so it sounds loud. and like ktr said, the wiring is like hell with bottom mount PSU but i got most of the cables fixed. Except i have the eight pin CPU cable reaching right over my video card(it touches the video card).


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