In the market for a new case

[taggart6]

I actually picked up this case. It is a rebadged lian li and is really nice and big. Paid 90 bucks with shipping on sale from 159.99

ABS Aplus ABS-Black Pearl Black Aluminum ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail
Item #: N82E16811215010

I was going to take my existing system and put it in this case and add another hard drive. Now I am looking at just building a new one. Target under 500 bucks (including motherboard, processor, graphics card, ram memory). I will just throw my two drives in for now and add a another drive later.

Any ideas or suggestions? I assume I need to target last generation's higher end gear.

Thanks

Not so. For 700 I put together a nice AM3 AMD system. It runs great and I really like.

[Cyber]

Not so. For 700 I put together a nice AM3 AMD system. It runs great and I really like.

What's in it?

[mikeysg]

I may have missed the boat, so to say, but this is for the benefit of those lookin' for one bigbutt case, Corsair has the 800D Obsidian.....it's BIG!!!

http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/289...sis/index.html

Edit - IF I do NOT already have the Soldam XR1 and Mozart TX cases (they're big too), I'd seriously consider getting this one....

[bugspop1]

Everyone seem to have their favorite case. I really looked around at cases before I purchased my last case back in March 2009. I ended up purchasing this CoolerMaster: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-138-_-Product

I thought that I couldn't top my last Case: Superflower 201-c Champagne Aluminum Alloy Case (this case resembles a Lian Li case, it might even be made by Lian Li). There are a few small things in the Superflower such as Fan Filters, that the CoolerMaster didn't come with but this CoolerMaster is an awesome case.

It has lots and lots of room (as any full tower should have). It has 4 x 120mm fans, Pull Out Hard Drive Trays w/Rubber Grommets to dampen hard drive vibration and noise, 6 Tool Less 5.25 bays, Predrilled Holes in the rear of the case for Water Cooling and much more. This case is made of Steel instead of Aluminum like my Superflower case. At also doesn't have any windows (no big deal). It has a bottom mounted Power Supply area in which I have installed an ENERMAX REVOLUTION85+ 1050w Power Supply. This is a very big PSU! This case as you would expect is able to harbor the newer bigger Video Cards. I have a XFX nVidia GeForce 285GTX installed with plenty of room to work around it.

As for building a new computer. Again, most of us have our own opinion. As you can see in my sig, I went with AMD again. Think that my last 5 computers have been AMD's (except for my laptops, they are Intel). I was all ready to purchase Intel this time around but I started seeing Great Reviews on AMD processors, I have No Complaints with mine. All I have to say about the processor you choose is; Good luck in your choice!

[GetCarter]

Check out:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-042-_-Product

That's the one I got. People have squeezed two two-slot video cards in it in SLI/Crossfire configuration. Has an exhaust at the top, optional side fan.

It's a nice, sharp and smart looking case. That's why I got it. I'm not really into all the damn lights and LEDs and intakes, and all that stuff. It's a computer, not a UFO.

[Nater]

I may have missed the boat, so to say, but this is for the benefit of those lookin' for one bigbutt case, Corsair has the 800D Obsidian.....it's BIG!!!

http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/289...sis/index.html

Edit - IF I do NOT already have the Soldam XR1 and Mozart TX cases (they're big too), I'd seriously consider getting this one....

As big as the XR-1 and 800D are, the TJ07 followed by the V1000/2000 series are still the best for water cooling.

[GetCarter]

Damn, that Corsair case is HUGE. Did you see the picture where he mounted the motherboard and the graphics card? They are totally dwarfed by the case.

[Sheff159]

Just my 2 cents, but I love my Antec 1200. I know its as common as can be, but its great. Tons of space, massive airflow, huge expandability, and great build quality. Though there are one or two things that bug me a little bit about it (namley the inaccesability of the front air filters without having to take out 24 thumbscrews). But overall its a solid case, plus it looks great.

[bugspop1]

I love the cases with Intake Fan Filters. You almost Never have to blow out the case inside because if the filters are working correctly they keep the dust and pet hair out.

Besides my Superflower case being a Mid-Tower, it was one of the most Awesome cases I've ever had or seen w/Pull-Out Motherboard Tray, Thumbscrews and Intake Fan Filters. My CoolerMaster is Awesome too, but it doesn't have the Intake Fan Filters (wish it did)!

As we all know, a Full Tower has lots of room. One thing I do like is that it give the air more area to move. I feel as though the mid-towers with all the cables and wires abstruct the airflow. The temps in my 2 Full-Tower systems are much cooler than they are in my mid-tower system.

[Sheff159]

I love the cases with Intake Fan Filters. You almost Never have to blow out the case inside because if the filters are working correctly they keep the dust and pet hair out.

Besides my Superflower case being a Mid-Tower, it was one of the most Awesome cases I've ever had or seen w/Pull-Out Motherboard Tray, Thumbscrews and Intake Fan Filters. My CoolerMaster is Awesome too, but it doesn't have the Intake Fan Filters (wish it did)!

As we all know, a Full Tower has lots of room. One thing I do like is that it give the air more area to move. I feel as though the mid-towers with all the cables and wires abstruct the airflow. The temps in my 2 Full-Tower systems are much cooler than they are in my mid-tower system.

Yes, intake air filters are fantastic. One of the big issues I had with my laptop was dust gumming up the works and the chipset melting (went though seriously 6 mobo's courtesy of Dell) so filters was a big thing for me. My current system has been up for almost 700 hours total now, ive cleaned them out a couple times, and the inside of my case is free of all but the tiniest of particulate. Really a feature I would recommend to anyone getting a new case.

[bugspop1]

Sheff159,
Even though it might not look that great, I think I would tape a piece of Filter over the Air Intake of my laptop if dust is that much of a problem. I don't have a huge problem with dust in my house but we still do get some dust.

I have worked on many computers that really could have used air filters on them. Some people just don't understand what kind of damage dust can do to a computer and they never blow them out. The worst is cigarette smoke and dust! Not only does the dust get on everything, but even with compressed air the dust doesn't come off because of the cigarette's tar & nicotine (same sh*t that goes into your lungs).

I've had people buy a used computers from a friend or relative to find out that once it's turned on it smells like old stale cigarette smoke. I've replaced CPU Fans, Case Fans and Power Supplies to rid these systems of the smell. Replacing the Fans and PSU usually works!

[Sheff159]

Sheff159,
Even though it might not look that great, I think I would tape a piece of Filter over the Air Intake of my laptop if dust is that much of a problem. I don't have a huge problem with dust in my house but we still do get some dust.

I have worked on many computers that really could have used air filters on them. Some people just don't understand what kind of damage dust can do to a computer and they never blow them out. The worst is cigarette smoke and dust! Not only does the dust get on everything, but even with compressed air the dust doesn't come off because of the cigarette's tar & nicotine (same sh*t that goes into your lungs).

I've had people buy a used computers from a friend or relative to find out that once it's turned on it smells like old stale cigarette smoke. I've replaced CPU Fans, Case Fans and Power Supplies to rid these systems of the smell. Replacing the Fans and PSU usually works!

Haha, thats amusingly disgusting. Yeah dust used to be a problem im my old apartment, not anymore though. But once my warranty ran out on the lappy thats when I built my current desktop. This thread actually spured me to clean out my air filters earlier today. Something I hadent done in about 350-400 total hours of uptime on my desk top. I say cleaning those things was like cleaning of a dryer lint filter...really disgusting. But pleased me very much that all that stuff wasnt inside covering my expensive components.