Aluminium vs Steel Cases

Reldar

Reldar

Reldar

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I don't understand why some people see cases made from aluminium as "premium" when the only real difference is it is lighter.
Honestly why does it matter how heavy a case is anyway? Unless you are lan gamer it's not like you move it around everyday.

Surely steel would be a better option as it is stronger, cheaper and deals with vibrations better due to the increased weight (right?).

These are just my opinions. What are your views?
 
Well for me aluminium all the way but then thats cause of watercooling as both steel and water makes it way too heavy.
 
ION said:
Well for me aluminium all the way but then thats cause of watercooling as both steel and water makes it way too heavy.
Click to expand...

VERY true, my 800D weighs around 26KG fully fitted.

But i still prefer Steel, i love the stealthy black look.
 
I guess aluminium looks nicer, and costs more to manufacturer, and initially when aluminium cases came out, the manufacturers said the aluminium structure helped with cooling which of course wasn't really true at all. Remember coolermaster marketing their ATCS 201 as being thermally convective :)

http://www.anandtech.com/show/1053
 
I find i get more for my money with steel cases, they are usually thicker and better built than an equivilent aluminium case. I tried a lian li onetime and it just felt flimsy.
 
Alu. is regarded as 'premium' because it is more expensive(OP asked and answered their own question) and as far as the weight issue is concerned it can play a part in choosing a case, however while some people may buy a case just because they like the look of it, I would be surprised if anyone bought a case just because of the weight of it. As far as vibrations and noise are concerned, getting rid of the cause(where possible) and correct mass damping should cure any issues and lead to an overall quieter PC. A PC case is nearly always a compromise unless you're an un-demanding buyer, it is just a matter of finding the best solution for your own personal needs.

FWIW I previously had a heavy full tower steel case(complete with plastic add-on parts) which I updated to an alu. case which has(in order of importance) a lockable door, better sound properties, more room inside, next to no plastic parts and is lighter. The fact it's lighter is more of a bonus for when I need to move it for cleaning or whatever, if there had been a cheaper equivalent version in steel I may have considered it, but there wasn't.
 
I'm not really fussed, meaning steel because it's generally cheaper. Plus i love those old beige 10-20 year old cases, if not just because they're actually bullet proof. I had one next to my bed for a while, stood on it every time i got out and it was perfectly fine.
 
ive had steel and ali case's and i will always go for steel now due to less noise it produces than a ali one.

my p190 i had was amazing at keeping everything quiet but ive got a ali case now and hate it with a passion and it's going to be gone asap so i can get a 700d.

and my p190 kept everything a lot cooler than my lian-li case i have now.

ill never ever buy a ali case again no matter how it look's.

perhaps a vote could sort this out for many people ?
 
A nice aluminium case is a joy to sit next to and suggests that the owner is a person of taste who, while valuing practicality, doesn't feel the need to skip style in the process. Steel on the other hand, well it's just a lump of metal really, and looks it as well. Sure, both my Lian Li's are a touch on the frail side and would probably scratch if I looked at 'em funny, but they do look so very nice. Of course I wouldn't stick several thousand fans, an array of Raptors and overclock the CPU to death in one of these lightweight cases. That's just asking for trouble.

My Sugo SG01 was a hybrid of steel and aluminum. I did like the case and it certainly had a more solid feel than my Lian Li's, but lacked their grace.
Flanno said:
I guess aluminium looks nicer, and costs more to manufacturer, and initially when aluminium cases came out, the manufacturers said the aluminium structure helped with cooling which of course wasn't really true at all. Remember coolermaster marketing their ATCS 201 as being thermally convective :)

http://www.anandtech.com/show/1053
Click to expand...

They did the same thing with the ATCS 220. They must have been so confident of its heat dissipating ability they didn't add any intake fans to the case. :D This is something I will need to correct when I start my server project at some point.

Aluminium all the way. :cool:
 
i have the zalman gt 1000

for those saying that steel cases are thicker are wrong, some alu cases are thin, some like mine arnt.....

same as steel cases, you ll get thin ( cheap ) 1s, and think ( premium ) 1s

the zalman case i beleive is 6mm alu sheets, very very well built and brush finished. Looks better than any steel case ive ever seen :)
 
eXist said:
i have the zalman gt 1000

for those saying that steel cases are thicker are wrong, some alu cases are thin, some like mine arnt.....

same as steel cases, you ll get thin ( cheap ) 1s, and think ( premium ) 1s

the zalman case i beleive is 6mm alu sheets, very very well built and brush finished. Looks better than any steel case ive ever seen :)
Click to expand...

No they aren't. What you are talking about is the exception. Your GT1000 which is made out of 4-5mm sheets is a rarity. The vast majority of alum cases are 1mm thick panels, and those that are thicker then 1mm, it's usually only the front panel. I would guess 90% of the time steel cases are thicker, and the panels don't resonate like a drum (ATCS 840 anyone). Take a look over on the SPCR forums and you will see lots of people who prefer steel for this very reason. Aluminium tends to resonate a lot easier then steel.

Regarding cooling - as far as I'm concerned Alum cases have ZERO heat disipating properties too. Many websites have proven the idea that aluminium cases cool better - to be a myth, unless you get something specifically designed to disipate heat. The only one I know of that does that to some level is the Zalman 500A which uses really thick aluminium heatsink plates. How your average Lian Li, Coolermaster, Silverstone or even expensive Zalman gaming case can disipate heat better then the steel equivalent is a complete mystery to me. I guess alum hard drive bays might disipate heat throughout the case frame, if the drives are actually touching those bays. But I don't see how having an alum mobo tray and alum panels is going to help. Maybe the case will disipate heat a little better then steel if you have no fans due to natural convection. But I'm guessing the effect will be minimal and pointless.
 
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