Does type of case make a difference

[Hatake]

I've read very various things about cases. There are reviews that say cases will keep temperatures low, etc.

The way I see it is that as long as the case is a decent size, has a fan for intake at the front and exhaust fan at the back, the air flow will be as good as it can be; air in the front, over all the components and out the back.

Temps are not going to get lower than the ambient temperature no matter how "advanced" the airflow is cause inside the case will be a few degrees hotter than ambient even before anything is turned on and then get hotter when the components are fired up.

Also, I don't see how the type of case can seriously affect noise. Fair enough, the case has to be sturdy enough not to have side panels resonating and stuff, but the main noise will be comming from fans. So a cheap sturdy case with a few extra pounds spent on better fans will have a bigger effect than expensive cases.

So basically my opinion is buy a cheap sturdy case that you like the look of, buy good fans for the front, rear and CPU with the money you saved from the expensive case and PSU and still have money to spend on other stuff.

No point in buying £100+ cases with no PSU, a usable case with a good PSU included can cost around £50. Is that 2 or 3 degrees of extra cooling worth the extra money?

Does this sound like logical reasoning or do you just think I'm completely wrong?

 

[Hatake]

"Does type of case make a difference"

You've kind of answered your own question..

I was still asking cause this is just my own opinion, which seems to differ from everything on the internet. Most sites and forums have cases comming across as an overlooked important part.

From what most people are saying, they're paying the extra money just for looks and ease of install, no-one has mentioned anything about a considerable cooling improvement.

My computer isn't going to be a main attraction or feature in my house when guests visit so I still can't see the point in the £100+ cases, more so when they don't come with a PSU, and I'm also prepared to spend a lot of time when installing my computer as I will only do it once and the parts are expensive. Even if the case is well designed, I'd still take extra time over it. Plus, my computer is under my desk, so any amazing looks and side panels are going to work only if you get under the table, so basically useless.

Although I do understand what warnea1984 is saying about the upgrade bug thingy, as I did think about buying an Antec P180 purely because I considered it to be one of the best cases on the market at the moment, and it doesn't look too bad. But after some logical thought of spending £150 on case and PSU or £60 for a good lookin cheaper case with a decent PSU included, I couldn't find a reason to justify it. A hotter computer will run slightly (so slight its unnoticable) faster as the electrons can move faster through the components and I doubt a few degrees of heat gained from a cheaper case will have any life shortening effect on other components, with technology these days, your components are likely to be out of date even before the warranty runs out.

I can use that £90 saved to upgrade my GFX Card, CPU, or a night out; which is definitely more important than a case and will be used a lot more. A CPU or GFX Card will improve my computer much more than a case.

 

[Hatake]

Its not that I have a grudge against pricey cases, I just think they're not worth it and I was wondering am I missing some blantantly obvious point that makes them shine in comparasion, but it just seems to be preference and if you've got money to spare for the tiny benifit.

I completely agree with nox that a pricey PSU is worth the money, it has a large affect on heat and noise (much more so than a case), has better efficienty and the last thing you want is a unstable PSU and limited upgrade options due to lack of power.

Fair enough, if I was going to be changing parts and mobo's regularly, I'd want a good one thats easy to install, but I don't mind taking extra time over it if its just one time only. Also, if I did spend as much as Dcore-dex on new components, the extra £50 for a pricer case dulls in comparasion.

But going by what nox shortlisted, I believe that some cheap cases can and do look good, are sturdy to last, acceptably quiet, and if its got a fan on the front and back, airflow is as good as any case (+2 or 3 degrees max). So I don't see anything that makes them stand out from above the rest apart from a Brand Name.

I just think that the exact same benifits from a pricey case can be found in many cheaper ones and the money can be better spent on things that actually matter such as the PSU, quiet fans, or a night out lol.

 

[Hatake]

I get what you’re all saying but I’m still not really convinced that all the qualities in a high-end case can’t be found in some of the lower-end cases. I’m definitely not claiming that I’m right and anyone who disagrees is wrong and wasting their money, I just want to see what other people’s opinions are and maybe get a debate going (part of the reason why forums are made).

Just to comment on Alu_ATC’s first post, I did say I agreed that a quality PSU is worth the money, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to swap them out with cheaper cases or that I intended to.

If I bought the Antec SLK3000B, which is a good case without a PSU, it only costs £30 and I can choose my quality PSU. With the mentioned Antec Sonata, I wouldn’t say it was totally high-end price-wise. Although a touch pricey compared to others, it does come with a quality PSU unlike others.

Cases like the Lian-Li V1000, £140 and there isn’t a PSU. Okay, they are a little different in type, but are the features available soo different from others that it merits such a large difference in price?

Fair enough, I didn’t consider the fact that you can sell the case on again for a similar price, but if it were that good a case, I wouldn’t expect to sell it for years to come, if at all. If I were going to change it, there would be some reason that meant my case is redundant or insufficient, thus little re-sale value.

And to comment on Yewen’s post, an expensive case doesn’t guarantee less noise. Yes, it is less likely, as the real cheap cases tend to have more resonance in them, but you’ll find that some high-end cases aren’t without their own vibrating parts.

Such as the Antec P180, there were many complaints that the plastic bracket that held the rear fan on vibrated badly (not to mention the numerous complaints of the door getting warped, not something you expect in a high-end case).

The amount of noise generally depends on type of components. A 60mm fan is going to make much more noise than a 120mm fan. A 5400rpm laptop HDD is going to be quieter than a 10,000rpm Raptor. A loud HDD can be sorted by buying real cheap grommets or suspended with elastic, and I've heard people using cable ties to attach fans instead of screws to reduce the noise.

So I still believe that brand name plays a large part in cases and cheap ones can be more than suffice. And I back this up by the fact that Alu_ATC said, “with a name like X-Blade, do I need say anymore?”

That just implies it is a bad case due to a bad choice of name. The X-blade is not as bad as he made out; it is an excellent case for the price, it takes 3 120mm fans(possibly tacky but you already own fans that you can use), has ample room for expansion, cost him less than £40, made of steel so sturdy, little or no resonance, and has a 400W PSU. The first link that came up on google (http://www.overclockercafe.com/Reviews/cases/X-Blade/index.htm) rated it highly, complimented the "cheap" paint job, and recommended the case. And unlike the P180, the door maintains its shape and closes.

If X-Blade had the name Antec or Silverstone slapped on it, I recon he wouldn’t have slated it so badly, probably would even have said it was good.

 

[Hatake]

Disaster! Sod's law, it had to be the essay posts that got lost lol. I've got of the final 2 posts (i think - not sure if they're even in the right order) from dennisthemennis and alu_atc as well as my two responses, I'll post them next

In case your still with us mate a word of warning about the X-Blade case. There are X-Blade cases made by two companies, A-Top from America, and Advance from France. The A-top version is the one getting the raves. The Advance version is to all intents and perposes the one you should run a mile from. Apart from being french, the case comes in wafer thin alloy, and hasn't got the removable sideways facing hard drive cage, and is closer to a french version of a vomit box. The visual difference is the front drive bays, five optical and one floppy for the american A-Top, and only four optical and two floppy for the flowerpot men's version. Having said that, A-Top no longer make them, so finding one will be fun..

lol, got a little confused when a different case came up when I typed in x-blade in google, only found one site with it though, and a cheap and nasty case the Advance one is indeed.

I don't know is it me you're referring to about getting the X-Blade case, but I said I was interested in trying it in a build, dunno would I buy it though cause I'm not a fan of the door and I imagine the lights would really annoy me as my computer is on overnight.

 

[Hatake]

My next is system is being made in a high end Tescos cardboard box. Outstandingly good for overclocked celerons, and massive inside, it was even tested by a wino of great repute. This system will outshine everything, including the Gandalf and Stacker.

Now where's the sellotape.......................

Lol, I guess functionality, performance, and aesthetics are not an issue here. This actually reminded me, I once saw a thread in the SPCR forums where a guy built his own case out of wood. It looked, well, like a wooden box, but it performed well and was silent-ish.

That is a LOT of cases you’ve went through Yewen, indeed a little problem there. You must like moving your rig lol

Actually, I think you might be right on the GFX card front. There are a lot more crazy modders out there that demand maximum graphical performance whenever possible (like Yewan but with gfx cards instead ), but if you’re one of the normal ones, I think the example I put forward would apply. (Plus, I think ATi are superior but that’s a different argument all together lol.)

I guess using the computer for games, movies, work, and just general all round use, kind of demands usability over looks, so for me performance would be the main focus.

With the x-blade, I’ll settle with that. I like it and think it’s very useable, but I’ll agree that the looks are definitely not for everyone.

Yeah, I think every decent case (barring the cheap nasty ones) will have similar performance and it just boils down to looks at the end of the day. Aesthetics has been left out so the other factors could be argued more in the limelight but the difference is pretty minimal so aesthetics has found itself sneaking back in. I think the same in that everyone is superficial, if you see something you like, you’ll be willing to pay more for it and not settle for something less.

My idea of an upgrade is a part that increases performance of the computer or a part that enhances my enjoyment out of it. This can only be achieved when using the computer, not by looking at it, so for me, the case is not as important a part.

I could spend all my money on a case and mods, having it looking like the best computer in the world but only have enough money for a Pentium II rig. It will look the part but if you turn it on and monochromatic colours come on the screen after the long start-up wait, the effect of the look is somewhat diminished. Spending large amounts on a case will usually give you all the qualities you want the majority of the time, but all the attributes (albeit not as good but still more than enough) can be found on cheaper cases – just not as easy to find – so I guess it’s just where you decide to draw the line between performance, cost, and looks.

So it does indeed come down to the individual person’s preference and idea of what would make their computer better. There is no undeniable answer to what is right or wrong on this, it depends to the individual person and how far they’re willing to go.

So there we have it. I had fun on this debate, thanks for taking the time to join in, especially the people who had a differing opinion from mine. I found it very interesting, but you’ve still not swayed me to go for a high end case :d

 

[Hatake]

Like I said, the case is reviewed acording to its price and features. Its not a high end case, so they are not comparing it to one, that would be unfair as Im sure it was never in the design brief! The case I used was the exact X-blade you have mentioned, and it was used when my friend was doing a build (he'd bought it before I could pursuade him otherwise). I don'y know why you are claiming I dont know what case I did and did not use, but I assure you for the last time it was the X-Blade, Im a big fan of cases just like Yewen.

I dont know how my opinion is 'clearly biased', I dont work for Silverstone, Coolermaster, Lian Li or the anti X-Blade corporation (joke by the way). I dont feel that it was a good case, and Ive already argued why. Im not determined to believe any case that isnt a 'high end' brand isnt good - but whether you believe that or not is up to you. I dont like the X-Blade due to its flimsy door, cheap paint job (and yes, I do believe its a cheap paint job) and overall design. Id rather spend a little more on a better case. At the end of the day, you prefer a lower end case and then you can go and have a good night out - I wont worry knowing I paid more for what is a better quality case. And I honestly couldnt care less how many more FPS you get becuase of the money you saved, a case is a better investment

bah, you posted just after I left and watched derren brown's hiest before I finished writing mine lol. So I apologise for the double post - if it is that is. I just finished watching lost and now the forums aren’t responding .

lol, I’m just saying you’re biased as in that you think its going to be bad because its cheap and not branded (subconscious or not, I admit that I am usually wary of cheaper things). “Clearly” is an overstatement in hindsight, I apologise.

I’ll also agree that a case is reviewed with price in consideration, but only to a certain extent because I have still to see a review to say something like “this high-end case is overpriced and the same can be found in cheaper cases” for I am sure that there are some as we know all high-end cases are not winners.

All I said was that I didn’t know what case you used or what you used it for, I wasn’t claiming anything so you misunderstood. It could have been a different x-blade case but it appears not.

I think the paint job on the black and silver x-blade cases are excellent (the green they used is indeed a horrible one for a case) and the design to be good. I don’t think it’s the best-looking case ever and I’m not a fan of the door either (don’t think its flimsy but just weird looking).

It depends how much you think is a little. It might be me but I wouldn’t call prices sometimes double, “a little more”. Like mentioned, a cheap case can and will house your components well and safe, just not always looking as nice.

Okay, a graphics card won’t be worth as much in 6 months, but how often do you change your graphics card every six months when something better comes out? Not very to say the least. An expensive graphics card will run everything out now and later for years to come. I know people still running GeForce MX440’s and ATI Radeon 9600’s and they handle all modern games well and they’re a few years old.

If I never intend to sell my case on, it’s not an investment, as I won’t get my money back let alone a profit. So as it’s not an investment, I’d rather spend the money on something that I use a lot more and make my computer look better when running, because, lets be honest, who looks at the case when you’re using the computer? Also, better graphics will increase the comfort of using computers, which is more important than looks IMO.