Looking for a new case :)

Sudden

Sudden

Sudden

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I've read a lil bit on these forums, but I thought it would be nice if I had a thread all to myself!

I'm building my first build soon, probably as soon as the nforce 590 SLI intel mobos come out, but don't have much of a clue about cases.

From what I have read, Lian Li is undoubtedly the best case you can buy. Unfortunately (and I might get some hate mails cause of this :p) I don't care too much for thier look, would prefer something a lil more gamier ;). Now I know what a number of people here think of thoes cases and the people who want such cases, but still, that's waht i'd like, hehe.

I'm going to be going for a quad SLI setup (2x7950) so need a case that can accomodate that easily. From what I read, in terms of gaming type cases, Thermaltake are a good company so was wondering if people could recommend some Thermaltake cases along with other cases I might like.

Don't really have a budget and am unlikely to try water-cooling, but will be spending on decent air cooling. I'm looking for the best, well, best barring Lian Li :p

Thanks
 
dare i say it... Akasa Eclipse 62 ;)
im sorry i know i own one and its pretty obvious im gonna say the case ive got, but i was immensley impressed by this case, so easy to work with, which would be ideal for a first time build...

i would reccommend a big case with loads of room and upgrade potential...
 
Thermaltake Armour or the Stacker 830 (810 if you can find one).

The best option for your graphics setup, while keeping in with gaming cases.

Armour is the far superior case to the 830, but the 810 and the original stacker are the best of the bunch.

Not really that much choice for decent gaming cases, as by their very nature they are feature packed. (usually means quality is poor)
 
Thanks for the replies :) few more questions though.

How do the thermaltake shark and eureka compare to the armour for what I need? Also, just in case I do go for Lian Li, which one is a good one for my needs?
 
Anyone know what the thermal loading of a 7950 is? Without that info this thread could be heading for a wrong conclusion...

As you're going Core2Duo then the hottest thing in your case will be the graphics cards. Also - as you are going for the quad SLi option, then you will have two potentially very hot things sat very close to each other. The simple option is to recommend an Eclipse 62 with the blower side fan panel, but any of the newer Lian-Li designs that have the additional extraction port directly over the graphics cards may also be adequate. Or, depending on the heat coming off those cards, it may be no problem at all in a standard case with a solid side panel. You can bet your boots it's going to be a beggar to cool quietly though. :(

Early adopters tend to have the most problems with their kit (see the Core2Duo motherboard and CPU threads for verification of this) so I would definitely expect issues with a brand new chipset SLi motherboard, the two newest, fastest cards available and a newish model CPU.
 
Been browsing about a bit more, and the thermaltake shark seems to be pretty good. Just wondering if it would be ok for the Quad SLI under fan cooling? i'm willing to spend on the cooling so don't need to stick to the stock fans if they aren't very good.
Reviews of the armor that Yewen suggested were great too, but I prefer the look of this one, so was wondering if I could use this without losing too much on quality.
 
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Its not quite as good, especially in the cooling department, good few deg higher.

See where you are coming from WJA96 but all the ones I listed have the potential for cooling over the cards, or have good airflow in general.

The 7950 cards pump out a lot of heat, and I agree that the Eclipse would be the best bet, or even a v1000+II to avoid heating the CPU up.
 
ok, I think i've narrowed it down to the Thermaltake Armor, Shark (I love the look) and the Lian Li V1000 + II (too many people rating Lian Li too highly for me to not shortlist it >_<)

I asked my dad for his opinion, and much like Yewen, he loves the Lian Li immensely. I'm at a loss now :(

It's not that I don't like the Lian Li look, just that I find them quite ordinary and nothing special. looks wise, not build, obviously superior in that category.

Thermaltake Shark, I love the look but doesn't seem as good with regard to specs as *** armour or the Lian Li.

The Armor, look i'm not so sure about, specs wise, seems pretty good.

Basically, at a loss on the case >_< and I have until the mobo comes out to decide, lol.
 
Just pictures i'm afraid. i'd like to see it in person since it's supposed to look so much better, but don't know where in london. or in delhi, india :p
 
I just noticed that the Lian LI V1000 plusII is a good deal smaller than the others and some people are classifying it as a mid-tower. Wouldn't a full tower be better for what I need? or will this do the job well also?

First time build, so don't want something too hard to work in.

Sorry im nitpicking a bit now, but only way to narrow it down :p hehe
 
Sudden said:
I just noticed that the Lian LI V1000 plusII is a good deal smaller than the others and some people are classifying it as a mid-tower. Wouldn't a full tower be better for what I need? or will this do the job well also?

First time build, so don't want something too hard to work in.

Sorry im nitpicking a bit now, but only way to narrow it down :p hehe
Click to expand...

It would be yes, but it depends on how big is big enough for you personally. For example, I don't like full towers as I think they're far to big for casual use, whereas the midi-towers are just the right size :)

If you're after a gaming case, I'd suggest the stacker 830, Eclipse 62, the V1000+ and to throw one into the mix - an Akasa zen. The stacker 810 is much better than the 830 though and the 830 just doesn't compare to the competition.

If you had a full tower you'd probably notice slightly better temperatures though.
 
Wrong Nix.

Case size has nothing to do with cooling, at all. :)

Any size, as long as its big enough to hold the parts will do. The v1000+ is big enough, and then some to hold your rig, for space of components its only ever so slightly smaller than the v2000+ which is a fair bit bigger.

Full towers usually just have more space for hard drives, remember components need to conform to the ATX specification, so they will fit in any case, for example that system would go in a Antec Super Lanboy, just.
 
Thanks for the help everyone :)
I think i've decided to go with the case Yewen recommended first, the Thermaltake Armour.

While I do like the look of the Shark more, features wise *** ARmour seems to beat it easily. especially with regards to cooling.

The Lian Li, what decided me against it was a review I found at Anandtech showing how the PSU they tried, the TTGI TT-550SS, stuck about an inch outside the case with little room left for wires etc. The PSU im putting in, *** Tagan 900W, is even bigger and I defintley don't want the PSU sticking outside the case.

So, looks like it's the Armour!

Thanks for the help everyone :)
 
Haha, that review.

Load of ****, a review site that knows nothing about cases, they said the v1000 was a good case, but its not.

They slate the v1000+, but it rules, same as THG did.


v1000002largecu7.jpg


Yes its a tight fit. :p (Hiper Type R 580w, one of the biggest modular PSUs you can get)

You can fit a PC&P into a v1000+, I highly doubt the tagan would be a struggle.
 
v1000 = one of the biggest flops ever for most people.

v1000+ / +II = one of the best cases ever made.

Basically, everything wrong with the v1000 is fixed in the + versions, as you can see in my picture, a PSU will fit.
 
I wish I could see these cases in person somewhere :( make my life a bit simpler.
On the bright side, i've narrowed it down to the Lian Li and the Armour!
Armour seems to have great upgradeability, ample room, and lots of fans.
Lian Li has everyone praising them :p

Is there any place I could see them? In London. Just a yes would be enough to get me searching since you obviously can't link me to a competitor.
 
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