New case recommendations please

[darael]

I have a Corsair 650D case, which I actually like apart from it's flaws - mostly build quality. Broken fan speed switch, hard to find replacement 120mm fans, hard drive makes the case give off a constant low hum which I can't seem to get rid of even after buying a new hard drive.

Basically I'm bored of the 650D!

What I like about the 650D and what I'd ideally like in my next case are:

• External drive hot swappable SATA drive bay. I've used this countless times, mostly for backing up or the odd data recovery. I'd hate to have to go back to using USB drive enclosures to access hard drives, some of which are 3.5". I know I could could remove the side panel off the case and hook up the drives that way - but that would seemslike a backwards step.
  
• Two 5.25" drive bays. I know these days they aren't used so much, but I do have a separate Blu-ray and DVD drives to rip media that I own for encoding.
• Fan filters on all fans which can be cleaned easily.
• Full size ATX. This was one of the things that drew me to the 650D, as it just sits next to my desk and doesn't get in the way.

 

[EsaT]

Built in hotswap bay has always been extreme rarity.
So unlikely to be found from current cases.
And while there are 5.25" hot swap bay devices, unexpandable fashion cases without 5.25" bays couldn't those.

Obsidian 750 would be one of the rare cases with enough 5.25" bays to take also that.

But it uses same plastic HDD trays design, so amplification of HDD noise would remain.
BeQuiet used to have better silicon strips (softer material doesn't pass vibrations as well as plastics) to use for mounting drives:
https://www.techpowerup.com/review/be-quiet-silent-base-800/5.html
But models with 5.25" bays have been discontinued and might be hard to find.


Using for example car acoustics bitumen mat for mass damping of biggerpanel could help to minimize that noise.

And there's zero sense to try to stick old fans, which possibly weren't even that great.
(bundled fans are usually likely cheaper ones)

Assuming that general part of the case can be opened, that fan switch could be likely replaced:
Cost would be lot higher for specially designed and manufactured switch over some standard slide switch.
Anyway there would be better and lot more accureate fan control methods.

 

[Drumroll]

Lian Li O11 and O11 XL have hotswap, but you access them from the rear of the case.
Regarding 5.25 bays, good luck. Very, very rare any actual model that allows even one. Phanteks offer d a kit to allow one in one of its large cases but to access it would require to open the side panel.
Cases like the Phanteks Enthoo Primo would offer a lot of your must list, but still require a third party hotswap.