What Case? D:

Fanaticjam

Fanaticjam

Fanaticjam

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25 Sep 2011
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510
Hey all, melted the front off my PC (I'm new to fan heaters...) So now I need a new case, before my PC melts due to dust flying straight in..


I was already looking at getting a new case and was thinking about the Phantom, heard good things about it and I like how it looks.

I want to go for a Green/Black scheme as I already have four sticks of green LED ram and I like the combo.

Would like some advice on what case to get, been looking at the NZXT range and was set on the Phantom at an earlier date but now there is a lot more to choose from it seems.

Any other suggestions and personal reviews are welcome! Please let me know what you'd get and why :)

I was hoping on adding watercooling at a later date but I doub't think I'll be able to afford it, so what I need is something with great air flow etc. But I don't know much about what makes a case good for it. I am intending on decking it out with this range of fans by BitFenix Spectr Pro Green LED

I need a decent controller, as I want to be able to have the machine near silent during the night and when being used for films. In the day it can be louder and better cooled as sound can just be turned up :P Likewise I would like to be able to turn the LED's off if possible. I think the 820 is the only one potentially capable of this?

Original option
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Phantom - £105
Cheapest
I like how it looks
Looks like best airflow to me? Probably wrong though.


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Switch 810 - £150
Best window, but not a huge fan of the overalls style.

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Phantom 630 - £160

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Phantom 820 - £220
Hue Lighting is a + for me
I think this may be overkill considering it's over double the cost of the original. And it's unlikely to see watercooling.



tldr;

What case to buy? Needs: Green+Black combo/great air cooling/ability to be silent at night/lottsa room for HDD's(7+)/not require me to sell a limb to buy it/cable management.
 
White has been tempting but I think black is more practical and a safe bet, can't really go wrong with it. Also I think it can look better than white when the materials plastic; don't want it to look like my kitchenware :D

Went for the Shinobi as I think the style suits me a little more, want it to look good but not soo 'gamerish' as the Phantom although I love the look of it; not something I'd want on show all the time ^^
 
Heya thanks for your response.

Looked at that case before but didn't fancy the styling much, shame I hadn't seen that image before as it actually looks like a nice build there; the 'PR' photos are usually pants, I forget to check out realistic photos.

I've already ordered now, went for the BitFenix Shinobi XL, and spent a bit getting the spectre pro fans with fan controller etc.

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I reckon it should look pretty nice. (=
 
setter said:
Got the shinobi xl here. Indeed a very nice looking case, internal cable management is good. It's downfall though is it's lack of air intake. Though this can be improved a bit with better aftermarket fans.
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Yeah, doesnt look like the best so got 2 230mm's for the top. Cable management will be interesting, never done any before. Current case is a mess! :D

whiteshadow said:
Cool. Looks good. :)

Good luck moving your rig across.
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Cheers!
Will be a new experience ^^
 
setter said:
I found using 2x 120's for front air intake to be better than the stock 230mm. The stock fans in general are a bit weak tbh. Cable management is good in the xl, due to the great amount of space behind the motherboard tray.
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I got another 120mm to use on the front, it looks like it should fit fine with 1 230mm, might be wrong about that though, can you confirm?

I think I'll be replacing all the basic fans with Spectre Pros as I want the green LEDS :) Haven't planned to fill the floor slots though.. Have you done so?
 
setter said:
On the front it might be hard to get a 120 fitted alongside the 230, (no longer have the 230's im afraid). In the floor, ive mounted 1x 120mm fan. To get a second in would mean removing the hdd cages. Ive also bodge mounted a 120mm fan into the 5.25 bays, used some lian li mesh drive bezels for this.

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Ah thanks for the pics. Nice combo with the power cabling, hope to be able to afford the same at the later date but planning on upgrading to new intel chips when they come out and income isn't the highest atm (student life yay..) ^^


Edit: Also, how's it like for noise? I had considered for going for a silent case before but decided to go for flashing lights etc. Added the controller in so I can get the system as quiet as possible during the night and when watching media.
 
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Probably the scariest thing that I've done this year - taking those covers off heh


Old case :
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Current State:
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Edit: The comp has 3 hdd's and 3 ssd's which made a fair bit of that mess, also had some cathode lighting in the old case.
 
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Fully wired in now :
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The backs pretty messy but that doesn't matter so much, it's been tidied a fair bit but there's just soo many wires with all the drives and fans, D;
 
I've been thinking the lower half of the front could do with a mesh area like they have on the top for that airflow, but I'm lacking the tools for it. Might try at a later date if ii visit someone who has them etc
 
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