What case would you buy with this spec?

rpg

rpg

rpg

Associate
Joined
7 Jan 2010
Posts
558
Location
London
Need to make sure I'm buying the right case for my build. Originally it was going to be an Antec 902 but I'm worried now as some reviewers stated that while it had good airflow, space was a little cramped.

  • i7-930 @ 4GHz+ w/ NH-D14
  • Corsair DGT 2000MHz
  • ASUS Rampage III Extreme
  • Corsair HX 750W
  • ASUS ATI HD 5870 (May X-Fire later this year)
  • Intel 80GB X-25M
  • WD Caviar Black 1TB
  • X-Fi XtremeGamer
I don't really want to go past ~£150 for a case, but I will if necessary.

So what would be really helpful in fact is if you could tell me the best case to get full stop and the best case under £150. Maybe the Antec 1200 under £150?
 
gatecrasherlok said:
What type of cooling will you use? would watercooling be down th pipeline in the future?
Click to expand...
Air cooling for the moment anyway; I might look into it in the future but no immediate plans. I had a look at the Corsair 800D but I read a review where they said that the case was more suited for a water-cooled setup, and didn't perform as well as they had hoped air-cooled.
 
If you don't want to spend a ridiculous amount, then a Lancool K62 will do the job well. It has ample room and cooling capabilities - although you'll be hard pushed to get a water-cooling set-up in there.
There's also the Coolermaster CM690 II Advanced which has very good cooling options and you can also fit a water-cooling set-up inside it as well. Both are sub £100.

For around £150 your best bet will likely be one of the Lian-Li cases, but both the above would do just as well :)
 
HAF 932 also it don't need modding I know its ugly but so is the antec 1200

it has pre drilled holes for the rad
 
The HAF is very ugly
ANTEC 1200 is nice but not very long in lenght
COOLERMASTER ATCS840 is elegent and massive compared to the above.
 
stulid said:
The HAF is very ugly
ANTEC 1200 is nice but not very long in lenght
COOLERMASTER ATCS840 is elegent and massive compared to the above.
Click to expand...

I really don't think the 922 is bad looking in the flesh. The 932 I just can't really get on with though.

Definately a marmite thing.
 
I have to agree on the HAF 932, looks functional and well-built but it's horrible looking. Antec 1200 looks to be a contender and while it's not as bad as the 932, it's not the greatest looking either. The ATCS840 is nice but it's very plain, it would be nice with a window.

After what bJN suggested, I've been looking at what Lian Li / LanCool have to offer and I do like the LanCool PC-K62R for a few reasons. I like the window on the side, it's relatively subtle, and it's one of the only cases with a red colour scheme. Considering my motherboard, RAM and GFX card will all be red, I think it would look nice overall. Lian Li have a similar case but it's got a massive dragon on the side which looks awful.

Anyway, what do you guys think on the K62?

k62-27.jpg
 
Coolermaster CM-690 II - Plenty of room, good air cooling (and watercooling option) and costs less on OCUK than an antec 1200.

*edit* anyone know when they'll be in stock? Looking for one myself :D
 
how is that CM-960 II regarding noise?

I was leaning towards a 800d myself (air-cooling) but i've been reading that its not a good case for it. I want something that allows me to get good temps when overclocking but not noisy.
 
If deffo not water cooling then the Antec 1200 aint a bad choice for the money. Could always stick a fan controller on to keep the noise down. If you're considering xfire down the line good airflow is essential.
 
Last edited:
argh the 1200 is so damn ugly....i'm liking the look of the CM-690 II but afraid of the noise and room of the case.

Can it fit a Noctua DH-N14 ok, and a 5870 (with possibility of fitting another later for crossfire love)?
 
i have the k62 and its really nice to work with.

Airflow is about as good as you can get.

Only things i can think of that were tricky were:

1. getting the 8pin mobo connector through the top hole as its quite tight. depends where this connector is on your board tho and it can be done with guile and patience.

2. you get a little bit of light bleed from the led fans escaping from the top and front panels which can ruin the striking aesthetics. I used some stickyback foam on the inside of the panels and this was gone.
 
tfganhao said:
argh the 1200 is so damn ugly....i'm liking the look of the CM-690 II but afraid of the noise and room of the case.

Can it fit a Noctua DH-N14 ok, and a 5870 (with possibility of fitting another later for crossfire love)?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't worry about the CM-690 II being noisy unless you want absolute silence, I can definitely say I'm very pleased with the level of noise it makes and I'm not the kind of person who puts up with a noisy system. I think it should fit 5870 Crossfire too, my 5850 fits in with plenty of room to spare. Here is a picture of my setup. :)

P1010268.jpg
 
Last edited:
tfganhao said:
argh the 1200 is so damn ugly....i'm liking the look of the CM-690 II but afraid of the noise and room of the case.
Click to expand...
Every case with holes all over the place are equal in noise: As quiet as noise of all components combined.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom