why ignore the budget cases

[pc-guy]

from a practicality and build perspective, why people dont go on about the budget ones. there are plenty sub £45 cases that have good air flow, cooling capacities as well as the usual stuff like USB-C connectors or some kind of RGB controls.

people seem to go on about the cases you seem on youtube a lot - Fractal, NZXT, Corsair etc etc

- a hinged glass door with magnetic closer is great, but who opens the case on a daily basis?
- superlight carbon fiber chasis (doesn't exist btw) is awesome for computers on Spaceships but what does it add to a desk?
- sliding HDD trays or whatever sliding business is good for the initial build, might have save you a couple of curses and a few drops of sweat to get your hand around that tight bend to tuck the cables etc in, but then again, once build who goes back into the guts of the computer again and again?
- I am not a fan of glass side panels (my case does have one). I personally dont like to see the glowing inside of my PC. I dont like to see my PC at all that's why it is under my desk. so my desk is used for having useful stuff on it, like books, camera, cards, pens, etc etc. I certainly don't want to hear it either or feel the heat coming off it. so why pay a premium for a glass panel when something that is subtle can be elangant also?

just curious as seeing plenty people have glowing insides in uber expensive cases, the constant sight of that will make me go out and buy something new every 6 months. Plus all the dust inside, I will have to rip everything apart to give it a good clean ever so often!

budget cases are often functional, practical and can be good looking too obviously no frills. so why are they so often ignored?

 

[pc-guy]

I don’t agree that budget cases are crap.
I am currently using a thermaltake H18 costing only £34. Ok doesn’t have USB-C ports or RGB controller or other fancy stuff and it is built out of steel. However it is perfectly fine. It is highly functional has mesh front supports 240 or 280 AIO, loads of fan positions, loads of holes for routing cables, MB tray to back panel has ample space for hiding cables away, quite decent click in HDD/SSD installation system etc. This case would have never been reviewed by any of the YouTubed as it is “budget”. But it is a decent case.

Using cheaper material doesn’t mean it is crap. Using aluminium is great but if that makes the case 3x more expensive while the functionality and features are the same then it will be down to the consumer to make a choice between what they are after.

cases are cases, I can understand crap cases will have poor ergo and things that frustrate. But again they still should hold the components in place and stand upright without falling apart right...I have not heard of a case falling apart.

 

[pc-guy]

Are you arguing in favour of "budget" cases? Or just arguing against cases with features that you deem superfluous?

budget to me is anything below £45 mark. Not £90+

Forget superfluous features. Why don’t people go on about cases on lower end more. I do appreciate it is an aesthetic thing however many low end cases do try to copy the aesthetic of higher end case or certainly do a good imitation of it. Some of them are quite unique and good looking.

I really don’t like windows. I prefer the old school solid panels. However someone above mentioned a case brand that don’t do windows but those cases are expensive as well.

to me case adds very little to the computer in terms of performance. Long as it has the sufficient space for the cooling required and the space for fitting everything in. Then one case to another makes no difference in terms of computer Horsepower. There will be tiny bit of practicality consideration. But certainly to me doesn’t justify £150 vs £35...

 

[pc-guy]

Haven't you?

how does someone make a case fall apart? image of a summo wrestler come in mind.

I get the ugly ones and some that not practical but there are plenty decent cases at £50 or lower band that are hugely versitile and functional. many cases offer top and front radiator configuration in 240, 280 and even 360 config.

you are right that most under the £50 mark are not good, but my point is that there are some that are very good but don't seem to get as much attention. I can understand if you are putting together a 3900x or i9 and some decent looking RGB and custom waterloop then you want to show it off a bit and a premium case makes the case for that.

personally I dont look at the computer I use, i look at the monitors when I am using it. so I am aethetics is not very high on my builds - i kind of like monolithic front for simplicity none of those futuristic stuff and no lights. however I do appreciate people like these sort of things.

 

[pc-guy]

I don’t know when the RGB thing started or when it becomes so mainstream. That is really the problem with getting a case that is full glass and Perspex or with lots of RGB effects. It’s fashionable now then a few years down the line it is not. RGB has nothing to do with the functionality of the computer so not really the topic of discussion I want to raise in the thread. But nevertheless, expensive case with RGB short lived fashion statement. Anyway, I really don’t mind subtle mood lighting but some cases are as some one said a light show from close encounter of the third kind.

under chassis lighting is quite cool I think, like under chassis lighting for cars.

 

[pc-guy]

there's a £200,000 Bentley available with a V12 engine, all the bells and whistles and fully automated, that will always be the star of the show. Far fewer people will be interested in the £35,000 Bentley with a V4, plastic trim, cloth seats, no aircon, one bell, a very quiet whistle and only a 4-speed DSG gearbox..

that’s a fair point. The days of me blowing £100 £200 on a PC case is long gone. Haha. Nowadays I try to find the most reasonable brand with the most reasonable case with the most reasonable budget. Issue with that is exactly that - it’s such an average joe case, it’s nigh on impossible to make an informed decision on which case is the most suitable due to lack of exposure/review/specs/details.