Case recommendation for 8800gtx?

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batai37

Weaksauce
Joined
May 13, 2006
Messages
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Hi,

Can anyone recommend a good all-around case that a 10.5" 8800gtx card will fit into? I've found several lists of cases that it will and won't fit into, but can't make up my mind because each case seems to have one drawback or another that I don't find appealing.

I won't be water cooling, but I do want a case that has at least 1 3.5 external bay for a floppy drive. It needs to have good airflow obviously. Some choices I'm looking at are the Lian Li 2100 series, the Antec Armor series, CM Stackers, Gigabyte GZ-FA1CA for instance.

Any suggestions? TIA...
 
batai37 said:
Hi,

Can anyone recommend a good all-around case that a 10.5" 8800gtx card will fit into? I've found several lists of cases that it will and won't fit into, but can't make up my mind because each case seems to have one drawback or another that I don't find appealing.

I won't be water cooling, but I do want a case that has at least 1 3.5 external bay for a floppy drive. It needs to have good airflow obviously. Some choices I'm looking at are the Lian Li 2100 series, the Antec Armor series, CM Stackers, Gigabyte GZ-FA1CA for instance.

Any suggestions? TIA...
Click to expand...


Out of the 4 you mentioned the Lian Li V2100 or the CM Stacker... Im getting ready to order the V2100 and personally think its a kick ass case. I would suggest the Silver one if you opted for the Lian Li because the black one is prone to showing even the slightest dust, scratches, finger prints etc... the only thing that annoys me but only slightly is how it has the mobo upside down, which means the side panel with window is on the right and not left... thus forcing me to move my desk to the opposite side of the room so the side panel can be visable on the right side of my desk... but I can live with it, its a beauty
 
MaXXimus said:
Out of the 4 you mentioned the Lian Li V2100 or the CM Stacker... Im getting ready to order the V2100 and personally think its a kick ass case. I would suggest the Silver one if you opted for the Lian Li because the black one is prone to showing even the slightest dust, scratches, finger prints etc... the only thing that annoys me but only slightly is how it has the mobo upside down, which means the side panel with window is on the right and not left... thus forcing me to move my desk to the opposite side of the room so the side panel can be visable on the right side of my desk... but I can live with it, its a beauty
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply!

I was also thinking about the CM Stacker STC-T01-UWK

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119039

but I didn't see this one on the list for 8800gtx-compatible cases. I really think vendors ought to mention whether that card will fit in their case in their stated specs...since this is becoming a more and more common question considering the ridiculous length.

Any opinions out there on the Gigabyte Gigabyte GZ-FA1CA?
 
I've had multiple Stacker 830's and just took delivery on a V2100a Plus II (silver). Both of these cases will fit the 8800gtx without any problems.

I do also agree with the above poster regarding black versus silver. I originally got rid of my silver Stacker 830 in favor of a later generation black one and regretted it instantly. The black stacker couldn't be touched without leaving marks on it - I mean to the touch, your dead skin cells would actually show up on the black surface! The black Silverstone TJ09 I have is a little better but still shows dust pretty easily.

Haven't installed any components in the silver v2100a yet but it sure looks nice :)
 
yenniedn, when ya start installing make sure to take some pics. Im getting the V2100 but its not the A Plus II model... any clue what the differance is between mine and yours?
 
MaXXimus said:
yenniedn, when ya start installing make sure to take some pics. Im getting the V2100 but its not the A Plus II model... any clue what the differance is between mine and yours?
Click to expand...

I was reading one of your other post and aren't you getting that $1000 water cooling version?

As far as I know, the Plus II versions are not that much different from the non-Plus model - what they add are a side (adjustable) fan and CPU duct among other small differences. Each of those two pieces can be added to any non-Plus case easily but the Plus does have a meshed opening on the right side to allow for the air to exhaust via that side fan.

I believe those are the most significant differences.

As for pics, I just got the TJ09BW three days before the v2100a so I don't think I'll be pulling everything out of that anytime soon to use the v2100. I would be happy to take pics of the empty v2100 if you want but you can get that anywhere (newegg, reviews, etc).
 
Have any of you had any of the problems reported about the stackers in the customer reviews over at Newegg? Such as

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ing=1&PurchaseMark=&VideoOnlyMark=False&Page=

1.rattling complaints...the side panel is screwless and some people report it doesn't fit really snugly.

2. misalignment of motherboard mounts, causing difficulty in seating PCI cards

3. poor design re: side panels hard to get off/on

The complaint about being unable to properly seat pci cards is particularly troubling, doubts about Newegg customer reviews aside, if true. A sound card is the only thing I can think of right now that I'm planning on installing that will need a PCI slot, but hey...I want to get my case choice right the first time, and not face the big shipping bill sending it back to the 'egg. Also, if there's one thing I hate is a rattling case...seems like the Lian Li cases are better constructed in general, although I also read a comment somewhere concerning them about resonance humming caused by the hard drives (???).
 
The only one of those complaints I've had personal experience with was the rattling side panel. This was easily fixed with some rubber :) As for non-seating pci-cards, the usual answer I've seen is to bend the back of the case slightly.
 
batai37 said:
Have any of you had any of the problems reported about the stackers in the customer reviews over at Newegg? Such as

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ing=1&PurchaseMark=&VideoOnlyMark=False&Page=

1.rattling complaints...the side panel is screwless and some people report it doesn't fit really snugly.

2. misalignment of motherboard mounts, causing difficulty in seating PCI cards

3. poor design re: side panels hard to get off/on

The complaint about being unable to properly seat pci cards is particularly troubling, doubts about Newegg customer reviews aside, if true. A sound card is the only thing I can think of right now that I'm planning on installing that will need a PCI slot, but hey...I want to get my case choice right the first time, and not face the big shipping bill sending it back to the 'egg. Also, if there's one thing I hate is a rattling case...seems like the Lian Li cases are better constructed in general, although I also read a comment somewhere concerning them about resonance humming caused by the hard drives (???).
Click to expand...

To answer questions above:

1) Yes
2) Yes
3) Yes

:)

But don't worry, it's still a pretty good case. Like every other case out there (since none of them are perfect), you just have to put a little work into it and it'll work fine.

The side panels are not the easiest things to take off or put on but you get used to it. They aren't the most snug fitting things either but they don't rattle THAT much. They only rattle if I didn't put them on right - if you put them on correctly, they should not rattle. As for the PCI slots not fitting properly - that is a well documented problem with the Stackers but you can work around it. Worst case, RMA the mobo tray to CM and get a new one which is supposed to fit that problem.

In any event, I got rid of all of my Stackers in favor of Lian Li and Silverstone cases - but you'll still find a whole bunch of Stacker fans here and elsewhere.
 
At this time I've pretty much decided on the Lian Li v1200 silver...it's going to be a while before I'm ready to buy all the components (i.e. waiting for tax refund), and that works to my advantage price-wise, so I'm not in a big hurry or anything.

Not to derail my own thread, but those e8400 Wolfdale CPUs sure are scarce at the moment...right now the best price on one is from mwave, but I've not heard anything good about their customer service and they absolutely will not accept any returns on processors...you have to deal directly with the manufacturer. I'm immediately hesitant to buy from a vendor that won't even accept a return for replacement. Anyone else have occasion to deal with them?
 
undertheradar said:
Lian Li A05, just add a 120mm blowhole in the top (or have the place you buy it from do it).
Click to expand...

Do you know if the 8800gtx will fit in that case? I was checking it out over at frozencpu, and for this case the "install blowhole" option wasn't available. I'm assuming that the dimensions of the case won't allow for it, at least in the opinion of the folks over at frozencpu.
 
A05... small on the outside, yet large&smarter than 95% of what is out there on the inside, and for sure: my next case. I think the airflow is better thought out than on my PC-V2000 (until I added blowholes to mine), or the PC-767... two other Lian-Li's with the BTX style mobo. FWIW, I prefer the BTX style mobo setup.

1000869xb4.jpg


NewPC12.jpg


workingwiressx4.jpg

A large GPU card does seem to block the flow from the bottom to top a little, so many have been adding either blowholes or a fan on the door/window on the GPU. Lian-Li does make a blower (like the PC-V 'plus' cases) that can go over this as well so you can leave the case stock... but you know how modding is...lol. I plan on putting a 9800GT or GX2 into mine.
 
Yea I built my friends system w/ a GTX and A05 and it was perfect

s4.jpg


Mine w/ GTS.

As long as you mid-tower that has some depth, you're fine... you don't need ridiculous server-size cases like Stackers and V2100's just to fit a GTX...
 
Some really great responses and suggestions guys, thanks a bunch!

I've cut side holes before on my current Antec, but never done it with aluminum. I used a dremel with a cutting wheel and I found that it was somewhat difficult to control, but it's a steel case and didn't cut easily.

Since I'm pretty busy these days, if I decide to go with an A05 I may check into whether or not the frozencpu crew can install the blowhole/fan, although their prices for doing it seem kind of high (around $60 as I recall), and I'd have to check whether or not they would even do it on this case since like I said before, that option isn't presented on the page for that case unlike most of the larger models.

Those pics look sweet! And they certainly do demonstrate that indeed the A05 has no problems accomodating the GTX.

And anyway, I'm looking at these components for this build, which will include:

Gigabyte GA-X38-DS4
E8400 Wolfdale
Single EVGA 768-P2-N831-AR GeForce 8800 GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI EXPRESS x16 HDCP
PP&C 750 quad PSU
Corsair Dominator 2x1GB
Single Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 1TB SATA 3.0 Gb/s HD
Sound card (haven't decided on which one yet)
V92 modem (I use it for faxing)

 I'm not really planning on overclocking this system (although I might play with it a bit with that Wolfdale ;-) ), so I don't anticipate needing a large aftermarket CPU or GPU cooler.
Thanks again!
 
Couple of issues with that build as I see it.

CPU:
Buying an E8400 and not OCing is a cardinal sin around here. A nice HSF can be had for under $40, and it'll be quieter than the stock as well. If you aren't going to OC the E8400 seriously consider picking up an E4400 or E2160 instead along with an inexpensive aftermarket HSF like the AC Freezer 7 Pro or Coolermaster Hyper TX-2 and OCing that to 3.0-3.2Ghz instead. It'd save you $100+, and the performance hit would be next to nil, maybe 5%.

Motherboard:
Second, you have zero reason to go with an X38. And I mean at all. The P35s run cooler, OC just as well, and all you're losing is PCIe 2.0 (as of yet unneeded by anything) and several 16x slots you have no use for. CrossfireX is a waste since you're going Nvidia. You can save $50-100 without any performance loss whatsoever, here, by going with something like the MSI Neo2 FR or DFI LanPart P35 TR2S. The Gigabyte P35-DS3R is also popular. Just stay away from the Abit IP35-Pro, as they act strange with the 45nm chips.

PSU:
I <3 my PC P&C Silencer 750 Quad Black, but I'm also rebuilding with GTXs in SLI, a heavily overclocked Quad, and dual water loops. It is overkill in a gigantic way for your build. You'd do fine with a Corsair 520HX or 550VX, and could save ~$50-60. Plus, modular is more important with the smaller cases.

RAM:
Find the cheapest 4GB (2x2GB) kit of CAS5 or lower DDR2-1000 you can and get that instead of the Dominators. Sure they're pretty, but it's just not worth the extra cash here. Especially if you aren't OCing - then a $70 AR kit of CAS5 DDR2-800 would be plenty.
 
Are yo sure you even want a GTX? Me personally, Im getting the 8800GTS 512 since its pretty much head to head against the GTX unless you go over 1900x1200. And its more than $100 less (and a cooler running card as well).

I would suggest performance-pcs.com for the blowhole... the pricing is the best I know of. The case IS just aluminum though, so it will cut much easier than steel.

Also, if you look in the A05 thread, there is a optional side panel with dual mesh vents you can buy and put 120's on the right side door rather than cutting a blowhole. OR, like I mentioned before, a dual slot cooler like the thermaltake might be plenty.

Me, I plan on leaving the stock door alone, and instead cutting a full window into the top of the case, so I can have my raptorx in the top 5.25" bay, and then just cut a 120mm into the back over the GPU. I will use a mesh bay cover on the top bay for the hdd to get fresh air, and I will most likely remove and block the front 120mm fan... so the air comes into the case over the CPU (I will even use the 120mm duct on my thermalright ultra 120 so the CPU fan IS the case fan, eliminating one fan), some gets removed by the PSU, but most will go up over the GPU and out the blowhole rather than out the front... so I will block the back mesh next to the PCI slots as well. Needless to say, the HDD rack is going to go as well. Then all I need is a Lian Li cover for the DVD drive under the raptor, and then I'll use the 3.5" bay for a Scythe Kaze fan controller/LCD readout... after all, the entire system will only have two 120mm fans (if I do use the front fan, which I think will be useless with the top blowhole but you never know, I can put it on the same chanel as the blowhole). Small, Silent, Cool, and 'Smart' on the inside... not to mention rather cheap.
 
If you are planning to get the Stacker, did you see it in person yet? I saw it at Fry and DAMN IT'S FREAKIN HUGE! :eek:
 
silent-circuit said:
Couple of issues with that build as I see it.

CPU:
Buying an E8400 and not OCing is a cardinal sin around here. A nice HSF can be had for under $40, and it'll be quieter than the stock as well. If you aren't going to OC the E8400 seriously consider picking up an E4400 or E2160 instead along with an inexpensive aftermarket HSF like the AC Freezer 7 Pro or Coolermaster Hyper TX-2 and OCing that to 3.0-3.2Ghz instead. It'd save you $100+, and the performance hit would be next to nil, maybe 5%.

Motherboard:
Second, you have zero reason to go with an X38. And I mean at all. The P35s run cooler, OC just as well, and all you're losing is PCIe 2.0 (as of yet unneeded by anything) and several 16x slots you have no use for. CrossfireX is a waste since you're going Nvidia. You can save $50-100 without any performance loss whatsoever, here, by going with something like the MSI Neo2 FR or DFI LanPart P35 TR2S. The Gigabyte P35-DS3R is also popular. Just stay away from the Abit IP35-Pro, as they act strange with the 45nm chips.

PSU:
I <3 my PC P&C Silencer 750 Quad Black, but I'm also rebuilding with GTXs in SLI, a heavily overclocked Quad, and dual water loops. It is overkill in a gigantic way for your build. You'd do fine with a Corsair 520HX or 550VX, and could save ~$50-60. Plus, modular is more important with the smaller cases.

RAM:
Find the cheapest 4GB (2x2GB) kit of CAS5 or lower DDR2-1000 you can and get that instead of the Dominators. Sure they're pretty, but it's just not worth the extra cash here. Especially if you aren't OCing - then a $70 AR kit of CAS5 DDR2-800 would be plenty.
Click to expand...

Great suggestions, thanks!

Why 4gb of RAM? Since as far as I can tell XP (which is what I'm using) doesn't use (or even recognize much over 3GB) the other two, as far as I can tell that's a wasted 2GB. According to most of what I've read, unless you're using apps and an OS that actually can and need to use that extra RAM, 4GB is a waste. Most people seem to feel that 2GB is plenty for gaming, which is what I mostly use my PC for. Opinion?
 
batai37 said:
Great suggestions, thanks!

Why 4gb of RAM? Since as far as I can tell XP (which is what I'm using) doesn't use (or even recognize much over 3GB) the other two, as far as I can tell that's a wasted 2GB. According to most of what I've read, unless you're using apps and an OS that actually can and need to use that extra RAM, 4GB is a waste. Most people seem to feel that 2GB is plenty for gaming, which is what I mostly use my PC for. Opinion?
Click to expand...

I'd say "you should consider Vista Home Premium 64bit OEM" then. Not sure what it's running at the moment, but... if you buy a DX10 capable card now that DX10 titles that are actually worth running in DX10 mode start showing up and then stick with XP, stuck with DX9, you seem to be doing yourself a disservice.

Wow that was a horrible sentence.
 
The Stacker is big!

I'm sort of in the same boat. Looking for a case with good airflow to aircool a dual core w/8800gtx. I've been eyeballing one of these Mountain Mods H2gO's. -

http://www.mountainmods.com/computer-cases-h2go-c-21_81.html

I got a bob slay for my son and it gets some really nice cooling with the 120 blowing right on the cpu. H2gO has double the airflow in the top chamber and some good future possibility to water cool. On the other hand I might just go crazy and do a big water cooling project, but it looks like it makes for some good air cooling too.
 
silent-circuit said:
I'd say "you should consider Vista Home Premium 64bit OEM" then. Not sure what it's running at the moment, but... if you buy a DX10 capable card now that DX10 titles that are actually worth running in DX10 mode start showing up and then stick with XP, stuck with DX9, you seem to be doing yourself a disservice.

Wow that was a horrible sentence.
Click to expand...

Heh...you conveyed your point clearly enough.

I think it makes more sense to wait until Vista matures into a good gaming platform (which it doesn't appear to be at this time). When it does, I'll make the switch and then spend the extra cash on the extra RAM, saving me a little money now, and already have the DX10 card when it's supported by more gaming titles. AFAIK, the games that *do* support DX10 now...well the extra eye candy of DX10 mode isn't that qualitatively different or better from DX9 according to what I've read. Opinions vary.
 
batai37 said:
Heh...you conveyed your point clearly enough.

I think it makes more sense to wait until Vista matures into a good gaming platform (which it doesn't appear to be at this time). When it does, I'll make the switch and then spend the extra cash on the extra RAM, saving me a little money now, and already have the DX10 card when it's supported by more gaming titles. AFAIK, the games that *do* support DX10 now...well the extra eye candy of DX10 mode isn't that qualitatively different or better from DX9 according to what I've read. Opinions vary.
Click to expand...

Anyone that tells you gaming on Vista sucks probably isn't gaming on Vista, and may very well have older hardware. Anyone that tells you SLI is broken probably doesn't own a current SLI rig. Anyone that tells you 64bit OSes are a pain in the ass probably isn't using one and may be running older hardware. Seeing a pattern here?

Dan_D, myself, and quite a few others here think differently. You're welcome to read reviews and such and try and make up your own opinion, but please make sure they're fairly recent as drivers have matured /a lot/, and don't buy in to the ranting on either "side".
 
silent-circuit said:
Anyone that tells you gaming on Vista sucks probably isn't gaming on Vista, and may very well have older hardware. Anyone that tells you SLI is broken probably doesn't own a current SLI rig. Anyone that tells you 64bit OSes are a pain in the ass probably isn't using one and may be running older hardware. Seeing a pattern here?

Dan_D, myself, and quite a few others here think differently. You're welcome to read reviews and such and try and make up your own opinion, but please make sure they're fairly recent as drivers have matured /a lot/, and don't buy in to the ranting on either "side".
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice, I'll keep all that in mind!

One other question regarding memory: how much attention do you pay to memory & motherboard vendors' memory configurators, i.e. memory that has actually been tested on a given motherboard and known to be compatible? I found some reasonably priced g.skill 4x2GB DDR2 1000, but for the Gigabyte P35-DS3R board for instance, g.skill isn't listed as tested on that board. In fact, in the pdf spec sheet for compatible memory on Gigabyte's site, it doesn't show any memory for DDR2 1000.
 
undertheradar said:
I would suggest performance-pcs.com for the blowhole... the pricing is the best I know of.
Click to expand...

I ordered the v1200 with full view window mod from performance-pcs.com. And thanks a million for recommending these guys, their service is superb. I ordered the case, and they both called me and emailed to tell me they were out of the clear windows and had only the ones with the model number etched on it...usually an extra $5...but because I ordered clear and they were out, theyre giving me the etched one no charge.

Some of the best service I've ever seen from an online dealer...highly recommended! I can't wait to put that thing together.
 
I would mostly ignore the memory compatibility stuff. Nearly all memory is compatible with nearly all boards.
 
lamboman said:
I would mostly ignore the memory compatibility stuff. Nearly all memory is compatible with nearly all boards.
Click to expand...

Yeah I went with the 2x1GB of G.Skill 1066...others have said the same thing as you essentially. Thanks for the reply.
 
Velocities said:
If you are planning to get the Stacker, did you see it in person yet? I saw it at Fry and DAMN IT'S FREAKIN HUGE! :eek:
Click to expand...

I've got a Stacker 810, and love it to death. These 830 &832's disgust me. When I first got into building computers, my third build involved a case with a door; now I find them annoying and un-useful. Granted you can lock your front door, anyone with a nail file can get into your front panel in less than 5 minutes. If you plan your build correctly, you dont need a door (IMO) since you can pick out your 5.25 bay colors and whatnot these days.
This is simply my opinion, but back to the topic of will a GTX fit in a stacker? Ofcourse it will. I've got a GTS in mine, and its got a good 10 extra inches of room behind it that is useable. The Stacker 810 is the only case I can speak for (being a bit over 2 feet long)

The first Stacker 810 revisions only had problems with the 8800 series cards involving something to do with the pci slots in the back not lining up properly.

Hope that helps.
I've got a total of 2 120mm intakes and two higher rpm exhausts, and this thing is a wind tunnel, hence the entire front being mesh.
Either way, I honestly think you can't go wrong with a Cooler Master case. I've owned two Lian Li cases,and for my tastes, they're too boring and 'boxy' for me.
 
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