looking for a good alternative to the p180

J

jhinck1414

Limp Gawd
Joined
Oct 4, 2008
Messages
428
i have seen that the coolermaster 690 is pretty popular and the antec 900...also a TON of you seem to like the lian li A05 or whatever its called

looking for a mid size
something a bit smaller than the p180 (would be nice, but no bigger than the p180)
still decent airflow, noise from fans for airflow doesn't bother me
looks decently "normal" ie no crazy lights or symbols



thanks
 
I don't like the Antec 900.

Can't really go wrong with the other two, although I personally would go with the 690 for the bang/buck factor. If you can keep an eye out for those Antec 300 deals ($30-40) they run every once in awhile, that's a worthwhile value too.

-S
 
bang for the buck, blah, i am willing to spend about 100 bucks on this since the ones listed are in that price range, i would rather spend more for better cable management, airflow, and build quality.



how would you say the 300 compares to the others stated before? also off all three with current prices, which would you buy (not money wise, but quality, airflow,cable management wise)?

also i have a thermalright 120 ultra extreme, will that fit in all these?
 
I would look in to the NZXT Tempest. It is nearly identical to the Antec 900 with just as many fans (good airflow) and is about $100 (~$30 cheaper than the 900). The TRUE120 will fit too, not sure if it would though in the Antec 300.
 
The beauty of it is that the 690 wins for bang/buck and performance. You're going to have better airflow and cable management (imo) than in the Lian Li, and better build quality than the Antec.

Don't get me wrong, Lian Li makes some very nice cases. But their mid tower lines, which often lack removable mobos and many of the other perks of their nice full-tower cases while still packing inflated stickers drive me a bit nuts. Trust me on this. I impulse-purchased PC-7fw a month or so ago, and I wish I'd have gone with a CM690 and put the extra $80 in my pocket.

-S
 
I suggest you take a look at the Coolermaster Centurion 590 as well. It's basically the interior of the 690, except with a Stacker-esque front and drive mounting system.
 
crazyjeeper said:
+1 for the 690. I love mine.

Click to expand...

2nd that.

I got my 690 for a steal. Picked it up at a CompUSA store closing for $35. No rebates or anything. They had P180's there as well and almost picked up one of those at the same time (they were in the $80 range if I remember right).

There's plenty of room inside, and I like the idea of the "screw holders" on the side of the 5.25" drive bays. It also comes with some pre-installed cable clips for cable management. They work ok, not the best though.
 
i am really leaning towards the 590 at that price, i am going to take a look during lunch at my local Frys. For those who have it, can you put thicker fans in the front, i have a few 38mm deep fans that i would like to mount in there.
 
jhinck1414 said:
i am really leaning towards the 590 at that price, i am going to take a look during lunch at my local Frys. For those who have it, can you put thicker fans in the front, i have a few 38mm deep fans that i would like to mount in there.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure a 38mm fan will fit in front of the HD cage. However, if you leave at least 3 bays unused, you can also use zip-ties to mount a second fan in the front, and there's plenty of room to use whatever thickness fan you'd like.
 
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