• Some users have recently had their accounts hijacked. It seems that the now defunct EVGA forums might have compromised your password there and seems many are using the same PW here. We would suggest you UPDATE YOUR PASSWORD and TURN ON 2FA for your account here to further secure it. None of the compromised accounts had 2FA turned on.
    Once you have enabled 2FA, your account will be updated soon to show a badge, letting other members know that you use 2FA to protect your account. This should be beneficial for everyone that uses FSFT.

Antec SX835-II worth reusing

S

Syllabub

n00b
Joined
Jun 24, 2011
Messages
62
I have an old Antec Performance II SX835-II 'workstation' tower case that I am considering reusing. The new CPU I have to put into it is a i5 2500k with a Xigmatek Gaia SD1283 cooler. I may get a second 120mm fan for the Gaia to setup a push pull arrangement plus I will mount the cooler so the fans blow towards the back of the case. I do plan on overclocking but I am not looking to set any records.

I have already put my Gigabyte Z68-UD3H-B3 ATX motherboard and Gigabyte HD6780 GPU into the case and I don't see any issues with clearance. Near as I can tell there are no space issues with this case but I wonder if I will be able to move enough air around.

I can add two 80mm case fans to the front, another in the HD bay and two in the rear. There is no side mounted or top mounted openings but I am willing to cut into the case and add them. I might even be able to use 92mm fans instead of the 80mm.

I suppose my key concerns and questions are as follows:
  • If I put one or two 80mm or 92mm fans in the front and back of the case will I move enough air around?
  • If I put one or two 80mm or 92mm case fans in the front and back of the case will the noise blow me out of the room?
  • I could end up spending about $50 if I filled the case up with fans but would I be better off spending a bit more and just invest in a new case?

Please and thank you for the ideas and suggestions.
 
Depends how much you enjoy modding and like the case.

No location given, USA newegg has the ANTEC Illustion which comes with four fans for $45 using discount code.
Rosewill Challenger comes with three fans.

Personal satisfaction is high with a case mod, tools and time favor just buying a new case.
 
wtourist said:
Depends how much you enjoy modding and like the case.

No location given, USA newegg has the ANTEC Illustion which comes with four fans for $45 using discount code.
Rosewill Challenger comes with three fans.

Personal satisfaction is high with a case mod, tools and time favor just buying a new case.
Click to expand...

I am just outside of Nashville so Newegg and other local outlets are an option. This would be my first time modding a case and I have already started to break it down with the idea of painting it. As you say the experience of modding can be satisfying but it looks like the time required can be significant plus the investment in new tools I might need. Thanks for the case suggestions as I will look into them.

I could always drive down to the local Best Buy and get an Antec 300 on sale for $49.99.
 
The Antec 300 Illusion is an Antec 300 with four fans [newegg $59.99 - $15 with code EMCJKHE27 till 10/31 = $44.99 plus tax]. The 300 comes comes with only two fans.
The Antec case will accept 11 inch video cards if you do not use the HDD bays behind it. Wire management is dated but not bad.

Having more tools just makes life easier and takes less time, also tools can be barrowed.
Modding is time intensive though.
 
I have taken a close look at that Illusion Antec case and it seems pretty nice especially with that $15 promo. I also noticed an Antec Lanboy Blue/Black with a $50 promo plus a rebate of $20 which would get that price down to $99. Comparison of Illusion and Lanboy

The Lanboy seems like a neat case but at $99 is there enough value there when the Illusion can be had for $45? That is a question I will have to answer in the next 24 hours or so. At this point given my scarcity of free time to devote to modding the existing cases I have it looks like I am buying something.

Thank you wtourist for the input and suggestions.
 
Modding is great if you're working on a secondary case. When it's the only case you have...well...not so much. Sometimes it takes longer than you expect and other times you end up not having the right tools/supplies. I think you're on the right track. Once you get everything in the new case, you can think about turning the old case into something unique. Personally, I would not get the Lanboy Air. MNPC did a short bit on the case and it's pretty funny (http://youtu.be/d55Qsxcogb8). I think they're being a little harsh, but you can't ignore some of the glaring faults.
 
OKANG said:
Modding is great if you're working on a secondary case. When it's the only case you have...well...not so much. Sometimes it takes longer than you expect and other times you end up not having the right tools/supplies. I think you're on the right track. Once you get everything in the new case, you can think about turning the old case into something unique. Personally, I would not get the Lanboy Air. MNPC did a short bit on the case and it's pretty funny (http://youtu.be/d55Qsxcogb8). I think they're being a little harsh, but you can't ignore some of the glaring faults.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link to MNPC. They were trying their level best to get 15 fans into that Lanboy Air and struggled to get there. As you say though the case does seem to have some faults that make the regular price never mind the current special price a bit tough to justify. I'll probably go with that Antec Illusion for the moment just to get the new build up and running. Plus I don't need to trap any rodents for catch and release!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top