Best <$40 case?

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Superhuman

[H]ard|Gawd
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May 19, 2006
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Right now, I'm using an X-Dreamer II, but it's falling apart.

I'm looking for a midtower case that looks good, is spacious, has decent cooling, and is under $40.




I was looking at the Coolermaster Elite 330. Is this any good, and does anyone have any other suggestions?
 
the CM690 is great. If you want you can opt for the p182 gun metal case from new egg for about 50AR was it?
 
I was looking at the CM 690, but I really don't wanna deal with rebate bullshit and would like to keep it under $40.

BUT, if it really is worth the extra $20 I guess I would go for it.



EDIT: I'm definitely not gonna go for the P180/182. Just too out of my price range and I don't wanna deal with rebates.
 
for the amount that you have, i would go with that. Its a monster for cable management, so your dremel and drill become your friends, but its a cooler master, so you know its a good case...
 
690 pros: room for 2 fans on side panel, eSATA and Firewire on the top jack panel, bottom mount PSU (unless you keep your computer on the floor, then that's a con) , I like the vent behind the mobo - the 330 right panel has no vents at all.

690 cons: the sideways-mounted HDD trays make at least one side panel fan mandatory, since they block flow from the front fan; the top of case usb/audio/etc jacks are inconvenient if you keep your computer on your desk, perfect if your computer's down low, though.

330 pros: cheaper (You can find them for $25 sometimes), normal HDD bays are better IMO - if you have 2 HDDs or fewer you still get good airflow from the front fan, front audio/usb are better than top - for me anyways.

330 cons: not as many fan mounts, top mount PSU, need to buy front 120mm (It takes one smaller size too, 92 I'd guess) fan for good flow as it only comes with rear exhaust, no front firewire.


EDIT: now that the Centurion's in the mix:

Pros: front firewire jack, side window (if you like that kinda thing)
Cons: 80mm front fan, those bay rail dealies don't look as easy to use as the ones in the 330
 
I have the CM690 and It was worth all the trouble. The cable management in the case is great and the cooling is beastly so to speak. Dropped my temps 10c across the board. A lil bit of time spent on the rebates is worth the case.
 
Hmmmm, I just may bite the bullet and go for the 690 for the extra space and cable management.



Uggghhh, it's sooooo hard to choose a case lol.
 
The CM RC-690 if you can afford. For the budget conscious, I recommend the CM RC-330, CM RC-532 or CM RC-534. I would not recommend the Centurion 5 since it uses an 80mm front fan which is pretty loud. All of the cases I've recommended uses 120mm fans that are bit quieter or can be replaced with something quieter than an 80mm fan.

Also, is your X-Dreamer II really falling apart? If that wasn't a figure of speech, there are some things that you can do to improve that case a bit. Just cut out all the grills on the case with a dremel or compound action snip and airflow inside that case will improve. Thats what I did with mine:
IMG_2280Large.jpg


Also, you're not using the stock X-Dreamer II PSU are you? The PSU that came with the X-Dreamer II killed 5-6 hard drives before I finally replaced that fucker with an FSP PSU. Just a heads up.
 
personally if the CM5 used a 12cm front fan instead of the smaller one, it would be a dream case for the midrange-budget builder. It's still a great case, that's just a big drawback. (frankly, the noise isn't noticeable on my CM5 case, but then again, it's down on the floor under my desk :D)
 
Danny Bui said:
Also, is your X-Dreamer II really falling apart?
Click to expand...

Hmmm, where should I begin? :p

The plastic on the front of the case is cracked all over the place and all of the LEDs are out. The side window is cracked and the panel itself is bent. The temp sensor only works if its switched to Fahrenheit. The reset button doesn't work. And to make things worse, all the fans are 80mm, so it's quite loud.

Danny Bui said:
Also, you're not using the stock X-Dreamer II PSU are you? The PSU that came with the X-Dreamer II killed 5-6 hard drives before I finally replaced that fucker with an FSP PSU. Just a heads up.
Click to expand...
Fuck no! I'm using the rig in my sig. I would never trust those pieces of shit to power my components.
 
I've been researching inexpensive cases as well recently, so here's a few other suggestions...

A couple of Ultra Products cases...

Ultra X-Blaster Mid-Tower ATX Case ULT33178 @Frys for $55 + free shipping ($25 after $30 rebate)

Ultra Gladiator Mid Tower ATX Case ULT33182 @Frys for $60 + free shipping ($30 after $30 rebate) - basically same case as above, but with a door for $5 more (might be a bit quieter)

That CM-690 deal at Microcenter is great, but one thing to keep in mind... most online sales don't charge any sales tax - unless you live in the same state. Microcenter has stores in lots of states, so you might end up paying sales tax (I think it still works out to the $40-$50 range, after rebate, including shipping and taxes - looks like a great cases for that price).

If you can wait a month or three (who knows)... then the CM-590 might be more desirable to you, depending on your requirements/easthetics.

Rosewill is Newegg's house-branding on cases from various OEMs... they sell a ton of different inexpensive models, but you have to look closely to figure out who makes the case and whether it might be decent or not. One thing to look for is thickness of steel used... 0.5mm is pretty thin (Antec cases use 0.8 - 1.0mm, for example).

For example, this case:

Rosewill R6AR6-BK 0.8mm SECC 120mm Fan ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

...looks to be made by (or at least the same case as) this one:

hec 6AR6BS2F Black/ Silver Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

...note the model numbers (R6AR6).

That might be a decent case - 0.8mm steel, 8.3" wide (help avoid clearance problems with aftermarket HSFs), Those are different colors, for about the same price, but sometimes, you can find bigger differences in prices... For example, if you like this case:

Rosewill R6XR8-BK Screw-less Dual 120mm Fans ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

...but it's priced too high, you could get the same thing for a bit less with this case:

hec 6XR8 Black 0.8mm Thickness SECC ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

(of course that's still more than you're looking to pay right now... I just wanted to point out the Rosewill/OEM situation, but it does look like a decently built case with some nice features for that price).

As already mentioned, Cooler Master has several different models (many use the same chasis, but different front bezels).. I'm personally kinda partial to the Centurian 534 from a features and easthetics point of view.

Good luck!
 
One more note... depending on how much of a hurry you are in, various cases go on sale all the time (usually involves a mail-in rebate though). So you can sign up for newsletters at Newegg, ZipZoomFly, Buy.com, etc. and also keep an eye on some of the coupon/deals sites and forums...

http://dealnews.com/categories/Computer/Upgrades-Components/Computer-Cases/112.html

http://dealnews.com/coupons/

http://www.hardforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=28

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=40

etc.
 
Spanki said:
If you can wait a month or three (who knows)... then the CM-590 might be more desirable to you, depending on your requirements/easthetics.
Click to expand...
Depending on the price, that looks like the best case ever, IMO. Especially if the Power Button/audio jacks/USB module can be placed in any bay, as some are saying is/will be possible...
 
Yeah, I really like the looks of that case and presumably, it'll be less expensive than the 690. My only question is about the (potential lack of) Reset button. I'm seeing a lot of cases these days with no Reset button, but I insist on having that functionality. I don't know if it's built in to the Power button, or just missing (?).
 
Guys, I bit the bullet and bought the 690.


I'll try to get pics of it up by tomorrow. Thanks to everyone for their input and help.
 
One of the best sub 50 Cases is the CM534 and original Centurion 5 BUT congrats on your CM690. I have one of those as well.
 
Keep an eye on hotdeals, they usually have several cases that you can snag for under 40 bucks AR
 
CM5 with an additional 120mm fan on the from below the top two drive bays. Easy mod!
 
The CM690 is an amazing looking case. I love the Power supply on the bottom rather than the top. It's easier for cable management, in my opinion.
 
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