Best case for $80 - $120ish?

T

TS28

Limp Gawd
Joined
Oct 30, 2006
Messages
225
Hey, guys, question for you all :)

I've been deciding on my next case, really like it to be aluminum and not overly big.

I have been deciding between a few, but am still open to other opinions.

These are my biggest concerns:

- Aluminum is a must
- Air flow
- Not too big (Such as CM stacker etc)
- rubberized HD mounting

I have been deciding between these:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112139
Thermaltake Tsunami
CM 690 (people seem to really like it, but I am looking for a more quality case)

Recommendations?

Thanks :D
 
I suggest an Antec P182. They only sell the Gunmetal version on Newegg, though. There's a cheaper black version and it's a really good case, i'm going to buy it once I get enough money.
 
I got the Antec Nine-Hundred for about $80 after rebates.

Despite all the nay-saying on the [H] about it, I think it's a fantastic case and is perfect for an air cooled overclocked system.
 
chiablo said:
I got the Antec Nine-Hundred for about $80 after rebates.
Despite all the nay-saying on the [H] about it, I think it's a fantastic case and is perfect for an air cooled overclocked system.
Click to expand...

Ditto..mine was $120 and totally worth it. (bummer I overpaid by $40 though).

It is very quiet and cool. See one running, I think you'll be pleased.. might not be the one for you, but definitely worth a look.

sharp
 
the nine hundred case provides great cooling.... only problem is its like emptying the lint drawer on a dryer after a few weeks lol. but if you dont mind clearing dust out often then its a good choice ;]
 
if you're willing to live with messy wiring and a bit of wind noise (and the dust cleaning that goes with it) the antec900 is a good choice

honestly anything posted in this thread is a great choice, go to a fry's or a compusa or something and try a few out see what you like. Personally I don't really like TT cases much anymore.
 
DO NOT BUY THERMALTAKE ALUMINUM CASES. The aluminum on it is so cheap and flimsy that you can literally bend the side panels with your bare hands with ease.
 
nightwalker said:
the nine hundred case provides great cooling.... only problem is its like emptying the lint drawer on a dryer after a few weeks lol. but if you dont mind clearing dust out often then its a good choice ;]
Click to expand...

Only reason it has more dust issues is because it move more air! If you dont like the dust then turn off the fans, but then that would defeat the whole reason of buying the 900.

I paid over $140 for my 900, bought it at Best Buy.

Another good case to look at would be the Gigabyte Aurora cases.
 
Eagle156 said:
DO NOT BUY THERMALTAKE ALUMINUM CASES. The aluminum on it is so cheap and flimsy that you can literally bend the side panels with your bare hands with ease.
Click to expand...
I bought a ThermalTake case 3-4 years ago.
Definitely regretted it, for the money I spent (even after a great deal) I could've gotten something far more solid. 2 of the original fans ground to a halt within a year or so of purchase, the hinge for the front case door snapped within a few weeks of normal wear (flimsy plastic hinge for a thick aluminum door?)... the expansion slot spacing in the back was poor, I had to file down a few edges in order to get my sound card & vid card to fit, as they weren't cut cleanly. The filter screen warped pretty badly within a couple months of my owning the case, no obvious explanation for that, my system runs quite cool.
The list could go on for a bit, but suffice it to say I wasn't happy with my purchase.
 
If nothing else TT has been great to me about replacing dead fans in cases I have bought from them.Even after the warranty has expired,that and thier tech support is great. :D
 
Hauki said:
I bought a ThermalTake case 3-4 years ago.
Definitely regretted it, for the money I spent (even after a great deal) I could've gotten something far more solid. 2 of the original fans ground to a halt within a year or so of purchase, the hinge for the front case door snapped within a few weeks of normal wear (flimsy plastic hinge for a thick aluminum door?)... the expansion slot spacing in the back was poor, I had to file down a few edges in order to get my sound card & vid card to fit, as they weren't cut cleanly. The filter screen warped pretty badly within a couple months of my owning the case, no obvious explanation for that, my system runs quite cool.
The list could go on for a bit, but suffice it to say I wasn't happy with my purchase.
Click to expand...

Yep I regret mine also. Just to think that I could have gotten a Lian Li V1000+2 for $10 more...

I should have asked around on this forum, lol.:D
 
Eh, I cannot decide if to go A05 or 7 Plus II or G7... Or would P180 do better? I'm planning on liquid cooling mine sisters e6850........ Help me please.
 
TS28 said:
Hey, guys, question for you all :)

I've been deciding on my next case, really like it to be aluminum and not overly big.

I have been deciding between a few, but am still open to other opinions.

These are my biggest concerns:

- Aluminum is a must
- Air flow
- Not too big (Such as CM stacker etc)
- rubberized HD mounting

I have been deciding between these:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112139
Thermaltake Tsunami
CM 690 (people seem to really like it, but I am looking for a more quality case)

Recommendations?

Thanks :D
Click to expand...

Why exactly is aluminum a must? Do you plan to take it to LAN parties and such? Just curious. I know there are a lot of TT bashers and there are some drawbacks to the Tsunami Dream, but I've been using it for the last 2 - 3 years and I like it a lot. I take it to a LAN party once a month or so using a Sunbeam LAN party harness and it cools very nicely. The biggest problem I have with the case is that it doesn't have a removable mobo tray and I hate the PCI card tool free design. I actually took mine off, as I couldn't get it to work with my dual slot video cards (I've used an X1950XT, 6800U and 8800GTS in this case). Works fine without the tool free crap. Yeah, the build quality isn't as good as Lian Li cases, but I like the looks and cooling of the case better then any Lian Li in the same price range. Of course, I like the window on the side as well and Lian Li seems to be moving away from windowed sides...
 
the new cm690 is high quality all the way, I went to compusa and ripped it apart, its better quality then the crappy antec 900 POS I had.
dont let the price full you, also its BIG for a MID tower.
 
oink_oink said:
Eh, I cannot decide if to go A05 or 7 Plus II or G7... Or would P180 do better? I'm planning on liquid cooling mine sisters e6850........ Help me please.
Click to expand...

Anyone else? I'd really love to have the A05 but hm, it seems so small for LC.. Doesn't G7 or 7plus offer more space? I've done some reserch and I decided to cross P180 out as it seems so LC unfriendly.. Please help me decide/convice me. Thanks in advance.
 
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