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Best Sub-$100 Case?

C

Crispy002

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Sep 3, 2008
Messages
1,385
I almost have everything picked out for my i7 build except for the case and CPU fan (fan depends on case limitations). What would be good case for less than $100?

*Preferred without PSU
*Preferred with removable mobo tray
*Preferred aesthetically pleasing
*Preferred mid-tower

I looked at a few Raidmax cases in person and wasn't entirely impressed with the quality despite their looks. I also looked at the popular Antec cases (300, 900, 900 II, etc.) and couldn't figure out why they're liked so much, they look so cheap.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
 
i dont know of any of the top of my head that have a removable tray for under $100. you can get a thermaltake armor+ for cheap refurb off their site. google it. i think theyre pretty ugly though.
 
I've always been a fan of Antec's cases, not removable tray though, but it really isn't that much of a problem.
 
colinstu said:
I've always been a fan of Antec's cases, not removable tray though, but it really isn't that much of a problem.
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In terms of build quality the Antecs seemed the same as the the Raidmaxes with the exception that the Raidmax cases had some neato features like the foldout tray. I just worry I won't be able to fit a decent CPU fan in one.
 
The Coolermaster Centurion 590 is also a good choice. It's mostly identical to the 690 except for the front.
 
About the top fans, I'd assume you can't set anything on top of your case since it'd burn out the fan? This will be a dorm build and subject to stuff piled on top of it.
 
Crispy002 said:
About the top fans, I'd assume you can't set anything on top of your case since it'd burn out the fan? This will be a dorm build and subject to stuff piled on top of it.
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The CM690/590 don't come with any top fans installed, so if you are going to pile crap up there, just don't put any in. They really aren't necessary.
 
Crispy002 said:
Any idea where I'd start looking for one? I looked around and couldn't turn up much information on the RocketFish cases.
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They aren't widely available any more. Your best bet is probably eBay or a forum, although I doubt you'll be able to find one for as little as $50.
 
Zero82z said:
They aren't widely available any more. Your best bet is probably eBay or a forum, although I doubt you'll be able to find one for as little as $50.
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I hit up my local craiglist listings, found one attached to a cruddy system, going to see if the owner would be willing to sell it seperately for a decent chunk of change. From the information I can find the case is just a rebranded Lian Li case? They appear quite spacious too! :D I assume this does not have a removable mobo tray?
 
It's a full-tower Server case.... used to retail for $200, compares to $200-250 server size cases (in size, not features)...

I got it for $50, I try to find ways to replace it for something smaller, but realize I'd just be spending more money... I got a M-ATX board in mine... and 11 HDD's...
 
Crispy002 said:
In terms of build quality the Antecs seemed the same as the the Raidmaxes
Click to expand...

No. Just plain no.

Antec isn't as good as Lian-Li but its a much better case than Raidmax unless they massively overhauled their quality control in the last year. I have had several friends get Raidmax cases and they were just plain awful. Sides never fit quite right, cheap metal, plastic parts would break on them, fans were loud, and they usually come with a power supply that is a danger to your system.

I'm not a fan of their style either, but leaving that aside, the build quality has been so bad from what I have seen I would never recommend a Raidmax.
 
Scored a Rocketfish case and a Linksys WMP54G wireless card for $80 off craigslist. GG. Thanks for the advice all.
 
Crispy002 said:
Scored a Rocketfish case and a Linksys WMP54G wireless card for $80 off craigslist. GG. Thanks for the advice all.
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Glad you took the time and found one! Its a dream of a case to work with, so many options with this case you can pretty much do anything with it! Have fun modding it ;)
 
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