Biggest and best case under $300

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SomeGuy133

2[H]4U
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Hi I am considering getting a new case and i hate small crap cases. My budget is fairly small but I know cases last forever so I am willing to spend up to 300 if needed. I much rather spend ~200 if possible. Last case I personally bought was the awesome antec AMG 1000 and that was one of the best back in the day (15 years ago) I know cases are way way way better now. I currently have this crap case that I need to dump.

I need/want
ability to expand to EATX and E/Xeon CPUs (lots of room)

multiple hard drives. I currently have like 10 but I am using them externally and i am fine with that but would like ability to hold at least 6 internally with new case.

I will also do SLI/xfire down the road as well and use other PCIe slots for other peripherals.

I most likely will not do custom loops but would like that to be an option. I most likely will do AIOs for simplicity and they do a fairly good job as is these days.

good amount of fans. my Antec was ridiculous lol It has about 350 CFM with 80 mm fans -_- Vantec tornadoes :rolleyes:

decent amount of 5.25 bays. I will put in at least 2-3 DVD/blue rays for ripping.

I also have a lot of 120mm fans now so I would like to not have to buy new ones if possible.

Does anyone know of a case that fits my needs?
 
Nasgul said:
There are so many, it'd be hard for you to choose. Unfortunately I didn't see any Antec, but here are some, less than $200.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147245&ignorebbr=1

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119225&ignorebbr=1

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119297&ignorebbr=1

One very popular among the fellas around here:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811854006&ignorebbr=1

And my personal favorite and recommendation:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139024&Tpk=N82E16811139024


Although the Rosewill looks like it fits more your needs.
Click to expand...

Thanks. ROFL my god that rosewill -_-

The thing i hate about the sideways HDDs is the SATA cable gets bend hard. This raidmax I have has that issue. There might be enough space where it isn't a problem but it still scares me :)

Big question...where does my floppy drive and zip disc drive go? :D

Anyways, Looking at what you found (thanks) and my own digging these appear to be best so far. What are your opinions? I know the 900D is a bit ridiculous but I don't plan on ever buying a new case i think...would I really have to for any real reason? Also wouldn't any of these good cases have good resale value? Trying to see if the 150 extra is worth even considering the 900D

Smallest to largest case from sheer size

HAF-X
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...a&cm_sp=&AID=10440897&PID=3891137&SID=rewrite

Rosewill Spirit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...a&cm_sp=&AID=10440897&PID=3891137&SID=rewrite

Rosewill Blackhawk
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147157

900D
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139019

I am personally feeling rosewill over the HAF-X unless i am missing something. The 900D appears to be better but hard to tell without being in person and some serious thinking about what they both offer. The lists of features are huge :p They even come with cigar lighters rofl. Not sure if the extra 150 is worth it though.
 
Last edited:
Nasgul said:
From what you needs are and the cases available for the budget, if I were you, I'd get the Rosewill Spirit.

The other cases are fine but they just have features that wouldn't matter or are good for your needs. I see the 900D more for like radiators galore, crazy water cooling.

The CM is missing a couple of things and the front is like going back to 2005.

The Black Hawk? Too much $$$.
Click to expand...

the black hawk is 10 more dollars.....and allows dual PSUs if i ever needed that down the road for more GPUs or something
 
SomeGuy133 said:
The thing i hate about the sideways HDDs is the SATA cable gets bend hard. This raidmax I have has that issue. There might be enough space where it isn't a problem but it still scares me :)
Click to expand...
That's why most people buy/or use right-angle SATA cables to avoid that worry.


SomeGuy133 said:
HAF-X
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...a&cm_sp=&AID=10440897&PID=3891137&SID=rewrite

Rosewill Spirit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...a&cm_sp=&AID=10440897&PID=3891137&SID=rewrite

Rosewill Blackhawk
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147157

900D
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139019

I am personally feeling rosewill over the HAF-X unless i am missing something. The 900D appears to be better but hard to tell without being in person and some serious thinking about what they both offer. The lists of features are huge :p They even come with cigar lighters rofl. Not sure if the extra 150 is worth it though.
Click to expand...
Cases generally don't have big resale value since they can get really beaten up over time. Not to mention that there are usually better options for brand new cases at the used pricing of some of those old cases. So for all intents and purposes, forget about resale value and focus on the actual value of the case itself.

I actually own the HAF-X. It is certainly a large case. However, it's overpriced for the quality and finish you're getting. If I hadn't gotten my HAF-X for free, I would not have paid any amount of actual money for it as there are often better choices at multiple price points than the HAF-X.

The Rosewill cases aren't worth the money IMO. They're huge all right but they have the same issue as the HAF-X: Huge but lacking in the quality you should be getting for that kind of money. If you're in a situation where you need a huge case to house the hardware, more than likely that's going to be very expensive hardware. So might as well pay for good quality and size rather than just size alone.

The 900D is a good case but no it is not worth the extra money.

I recommend any of these cases instead:
$100 - Phanteks Enthoo Pro Full Tower Case
$110 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001WT White Full Tower ATX Case
$110 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001BK Black Full Tower ATX Case
$120 - Corsair Vengeance Series C70 Gunmetal Black ATX Case
$136 - NZXT Phantom 530 Black Full Tower ATX Case
$150 - NZXT Phantom 630 White Windowed Full Tower ATX Case
$150 - Phanteks Enthoo Luxe Full Tower Case
$158 - NZXT Phantom 630 Gunmetal Full Tower Case
$170 - Corsair Graphite Series 600T Arctc White Full Tower Case
$180 - Corsair Graphite Series 760T Black Full Tower Case
$180 - Corsair Graphite Series 760T White Full Tower Case
180 - Corsair Graphite 780T Black ATX Full Tower Case
$190 - Corsair Graphite 780T White ATX Full Tower Case
$230 - Phanteks Enthoo Primo Full Tower Case
 
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even right angles have issues in this case plus the MB to so close to the wall internally to HDD cage that the MB cables are turning tight -_- Everything can't be right angles :p (in this crappy case)

Yea I really don't like those phanteks cases and the Phtom I dont particular like either nor the corsiar. It could be the pictures don't do them justice but they seem small to me.

Plus newegg is down so some I can't easily view.
 
You could always google images for those cases.

And yes it's more than likely the pictures aren't doing justice. If you've seen Phanteks, the various Corsairs, the Phantoms, and the Rosewill cases all in the same room like I have, you'll easily that those Rosewill cases don't hold up.
 
Dangman said:
You could always google images for those cases.

And yes it's more than likely the pictures aren't doing justice. If you've seen Phanteks, the various Corsairs, the Phantoms, and the Rosewill cases all in the same room like I have, you'll easily that those Rosewill cases don't hold up.
Click to expand...

as in sturdiness? I don't plan on ever really moving it so overall sturdiness isn't a major concern. Size and features are and the rosewill overall seem to have everything unless i am missing soemthing and all those other cases seem a good bit smaller which concerns me on future growth as i make upgrades

I also did some googling of the images btw. Thats how i viewed a view of them but i'll have to look more into it later. The size of the others seem small.
 
SomeGuy133 said:
Hi I am considering getting a new case and i hate small crap cases. My budget is fairly small but I know cases last forever so I am willing to spend up to 300 if needed. I much rather spend ~200 if possible. Last case I personally bought was the awesome antec AMG 1000 and that was one of the best back in the day (15 years ago) I know cases are way way way better now. I currently have this crap case that I need to dump.

I need/want
ability to expand to EATX and E/Xeon CPUs (lots of room)

multiple hard drives. I currently have like 10 but I am using them externally and i am fine with that but would like ability to hold at least 6 internally with new case.

I will also do SLI/xfire down the road as well and use other PCIe slots for other peripherals.

I most likely will not do custom loops but would like that to be an option. I most likely will do AIOs for simplicity and they do a fairly good job as is these days.

good amount of fans. my Antec was ridiculous lol It has about 350 CFM with 80 mm fans -_- Vantec tornadoes :rolleyes:

decent amount of 5.25 bays. I will put in at least 2-3 DVD/blue rays for ripping.

I also have a lot of 120mm fans now so I would like to not have to buy new ones if possible.

Does anyone know of a case that fits my needs?
Click to expand...

Not sure how you feel about Thermaltake.

But I'm loving my Core X9.

http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/products-model.aspx?id=C_00002562

http://www.amazon.com/Thermaltake-Stackable-Certified-Chassis-CA-1D8-00F1WN-00/dp/B00TQI9BY8
(Free shipping is BS, they've folded the shipping price into the price of the case.)

There's a white one as well.
http://www.amazon.com/Thermaltake-Stackable-Certified-Chassis-CA-1D8-00F6WN-00/dp/B00XCA86OM

I'd give you a Newegg price too, but Newegg is down at the moment.

Also, if you have a MicroCenter near you, they have the Core X9 as well (it's where I bought mine). They just don't advert it on their website for some goofy reason.
 
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Chas said:
Not sure how you feel about Thermaltake.

But I'm loving my Core X9.

http://www.thermaltakeusa.com/products-model.aspx?id=C_00002562

http://www.amazon.com/Thermaltake-Stackable-Certified-Chassis-CA-1D8-00F1WN-00/dp/B00TQI9BY8
(Free shipping is BS, they've folded the shipping price into the price of the case.)

There's a white one as well.
http://www.amazon.com/Thermaltake-Stackable-Certified-Chassis-CA-1D8-00F6WN-00/dp/B00XCA86OM

I'd give you a Newegg price too, but Newegg is down at the moment.

Also, if you have a MicroCenter near you, they have the Core X9 as well (it's where I bought mine). They just don't advert it on their website for some goofy reason.
Click to expand...

I saw that X9 but i am weary of that style of case because i have never seen it before. Also it kinda looked small but looking at it on that product page with a GPU in it it looks huge.


ahh the choices. So does microcenter have a display of the x9? because there is one in chicago i can go to.
 
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SomeGuy133 said:
as in sturdiness? I don't plan on ever really moving it so overall sturdiness isn't a major concern. Size and features are and the rosewill overall seem to have everything unless i am missing soemthing and all those other cases seem a good bit smaller which concerns me on future growth as i make upgrades

I also did some googling of the images btw. Thats how i viewed a view of them but i'll have to look more into it later. The size of the others seem small.
Click to expand...
As in quality control, finish, and quality of production. Think of the Corsair, Phantoms, and Phanteks as Lamborghini, Ferrari, and McClaren respectively and those Rosewill cases as Honda Civics. Honda is charging you the same price for those Civics as the cars from Lamborghini, Ferrari, and McClaren. The Civic is obviously of lower quality and not as well built . Not to mention that in this scenario, Honda can't even guaranteed that their Civics will actually arrive as working. That's the problem I have with those particular Rosewill cases: They're not quality enough to justify their high prices. They're large yes but when the case itself is so relatively weak and not very well put together, why bother? Again, if you're going to planning on doing getting some very expensive hardware, might as well pay for good quality and size rather than just size alone.

Earlier you said you hate crap cases. That's what those particular Rosewill cases are based on their prices: Crap cases for the money. If they were 50% off, then they would be more worthwhile. But at their current pricing? No way.
 
Dangman said:
As in quality control, finish, and quality of production. Think of the Corsair, Phantoms, and Phanteks as Lamborghini, Ferrari, and McClaren respectively and those Rosewill cases as Honda Civics. Honda is charging you the same price for those Civics as the cars from Lamborghini, Ferrari, and McClaren. The Civic is obviously of lower quality and not as well built . Not to mention that in this scenario, Honda can't even guaranteed that their Civics will actually arrive as working. That's the problem I have with those particular Rosewill cases: They're not quality enough to justify their high prices. They're large yes but when the case itself is so relatively weak and not very well put together, why bother? Again, if you're going to planning on doing getting some very expensive hardware, might as well pay for good quality and size rather than just size alone.

Earlier you said you hate crap cases. That's what those particular Rosewill cases are based on their prices: Crap cases for the money. If they were 50% off, then they would be more worthwhile. But at their current pricing? No way.
Click to expand...

just trying to understand. My biggest issue is size. This raidmax is junk because they tried fitting 900D features in a case a fraction of its size. (granted i am ignoring the crap front panel on this raidmax but the others don't have the 80/90s front panel thing)

The rosewill cases do have great reviews and there is another rebrand of the same case on amazon also with great reviews so i just don't really see the quality thing your speaking of unless everyone is an idiot who bought it. (possible)
 
SomeGuy133 said:
just trying to understand. My biggest issue is size. This raidmax is junk because they tried fitting 900D features in a case a fraction of its size. (granted i am ignoring the crap front panel on this raidmax but the others don't have the 80/90s front panel thing)

The rosewill cases do have great reviews and there is another rebrand of the same case on amazon also with great reviews so i just don't really see the quality thing your speaking of unless everyone is an idiot who bought it. (possible)
Click to expand...
A lot of people are idiots when it comes to cases. Did you ever read the reviews for your Raidmax Cobra case? Or how people call the shitty Apevia X-Dreamer 4 case a "good case"? Or how about the reviews for the cramped and crappily built Antec Three Hundred Two? All crap cases but because people don't know any better, think are "good cases".

In regards to size, size doesn't mean much if the space isn't used effectively. So actually plan out your future build now and see whether or not the extra size of those Rosewill cases actually makes a difference.
 
cables not bending and and having easy access is my major thing and that's why I am a little sketchy on a smaller case on pure volume basis. Also I don't know how those ultra sized fragboxes work. That x9 looks promising but i have never seen one and have no idea how cables work in it. It does look easy to access stuff though. I just don't know about HDDs and stuff.

Also i don't know how those rosewills don't use them effectively...space i mean. Its a tower and its fairly basic.
 
SomeGuy133 said:
cables not bending and and having easy access is my major thing and that's why I am a little sketchy on a smaller case on pure volume basis.
Click to expand...
Dude, any of the cases I recommended are significantly larger than the Cobra and have more than enough space for "cables not bending". Unless you're a 400 lb man with unfortunately big sized arms as a result, working space isn't as a big of an issue as you think with the cases I recommended.

SomeGuy133 said:
Also i don't know how those rosewills don't use them effectively...space i mean. Its a tower and its fairly basic.
Click to expand...
As in while there's empty space, there's no mounts or attachments or ways to actually add or use that space effectively.
 
Nasgul said:
Dual Power Supplies? I don't see why you'd need such thing.
And when you said "IF"? You could get a 1000+ watts power supply to power any dual or + GPU configuration.
In your case though, with 10 hard drive and 2+ optical drives, I'd suggest a 1200+ PSU.

I still like the "Spirit" better, it has that stealth look, but then again, I really don't like LED in my case and today I ordered the Corsair 450D. Mid-Tower though, don't have but 5 hard drives and the optical drive and I will never run SLI.

SPIRIT
Click to expand...

yea i am looking at the evga G2 1300 PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817438011

was looking at 1000 but realized 1300 wasn't too much more and that it was the 1600 that is crazy expensive.

Do you think i would need a second PSU if I added a second GPU down the road with PSIe SSD and those 10 HDDs?
 
Nasgul said:
For ONE FITTY!!!! That's a good choice. I like the G2 Supernova. I have the 750G2 but will be replaced soon, when I get my new case and swap everything to it.

You'll be good with that PSU if you were to add another graphics card and as many optical and solid state drives.

Buy it now that it has the $40 rebate.

Just don't forget to register your Supernova with eVGA for the 10 year warranty to be honored, otherwise it will drop down to 3.
Click to expand...

gotcha. I think I might chance the rosewills and worse case send it back because i have free shipping. I'll pay a return fee to try it out worse case. After that I'll try the x9. I still have to figure out which rosewill i want. I checked all the other ones out and they all seem ok but i still dont think they fit my needs for various reasons like lacking in 5.25 bays or HDD bays or something else.
 
SomeGuy133 said:
I saw that X9 but i am weary of that style of case because i have never seen it before. Also it kinda looked small but looking at it on that product page with a GPU in it it looks huge.


ahh the choices. So does microcenter have a display of the x9? because there is one in chicago i can go to.
Click to expand...

Okay first off. The X9 is NOT small. It's only SLIGHTLY smaller than my dishwashing machine. Look at the specs page. It's huge and roomy. You can also see some of the reviews of the case by searching Youtube.

The drive cage positioning could be done a bit better, but with a bit of forethought, they're not an issue.

I don't know if the Chicago or Westmont stores have them out in the open. You should be able to judge overall size by the box though.

And yeah, there pretty much isn't a card in production right now that this case can't fit.
 
when i said small i was meaning on how it used space like ODs HDDs and stuff. Its really confusing on how functional this would be from the pictures....never seen it or put something in a case like this so its hard to visualize. The other cases i get no problem.

Do you know if what some reviewers have said is true about the case being a bit flimsy?
 
Oh_No! said:
Save some money and go with this excellent choice:

Carbide Series® Air 540 High Airflow ATX Cube Case

70343A0F4C1446EB8B7D013D7DF616B1.ashx


http://www.corsair.com/en-us/carbide-series-air-540-high-airflow-atx-cube-case

Only $120-130 through various sites.
Click to expand...

npt enough ODs and way to small.

I like the X9 due to it would be easy or i should say appears to be easy to access stuff but so do the others. The x9 appears to be better in that department though
 
SomeGuy133 said:
when i said small i was meaning on how it used space like ODs HDDs and stuff. Its really confusing on how functional this would be from the pictures....never seen it or put something in a case like this so its hard to visualize. The other cases i get no problem.

Do you know if what some reviewers have said is true about the case being a bit flimsy?
Click to expand...

If you're in the Chicagoland area, shoot me a PM. I own one of the cases and can let you look at it so you can make an informed decision.
 
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