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Case for first build?

7

77Pat

n00b
Joined
Nov 17, 2010
Messages
51
I am planning to build my own computer for the first time and am picking up pieces along the way.

Right now I am trying to find a case and my budget is $100. I will only be air cooling and would prefer a mid tower, as I plan on putting the computer on my desk.

So far I have found:

Cooler Master Storm Sniper for $90 after MIR at Newegg

Lian Li Lancool pc-k62 $79.99

Cooler Master cm690 II $79.99

NZXT Tempest Evo $79.99

A side window is not a necessity, but would be a bonus to remind me when I need to clean out the dust. I do care for LED lights, so I would probably not hook them up. I might consider changing out the stock heatsink eventually, but at the beginning I will probably keep it stock.

From my research so far it seems like it is a toss up to choose whichever one I like best, but I was wondering if anyone has had multiple of these cases to provide insight. From reading it seems like most thought the Sniper was overpriced at retail, but at this price I am wondering if people would consider it over others. Any other recommendations I should consider?

So far I have bought:

Antec True Power New tp550 psu

Avexir 4gb(2x2gb) ddr3 standard ram

40gb Intel SSD



The other components I plan on getting:

Samsung F3 1Tb hard drive

Sandy Bridge Processor and Motherboard

ATI 5770 or 6850 video card (main games: Dragon Age:Origins Ultimate, Portal, Star Wars KOTOR and some photo editing) Sticking with ATI because I eventually want an IPS monitor and use DisplayPort.

whatever dvd burner is on sale at the time
 
I can vouch for the CM690 as I've had mine for about 3 years. Plenty of places to put fans to keep things nice and cool. They have some plastic clasps on the inside of the case to help with cable management. Tool-less expansion slots and hard drive trays. Not the most spacious case (in my case running cards in SLI so it's a little more cramped) but then again you are looking at the mid-tower segment. Build quality is very good and sturdy (even with a door off the case the chassis is very rigid). My only complaint about the case is the power and reset buttons. They are contoured with the curvature of the case and can be a little hard to depress....but then again, I don't turn my PC off/on that much anyway. I clean my case out fairly frequently and this one has been better than others that I've owned in terms of keeping the dust out. I think there is a new revision of this case so I'm not sure what they've changed, but the one I picked up 3 years ago has been good to me.
 
PC K62 if it's the same price as a the CM 690 II Advanced, but if it's more grab the CM 690 Ii Advanced. Both are the best bang for buck cases out right now. You also might like the 690 more since it ahs a black interior. All preference really, but I'd be choosing between those 2.
 
the Nzxt tempest evo is a great because it have an extra intake fan in the front and has fan filters for them. Here is a review for this case Link
 
I can vouch for the K-62. I had one for a few months before I sold off my rig and went to a laptop. It was by far my favorite case ever. So roomy and the screwless system is the best I've used by far.
 
Sooo weird man, I just did my first build early this month with the Storm Sniper. I can tell you that it is easy to build in. Alot of space and you will be able to see and reach everything quickly. Theres a lot of wires for the fan controllers but they are clearly labeled "POWER IN" and all you have to do is plug the labeled power in side to a molex and your done.

Storm sniper has filters on all intake fans for less dust in your system. 3 200m fans and a single 140 and its black through and through, theres no window but the whole left side is mesh so you can see right inside anyway. It has togglable LED's to light up the inside that I have used for about a total of 3 minutes since I got it.....I turned them right off as soon as my system posted, they are pointless IMO.
 
Just put an order in for the LIAN LI Lancool PC-K62R1 for $75 after tax at newegg http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112268

It was very close between the Lancool and the Storm Sniper. The Lancool was $75 after tax and if I bought the Rosewill card reader it would be $83 together. The case seems to be solid and has the features I was looking for. The red interior makes it somewhat unique compared to the other cases which I like. My case seems to be a pretty standard build so I do not think I would see the benefit of more expensive cases.

The Storm Sniper would have been $99 with one of the card readers $107 with tax and then $97 after rebate.

$14 is not much of a difference, but I figure I could almost get a dvd writer with the savings.

The cm690 II is a very nice case, but if I bought it I feel like I would need to replace the stock fans. That would put the price right around the Storm Sniper. And then I would rather have the larger fans and extra room for cable management of the Storm Sniper. Did not really see enough reviews of the NZXT to really consider it.

Overall I think I should be happy with the Lancool.
 
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