Case recommendations for a Skulltrail system?

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Mr.Diggler

Weaksauce
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Jan 20, 2008
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I'm toying with the idea of a Skulltrail system...I might be one of the few people it is aimed at (need many cores for video processing and want to game a little).

I'm not even sure what box is right for the board though, especially with a good video card, twin cpus, and a big PSU in there.

1. Need room for at least four 3.5" drives and 2 5.25" bays. Not huge, but not small.

2. I do not like windows.

3. I do not care about blue lights, etc. I will probably want to avoid them since it may also be used to watch movies in bed (talk about overkill).

4. Filters are cool. This place has filthy air.

5. I like connectors (usb, firewire, audio) on the front, not the top. Or if on the top, able to close off like the Silverstones.

6. I like a flat top so I can put stuff on it. I've seen some with weird "cool" flares and flanges.

7. I like black more than silver, but it's not a big deal. I'm just always worried about scratching my Lian-Li. Wild colors are a plus. I'm ambivalent about doors...I don't need to lock it up.

8. I like metals more than plastics because I'm always worried about plastics. If it weighs less than my Addtronics cages, that would be nice.

9. Any other points I should consider?


Thanks!
 
Antec P190 , fits your criteria.. and is a beautiful case.. although possibly a bit overkill

Good Luck
 
Thermaltake Sword, Thermaltake Tai-Chi, and Lian-Li v2000plus II all seem like snesible cases for what your looking for, a serious case with sensible components and Aluminum metal work...and then the Skulltrail board itself is pretty wide (no wider than any other dual CPU board I guess).
 
smileypaul said:
Antec P190 , fits your criteria.. and is a beautiful case.. although possibly a bit overkill

Good Luck
Click to expand...
Oh, that's a beautiful case...and the price is rather nice considering it includes linked PSUs!

My only nitpick is the top fans...I like to stack things on top of my cases due to habit and utter lack of desk space in this tiny apartment. I could probably avoid doing so for this case though. Appears to be out of stock in a lot of places.

My first case I ever bought was an Antec....geez, the model number used to be burned into my brain I spent so long making the decision and now I cannot even remember. Might be nice to come full circle and end up back in an Antec.
 
Outamyhead said:
Thermaltake Sword, Thermaltake Tai-Chi, and Lian-Li v2000plus II all seem like snesible cases for what your looking for, a serious case with sensible components and Aluminum metal work...and then the Skulltrail board itself is pretty wide (no wider than any other dual CPU board I guess).
Click to expand...
I really like the look of the Thermaltake SwordM, but don't like those rails on top. I think they would drive me nuts. The way the rear and top open up is fantastic though...

The top handles on the Tai-Chi are less obtrusive to me...that has potential, too bad the top doesn't hydraulic up like the SwordM.

The v2000plus is a nice case...I don't know, I guess because I'm used to Lian-Lis, they just seem more common place to me. But I know they are good so that might be the comfort zone I end up staying in.
 
I'd say the Antec P190 or the Lian Li v2100plus. I think the 2100 looks a lot better than the 2000 but that's just me.
 
Isnt Cooler Master Cosmos 1000 a good candidate? I mean if you are gonna go dualcpu you will problably need watercooling. I dont know much about watercooling but from what i can see the cosmos 1000 seem to have room for radiator and pump inside the case(i could be misstaken)

With the QX9xxx that are out and the Nehalem coming im surprised you actually need more cpu power. If anything it should be the graphicscards that are laggin behind.
 
No to all the above . . .and I am probably the only one here with a Skulltrail. Since you do not like acrylic then the next best choice is Mountain Mods . . .look at their CYO UFO (you get to configure the panels).
 
DarthBeavis said:
No to all the above . . .and I am probably the only one here with a Skulltrail. Since you do not like acrylic then the next best choice is Mountain Mods . . .look at their CYO UFO (you get to configure the panels).
Click to expand...

I have one of their Dualities... they make decent cases. My only nitpick is they nickel and dime your for every little thing. Doesn't even come with motherboard mounting screws or bay covers. or fan screws. It's the little things that might cost them a total of $5, that they don't provide.
 
You may also want to look into the antec 1200
http://www.antec.com/us/productDetails.php?ProdID=15120#
This case doesnt have a lot of room on the top but there definitely is some, it also has all of the bays you are looking for and these cases get great air flow, especially if you move one of the 120s to the top three 5.25 bays so it blows right across your cpus...which puts your drives in the middle but still looks ok, the lights in these fans are easily disabled with three simple clips on each one to kill the lights, which are blue and really are not terribly bright and could serve as a nice night light!
 
Zefram0911 said:
I have one of their Dualities... they make decent cases. My only nitpick is they nickel and dime your for every little thing. Doesn't even come with motherboard mounting screws or bay covers. or fan screws. It's the little things that might cost them a total of $5, that they don't provide.
Click to expand...


I like to pick my own fan screws (McMasters hex screws which I have powder-coated in the colors I use) and mounting screws. It would be nice if you could specify the number of 'courtesy' bay covers when you order direct since you have an idea of how many non-used bays you will have at least on the initial build. It would be wasteful to include bay covers for all bays IMO . . .no vendor is perfect but the absolute quality of Ben's rigs and the level of customization (choose your own panels) puts it WAY ahead of Lian Li or anyone else save Danger Den's acrylic cases.

If you can afford a Skulltrail mobo and dual QX9775s then worrying about small costs is counter-productive.

Pic of my Skully:

Its monitor:

Close up of top:
 
Mr.Diggler said:
2. I do not like windows.
3. I do not care about blue lights, etc. I will probably want to avoid them since it may also be used to watch movies in bed (talk about overkill).
4. Filters are cool. This place has filthy air.
6. I like a flat top so I can put stuff on it.
8. I like metals more than plastics because I'm always worried about plastics. If it weighs less than my Addtronics cages, that would be nice.
Click to expand...
Lian Lis fill those quite well, even doors are metal in them. (ports are on top but under cover)
And definitely agree about 6, there's never too much free desk space around computer.


Dual CPU motherboards are E-ATX size so Antec's cheap copies of Stacker can be skipped, P190 is one of the few Antecs which accepts E-ATX mobo. (dual CPU config is one where its load distribution of PSUs could make some sense)
Also with heat of two CPUs it's better to keep PSU on bottom where it isn't heated by other components..

Naturally original CM Stacker would be one choise. (Stacker 810 even better)
Lian Li has lot of cases for E-ATX motherboard, like A20, A70 (A71 with door), A77, A7010 (7110 with door), V1010 (1110 with door) and V2010 (2110 with door), plus older Vxx00 inverted ATX layout cases.
Big Silverstones also accept E-ATX mobo.

Mountain Mods require double horizontal space so not good.

AckeDman said:
Isnt Cooler Master Cosmos 1000 a good candidate?
Click to expand...
Its HD cooling isn't very good for many of them.
 
John Gault said:
Another way to think of linked PSUs is twice the possibility of a failure.
Click to expand...
Oh...good point.

DarthBeavis said:
Since you do not like acrylic then the next best choice is Mountain Mods . . .look at their CYO UFO (you get to configure the panels).
Click to expand...
I'm not against acrylic, just plastic as in the cheap plastic molded designs on some cases, even quality ones. I hated the plastic face on my last Addtronics...kept breaking off the snap connectors.

I'll look into that Mountain Mods site...nice stuff.


gaspah said:
:(:(:(:(:(
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Why the sad faces...did I say something wrong about not wanting blue lights or watching movies in bed?


DarthBeavis said:
If you can afford a Skulltrail mobo and dual QX9775s then worrying about small costs is counter-productive.

Pic of my Skully:
Click to expand...
Actually going with dual Xeon 54x0s...couldn't afford dual QX9775s.

That's a really cool setup...the skull is a nice touch and so fitting of course.
 
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