Experiences with the HAF 922?

C

charlesshoults

Weaksauce
Joined
Mar 18, 2008
Messages
125
I'm putting together a wishlist for my new computer. I've got most everything decided upon and am looking at the case. I wanted a CM Storm Sniper, but I'm tired of following the bouncing ball of newegg's prices. It seems to go back and forth between $139.99 and $159.99, plus the $24.99 shipping. Shipping costs suck. Do any of you have experience with the HAF 922? My roommate has a 690, which right away means that I won't be buying a 690 or a 690 II Advanced, although I kind of like the internal layout. I want something at least a little different. The 922 has a very similar layout, with slightly different proportions. His 690 has a Hiper power supply, and it's configuration causing spacing issues which prevents him from putting a fan in front of it. I'm wondering about that with the 922. The top plastic portion seems pretty large for as little as it contains. Is has the USB and eSata port and audio I/O, but the back 3/4 of it just seems like wasted space. I would like to modify it and embed a vertical sata hard drive dock, maybe two, but I don't know if the space is there.

And, at $109.98 plus $9.99 shipping, it feels like less of a waste, especially on shipping.

Here are my plans. Memory will be upgraded when newegg has it in stock:
Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD5
Intel i9-920
Cooler Master V8 (already own)
Crucial Ballistix Tracer 2x2GB DDR3 1600 (already own)
Antec TruePower New 750w Continuous (already own)
Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB
(2) Western Digital Scorpio Black WD2500BEKT 250GB
SilverStone SDP08 3.5" to 2 x 2.5" Bay Converter (already own)
evga 8800GT (already own)
Windows 7 Pro 64

I don't expect spacing issues with anything. I'm holding off getting a new video card until after Nvidia releases new models, in say, 10 years. I have a blu ray drive in a USB/eSata Vantec enclosure and I'll carry over my 21.5" BenQ, 20" Apple Cinema Display, Razer Tarantula and Razer Copperhead.

Here is the X58-UD5, not the X58A-UD5, but this gives a decent approximation of the board I plan to put in it:
stock-air.jpg
 
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The Sniper is on the egg for $119 right now. It's pretty much the same as the HAF 922 but it has black on the inside and a fan controller and 3 fans that are 1000 rpm instead of 700.
 
The two are very, very close. When I first saw the HAF, I thought they were ugly. But the more I see the 922, the more I like it's styling. And using a V8 memory with red LEDs, the red lighting of the 922 seems a little better suited.
 
I am currently using the HAF 922 and love the case. The fans are super quiet and the cooling is great. I have a 200mm ordered for the side as well whenever they get them back in stock. As far as room you should have plenty of room for whatever you want to put in it. Wiring is easy to get done neatly inside as well.
 
As soon as I get the 922, I have an idea for the first mod. Can someone supply me with the following dimensions? I guess another question, other than the steel frame of the case, is there anything under the plastic in this area?

casetopfront.jpg
 
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charlesshoults said:
As soon as I get the 922, I have an idea for the first mod. Can someone supply me with the following dimensions? I guess another question, other than the steel frame of the case, is there anything under the plastic in this area?

casetopfront.jpg
Click to expand...

A = 11.4 cm
B = 6.7 cm

It is a pain to get behind my setup, so I can't look closely, but it sounds hollow when I tap on it.
 
That piece is actually a replacement piece oyu can get from cooler master also. It is had to tell what is under it, but I think it is hollow for the most part from what I can tell.
 
Oh, nice. If I can get the top piece as a spare and do my cutting on it rather than the original, things would be much easier. Looks like about $10.
922-io-panel-big.jpg


My plan is to install a Soundgraph iMon UltraBay in the top two bays. I'll either remove/replace or extend the metal bracket that holds the circuit board to be about as long as an optical drive. Next, mount a pair of single drive sata backplanes, facing up. In the flat portion of the top panel, and in the sheet metal below it, I'll cut openings so that a pair of 3.5" drives can be dropped in. Basically the same idea as a desktop hard drive dock, but built into the top of the case. I'll need to fabricate a well, a spring-loaded door and power switch for each. The connectors will be low enough that about half of the drive will sink into the chassis.
 
My 922 has been a good case, but I'm in the process of downsizing to an SFF. For a mid-tower with good air cooling, it's tough to beat the 922 at its price.
 
I had the HAF 922, but the build quality was pretty poor, I went through 2 of them that had the same issues, so I opted to return them and go for an Obsidian 650D.

The HAF was super easy to build in and had good, quiet cooling, but it's too bad the build quality was subpar.

The issues I had with the case are as the pictures show.
Both cases exhibited the issue, but the second one also had rattling 200mm fans, so I gave up on the 922 and decided to try something else.
It's too bad it wasn't better built, cause for a $90 case, it had excellent cooling and so easy to work with.

http://i56.tinypic.com/4h7ebn.jpg
http://i55.tinypic.com/2e6h350.jpg
http://i51.tinypic.com/24w7wvp.jpg
http://i56.tinypic.com/wme8pf.jpg
 
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