First Time Builder Looking for Suggestions

[Alanstein]

First time builder and poster looking for advice on cases

I need something that will be large enough to accommodate two 5870s (11 inches of room or more), while being incredibly easy to work with and under 150$. Aesthetics really don't matter, and the case will not be transported a lot. I'll only be using 1-2 hard drives in my system, so I don't need a ton of room for HDDs. Airflow is important, as i will be doing a modest overclock to my i5 750 when it arrives.

If anyone has any suggestions on a large mid tower or a full tower worth looking into, I'd greatly appreciate it.

 

[vjcsmoke]

Well the thing with Full Towers is they automatically support a lot of drive bays. You don't have to use them all, but they will be there. The height has to be filled up somehow.

For you, I'd recommend an ATCS 840 Classic. It's super deep so it will accommodate massive video cards with no problem. What you do with the additional space is up to you.

Looks like it will probably fit even the 12.5 inch 5870x2 easily.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...1119187&cm_re=btcs_840-_-11-119-187-_-Product

Some reviews:
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cases/2008/10/31/cooler-master-atcs-840-classic-review/5

http://www.legitreviews.com/article/859/6/

 

[lt_shiro]

Coolermaster HAF 922 is good case too look into.

+great airflow
+good cable management
+room-eee
-poor dust control

or

Antec 300

+great airflow
+great dust control
-ok cable management
-three usable hard drive slots with dual card setup.

 

[vjcsmoke]

The Antec 300 is only 18 inches deep. It is NOT the case to get if you want 5870 video cards to fit inside. The ATCS 840 Classic is nearly 25 inches deep. The HAF 922 is only 20 inches deep. Better than the Antec 300, but not nearly as spacious as the ATCS 840.

 

[lt_shiro]

Do you own Antec 300 and tape measure? It will fit 11.5" cards.

This is antec 300 with 10" card install.

 

[Alanstein]

Funny story, i actually do own an antec 300 and measured it out. i am getting rid of it because it will not fit the 5870

 

[Alanstein]

Also, how does the HAF 932 compare with the ATCS? I've heard really good things about the HAF, and I believe I could get it for a little bit less than the ATCS.

Thanks so much for your replies , I'm currently researching the 922.

 

[vjcsmoke]

I currently own the HAF932 and it is massive compared to my old midtower cases. It should fit a 5870 with no problem. It is roughly 23 inches deep.
The main flaw of the HAF932 is the lack of dust filters. It is one of the top performers in terms of cooling in the full tower case segment.
If you want one of them, you can get free shipping on a HAF932 at Newegg with promo code: SPETFS

Here is a HAF932 with internal components installed.

PS You can attach wheels (included) to your HAF, that is what I opted to do. I really like the ability to wheel it around. Makes moving it around to access the rear a piece of cake.

Compare this to how much breathing room a 300 case gives you for 10.5 inch cards.

In this roundup the ATCS 840 won.
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/tower_power_five_fulltower_enclosures_reviewed
It has a few features that are nicer than a HAF932 - dust filters, aluminum construction, and a removable motherboard tray. However it lacks a side fan for direct air intake onto the video cards.
I went with the HAF932 for the slightly better cooling performance. IF you buy air filters for the HAF it can get pricey or if you are crafts inclined just make your own.

And on the other hand the ATCS 840 looks downright cavernous.

 

[Alanstein]

I currently own the HAF932 and it is massive compared to my old midtower cases. It should fit a 5870 with no problem. It is roughly 23 inches deep.
The main flaw of the HAF932 is the lack of dust filters. It is one of the top performers in terms of cooling in the full tower case segment.
If you want one of them, you can get free shipping on a HAF932 at Newegg with promo code: SPETFS

Here is a HAF932 with internal components installed.

PS You can attach wheels (included) to your HAF, that is what I opted to do. I really like the ability to wheel it around. Makes moving it around to access the rear a piece of cake.

In this roundup the ATCS 840 won.
http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/tower_power_five_fulltower_enclosures_reviewed
It has a few features that are nicer than a HAF932 - dust filters, aluminum construction, and a removable motherboard tray. However it lacks a side fan for direct air intake onto the video cards.
I went with the HAF932 for the slightly better cooling performance. IF you buy air filters for the HAF it can get pricey or if you are crafts inclined just make your own.

From looking at that review, the ACTS looks mighty strong. The aluminum really shows in that picture too. How is the airflow in comparison to the 932, and does anyone know if the Raven 02 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163154) is worth looking into?

 

[vjcsmoke]

From looking at that review, the ACTS looks mighty strong. The aluminum really shows in that picture too. How is the airflow in comparison to the 932, and does anyone know if the Raven 02 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163154) is worth looking into?

The RV02 is an odd case because the motherboard is mounted in a North-South configuration rather than East-West. Because of this most of the case depth is wasted that would have been used for video cards. In effect, its height becomes the limitation rather than the depth.

Here is the RV02 with a 10.5 inch video card installed. Notice that there is hardly much headroom.

The RV02's height of 20 inches is the limiting factor here.

 

[Alanstein]

Looks like the ACTS is the winner here. Now i need to see if I can find it for 150$.

 

[lt_shiro]

isn't likely you will find it for $150, $200 is more line. With what retails are selling it for.

 

[WorldExclusive]

Well I owned the ATCS but the size is a little too much, so I just bought a Cooler Master Storm Sniper. Its currently on sale at Newegg.com for $120 with free shipping. It can fit cards 14" long and a side fan can be installed. The Sniper also comes with handles but the ATCS was a hassle to move around, mainly because the aluminum is thin and can dent easily. The Sniper is very strong and sturdy.

You can find an ATCS that I was looking to buy here on this forum for $150. The great thing about it is that it comes with a window. His name is Nightwalker. He's selling it for $150 plus shipping in the Buy/Sell thread. Newegg is also selling the case for $180 with free shipping.

Hope this helps.

 

[Cheeptech]

The HAF 922 is actually 22 inches deep, and only gives up about a half inch to the 932. Its about 2 inches shorter (give or take a fraction) but it an inch wider, due to the bulges on both sides. The bulge on the motherboard side gives an insane amount of room for cables without having to worry the the side panel is going to warp when you put it back on. It does surrender a bit of airflow to the 932, especially on the side panel, but you can add either 1 200mm or 2 120mm's (I added one on the lower holes for the video card) and will still clear the tall heatsinks. The Sniper and 922 also look to be that same chassis, just with different bezels and top/bottom treatments.

 

[vjcsmoke]

Ok you're right, Haf 922 indeed is 22 inches deep. If you're looking for a more mobile computer, than the super mids are lighter and easier to transport. I don't really plan on lugging my HAF 932 to any LAN parties though. But in the house it's fairly easy to move because of the wheels. I do cringe at the thought of trying to carry it up and down stairs though!

Was this the one you were talking about?
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1452075&highlight=atcs+840

Yeah I saw it too but didn't really think about it since I already had a new case.

 

[jbz7890]

I'd recommend the RV02 because it has three 180mm fans right next to the motherboard and all of the components, unlike most cases where the intake fans have to blow through the hard drive cage or drive bays.

 

[WorldExclusive]

I'd recommend the RV02 because it has three 180mm fans right next to the motherboard and all of the components, unlike most cases where the intake fans have to blow through the hard drive cage or drive bays.

I almost bought a RV02, and I'm glad I didn't since the 5870x2 is going to be around 12.5".
The RV02 with 10.5" cards installed had about 1" clearance between the card and bottom fans. The RV02 is clearly not future proof when it comes to video cards, so I don't recommend it. The single 5870 will fit though, but no radiator can be mounted at the bottom.

 

[SicKlown42012]

The Antec 902 has good cooling capability, and it should fit the 5870. If it's even close to being as deep as the 1200, it'll have plenty of room to spare.

 

[EndersShadow]

I would also recommend the ATCS 840. You will need extra airflow on those GPU's and you can mount two 120mm fans on the backside of the HDD cage to get some extra air on them. You also can use the wierd extension piece that goes on the back to help pull out air. I did both and am watching my 4870x2 sit at 61 degrees Celcius (with the GPU fan modded to only go to 35% of its max speed). That back piece exhausting air is well worth the trouble of hooking up all your cables through it (though it is quite a bitch)

I have a full build log with my ATCS here if you want more pictures.

 

[Alanstein]

I'm thinking that i will go with the 932, and that my buddy who was also looking in on this thread will contact that custom builder about his ATCS. Thanks all.

 

[Crispy002]

Check your local craigslist for a Rocketfish Fulltower. It's a rebranded Lian Li case, so the craftsmanship is solid. My 4870 has 3-4 inches of headroom. I was able to pick it up for $60, though it usually goes for around 80. Cable management isn't the greatest without some modding but the cooling is pretty good.

This isn't my rig but it shows just how large this case can be, and since it's discontinued it's a little hard to find but it's usually not too expensive.

 

[thaltek]

First time builder and poster looking for advice on cases

I need something that will be large enough to accommodate two 5870s (11 inches of room or more), while being incredibly easy to work with and under 150$. Aesthetics really don't matter, and the case will not be transported a lot. I'll only be using 1-2 hard drives in my system, so I don't need a ton of room for HDDs. Airflow is important, as i will be doing a modest overclock to my i5 750 when it arrives.

If anyone has any suggestions on a large mid tower or a full tower worth looking into, I'd greatly appreciate it.

if you arn't picky...... and you can't beat the price.......
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ption=&Ntk=&CFG=&SpeTabStoreType=&srchInDesc=

 

[lt_shiro]

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