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Long Time Builder, First Time Manager

Zildjian88

n00b
Joined
Jan 27, 2009
Messages
24
Hey all,

So I have been building computers for about 8 years, but never have really gotten into modding or doing proper cable management in my cases. Now that I have more components, a little more time and money, and urge to make my stuff look all purdy and achieve better cooling, I want to get into this game late.

I am planning on buying an Antec 1200 (because everyone and their mother has it...for good reason). I have an EVGA x58 motherboard, XFX ATI 5870, 3 HDDs, 2 opticals, and a modular PSU (Thermaltake TOUGHPOWER).

I guess what I am looking for is some suggestions to what sort of extension cables I might need. I know I will need 2 longer SATA cables for the opticals, an 8pin extension for the motherboard 12v power, maybe an extension for the 24pin? Also I think I might need extensions for the SATA power going to the opticals as well as for the 4pin case fans?

So what do you all recommend, how long, and any tips would be appreciated before I start investing in this endeavor!

EDIT: The PSU i posted was wrong, sorry (@ Danny)
 
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In addition to what lt_shiro said, the Thermaltake Black Widow 850W PSU is a bad choice for the money considering that it's part of Thermaltake's low quality TR2 line of PSUs. So either drop the modular requirement or up your budget to get a higher quality modular PSU:
$100 - XFX P1-650X-CAG9 650W Modular PSU
$150 - Corsair 750HX 750W Modular PSU
$150 - XFX Black Edition P1-750B-CAG9 750W Modular PSU
$170 - XFX XPS-850W-BES 850W Modular PSU

At $170, the Antec 1200 case is not worth the money IMO considering that there are roomier cases for the money:
$90 - Cooler Master HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$100 - Lian Li PC-7B Plus II ATX Case
$100 - Lian Li Lancool PC-K7B ATX Case
$100 - Cooler Master HAF 922M RC-922M-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$110 - Lian Li PC-E8B ATX Case
$110 - Lian Li PC-7FN ATX Case
$120 - Velocity Micro GX2-W Silver Classic Aluminum Case with Side Window
$120 - Thermaltake ElementS VK60001N2Z ATX Case
$130 - Cooler Master Storm Sniper ATX Case
$150 - Antec P183 ATX Case
$150 - Cooler Master HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP ATX Case
 
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oh sorry, i didnt make it clear. i own all of that stuff EXCEPT the case.

mainly wanting to know what i might in need ADDITION to the case itself. or any full tower case, for that matter

EDIT: by the way the 1200 is down to $150 + a free 500gb hdd right now :p
 
full tower doesn't mean much these days, onless you need like 16 hard drives.
 
In addition, at least three of the cases I linked to are listed as Full Tower
 
while I appreciate the replies, the subject in question has not been touched. should i just delete this post, or hold out for some answers relative to this thread? :\

The question isnt what case to buy (i want the antec 1200, sorry), it is what extension cables I will need to have my cables wired behind the case.
 
thanks IT shiro, also, do most full towers have their front port and mobo connectors long enough for comfortable hiding? if not, are their extensions for these?
 
antec 1200 some people have issue with the front port cables and if you need extensions you will have to make your own. which isn't so hard.
 
In addition to what lt_shiro said, the Thermaltake Black Widow 850W PSU is a bad choice for the money considering that it's part of Thermaltake's low quality TR2 line of PSUs.

Actually, I did some more digging and found that the TR2 RX 850W Black Widow PSU (W0319RU) is based on the older and somewhat troublesome CWT PSH platform. The Corsair HX750 is also made by CWT - but there is where the similarities end. The HX750 is based on the newer and better DSG platform.

On the other hand, the current Toughpowers are all based on the CWT DSG platform.

The question isnt what case to buy (i want the antec 1200, sorry), it is what extension cables I will need to have my cables wired behind the case.

Although the Antec 1200 has a little more room (from front to rear) than the notoriously cramped 90x series, it still does not have quite as much front-to-rear room as the cases Danny listed. (My previous 900 could barely accommodate a typical X58 motherboard, leading me to replace it with the CoolerMaster CM 690 II Advanced.) What's more, the cable management in the Antec gaming cases of the same design school as the 1200 is very rudimentary, merely consisting of two plastic straps tied to the motherboard mounting plate. Thus, the inside of a loaded Antec 1200 case could still look like a pig sty even with all of the cables bundled together. And that pig sty is even more objectionable since the 1200 cannot be purchased without a window on the left side panel. (My new CM 690 II does not come with a left-panel window as standard, but a windowed left-side panel for the CM 690 II is available as an optional accessory.)
 
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I make most of my cables, other than the ATX/PCIE cables

Buy some CCpet cable sleeve, some Sata/molex connectors and a some wire and away you go
 
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