Need a case recommendation

[Magice]

I'm going to be buying a case very soon in the 100 dollar (Canadian) range.
My two choices so far are:

A) Lian-Li PC7B
B) Thermaltake Tsunami

I really can't decide or figure out which one, or if I should choose others. Any suggestions on which case is the best for that price?

edit: is the antec 900 aluminum?

 

[conghelach]

Well I dont have much advice for you in the 100 dollar range. I do however HIGHLY recommend the Coolermaster Stacker 830 EVO ( a revision of the original) I build alot of computers and this case is very well ventilated keeping things cool, it's easy to work with and has alot of space, options for up to 9 cooling fans.

If you dont like that one then here is some general advice for you: First off ONLY buy a FULL TOWER sized case and be careful to select a case that acceptns EPS 12v power supplies, these newer power supplies are a bit longer than older ones and this will be the case with all newer high power supplies.

Get aluminum if possible, it offers better heat dissipation than steel and is lighter.

Get a case that offers at least one front 120mm fan, at least one rear 120 mm fan, and at least room for two side 120 mm fans and preferably one top mounted 120 mm fan. This will give you maximum air cooling potential, side fans really help cool the motherboard and video cards.

Get a case that has side vents, preferably one that offers you the flexibility of having four side mounted fans. Many of the newer cases that offer lots of fan options and are open to alot of ventilation have nice mesh inside them to catch dust making it alot easier to just vaccuum the dust away without having the interior of the case getting all dusty.

If you follow these general recomendations you can buy yourself a nice case that will last through many builds and afford you the most options for larger motherboards and future hardware upgrades. Full towers also give you plenty of room for the newer video cards that are getting ever wider and longer.

For 249 at newegg you can get the coolermaster stacker 830, its a great looking and very flexible case for whatever you want to put in it. There are also some stacker models that are in the 149 dollar range that would suit your needs and meet my general requirements as well.

Full Tower with EPS 12V power supply accommodation equals a purchase that will last you a very long time and also will provide room for the larger motherboards coming down the pike, Extended ATX etc.


AVOID: cases that house the power supply on the bottom of the case, this could end up being quite a stretch for the atx power connector to reach the top of any motherboard you use as this is generally where the atx power connector is located on a motherboard. BTX cases do not offer any thermal advantage over standard atx and I do not recommend them, everything just ends up backwards and again you have troubles connecting the power supply to the motherboard. BTX is a major flop.

 

[Eagle156]

Well I dont have much advice for you in the 100 dollar range. I do however HIGHLY recommend the Coolermaster Stacker 830 EVO ( a revision of the original) I build alot of computers and this case is very well ventilated keeping things cool, it's easy to work with and has alot of space, options for up to 9 cooling fans.

If you dont like that one then here is some general advice for you: First off ONLY buy a FULL TOWER sized case and be careful to select a case that acceptns EPS 12v power supplies, these newer power supplies are a bit longer than older ones and this will be the case with all newer high power supplies.

Get aluminum if possible, it offers better heat dissipation than steel and is lighter.

Get a case that offers at least one front 120mm fan, at least one rear 120 mm fan, and at least room for two side 120 mm fans and preferably one top mounted 120 mm fan. This will give you maximum air cooling potential, side fans really help cool the motherboard and video cards.

Get a case that has side vents, preferably one that offers you the flexibility of having four side mounted fans. Many of the newer cases that offer lots of fan options and are open to alot of ventilation have nice mesh inside them to catch dust making it alot easier to just vaccuum the dust away without having the interior of the case getting all dusty.

If you follow these general recomendations you can buy yourself a nice case that will last through many builds and afford you the most options for larger motherboards and future hardware upgrades. Full towers also give you plenty of room for the newer video cards that are getting ever wider and longer.

For 249 at newegg you can get the coolermaster stacker 830, its a great looking and very flexible case for whatever you want to put in it. There are also some stacker models that are in the 149 dollar range that would suit your needs and meet my general requirements as well.

Full Tower with EPS 12V power supply accommodation equals a purchase that will last you a very long time and also will provide room for the larger motherboards coming down the pike, Extended ATX etc.


AVOID: cases that house the power supply on the bottom of the case, this could end up being quite a stretch for the atx power connector to reach the top of any motherboard you use as this is generally where the atx power connector is located on a motherboard. BTX cases do not offer any thermal advantage over standard atx and I do not recommend them, everything just ends up backwards and again you have troubles connecting the power supply to the motherboard. BTX is a major flop.

Sorry but a lot of that is just plain wrong. You don't need a full tower and where would you get one for $100 that has decent build quality anyway? Most high end cases have the psu on the bottom for a reason, heat rises and you don't want it to go into the psu. An aluminum case won't make any measurable temp difference compared to steel either.

OP out of those two I would get the PC7 because of higher build quality.

 

[conghelach]

umm whatever, I have built 500 computers and used 213 different cases so obviously I have no clue what I am talking about ROFL

 

[SuperSubZero]

Well, I have a PC7B and I like it, though it is definitely a more value-minded model. There's no real hard drive isolation, so if you want to keep the drive noise down you'd need to check out a 3rd-party solution. The metal feels even thinner than my PC60, tho that may be my imagination. Being thin aluminum the case is more sensitive to vibrations that can cause rattling.

I have two replacement fans on order since the two 120mm fans it comes with don't seem to like my motherboard's 3-pin fan headers, it makes all kinds of clicking noises when connected to them. They are fairly loud when running full speed on 3-to-4 pin molex.

The ventilation from the large fans and the extra holes in the top and side allow for considerable extra heat exhaust which is nice. The case is noticeably cooler to the touch than my PC60, which would practically cook on a warm day.

(and yeah that thing about full towers and tons of fans is considerable overkill)

 

[cthulhuiscool]

Cool Master Centurion 5 is great for the money. It's really cool and quiet. The only problem it's a tad small which makes it a little harder to get the motherboard and psu situated properly.

 

[legcramp]

umm whatever, I have built 500 computers and used 213 different cases so obviously I have no clue what I am talking about ROFL

I stopped reading after the ONLY BUY A FULL TOWER crap. ROFL


Anyways, a little off topic but does the PC7b have any problems fitting a thermalright ultra 120? Or video cards the size of a 8800GTX?