• Some users have recently had their accounts hijacked. It seems that the now defunct EVGA forums might have compromised your password there and seems many are using the same PW here. We would suggest you UPDATE YOUR PASSWORD and TURN ON 2FA for your account here to further secure it. None of the compromised accounts had 2FA turned on.
    Once you have enabled 2FA, your account will be updated soon to show a badge, letting other members know that you use 2FA to protect your account. This should be beneficial for everyone that uses FSFT.

Quest for the perfect case

S

shadowbreaker513

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Feb 15, 2005
Messages
1,410
I need a new case bad. The one I have is small, cramped, loud, and poorly designed. I'm looking at cases but can't seem to find one that I want. The closest has been the black Chemning 602 case.

What I'm looking for -
Full tower at least 20" tall
Side window (not good with a dremel and don'y want to buy a seperate one)
Tooless drive rails and card slots
Removable mobo tray
Black or silver

Not necessary but preferable -
120mm fans
Aluminum construction

Can anybody suggest a good case? Also, LanLi's and CM Stackers are way out of my price range, hoping to stay under $110
 
The antec plusviews would come pretty close. No removeable motherboard tray, though.
 
What you described is the coolermaster stacker. I know you said its out of your price range but still. However I hate the CM stacker. I think the case is awesome from the inside and has everything anyone needs to house a sweet computer, but to me from the outside i looks like ass. They should have made it have a clean front like most Lian Lis or the old coolermasters. I buy my cases like I find my girls... Has to look real good on the outside first ;) then I will worry about whats on the inside later :p
 
The Lian Li's don't have removable trays either, nor are they tool-less. You just described MY dillema. I might add - I don't want a bleeding front door covering the drive bays, but I'll be ok with it.

You might want to look at the 901a, 92mm exhaust above the PSU and 26" tall, no door blocking the bays.

http://www.chenming.com/cases/901a.htm

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=11-125-466&depa=1

According to the Chenming website custom colors and front bezel designs are available. You would have to ask if they would do a window side panel.

sales@chenming.com
 
Good Luck!
I have searched high and low at all price ranges and it seems that all full tower cases lack a removable motherboard tray. :mad:
 
Sounds like this is ideal, but it's $275. If you find its equal for less than half the price, alot of people will be all over it. ^_^
 
BTW, if anyone is wondering what I have no, imagine a Raidmax Scorpio with all the good parts taken out. With pretty much hopeless wire management - http://www.freepgs.com/shadowbreaker513/wires.jpg.

Anyway, I was looking on frozencpu and they sell Chenming 601 cases with a precut side window and blowhole. Anybody think they would be good? I hate to strech my budget by that much though. Since everything is precut, I can just install the windows on them myself. Opinions anyone? Click me!
 
ashmedai said:
Sounds like this is ideal, but it's $275. If you find its equal for less than half the price, alot of people will be all over it. ^_^
Click to expand...
Even at that price if it had a slideable motherboard tray I would probably buy it even though I do not like the layout of the case.
A place called excaliberpc.com was clearing out the silver version of this case a few months ago for $180 + shipping. I think they were going out of business or some other company had bought them out.
 
Supermicro or Intel probably make a case that would fit that description, but it would be about 500-1500 dollars. Can't really have your cake and eat it too when you want all those expensive features in a cheapo case.
 
I recently had a case related problem. When I built a new PC this Christmas almost could be reused so I just built a whole new PC with a Lian-Li case.

With a P4 3.8 Ghz the OE CPU fan was marginal, so I went to a Zalman cooler and had no problems. Wanting more cooling I went to a koolance exos system and my problems began. To the point, with a CPU waterblock the CPU ran cool but both the N&S bridges over heated for lack of air flow. I now have an unused $250 Lian-Li case.

Intel has a short list of approved cases. It would be one consideration, of many, when case shopping.
 
The sunbeam transformer might fit your needs.

It has front and rear 120mm fans, tool-less design, side panel window, is priced under 100 bucks and is available in black.

Only thing it doesnt fit is: steel construction and no removable mobo tray.
 
I actually looked at that one. I just don't like how restricive the window view is, and I would probably get bored of it after a while. MaxPC loved it though.
 
terminalmind said:
Good Luck!
I have searched high and low at all price ranges and it seems that all full tower cases lack a removable motherboard tray. :mad:
Click to expand...


You won't find one because it isn't needed. Those cases are so big that you have plenty of room to work on it without having to take the motherboard tray out. Especially on aluminum, 'cause the motherboard tray gives the case a lot of it's rigidness and if you make it into a removable tray, you have to reenforce the case some other way, which is why the PC6X series from Lian-Li have those big metal things at the top, but the PC7X series doesn't. No removable motherboard tray means they don't have to be there to stiffen up the case.
 
There are a lot of AT style cases, and a few older ATX cases. They have a big metal handle on the right hand side behind the tray you yank on, and the tray hinges outwards and you can pull the whole thing out (after you remove various PCI and ISA cards).

Older cases arnt too ugly looking. People did have a slight concern about how their computers with a $1500 Pentium one looked back in the day. Try looking around at scrapyards. I found one scrapmetal recycling place that some computer shop had a few 4x4x4 foot cardboard boxes FULL of all assortment of cases, Dual PPro mobos, truckloads of ATX powersupplys (the ones I grabbed worked). Laptops, fans, hard drives, cdroms... They sell the crap back just a bit over what its worth to them (isnt steel going for 90$/ton?).

Anyways, Just look around at older junk before buying a ricey looking case with 19 120mm fans and 200 LED's.
 
terminalmind said:
Good Luck!
I have searched high and low at all price ranges and it seems that all full tower cases lack a removable motherboard tray. :mad:
Click to expand...
I bought one at goodwill for $2.99, and I gave it away about 4 months ago. And yes, full tower cases with a removable rack are rare. This one I had was the first one ive ever seen.

Have you thought of modding one of your own?
 
DarkMonkey said:
You won't find one because it isn't needed. Those cases are so big that you have plenty of room to work on it without having to take the motherboard tray out. Especially on aluminum, 'cause the motherboard tray gives the case a lot of it's rigidness and if you make it into a removable tray, you have to reenforce the case some other way, which is why the PC6X series from Lian-Li have those big metal things at the top, but the PC7X series doesn't. No removable motherboard tray means they don't have to be there to stiffen up the case.
Click to expand...
Well it is not a matter of need or there being plenty of room it is a matter of preference.
I prefer installing the motherboard and all the components when the tray is in a horizontal position not in a vertical position.
It is just a lot easier that way and when spending that much for a case it had better have it or I will not be buying it.
With my my aluminum Chieftec Dragon case I actually layed the case on its side to install everything but it sure would be nice to just slide out the tray an install it that way.
Plus with a removable tray I could take it to work with me and in my spare time install everything and them take it home and slide it in. That would be a very convenient option.
 
You could wait a bit and get the P180, Im not sure of the dimensions.

OR

A stacker, either the new or old ones.

Another thing (though it might be out of your price) is any full tower Lian-LI...
 
Save for the price, the antec p160 may just be what you need...

Only prob, the side window is bought separately.
 
I actually got the p160 and can say its been a real treat to use it. Everything is easilly accessible, a lot of planning went into the design of the case.

I'd take some pics, but my cam needs new batteries. Will see if I can pick some up tomorrow.
 
i have a chenming black 601/602 (dont remember) case. it's exactly like the one pictured, only without the wierd front desigin. just flat.

not all that great. wouldnt recommend. i'm gonna go with a cooler master praetorian once i get the money. the window wears off after a while.
 
shadowbreaker513 said:
Don't forget it looks like crap, doesn't have a window, I would rather have a door, and HORRIBLY overpriced.
Click to expand...

A regular PC-75 window will fit. I thought you didn't want a door, sorry about that. As far as looks go, I like it, so that's personal preference I guess, but calling a lian-li's looks crap around here is looking for a flame. And as for price, well, you can't find what you want for the money you want to spend. I would venture to say your tastes in cases are outside your budget.
 
Never said Lan-Lis were crap, just said that one looked like it. I'll probably end up with a Chemning or an Antec Soho (same thing)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top