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Recommend Me A Case

R

RoGuE1230

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jun 25, 2006
Messages
464
My budget is being stretched thin, and a big fancy case is not important to me. I like clean lines, no crazy jumbo pieces of plastic stuck all over it. :p

I had originally considered the Antec Three Hundred, but I've read a lot of good reviews about it, but also a lot of bad reviews of the power button breaking, and a lot of people on Newegg mention that the PSU fan has to point down, but don't the mounting holes also allow you to point it up? Another concern was video card fitting in there.

So I'm considering others. I like the Cooler Master CM 690 II Advance, but I can't justify paying $80 for it. $50-$60 is my ideal range.

Any other suggestions? I should also mention that tool less bays are not necessary; in fact, I prefer to use screws.

Thanks

Edit: I forgot to mention that I'm buying pieces for my whole build individually, especially during the sales over the holidays. If there is a case that is expensive, but has been known to price drop at times, please mention it.
 
Any other specific requirements? Number of hard drives it can hold?
 
Just that it have decent cooling, and good wire routing but I guess that is what anyone wants. lol

As far as hard drives, the most I would ever use is 3, and no more than two 5.25" bays.

My build will be a Phenom II x6 on an ATX board if that has any impact.
 
At your price point, I think the 300 is your best bet.
 
I vote the antec 300 also, sometimes the illusion 300 goes on sale, its the same case but with all the fans except the side fan.
 
How big of a video card will the 300 fit? For example, what about a 5850 or GTX 460?
 
RoGuE1230 said:
How big of a video card will the 300 fit? For example, what about a 5850 or GTX 460?
Click to expand...

I have a 6850 and it fits fine, but you wouldn't be able to to put a hard drive right in front of it because the connector would hit the hard drive connectors.
 
The Antec Three Hundred Illusion just went on sale to $50 after rebate.

My only concern is the fans, can the lights be disabled on them? I guess the worst scenario is they can be replaced...
 
RoGuE1230 said:
The Antec Three Hundred Illusion just went on sale to $50 after rebate.

My only concern is the fans, can the lights be disabled on them? I guess the worst scenario is they can be replaced...
Click to expand...

The lights can't be disabled on them.
 
What about physically cutting a wire on it? Does it have a separate power lead to the fan just for the light? Or what about just removing the LEDs and bridging the connection. I do have a little experience soldering (I soldered an old power supply fan to my current video card when the fan burnt out. lol) I guess I could just live it with it too...

Either way $50 for a case seems like a great deal.
 
The antec 900 is $59.99 as well but only after 30 mir(newegg). Not sure how much better if any better at all over the the 300.
 
Fantasyalive said:
The antec 900 is $59.99 as well but only after 30 mir(newegg). Not sure how much better if any better at all over the the 300.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't recommend the Antec 900 at all: It's a rather cramped case.
 
I owned an Antec 900. Worse case I ever owned... I couldnt handle the dust
 
Z06 said:
I owned an Antec 900. Worse case I ever owned... I couldnt handle the dust
Click to expand...

The updated version has dust filters, no?

Either way, not a fan of Antec cases, period. Their internal design is incredibly outdated. They need to at least start offering cases with perpendicular drive bays.
 
Interesting on the 900, had no idea it was so looked down on. I am actually taking a look at cases for myself though won't pick it up one for another month or two. Do you guys consider the Cooler Master 932 to be a decent case?
 
Fantasyalive said:
Interesting on the 900, had no idea it was so looked down on. I am actually taking a look at cases for myself though won't pick it up one for another month or two. Do you guys consider the Cooler Master 932 to be a decent case?
Click to expand...

Yeah there are far too many better cases out there in the same price range as the Antec 900, 902, and 1200 cases. The Coolermaster 932 is a good case
 
the antec 300 is a good case, it has a great cable managment pocket behind the hdds that you can stuff all your extra cables into easily, but cable managment behind the mobo is pretty tight, and it has no access holes from behind the mobo so youd have to cut your own. excellent little case though, solid construction, can fit huge gpus easily as long as there isnt an hdd right in front, and has good cooling, you can mount the psu whichever way you want, it has risers to allow some ventilation below it if you want to face the fan down. and it has excellent modding potential. Im working on putting my full watercooling build into it
 
The Cooler Master Elite 430 is a much nicer case for the money. It's only $30 after rebates on NewEgg today. Not counting rebates, I'd say the Cooler Master HAF 912 is unbeatable, at the same price point as the Antec 300.
 
Antec 300 hands down. When you factor-in that you get 3-120mm fans & 1-140mm fan for $49.99 AR, it simply can't be beat IMHO! The Antec case fans are not cheapo sleeve fans that almost every case manufacturer installs. They are dual ball-bearing fans that move a lot of air & they are quiet! Is it a perfect case? No. But is inexpensive & gives you so much.

BTW...I have a 6870 & have plenty of room to spare. The Antec 300 Illusion case to take a video card that's 11" & under.

Good Luck!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129066&Tpk=antec illusion
 
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