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SFF case advice

C

courtney01

Gawd
Joined
Nov 25, 2008
Messages
619
 
don't know if you have a fry's near by, but I was at my local fry's (LA area) and they had the sg02 for $69.99
 
Not enough info.
Will you be overclocking?
Stock or aftermarket heatsink?
how many hard drives?
Dvd drives?


 
gwarren007 said:
Not enough info.
Will you be overclocking?
Stock or aftermarket heatsink?
how many hard drives?
Dvd drives?

Click to expand...

I won't be overclocking

A fan and heatsink came with my intel CPU.

1 internal hard drive

1 dvd burner.

1 graphics card (not for gaming, so something low-end like 8500GT or 9500GT)
 
what do you want out of SFF? i've always been attracted to slim cases, myself.
 
no, i guess i'm asking what kind of SFF you want. some of the options are the sugo-style LAN box you first identified, the mATX desktops that were your subsequent posts (essentially like a "normal" case but a bit smaller), and HTPC style like my first link, or a slim desktop like my second link.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129054

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811121068

i had a Dell XPS 200 that was similar to that second case (the PSU died). between the two, i'd much rather get the Antec now. it's just that much more sleek, and looks like a normal piece of home A/V equipment.
 
dystopic said:
no, i guess i'm asking what kind of SFF you want. some of the options are the sugo-style LAN box you first identified, the mATX desktops that were your subsequent posts (essentially like a "normal" case but a bit smaller), and HTPC style like my first link, or a slim desktop like my second link.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129054

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811121068

i had a Dell XPS 200 that was similar to that second case (the PSU died). between the two, i'd much rather get the Antec now. it's just that much more sleek, and looks like a normal piece of home A/V equipment.
Click to expand...

Oh I see what you're saying.

I'm open to any of them, so what would be the pros/cons of each case type? Would there be heat-issues with the slim and htpc cases?
 
courtney01 said:
I'm open to any of them, so what would be the pros/cons of each case type? Would there be heat-issues with the slim and htpc cases?
Click to expand...

with the components you're using, heat won't be an issue in the sense of being a threat to your components or overclock (since you're not overclocking).

heat will be an issue if noise is. it's not so much that you have to worry about these cases turning into jet engines suddenly, but under heavier usage environments some of the fans might kick into higher gear. a good quality cooler and fans, or even a modest water cooling setup, can address that well enough.

as for pros and cons, (warning, bad pun ahead - sorry, it's not intentional) that's really something to look at on a case-by-case basis. since you're open to all these cases, i guess the question is: do you want a PC that looks like other electronics in your room, un-assuming, subtle and elegant, or do you want something you can use as a talking piece, something interesting and eye-catching (not necessarily gaudy, where ever your cut off line for that might be).
 
dystopic said:
with the components you're using, heat won't be an issue in the sense of being a threat to your components or overclock (since you're not overclocking).

heat will be an issue if noise is. it's not so much that you have to worry about these cases turning into jet engines suddenly, but under heavier usage environments some of the fans might kick into higher gear. a good quality cooler and fans, or even a modest water cooling setup, can address that well enough.

as for pros and cons, (warning, bad pun ahead - sorry, it's not intentional) that's really something to look at on a case-by-case basis. since you're open to all these cases, i guess the question is: do you want a PC that looks like other electronics in your room, un-assuming, subtle and elegant, or do you want something you can use as a talking piece, something interesting and eye-catching (not necessarily gaudy, where ever your cut off line for that might be).
Click to expand...

I actually don't care at all how my case looks as long as it's not large and keeps my components cool. I won't be using water cooling so I'll just make do with fans.
 
out of what you originally linked, the CM centurion looks best to me.

also for the memory, best way to tell if it'll have issues is to go to the asus website and check the QVL for memory.

a couple low speed yate loons for the fans.
 
dystopic said:
out of what you originally linked, the CM centurion looks best to me.

also for the memory, best way to tell if it'll have issues is to go to the asus website and check the QVL for memory.

a couple low speed yate loons for the fans.
Click to expand...

So that case would best fit the needs I described to you?

Just so I have some options before I make my final decision, can you tell me what your top choices would be for each case type, and is less than $50-60? (ie. lan box, mini tower, htpc, slim)

What's a QVL?
 
QVL = qualified vendors list. the QVL for RAM will tell you what types of RAM asus has tested and officially supports on that motherboard.

truth be told, i think all of the cases mentioned in this thread will fit your needs as you've described them. you seem most concerned about cooling (after cost), but as long as you buy good quality parts and don't get any defective components, i think heat levels should remain within tolerance ranges in any of those cases.

i think picking a new case is the most difficult part of building a totally new system. one major factor you haven't mentioned is the layout of the case, which can be a big factor when it comes to ease of installing your components and organizing cables. but with that said, here's my recommendations in each type of case; but again, these are highly subjective.

best mATX full-width mini-tower: COOLER MASTER Centurion 541
note: the full-width mATX designs are the largest of the mATX crop, but will also offer the best cooling and compatibility with standard ATX power supplies.

best mATX slim tower: Rosewill R379-SM
note: i can't vouch for the quality of the PSU, which i would guess is a 2U rack server form factor.

"cube" (LAN box): there don't seem to be any in your price range on newegg, but that Sugo design is quite nice.

HTPC designs: again, there aren't any that i'd recommend in your price range; most of them offer features you don't need, anyway.
 
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