Computers & Electronics

need advice on midtower case

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  • Nov 10th, 2013 2:41 pm
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Feb 18, 2007
4114 posts
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New Westminster

need advice on midtower case

hi,
My CM Haf 932 is great but i need to downsize(the Haf is a monster) and am looking for a new Midsize tower case that has great cooling, sturdy build and tool-less design that the pieces don't break easily. I prefer larger fans like 200mm but i know with smaller size i may have to go with 120mm though i am hoping someone can suggest a case with 200mm's -at least 1-2 of them.I don't really like cases with filters since i hate cleaning them and find it much easier to blow out my case without them.

I know there is a Haf midsize tower but i am trying for more of a classy clean look.

I am also looking for a more classy easy on the eye case that may or may not include front door and doesnt have Bright led's like my red lights on the Haf.

Large space for long video card and USB 3 and front headphone jacks a must - card reader and msata a plus.

Pricewise i would like the cheapest i can get and have seen some in the $50-$60 range though not sure how good the cooling is on them. max price would be $100 inc tax

Also i prefer the case to come with the fans or at least most of them.

Please help with suggestions and people with personal use of the case please let me know the plus and cons. Also will be buying probably in December so sales not needed atm.

Thanks :)
Poor Grammar and being long winded don't fit well together, Oh well.
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Feb 18, 2007
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MonsieurX wrote: 600T is usually around 150$
yea out of my budget :(

i looked through ncix and found some but most need to have extra fans purchased :(

http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=83095 ... hermaltake nice little case but not sure if my vid card would fit or even if i ended up buying a bigger one in future. i like the look of it though.

http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=78224 ... omoid=1089 looks good from outside but I'm not getting a good feeling about the inside and the review sucks on it from whoever bought it. i use front headset a lot so short cord worries me.

http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=66063 ... omoid=1360 this is the best i have found i think so far. looks clean and decent but have to buy 2-3 fans to keep cool.

http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=73006 ... omoid=1089 only case so far i liked that supports 200-230mm fans but no side fans and it looks tall for midsize - didn't see any size specs.

http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=79703 ... MAN%20TECH this is tied for first with the carbide. i like the look and has room plus a decent price.

To tell you the truth though none of these have a wow cool case factor. Anyone have experience with the Zalman or the Carbide 300r ? or can recommend better ? i think the selection i linked gives a general idea of what i want and price range.
thanks.
Poor Grammar and being long winded don't fit well together, Oh well.
Sr. Member
Sep 29, 2012
552 posts
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Maybe you should do some research... You know before giving advice on this forum or before making your own topic.

I am very curious to why a guru like yourself needs so many fans. I wonder what exactly you need to keep so cool...

The 300r is a solid case that I have used in many builds. It's sturdy, has tool free bays. usb 3.0, and good cable management.

I'm not sure if you know this but you can buy card readers.
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Jul 13, 2010
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Get the Justin Bieber case as I hear he has lots of fans! :razz:
Gangsta wrote: I am very curious to why a guru like yourself needs so many fans...
.
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Gangsta wrote: Maybe you should do some research... You know before giving advice on this forum or before making your own topic.

I am very curious to why a guru like yourself needs so many fans. I wonder what exactly you need to keep so cool...

The 300r is a solid case that I have used in many builds. It's sturdy, has tool free bays. usb 3.0, and good cable management.

I'm not sure if you know this but you can buy card readers.
i wouldn't call myself a guru by any means. i know what i do because of reading from others that i respect to have the knowledge and it usually sticks with me and i do read reviews and news from certain sites when i have the time and energy to do so.

As for fans and cooling my video card runs hot and although i don't worry about my case during the cooler seasons i do when summer hits. I also know that fan's alone don't make a case cooler... some cases are poorly designed and no amount of fans they give you options for can keep it as cool as a case with a good design and even less fans. Right now my case can handle the cooling fine but the Haf has a bunch of 200mm fans that make it able too and i am afraid of buying a new case that wont be as good.

Problem is you cant really go and look at these cases unless your lucky and the store like ncix is actually using one of them. I had to buy the Haf 932(well didn't have to buy this exact case) after owning a sonata 3 when i bought a new video card and i had to take off 1 fan for it to fit in that case so i worry about having sufficient room for cards now and if for some reason they get even longer in the future.
I've also ran into cheap construction from brands that are known for good construction and have had the plastic tool-less pieces break off.

Anyway i will add that it is easier to help others when your money isn't being spent and you have a community that will point out wrong info fast if you make a mistake. If someone here has some knowledge of cases i have mentioned or something else to consider why wouldn't i ask for advice?

@ Arkeron thanks for that link , it is sad about that case since it has a nice solid elegant style to it. My first real case was a huge TT Xaser that had that over the top red coloring and X on the door. i think i still have that big x somewhere since i wanted to do some modding on it but never got around to it. as i get older i want more simple elegant looking cases that don't stand out and scream at you.

@Gansta i have a couple of usb card readers around but having one built into the case would be a plus but not a must have. i like the 300r(thanks for your thumbs up) and the Zalman and not sure which is the better of the two.
I wish my budget was higher since i like some silverstone and lian li cases as well but i cant justify to myself paying that much at this time.
Poor Grammar and being long winded don't fit well together, Oh well.
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Mar 5, 2011
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That looks huge, maybe not as tall, but looks double wide.
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Feb 29, 2008
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Corsair 300 or 200 carbide series should be fine. I use a a 200 with a closed loop water cooler, top, front and rear fan, two drives and a 7870 GPU.
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totheh8ters wrote: That looks huge, maybe not as tall, but looks double wide.
it is actually shorter in length and height but 13" in width compared to 8.3" for the carbide 330r and 8.1" for the carbide 500r. my problem is with height and length on my current case but not sure if 5" more on width would cause me problems.

Yea the 300r is still top of my list with a Zalman Z5 but still keeping an open mind.
Poor Grammar and being long winded don't fit well together, Oh well.

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