help with pc case

[Invader Bugs]

hey, im going to start to build a new computer for myself, but, first, i need to pick out a case, so i found this case , but my friend, who claims he built 2 computers, says its not good, is he right?

also, in this pic,


it has 4 big slots, with the top 2 look like CD Drives, and he says only the top 2 are drives, is he right? cause i think its all 4. thanks

[rallynavvie]

I think what he means is there are only supplied front faschia for two drives. You can use the other bays but you'd have to buy more parts to get the matching front bezels for more optical drives. I don't like that power supply at all though. Look for cases without a power supply so you can choose from plenty of other known good supplies. The last workstation I built (or "claimed" I built ) is housed in an Antec P160. I love that case and would recommend it to anyone. It's probably the most economical aluminum case on the market.

Depending on what else you're building will decide what power supply you'll need. Check out the FAQ pinned to the top of the forum (Flaystus better have posted some of the build links) or the other upgrade topic floating around right now. Or just feel free to ask.

[smearbrick1]

That case looks though it will handle 4 optical drives and 4 internal hard drives as well as 2 floppy drives. The front faschia is really immaterial as you could just install black cd/dvd drives.

[Invader Bugs]

alright, well, thanks. also, for those who dont like the case, do you have any suggestions for a different one? id like the colors to be like blacks and blues and stuff. thanks

[Jayhawk]

Actually, I like the case for the money. Aspire is no Antec or Enlight but it has a fairly good reputation as a moderatlel priced case. Good room, beveled edges, plently of fan mounts. The power supply is at least of the "switching" variety although you could spend over $54 (case price) just for a name-brand power supply. Still, I think it's at least as good as what you will get from an E-Machine, Dell, HP.

[rallynavvie]

The power supply is one of the most important parts of the entire PC. Just keep that in mind.

[budz]

Personally I'd buy a Antec case and power supply.
How about this Antec case:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=11-129-150&depa=1

[Invader Bugs]

eh. im not really liking that one, cause i want a case that looks cool, but also works good too.

[glockjs]

enlight is my favorite, they dont look the greatest..but probably most solid case on the market

[budz]

eh. im not really liking that one, cause i want a case that looks cool, but also works good too.

It's not about the case looking cool in my opinion, it's what's inside that counts.

This reminds me of a T-shirt from Cafepress.com!

[rallynavvie]

This was my last PC case purchase. Apparently they're going up in price because I paid $110 for this exact case 6 months ago. Cool I guess

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=11-129-144&depa=1

[Faustus]

Right now my fav case is the Cheiftec Mini dragon (mid tower case) I order it without a powersuppy then stick a nice antec or enermax in it. Works great.

It also has a nice BIG fan spot in the back meaning I can move alot of air without alot of extra noise. couple that with a GOOD aftermarket HSF thats not to loud and you actually end up with a nice system.

Oh yeah I replace the side fan on it also with something quieter.

[ripit]

Personally I have been really happy with my antec plusview. It's a big sturdy steel case (kind of heavy though) with lots of room for whatever you want (I'm even running two power supplys in mine). The layout and build is great. It has quick removable rails for 5 1/4 drives and quick realease bay (3 drives per bay), three fan mounts in the front (two behind the drive cages to blow over hard drives), one in the side window and two in the back. Not only is is very good functionally but it's not too bad if you want to mod it to look cool a little. If you put a lighted fan in front of the botom drive cage it shows through the front vents. Not the best case if you are going for all out looks but considering how functional it is you can get it looking pretty decent.
http://www.antec-inc.com/pro_details_enclosure.php?ProdID=90510#
These are old pics when I first started to mod it but you get the idea.
http://www.pbase.com/richardh/image/31590728
http://www.pbase.com/richardh/image/29491466

[rallynavvie]

I think those Antecs are one of the most popular and common cases on the market. A lot of stores rebadge them for use in their OEMs. They're pretty good, a bit larger than even mine is, but they are heavy and can be pretty loud. Recommended you drill a 120mm hole in the top right next to the PSU for exhaust rather than use all the 80mm exhaust fans. I helped a friend do this to his case and it worked really well.

[ripit]

I have heard of top exaust ports working very well too. I just haven't really had the need for it though. The fans serve the purpose of looking cool as much as they do air flow (and if you are looking at cases with windows I assume that you want function and looks). My case is not that loud with 5 80mm fans and they are all lighted (blue and multi color) and have uv reactive shells so they look cool (one fan mound is taken up by the second power supply). I specifically looked at rated noise levels when shoping for fans though. The only time it is lound is when I crank up the cpu fan speed but I usally don't have to crank it up all the way, even at full load). My cpu temps run in the upper 30's c with the computer at full load so I think I am good. I am only mildly overclocked though (aprox. athlon xp2500@xp3140 speeds) And the ati radeon 8500 is overclocked as far as it would go with factory heatsink and fan (gpu 274.5@310 and mem 274.5@305). If I ever decide to do more aggresive overclocking I will probably need a top exaust.
There are of course many models of antec cases and most of the ones I have looked at seem to be well designed. I picked this one to allow for a lot of components inside. It is the best case I have found with a window if you want to run a lot of equipment and need all the bays and room. Even if you are running 3 or 4 hard drives, having six bays allows for space between them and with fans blowing on them, they run nice and cool!!

[redwudz]

I too use an Antec case. 35lbs shipping! Lots of room. Got a second one for $39US for a home theater setup. This one has a side fan, no window. Once I get a quieter CPU cooler, should be perfect.

I bought a cheap case for a friend that wanted lots of lights from TigerDirect recently, a Diablotek Mid-T. Really disappointed. Lots of sharp edges, shoddy construction. Nothing against TigerDirect, just one case they carry. It really pays to buy a quality case. You can reuse it for years. I would rather buy the PS separately. You need a top quality PS. Cheap will burn you in the end.

Some of the things to look for in a case: The manufactures like very small holes in their cases for the fan screens. This is for RF compliance. Most fan screens I have seen need to be drilled out to get a decent airflow. I would recommend you double the size of the small holes, the airflow will increase quite a bit.

Choose lower speed, larger fans, if possible. They are generally quiter and with better airflow. Intake fans are important. If they are directed over your HDs, even better. Exhaust fans are good also. Can be lower speed. Also consider rounded cables, everything helps.

[ripit]

Thats all good advice. The case and power supply are not a good area to skimp ans save a few dollars. Cheap cases can cause lots of problems. I have one that I bought locally a while back that requires a rather small cpu heatsink and fan. A stock amd one fits but touches the power supply. Some of what you save on the case is going to be spent on an expensive/small heatsink and fan if you want good temps. It cannot fit most cd/dvd drives (they won't clear the motherboard unless they are sticking out of the computer a couple of inches) in all but the top bay. The hard drive cage never really fit very well and is getting bent out of shape from changing drives (I have had it a couple of years). Its a mid tower so it's not tiny but it was just designed poorly.
If you get an antec case with a power supply you know you are getting a good one but with many, I wouldn't count on a stable, crash free system unless you replace the power supply (assuming it has a cheap one which many do). If a good power supply is 50$, don't think you are going to get a good case and a good power supply for 50$ reguardless of the brand (unless you really get a good deal).
As far as rounded cables etc., I cannot remember exactly how many degrees as I kind of did it in stages, but going to round cables and wrapping the wires in spiral wrap made quite a noticable diffrence. Even if you do not have a window, you can get generic black spiral wrap for next to nothing at any hardware store or home depot. It's not just for looks.