22 replies to this topic

[BLOOD WOLF]

So i am going to be getting a gaming case to fit a bigger graphics card and more space over-all. The limit is about 40, that is all i am going for a case.

Does the case matter? what are the details if so, i am curious.

This thread probably needs to be moved to appropriate section. Srry I am tired.

Edited by BLOOD WOLF, 09 September 2014 - 01:20 PM.

[Rizzelbizzeg]

Case doesn't really matter a whole lot, heck you can even run without one and have all your stuff just dangling around in a funky pile no problem. It'll be noisy and risky if you have cats or kids, but it's possible.

That said, airflow is probably the biggest concern. Make sure you got air coming in where you want it coming in and going out where you want it going out. I usually pull in from the front and/or bottom of the case and blow out the back and/or top since heat rises. You don't really want any dead air spots, especially where your gpu fans are pulling air in, so make sure that however the graphics card fits, it's still getting air. Having one in and one out fan is pretty good, can always add more if you think you need them.

The other consideration is how many cd drives do you have and how many disk drives. Most cases come with an absurd amount of cd drive bays for some reason. That ends up being wasted space, look to minimize that. Some cases will have an extra hard drive cage that you can pull out to fit the bigger graphics cards, so if you are planning on putting in tons of disk drives, make sure losing the cage (if you have to) doesn't screw you on disk slots.

the cool thing is you can build yourself a case too if you want. I've seen legos, wood, whole desks with the computer built into it, etc...

Oh, also if you're concerned about the color, you can spray paint a case to whatever you want. Some light sanding to rough the paint that's already on there and blast it on. Do this BEFORE YOU PUT THE COMPUTER INSIDE lol

[Ultimax]

Not sure if this will fit, but this looks like good value for the price and has tons of positive reviews:

http://www.newegg.co...7-153-_-Product


(I don't own it, I own this monstrosity! )

Edited by Ultimatum X, 09 September 2014 - 02:53 PM.

[Griggio]

http://www.coolermas...w.google.com%2F


My preferred case at the moment. There's a lot of part shuffling you can do with this one.

I actually think this is a better case then the full size HAF towers they make.

[Ultimax]

Griggio, on 09 September 2014 - 03:00 PM, said:

http://www.coolermas...w.google.com%2F


My preferred case at the moment. There's a lot of part shuffling you can do with this one.

I actually think this is a better case then the full size HAF towers they make.

That's a touch more than the 40 he wants to spend.

[Gangnail]

First off you need to be a little more specific in what you want and what you need. What GPU are you looking at getting? Bottom mount or top mount PSU? What size case (full, mid, mini)? USB ports; How many? Location? USB 3.0? etc... , Tooless design? Do you need a bay for an SSD? Any cable management concerns?

There are plenty of cases available @ Newegg and searching/sorting there is very simple. The above mentioned Rosewill is a pretty solid buy for $44.

[Torgun]

Decent airflow (not to small and cramped basically) and fairly easy to work with, like both sides can be opened, disks and drives can be mounted without screws is a good start. $50 can get you a pretty good comp case these days.

Edited by Torgun, 09 September 2014 - 03:11 PM.

[BLOOD WOLF]

Gangnail, on 09 September 2014 - 03:05 PM, said:

First off you need to be a little more specific in what you want and what you need. What GPU are you looking at getting? Bottom mount or top mount PSU? What size case (full, mid, mini)? USB ports; How many? Location? USB 3.0? etc... , Tooless design? Do you need a bay for an SSD? Any cable management concerns?

There are plenty of cases available @ Newegg and searching/sorting there is very simple. The above mentioned Rosewill is a pretty solid buy for $44.

I am going to get A Asus GTX 660. Everything else doesn't matter. I just need a bigger case, for a bigger card.

[bar10jim]

I'm using/liking this one, as are several of my friends who saw mine and got one for their next build:

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811124152

It works well under-desk, as the power buttons, usb ports, mic and headphone jacks are mounted on top of the case. It also has proper inlet/outlet routing for liquid cooling setup. LOTS of space/mounting options for more fans. It does mount the PSU in the bottom, so you will need one with longer cables.

You can also find it with red or white trim rather than the blue.

Edited by bar10jim, 09 September 2014 - 03:21 PM.

[Mawai]

Case is important for 3 things

1) Cooling
2) Sound
3) Size to fit everything without being too big

It is hard to get all three ... and if you want something both cool and quiet you can expect to pay for it.

I recently upgraded my case from something quiet but somewhat hot to something quiet but with much better air flow. Video card temperatures are down 10 to 15C under load and CPU temps are down 5 to 10C just by changing the case ... while the whole system is still relatively quiet.

Unfortunately, it cost money to get a good case. (Fractal Design Define R4).

There are likely some good choices in the $40.00 range ... I would suggest one with good air flow over quieter operation in that price range ... depending on what components you have in your system.

[Goose]

http://pcpartpicker....se-challengeru3

[Lord Letto]

I looked at PC Part picker and found 4 for <$40 without MIR with front panel USB3, Side panel Window and 1 internal 2.5" Drive bay:
Raidmax ATX-402WB, $Regular price $43, there's a promo code for 15% Off and a $10 MIR that would bring it down to $26.55 on Newegg: http://www.newegg.co...ID=3938566&SID=

Cougar Archon and MX300 is $40 at mWave:
Archon: http://www.mwave.com...18#.VA-rR_ldXTQ
MX300: http://www.mwave.com...21#.VA-rmPldXTQ

4th option is the Apex PCV-588 for $40 at newegg: http://www.newegg.co...ID=3938566&SID=

I myself use a Bitfenix Outlaw with USB2 Front panel, there's a newer USB3 Front panel version for $69 at mWave: http://www.mwave.com...75#.VA-sjvldXTQ

the one I have can fit a Radeon HD 6970 that's a long card (Longer than my old 560TI) so I'm sure it could fit a 660 and just barely fits a Cooler Master Hyper 212+

Edited by Lord Letto, 09 September 2014 - 05:49 PM.

[Napoleon_Blownapart]

in the town hall video they stated improving a cpu is better for mwo than upgrading the gpu because the game is so cpu bound.
check out cases at microcenter also, look for # of fan slots available,it may come with 3 fans but can fit more...

[Flapdrol]

There are decent cases for low budget, but spending a bit more on a good case is probably better, could last forever.

Edited by Flapdrol, 10 September 2014 - 06:18 AM.

[RiSE]

This case is around 50$ and is fine for most usage, it has two fans built-in and even a light for fun

http://www.coolermas...mid-tower/n400/

Hope that helps

[xWiredx]

BLOOD WOLF, on 09 September 2014 - 03:17 PM, said:

I am going to get A Asus GTX 660. Everything else doesn't matter. I just need a bigger case, for a bigger card.

Damn near any case can fit a GTX 660. They're usually pretty short compared to cards like the 680/780/290X.

As an overclocker, though, I would put my recommendation in for spending more on a nicer case with better airflow than anything you can get with your current price range. If you don't plan on overclocking then there isn't much need to worry about what you're putting your system in as long as it fits and you do a push/pull on your fan setup.

[Lily from animove]

Rizzelbizzeg, on 09 September 2014 - 02:26 PM, said:

Case doesn't really matter a whole lot, heck you can even run without one and have all your stuff just dangling around in a funky pile no problem. It'll be noisy and risky if you have cats or kids, but it's possible.

That said, airflow is probably the biggest concern. Make sure you got air coming in where you want it coming in and going out where you want it going out. I usually pull in from the front and/or bottom of the case and blow out the back and/or top since heat rises. You don't really want any dead air spots, especially where your gpu fans are pulling air in, so make sure that however the graphics card fits, it's still getting air. Having one in and one out fan is pretty good, can always add more if you think you need them.

The other consideration is how many cd drives do you have and how many disk drives. Most cases come with an absurd amount of cd drive bays for some reason. That ends up being wasted space, look to minimize that. Some cases will have an extra hard drive cage that you can pull out to fit the bigger graphics cards, so if you are planning on putting in tons of disk drives, make sure losing the cage (if you have to) doesn't screw you on disk slots.

the cool thing is you can build yourself a case too if you want. I've seen legos, wood, whole desks with the computer built into it, etc...

Oh, also if you're concerned about the color, you can spray paint a case to whatever you want. Some light sanding to rough the paint that's already on there and blast it on. Do this BEFORE YOU PUT THE COMPUTER INSIDE lol

yes the case does matter in terms of heat dissipation capabilities. ow much fans can you additionally add, does the air gets dissipate upwards or behind or the side.

I bought somethign in the more expensive area, because I have the pc in the living room and want it to eb quite. And so its has a lot quite fans making sure its cooled well.

[Catamount]

Normally I'd go with the Challenger, partly on brand, but I'm going to have to second Letto's recommendation for that Raidmax ATX-402. It has external USB 3, mounts the drives and PSU the way you want, has obvious space to route wires out of the way and a hole to work with the back of your MOBO it looks like, basically it's a case that's cheap without being cheap because it's old/obsolete, and for $~37 and an MiR thrown in that's just really good.

Use the remaining budget to fill out the fans (no side support but that's okay). Just run front intake, rear/top exhaust, and you'll have a nice negative pressure setup that'll cool your components.

[Oderint dum Metuant]

I'm going to ask why a gpu replacement.

What do you have currently
And what cpu

[Golrar]

As an owner of the Rosewill Challenger, I cannot recommend it as a gaming case in the modern age. The main reason being there is no room for an off the shelf closed loop liquid cooling solution. I had to manually drill a grill on the top, and due to clearance issues I had to install the H100i before I installed my mobo( ASUS Sabertooth). It works right now but is ugly. Trying to save up for a new case:

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811139009

Double your budget but well worth the money. In my opinion if you want a gaming case you won't get anything good for less than $80. Plus the removable HDD cages give you plenty of room for the biggest GPU and the awesome cable management will definitely improve your airflow. It also comes in white if you like that sort of thing.