Popular Gaming Cases

[newbuilder14]

Hey guys,

I know cases are a very personal thing, but I was wondering what all of you guys thought was cool or owned so I could get some ideas. Looking for something with lights, etc. Thanks.

[Mr.Ferrari]

Well gaming in the sense of air cooling performance...or bling?

I personally like the thermaltake series for bling.

[newbuilder14]

Both. What case do you have?

[Mr.Ferrari]

Me? A modified lian li v1200...
I used to own a thermaltake armour though. Armour is very customizable as far as aircooling goes, bunch of spaces that you can zip tie fans and the such. Also quite a bit of bling.

[newbuilder14]

Hmm... alright thanks. The case you have is nice. How are Aspire cases? I guess what I'm looking for is something like the Lian Li with the window so i can add some cathodes and bling it up a bit. Do the quality of these cases truly justify the case? If so I may just go ahead and choose one.

[jfk]

I LOVE Lian Li cases. Mine (sig) has a window, and though it doesn't come stock with the "bling" of other cases, it can be modded quite nicely. The best thing about the Lian Li is the quality of the build, roominess, ventilation, etc. They are top shelf cases.

[blue60007]

Lian Li and Thermaltake cases are going to be much higher quality than Aspire cases (hence the price difference). I think they are kinda tacky too.

[Cricket]

You should look for cases that you think are cool looking, not what other people like. You're an individual and to express that individuality you should use a case that appeals to you, not something someone else tells you to use because they think it's cool.

If you think the Aspire cases look cool go ahead and use one...just don't use the power supply that comes in it.

:) Cricket

[Nav]

I agree with Cricket. I personally dont like Lian Li cases at all. Sure they may have good build quality and stuff but a little more 'bling' wouldve been nice. I personally like the Sunbeam Transformer. Very roomy, good ventilation, fair amount of bling and an amazing window. Its all personal preference basically. Good luck choosing one.

[Kimochi]

Raidmax ninja (http://www.xcase.co.uk/acatalog/Raidmax_Ninja.html#a272) with the sexy vents, my case :)

http://www.xcase.co.uk/acatalog/ninjalights.jpg

[newbuilder14]

I will probably go with an Aspire X-Cruiser - I've had my eyes on it for quite some time.

[rspassey]

You could make your own case :D

[kd9791]

You should look for cases that you think are cool looking, not what other people like. You're an individual and to express that individuality you should use a case that appeals to you, not something someone else tells you to use because they think it's cool.

:) Cricket

I completely agree with you. When i built my computer at first I didn't care if it was built of cardboard as long as it cooled ok and I could spend more money on other parts. Then I saw my NIXT case. I understand i need a new PS, but it is huge and roomy, stylish, and pretty much me. It was the opposite from everything my friends were suggesting. It cost a few bucks, but was so worth it. I can *bling it out if i want too, but I'm subtle. ish.

[tigstah]

if you want to impress people.
just get a basic case and mod it.
about 4 years ago, i modded a case window into the washington redskins emblem on the side.
when the lights were off it was really nice.
now guys just go and get designs laser etched.

[TimPoet]

So, on these fancier cases when you want to insert a dvd or cd disk then you have to open the front panel? Hmmm, I dunno if I want to go thru the hassle of that every time I want to insert a disk.... But then comp cases that don't have a front panel look so clunky.

What to do?

[blue60007]

I wouldn't call it a feature associated with the "fancier" cases only. I've seen it on all ranges of cases. Both of my cases have this and I don't really find it's a hastle (it's not like it takes a lot of effort or time to open). But then again, I don't swap out discs that often.

[Cricket]

Have you looked at Codegen cases?Well Codegen is good for cases. :)

:) Cricket

[Powertrip]

Yeah I broke mine off in the 1st year, think any case full of optical drives looks a lot cooler than that plastic front piece. Just one more thing to break and when I forget to tell my burning software not to eject disk it made an awful sound lol.

[newbuilder14]

Have you looked at Codegen cases?

:) Cricket

I used 2 4U rackmount codegen cases - they are high quality. I'd never use one for a gaming build that's for sure. :cool:

[Powertrip]

I sell a lot of codegen cases, getting to the point now I don't use the power supplies at all just for old old systems like PII's or PIII's. But the Mini Towers and Mid Towers are like $35-$45 so thats not a lot to pay for a semi fancy case for a home user that wants something modern looking. The Aopens are to basic, only the micro towers are fancy enough now.

[andper10]

I would Second the Aspire-X Dreamer (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?N=4026&Submit=ENE&Description=X%2DDreamer&Ntk=all). They have 5 fan slots, temp readout, side window, and they look very nice too. These (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?DEPA=0&type=&Description=A-Top+XBlade+AT859A&Submit=ENE&N=0&Ntk=all) A-Top X-Blade Cases are pretty nice too, but they have a little more bling than I personally like. Antec has a new case that is very sleek looking, and holds up to 6 fans (I think). It also has a very smart design with a 200mm fan on top (the power supply is mounted on the bottom) that takes all the rising heat out of your case. Antec Nine Hundred (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811129021). I have a clear acrylic case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?Submit=ENE&N=2000090007+1055008392&Subcategory=7&description=case&Ntk=&srchInDesc=), and I really like it. However, I would recommend that you get one with 120mm fans (mine had 80mm fans, and they were pretty noisy, so I ended up putting a 80mm to 120mm expander on the exhaust and getting a fan controller). The Thermaltake Soprano (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811133145) is a pretty nice case too. You could also search on Ebay for custom built computer and see what cases they use, they often have some nice ones. Like others have said, get something that YOU like, not just something that everyone else likes.

[Cricket]

Gee, I remember when everyone was using Thermaltake cases for their gaming rigs. That doesn't seem to be the case now...I wonder why.

:) Cricket

[blue60007]

My favorite subtle cases (ie, for an office) are Antec's, and Thermaltakes are my favorite for gaming rigs...

Thermaltake cases are mostly higher end and higher cost (but I did get one for $40 and had a $30 MIR) and these Aspire and similar cases I see a lot of people using are a lot cheaper. That's probably one reason. Also they like to include $5 power supplies to make them more attractive (price/deal wise) to people. A lot I've seen include extra doo-dads that aren't really useful (like temperature gauges).

I'll stick with Thermaltake though, they are much higher quality than some of these flashy cases I've seen lately.

[newbuilder14]

Woah, this thread exploded! Thanks for all of the help. I think I may go with an Aspire X-Cruiser.

[Cricket]

Thermaltake cases are mostly higher end and higher cost (but I did get one for $40 and had a $30 MIR) and these Aspire and similar cases I see a lot of people using are a lot cheaper. That's probably one reason. Also they like to include $5 power supplies to make them more attractive (price/deal wise) to people. A lot I've seen include extra doo-dads that aren't really useful (like temperature gauges).

I'll stick with Thermaltake though, they are much higher quality than some of these flashy cases I've seen lately.See...that's what I'm puzzled about. Some people will spend an obscene amount of money on the components for a gaming rig and then stick it all in a fairly cheap, flimsy case just because it has a few lights and a window. I'd rather go with a better quality case that's a little more subtle. But then I grew up with guys who owned sleepers that could give showy hot rod owners a run for their money (and beat many of them too).

:) Cricket

[fleeingpepper]

Another bad thing about those cheap cases....I bought a mobo that came with a cheapo DEER case. Yes, a DEER case, the people who make crap PSU's. I decided that I would put a window in the side of the case. The force of me cutting the shape of the hole just about folded the side panel in half. Real cheap sheet metal comes in the cheapos And if I accidentally hit the case with my knee, the front panel would pop off. (but luckily the hot glue that they put the switch and lights in with didn't let the front panel fall off, and if it does, the LEDs will have their insides ripped out) Great thinking.

[blue60007]

Cricket, I know what you mean. And let's not get started on power supplies along the same line. Along the same lines, I think it's funny how some people spend lots of money putting all kind of flashy lights on their cars these days, but get beat up on the track.

I like mid-range cases. I'm going pay more than $10 for a case (even though that's what I got my TT Mambo case for - it's very high quality for it's price) but I'm not going to fork over $300+ for a case. And big $$$ doesn't always high quality. I read an interesting article in Max PC a while back that had a bunch of high dollar cases (a kind of "round-up"). Most were in the $200+ category. I think they were all high quality, but a surprising number had stupid little problems/quirks with them that kinda ruined them. Problems that could've been avoided easily (the "doh!" problems). Seems like a lot of companies are pushing products out without reviewing them first (and that's not just case companies).

They had one really wild design, a pyramid, cost like $400, but was not practical at all (they couldn't even get their motherboard back out). Just thought I'd throw that bit out since it was pretty funny looking.

I've heard stories of people accidently dropping cheap cases (with their big buck components inside!) down stairs. Cheapo cases fly apart rolling down steps while solid quality cases just suffer a few dents and scratches. I remember seeing one case a 200lb man could jump on and not hurt.

[jfk]

I like them simple and straightforward. My Lian Li case was around $130 when I bought it. That might be a lot of money for some folks, but it's way less than the $2-300 I see for other cases, and from a QUALITY perspective it is well worth the money. Whether you consider fit, finish, accessibility, ventilation or "extras", the Lian Li cases have it all. I dressed mine up some, with LED fans and all, but it's still not as "blingy" as some would like. I could care less...I'll put it up against any "blingy" case based on the merits I mentioned above. You can certainly buy cheaper cases, but you would be hard pressed to find a better "value" from a feature/performance/price perspective. JMO.

[Mr.Ferrari]

Just wanted to add..

When I think of a gaming case, I think of a case with superb air cooling performance and of high build quality. And usually very classy, simple looks.

When I think of flashy, flimsy, plastic smothered, bling cases. I think of Aspire, raidmax etc. Of which most people suggest as "gaming cases".

Just my outlook.... :)