Cheiftec/Chenming case owners

[toostrike22]

I have been looking for a full tower that has good cooling and plenty of room.The Cheiftec/Chenming cases seem to bit the bill.These cases come in many flavors.The standard set up is 2 (80's) in front and two dual 80's in the back for exhaust.I have seen these cases with (2) 80's in the front and (1) 120 in back.Some with side window including fan ports.Some don't.

Here are some of my concerns:

No dust filters.What can I use for a filter that wont restrict the intake air?

Contains no instructions-This is my first build

Do these cases use the older usb 1.1 connecters.I also dont see any audio or fire wire ports on the front of the case.

My mod Ideas:

I would like to remove the lower drive cage,so both 80's have unrestricted air intake.I plan on using 2 hard drive in my case.I figured I could buy a hdd cooler for the drives.

I know the both hard drive cages are removable,and I will be taking the lower cage out.I figure I will have to cut the hard drive support brackets(for the lower cage) so both fans will be exposed.

I will cut a 120mm blow hole for the top.

Side case fan-I dont think I"ll need one.It seems the side fans just make the air swirl around anyway.I should get plenty of intake from 2 unrestricted front mounted fans.

Sound proof material-not sure this will make a difference with all my fans.

I would like to hear from people that have modded these kind of cases

[Cricket]

Originally Posted by toostrike22 Here are some of my concerns: No dust filters.What can I use for a filter that wont restrict the intake air?

All filters will restrict air flow, some less than others, but they all restrict air flow to some degree.

Originally Posted by toostrike22 Contains no instructions

Don't really need them. If you get stuck with something, post a question here.

Originally Posted by toostrike22 Do these cases use the older usb 1.1 connecters.

The ports themselves are the same for USB 1.1 or 2.0...it's the controller on the motherboard that makes it 1.1 or 2.0.

Originally Posted by toostrike22 I also dont see any audio or fire wire ports on the front of the case.

Some of the cases come with them, some don't. Gotta read the case description to see what ports are available.

Originally Posted by toostrike22 My mod Ideas: I would like to remove the lower drive cage,so both 80's have unrestricted air intake. I plan on using 2 hard drive in my case. I figured I could buy a hdd cooler for the drives.

Hard drive coolers aren't really necessary.

Originally Posted by toostrike22 I know the both hard drive cages are removable,and I will be taking the lower cage out.I figure I will have to cut the hard drive support brackets(for the lower cage) so both fans will be exposed.

Why even bother? It's not going to restrict air flow that much (if at all).

Originally Posted by toostrike22 I will cut a 120mm blow hole for the top.

That may help, but you really gotta plan your cooling setup carefully or you'll end up with too much turbulence and end up with dead/hot spots and could end up with higher case temps.

Originally Posted by toostrike22 Sound proof material-not sure this will make a difference with all my fans.

The material really won't do anything about the noise from the case fans since the case fans are exposed directly to the outside of the case. The material will help reduce noise from anything inside the case (like hard drives and the CPU and video card heatsink fans).

Cricket

[toostrike22]

Thanks Cricket for all the good advice!

[toostrike22]

I read this comment about the usb ports for this case on newegg.I'm I missing something?

CHENMING CMUI-601AEB-W Black 1.0mm SECC Server Computer Case

Comments: I ordered this case recently and I'll start off by saying that the one I got does NOT have those four metal screws on the front panel (thankfully). However, it should be mentioned that the FRONT panel USB ports are USB 1.1 ports NOT USB 2.0! That was disappointing because I usually plug my portable hard drive into front ports, but now it's back only for me. That gripe aside, this really is a great case. It's light, sturdy, roomy, easy to build in and the window is huge. Also, I added two extra fans for 2 intake/2 exhaust and the airflow is great. My ambient temps have dropped considerably, and my video card also idles 7C cooler! That having been said, the two stock fans included are a little noisier than I'd like so I plan to replace those later. All in all, for the price this case can't be beat. It was this or a considerably more expensive Lian-Li (of which I've owned three in the past), and I feel I made the right choice with this one.

[jayb1234]

There are several Chieftec cases on Intel's Thermally Approved Chassis list.