cases

[pilotgi]

I was reading a previous thread about cases and found that most of the cases builders were happy with were in the $80 to $90 range.

At logical-source.com, they have a six bay ATX mid tower with a 250W
power supply for $11.00. If this case is a piece of ****, is it because of the
case or the power supply or both?

Also they have the same case with a "AMD and Pentium approved power
supply" for $33.00. Too good to be true?

This site gives pretty good specs on all their cases. The most expensive
one I saw was a "wide mid tower with Sparkle ATX 2.03 400W AMD and
Pentium certified power supply" for $91.50.

[HAL9000]

At those prices, don't walk, run away as fast as you can. The last one you mentioned is probably OK, Sparkle power supplies aren't too bad.

[DrZaius]

Case and PSU for $11? You'll pay double that for band-aids to stop the bleeding from the sheet metal cuts, and the burns from the exploded power supply. Check out NewEgg, they have a very nice Enligh 7237 case for only $46, and it comes with a quality 300W AMD PSU. And remember, Deer power supplies are on the AMD approved list, and they're junk.

[pilotgi]

Thanks for the input. By the way, the $91 wide case is a different model
than the $11 one.

Are the wide cases pretty helpful for giving one more room to work in
when assembling a pc?

[DrZaius]

Things you should look for in a case:

• Removeable motherboard tray. So much easier to install with a tray, especially if you have to move it for some reason later on.
• Make sure the power supply bracket is above the motherboard when looking at a side profile of the case. Some tiny cases have the PSU hovering above the motherboard, most of the time right above the CPU, which is very bad for cooling.
• Rounded edges. Great so you don't get some nasty sheet metal cuts (aka. battle scars.)
• Fan cages. These are plastic cages that let you attach 80mm (or bigger) fans to the case. Usually in the bottom front (intake) and the top back under the power supply.
• Removeable drive cages. You can remove these, install your drives, and then install the entire cage in the case. Much easier than having to twist your wrist in all sort of directions trying to install the drive directly in the case.

[pilotgi]

Logical-source says their cases have "folded edges, fold out mother board plate, slide open sides".

Doesn't say anything about fan cages or removable drive cages.

Price watch search engine lists most cases at $60 or less unless its a
much bigger case or a 600W power supply.

I don't object to paying good money for good quality but I've heard that
the pricewatch search engine is a pretty good reference for prices.
If they say $60 or less, I'm inclined to believe it.

[LawyerRon]

Go for the Enlight 7237 on your first build. Very nice case for the money, just built a system with one.

I'll guarantee you the $11 case has a crap power supply that could even be dangerous as they like to start fires on occasion.

[pilotgi]

Still waiting for some feedback on the "wide case".

The specs say it's 2 inches wider. Any advantage to that?

17"(L) x 9.25"(W) x 15.75(H)

[DrZaius]

The specs say it's 2 inches wider. Any advantage to that?

Is it wider from the front or the side? If it's from the front then I see no advantage since all drives have the same width. If it's from the side then the advantage is that... it's larger. You'll have 2 more inches of space between the drive cage and the motherboard, which is good because it makes it easier to connect the cables.

[pilotgi]

I edited in the specs.

If it's from the side then the advantage is that... it's larger.

It's this one.

[pilotgi]

I edited in the specs in my previous reply.

If it's from the side then the advantage is that... it's larger.

It's this one.

[LawyerRon]

"The specs say it's 2 inches wider. Any advantage to that?"

Not that I'm aware of.

The best advice I can give you is to pay more attention to the power supply that the case dimensions. The power supply runs the show.

[azscary]

Antec Mini Tower Cases Made in USA

Antec Server Cases Made in USA

Prices are very reasonable. The SX1030 server tower has two case fans and room for two more, 300 watt power supply, lots of room, removable drive bay cages for easy access, and a WIDE side access panel and costs around $125. IMHO best cases made. They have very good power supplies and a choice of 250 or 300 watt.

[PardeGT]

Listen to the builders who have been doing this for years - they know what they are speaking of. Being a new builder you don't want to run into a bunch of uneccessary problems and hassles. For under $50 go with the Enlight 7237. If you want to spend more then go with the Antec sx1030 for $88 (I have one). Both are great cases and have power supplies that are worry free. Both are at Newegg which is a reliable vendor with good customer support (and great prices on about everything to boot).

Here's their case selection:

http://www.newegg.com/app/manufactor...talog=7&DEPA=1

[ncsailors]

I have to agree with azscary -

The Antec SX1030 case is well worth the $120 or so - it costs.
Built like a tank, VERY good quality and thought out enclosure.
The drive cages easily & quickly slide out. XP/P4-rated 300W
supply is well spec'd. My AMD Duron 800 mhz system - although
not all that hot - has a little more fan noise than I
expected - but there are 3 fans running in the case,
and at least 3 more on the motherboard. Guess that's the
price for getting up near 1ghz. I believe the Volcano 6Cu+
cpu fan - is the major fan-noise contributor. I did briefly,
disable the 2 Antec case fans in rear - and "noise" did not
get much quieter.

[systempat]

Don't get a server-size case unless you have some reason to need a box that big.
I'm not sure what kind of systems some of these guys are building, but I think the Antec case is overkill. Unless you're going to be putting in more than the usual number of drives and devices. The Enlight or something comparable sounds good. Don't buy a cheapo case from a website. If you have any decent computer stores go and look at their stuff, get a feel for size and features. Be VERY careful about cheap power supplies. Heed the warnings from several veterans about that. A bad PS can take out your whole system.

[Cricket]

Antec has the SX630 available now. It's a mid-tower with all the same features as the SX830 and SX1030, only smaller with less fan openings. It's still built like a tank and comes with the Antec power supply. Very nice case.

I think I'd still go with the Enlight 7237 for a first build though. It has a proven track record...plus it's half the price of the Antec SX630.

It's a good idea to stick with good quality power supply's...it powers your whole box. It doesn't make any sense to put a lot of top quality parts in a cheap case with a questionable power supply.

Cricket

[azscary]

I saw this exact same case here locally in Fry's Electronics for $86. with shipping at the Antec web site it comes to $109.

antec SX630 Mini-Tower

In my opinion the quality of US made products is worth the extra money over an imported Enlight case. Besides I buy American whenever I can even if it costs more.