Dark_Prince11

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I am stuck and cannot figure out which one to lean towards too. I know that aluminum is lighter but it is more expensive. I never had a steel casing. I have an old crappy Dell which is made out of plastic, (Ya I know, disgrace). The casings that I cannot choose between are:

The Steel Casing

Aluminum Casing

Reviews from Newegg about the aluminum casing tell me that the front door is extremely weak and snaps with the slightest little touch. I myself have seen this with at my uncle's house as he has the aluminum version.
So which one should I get? The lighter, more modern aluminum? or the heavier, older, steel? :?

btw, I am new here so Hi everybody. :p :roll:
 

luminaris

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I use chieftec dragon cases. They are high quality steel with high impact ABS plastic on the front. Very well built, heavy, excellent cooling and looks and very roomy for anything. I have 8 of these and they are awesome. Here's a link.

Chieftec Dragon
 

Dark_Prince11

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Dragon Casings aren't really my thing. This is the casing I like. I am in love with the design. And I would normally go for the aluminum, but what about the really weak door hinges? They are made of plastic and just break off with the slightest touch. So considering all of the pros and cons, which one would you guys take? :)
 

RichPLS

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I personally prefer to buy a quality PSU seperate from case, mainly because they fuzzy the facts on the specs of the PSU and the price.
If PSU is not at least up to the standards as in the Antec True Power series, I search some more.
Too much money to take just any old power supply unit to my PC that I build.
I prefer aluminum for the styling, but steel is a better material for a case.
 

Fastboatslowcomp

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Things that break easily I try to stay away from. Did your uncle have a fix for his, leave it broke, or replace w/another easily breakable part?

Does the steel case front door have the same design or is it better? I would think it is the same plastic part. Choosing either one will probably not make a difference as far as tendency for that part to break.

Aluminum will be a little lighter, possibly ever so slightly cooler, but could be a little louder.
Steel will probably be a little stronger, probably a little quieter.

If you pick the computer up a lot and move it around, the lighter weight might mean more to you, on the other hand the $50 price difference is worth considering steel.
 

Dark_Prince11

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Things that break easily I try to stay away from. Did your uncle have a fix for his, leave it broke, or replace w/another easily breakable part?

Does the steel case front door have the same design or is it better? I would think it is the same plastic part. Choosing either one will probably not make a difference as far as tendency for that part to break.

Aluminum will be a little lighter, possibly ever so slightly cooler, but could be a little louder.
Steel will probably be a little stronger, probably a little quieter.

If you pick the computer up a lot and move it around, the lighter weight might mean more to you, on the other hand the $50 price difference is worth considering steel.

he just left the cover off...and ya your post really helps man...I think Im gonna go with steel...if its more stronger and durable and quieter Im gonna go with it..its also cheaper...Im not gonna move it around much anyway...as long as the casing looks the same as the aluminum one Im good.. :)
 

tahoe5280

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I'm sorry, but I would buy neither, probably. I would buy a windowed Lian Li PC-60. They are aluminum, and very high quality craftsmanship. Then, I would add my own lights and PSU, because I prefer to have control over my parts decisions.

Back to your original question, it really depends on what your needs are. If you like to move your case around, I'd go with the aluminum. Aluminum actually does dissipate heat more quickly than steel does, plus it's lighter. But if you don't care how heavy it is, and have plenty of fans or watercool your rig, then steel is fine.

Good luck with your purchase.
 

hergieburbur

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Personally, I prefer Steel, simply because its sturdier, though it does disipate heat slower than aluminum. Also, I try to get one with well filed edges so you don't cut up your hands and fingers.
 

INeedCache

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Aluminum is lighter, so if you're going to be toting this around, that would be the way to go. Otherwise, tests have shown that aluminum is only negligibly better at dissipating heat than steel, so no real advantages there. So, if your computer is going to pretty much stay in one place, go for whatever you like, whether it's steel or aluminum, knowing they'll be about even in terms of heat (that is, of course, if they are about equally designed, as design affects heat dissipation).
 

DuxSyagrius

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Forget about what it is made of brother. I would be more concerned with airflow and fan size than what it is made of but that is just my opinion. if I may.... The asys freedon tower is a good buy at $135 from newegg. It is similar but not as extravagant as that thermaltake case suggested above. It has mounts for three 120mm fans (all blow on something important like HDDs, RAM etc etc) and has a mesh design so it breathes pretty good. It is also BTX ready. i got in touch with kris brosio from thinkcomputers.org (who did a detailed review of it) and he stands by it. i suggest this case although the thermal take is better all around but more expensive. Your choice, but i think your case is the biggest investment you can make since you can carry it forward thru all of your upgrades if you choose wisely.
 

Dark_Prince11

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Thanks for your help everybody. I decided to go with the steel. As for your other cases I really dont like them. This Aspire is the most nicest one I found..although the Cooler Master ATCS was really nice..my cousin already has that one so Im not gonna go with that.. :p