Best FullATX GameCases:Antec900,TJ09,Kandalf,CMStacker830/1

[skyguy]

Anyone have any idea if the Armor Jr will fix DX10 cards? I'm digging that case......at least, this week I am LOL.

 

[Guest]

I dont know about that, the new card are gonna be ~300mm(8800GTX) and this case is 495 mm long, so I think it's safe to assume that it'll fit.

The best way to make sure is to find a system with a 7950GX2 in it and see if you have 2" ; 6cm extra length between the HD cage and the end of the card.

You can see te HD cage is roughly 1/3 of the case length so it might be tight.

If you look at a TJ09 rig:

You just know it's gonna fit =)
Btw this case is 605mm long so a whole 11cm ~4 inches longer, with mor eocmpact HD cage.

 

[skyguy]

Yes, the Silverstones seem to be much deeper cases generally speaking. The TJ07 is waaaaaaay out of my price range, but the 05 seems like a decent compromise.

Anyone have thoughts on the TJ05 as a more "budget" solution? Looks deeper than the Armor Jr.

 

[yourmothersanastronaut]

Depending on how many hard drives/opticals you wanted, you could just get pretty much any mid-tower (I've got a Lian Li PC-60B plus II) with a front fan intake. I'll use this as my example.

There's a drive cage for 5 HDs right in front of the 120mm. Remove it. Install your optical drive in the top 5.25" slot. Then, use these to install your hard drives in the other 5.25" slots. I measured it out, and with the front cage removed you could put two of the 8800GTXs in there. And they're positioned right in front of the 120mm fan, so it'll blow in, right through the HSFs on the two video cards, and out their exaust fans.

Since the cards will block the airflow of the bottom intake fan, you can also install a 120mm fan up in the drive bays to flow over the hard drives and then the CPU. With a modular PSU like the Enermax Galaxy 1Kw, you should not only be able to run those SLI cards, but also clean up the wiring because of the different spacing. I'm not sure how long the Galaxy is, but if you use a short optical drive like most Lite-Ons you should be fine.

This would be a really simple case mod to get twin 8800GTXs in a mid-tower case without compromising cooling or the case's capacity...merely using its space to its full potential.

I might try this if I ever decide to get a card that long. I'll simply remove my slave DVD burner and lightbus, get the 3.5"-5.25" adapters for my 3 drives, install them that way, get that ridiculous PSU installed, put in the card, wire everything up and I should be good to go.

Surprised no one's said anything about this yet.

 

[ma2ha3]

Hi Plankton12, did you mention that the side panel can be placed to the front of the case to run 3 - 120mm fans??
i thought only 3-4 (steel ugly) unit are required to run more than one fan in the front.

did you also mention the top 120 mm optional fans are useless in temp??

i like to put 3 fans in front, 1 at the rear. That's it. Black case 831.

Can you confirm?

i like some silverstone, lian li or zalman. But the price!!!! who are the accountant who think people are willing to pay 300 -400 dollars for a case. you can buy 3/4 of a computer with that. totally crazy.

 

[PeaceLoving]

NICE PICS!! upper pic--what case?

The lower pic is the TJ09 right? modded/painted?
Looks really nice!

*sigh* don't know which looks better? four side fans (CM Stacker 830) or (clear side panel) ....have to choose between cool and COOL! duh!

BTW....i don't really know much about cases (still noob...still reading to know more....that's why i'm asking around :? ) I wonder if any THG staff will read this thread and reassure us that they will do a "TOP 5 LIST" for full-tower and mid-tower cases.

for example....they(or all of us..if we help each other) could make a chart/table for comparison:

Don't laugh...

FULL-TOWER CASES:
A. "Top 5 Cases with Best Airflow and Space... Regardless of Price"
B. "Top 5 Strongest Cases"
C. "Top 5 "Bling" or Best-looking Cases" :lol:
D. "Top 5 Best Quality Material Cases" :roll:
E. "Top 5 Price/Quality Cases"
F. "Top 5 Budget Cases"
etc.
....any other suggestions? LOL

OR make a comparison table for the important things you look for in a case: Cooling/ Space/ Price/ Looks/Weight/etc.


If we have all the data....then people could just choose from pulldown menus "fullATX"; "<40lbs"; "$150-200"; "low-moderate noise"; "spacious"...etc.

Sorry if i'm rambling but...hope you understand what i'm trying to get across.

 

[ma2ha3]

some of the top cases. have top prices. i look at the price. i have an heartattack.

not that my computer is cheap. it is expensive stuff.

but looking at the price of top cases. i feel offend by the price.

what a rip off.

and they are not even perfect. there is no perfect case out there.

 

[chuckshissle]

The Thermaltake Kandalf has some serious air cooling. Before the side fan panel mod, I have just the regular window side panel. It was okay and I got good temps. The I installed a 120mm fan on it's side blowing to the cpu cooler. It was a Thermaltake Big Typhoon at a time. The temps went down 5-10c. Then when Thermaltake released the 250mm side fan window panel I bought it and gives me more cooling. The temps of the cpu went down about 2-3c but the overall temp inside of the case cooled down as well as my 7800GTX sli temps got cooler also.

The 250mm fan does mess up the airflow it's giving it more instead. Right now I have one 120mm fan in the front cooling 3 hard drives and the 250mm side fan cooling the motherboard area.

As for the 8800GTS/GTX it will fit inside a Kandalf/Armor case no problem. Right now with my 7800GTX inside, I got about 4 and 1/2 inches more clearance. No problem if I upgrade to an 8800GTX card. The 8800 GTX is longer and it's about 11 inches according to the released info. The Kandalf /Armor case has about total pci-e card clearance of 14 inches, so theres a 3 inches space left.

 

[mystikmedia]

Has anyone here used this case?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811156058

It looks awesome, but I wonder if it is as functional and high quality for cooling and such as the others mentioned here. I have only seen pictures online.

 

[Fury_01]

I purchased the Stacker 830 last year. I travel to alot of lan parties and this case is a real beast to move around. The carry handles are only rated to 25 kg's, 15 kg's less than what my case weighs. I have 12 Hard drives, 4 in each of the 3 brackets. 3 x 120mm Intake Fans (28 db / 38 cfm)
1 x Exhaust 120, 1 x top 120.

The case is extremely sturdy, airflow is very good, just remember that when u have 4 drives in those cages they can get VERY VERY HOT quickly if ur fan fails. Even with all the fans runnign full speed and the drives spinning. I can barely hear it, nothing more than a low whirr.
Inside of casing is huge, lotsa space and it has these excellent areas for u to hide ur cables.

If ur planning on building a monster pc with more then the normal 6 hard drives then this is the baby for u.

My only dissapointment, is that the side panels are notoriously difficult to replace after u have removed them.. and invariably u do end up scratching the aliminium. Other than that, perfect

 

[Plankton12]

Hello ma2ha3,
Yes you can run 3 120mm fans in the front but that would use up all of your front bays. I suggest running only 2 and if you place them in the right slots they will be visible through the front as in this promotional pic from CM

This is a close up of the side-tray. The black frame around the fans are the caddies I referred to. The top fan and rear fan use the same caddy. Each caddy is screwless and the 4 on the side tray come with mesh covers with a dust filter inside. I don't use the filter just the mesh guard. Also the X shaped pattern of the squares on the side tray have holes to let you mount 80mm, 92mm, and 120mm fans without the bracket

Now about the top fan's benefit, I put the supplied blue LED fan in the top to shine more light into the case; however, I have not detected a difference in temperature due to the fan. The two fans in the case that had the most effect on the temperature are the lower 120mm in the front and the rear 120mm. If your fans are not identical, having the stronger fan in the front yielded better results than placing it in the rear. It so happens that the position of the manufacturer supplied fans are already in the best place for cooling,

I agree with all of Fury_01's points about the case. I'm thinking of mounting wheels to this case. The aluminum can get slippery, especially after hauling the case. I felt the need to add grip tape to several spots such as the side of the front door and inside the handles.

There is plenty of space to fit a long card. I measured 13inches or 33cm from the back plate to the edge of the wall of the front drive bays. The 4in3 would need to be mounted in slots 5 6 7 (if counting from the top) or higher to avoid interference with cables and airflow.

 

[ma2ha3]

so you can put 3 fans in the front without buying more 3/4 units?

i agree coolermaster 830 is great for cooling. but shop in my area stock black color. and also 830 look a bit from the builder. Mean big, brute force casing.

not like silverstone. elegant , stylist and overprice.

silverstone tj07 tj09 is for upper class.

coolermaster 830 is for middle and working class

zalman case is for high class

----------------------------------------------
why silverstone use the name temjin?
The Mongol Temjin, known to history as Genghis Khan
Temjin does not suit the stylist upper class elegant design

Temjin is a blood succking war monger who kill lots of chinese and persians many many years ago. Just because they do not want to submit under him.

Zalman should use the name Temjin instead, the korean have bloodsuccking price tags on their casing.

 

[ma2ha3]

thanks plankton12, i see , this is good news. i want to remove the 4/3 unit in the casing. steel and ugly.

and replace it with single zalman heat pipe drive cooler ZM-2HC2 NP

use firewire DVD burner

put 3 fans in the front, 1 in the rear.

THIS is so air tunnel.
I like it. I like it very much cha.

this will be utimate cooling machine. i just need to find a shop who have a black one. where can i find a black 831?

 

[PeaceLoving]

Nice pics!! That's a crossflow fan right? Is it good? (have never used one )

 

[PeaceLoving]

oh no ... another case to choose from....seems to be an "old" case
I just read this in Hexus.net
http://www.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=7114&page=1

Thermaltake Eureka Chassis.
Price: £90 around $172 not too expensive
Dimensions: 540mm (H) x 205mm (W) x 650mm (D) HUGE!! very spacious!
Weight: less than 9 kilograms! (somebody help convert to pounds lbs....is it multiplied by 2.5??)

Pics:
Exterior Front

Exterior Side

Inside (empty space...LOTS of space!)

Inside (components installed...still a lot of space left!)

Thermal Graphs:
http://www.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=7114&page=8

I'm not saying that this case is perfect. It is HUGE...as in very tall--good for those of you who like to put your cases on the floor. Does not have a window or see-through side panel. Mesh in front is only for show. :?

BUT it has LOTS of space, has good thermals(better than Stacker 830 i'm afraid) according to the graphs (however, it does not mention how many fans they used...the Stacker 830 could be cooler with all fans churning?? don't know). It weighs only 9 kilograms and costs less than the Stacker.

BUTTTTTTTTTTTTTT the Stacker's mesh really improves airflow, has that cool rack for the side fans...and....well....I'll put up the poll soon. Until then....send in more options.

Fred

 

[PeaceLoving]

Anyone know a case that can beat this (TT Eureka) in terms of price/space/weight?

I know these factors aren't EVERYTHING. I look for "Looks" myself. I personally don't mind that this case is made from aluminum. It just doesn't look as nice as the Kandalf, TJ09, or even the Stacker 830 for that matter. But to each his own.

This BIG GUY really takes the crown for price/space/weight. Until one of you tells me otherwise. Post Post Post. Give me more options. Another 24 hours. I'll put up the poll!

Thanks

Fred

 

[crompers]

i love my NZXT nemesis - but obviously not to everyones taste!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?DEPA=0&type=&Description=nzxt+nemesis&Submit=ENE&N=0&Ntk=all&Go.x=0&Go.y=0

it has to be said that as well as looking like something that just landed from another planet it is also roomy and an a very cool case (thermally that is)

LCD temp gauge on top comes in handy if your planning to OC too

 

[Crashman]

I was going to suggest the NZXT Zero because:
1.) It comes with six quiet 120mm fans (and an 80mm top fan that you can put in the bottom)

2.) It's cheaper than the Stacker 830

3.) It has enough clearence for those huge 9.875" cards (heck, I thought 9.625" cards were big...)

 

[Crashman]

The Zero is aluminum, that tends to add $20-30 to the price

 

[PeaceLoving]

What do you think of the new NZXT Adamas Aluminus? http://reviews.pcapex.com/cases/nzxt_adamas_aluminum_case.php?page=4

Anybody have any comments on the TT Eureka?

Well, it seems like these cases are the most mentioned:
1. NZXT Zero
2. TJ09
3. Antec Nine Hundred
4. Antec P180/190 (correct me if I make any mistakes )
5. CM Stacker 830
6. TT Kandalf
7. TT Armor

Other Suggested Cases:
--TT Eureka
--Lian Li (which one is the best from them in terms of space/cooling?)
--NZXT Aluminus
--NZXT Nemesis
--Raidmax Smilodon
--Spire Pininfarina

Any last opinions? The poll will be coming soon. Be sure to come back and vote!

REMEMBER OUR CONDITIONS: CASES THAT ARE SPACIOUS AND COOL. UNLIMITED MONEY.

other factors like being quiet, goodlooking, etc can be chosen according to each person's likings.

Fred

 

[Guest]

Well with the price of the Tj09 ~285 you can get a Tj07 for mere 300$, that case seams to have :
1. Better Hd cooling, with horizontal position, someone mentioned thats better for the HDs
2. Dual PSU support
3. Uni-Body, extremely stiff.
4. It's deep enough for almost anything and is somewhat taller.

 

[yourmothersanastronaut]

Actually, it doesn't matter what orientation the hard drives are in, what's important is picking an orientation and sticking with it. Like, if you mount them vertically, don't change your mind later on and mount them horizontally.

But I do agree with the TJ07. I think that's a good case, on par at least with the CM 830, but I think it looks better.

Have you considered going with a professionally modded case? Check out frozencpu.com or performance-pcs.com. They take cases like the CM 830 and a lot of Lian Li chassis, then mod them for you. Add fans, window kit, pretty much a "you name it" deal.

 

[JBS181818]

ANYTHING LIAN LI! haha. i just got the pc-s80a. its amazing. and while a lot of the cases mentioned may look cool and have pretty good air flow, Lian Li has all that, plus the best quality/construction in the industry. check it out:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?Submit=ENE&N=2010090007+50001375+1087008027&Subcategory=7&description=&Ntk=&srchInDesc=

my case:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811112114

check it out. you can't go wrong with lian li. except for the price premium, but cases don't exactly go obsolete after a couple years. i'll never buy another case until i'm forced to by some new standard.

 

[ma2ha3]

check it out. you can't go wrong with lian li. except for the price premium, but cases don't exactly go obsolete after a couple years. i'll never buy another case until i'm forced to by some new standard.

I used to have lian li case. after i switch to coolermaster. i realise that i have to go all aluminium, because everytime i look at the dull steel color. i felt sick, does not match all the cool stuff i put inside.

of course i am looking for a new case.

But since i overclock my system. I cannot find a single lian li case with good airflow.

classy, yes, nice looking yes, silent yes. airflow - nil. zero.

that my view.

 

[PeaceLoving]

Replying to ma2ha3: have you voted? What did you vote for?



**Remember to choose your "dream case" since you have "unlimited money". Also..imagine that everycase listed has the best pre-installed water-cooling or air-cooling of your choice! :lol: After considering all this, which is still your "DREAM CASE".

Fred