Best Sub $50 case.

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ballerslife

ballerslife

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Jan 26, 2013
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I am looking at maximum DEFAULT airflow. I was looking at HAF 912, or the Zalman Z11 Plus. Could you guys recommend a good case? I personally can't spend more money on fans, nor do I know much about airflow so I would probably handicap my system than benefit it if I messed around with extra fans.

Any ideas?
 
Solution
ksham
Yes. That's only a few more than the HAF 912. They are both about the same sizes. And they are almost identical in terms of depth.
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I've read that the Antec 302 has a hard time assembling the parts, and since I am a beginner, I can't afford to have hard assembling. The 200r has a bad cooling solution, read lot of reviews on it. The HAF 912 seems staple in the $50 range, so I think I will go with that. Could you guys check out if the Zalman Z11 Plus is on par with the HAF 912, because it has 5 fans, and a side window (which I don't need).

If you guys can confirm that the HAF 912 is better, than I will probably need to add some fans to it. 2 fans won't be enough. Could you recommend some cheap fans under $10. Would these work?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103052&nm_mc=OTC-pr1c3grabb3r&cm_mmc=OTC-pr1c3grabb3r-_-Case+Fans-_-Cooler+Master-_-35103052

Only reason I'm doubting the Z11 is because it is not as popular as the other cases you mentioned.

 
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That's why I have such a hard time with store reviews - a good 90% of reviewers have zero clue what they're talking about most of the time.
 
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Beat me to it, was going to list those same exact cases. I like to add Rosewill Challenger and Challenger U3 as well though I am not sure of the current prices on those but usually I can find them in the $50 price range.

Though if I had to pick one I go with the HAF 912, Corsair 200r, Challenger/U3, than 302 in that order. Mainly due to the internal design of the case, fan layout that I prefer. This is assuming I can spend another $10-20 in fans, as I am familiar with the fan layout of these cases but not what is included. Though I suspect it still be about the same order if I was forced to use default cooling (doubt that happen with how many spare fans I have).
 
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Seems like I should go with the HAF 912, and those fans I listed above, would they work? Or should I just go with 2 quality fans? It should be quiet too please. Thanks a lot for the help, I have zero information/experience with cases.
 
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Yes; those are good budget fans. They aren't the quietest fans unless you under-volt them with a fan controller. Even at lowest settings they won't be quiet.

If you want quieter or more performance, the Corsair SP120 Quiet/High Performance series is better. The BitFenix Spectre is very quiet but moves little air. You can also get some Silverstone AP121. It doesn't move a lot of air, but it's very good at moving air to where you want it. And direction + accuracy > more CFM.
 
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The HAF 912 looks TERRIBLE! It's performance is great, but the aesthetics are terrible. The Zalman Z11 has LED fans, side window, and 2 awesome fins. I would have went went the Z11, but it lacks a fan blowing directly at the GPU. Only has one exhaust 120mm on the top, and one 120mm intake on the bottom. Do I need a fan blowing at the GPU? I will be doing some heavy gaming over the weekends (Maybe up to 2 hours of BF3 online). I'm getting the Sapphire 7870 XT, and it has decent cooling performance.

This only boils down to one question: Do I need a fan blowing on the GPU?
 
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I have a HAF 912, there is nothing wrong with it. You can add a clear door and red LED fans from Cooler Master's website and make it look like the European version.
 
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Side fans aren't really needed and can mess up airflow. You do not need a fan pointing at the GPU. A good front intake and rear exhaust is really all that is needed. A top exhaust can be added if you like. Most people Think more fans = better. NOT TRUE. More fans make it harder to get the air flow correct.

I have a front intake and top/rear exhausts. I added 2 side fans for laughs and the temps went up a few degrees. Its not about numbers. Its about position.
 
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So it isn't really required to have fans blowing at the GPU? The Z11 Plus has 1 exhaust fan on the top, 1 in the bottom, 1 intake in the front, and 2 80mm on the side fins. They have room for one extra one on top, and one on the bottom (which I believe is an intake fan). Would a 120mm suffice on the top?
 
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Depends. If you can achieve good airflow with the fan for the GPU slot, then it's good. If not, then you're adding a fan that won't help and can possibly mess up good airflow. You just need air to go from one end and exit the other end. Blowing air at something doesn't technically cool it. For one, you can't cool lower than ambient temperature. For two, air is a terrible heat conductor. So the point is to keep air moving so they carry heat away, which is why you want good airflow, not more fans blowing in every possible direction.
 
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