Ok so, I'm upgrading my system and looking for a new case, let me start by saying what I'm looking for:
-Big tower, not so much for the bulky look but for space inside the case, I would like a big spacious case in order to have comfortable cable management, and more than enough space for the third-party OCed graphic cards.
-Fan Slots,
CPU - I am planning to set up a cpu hybrid cooling system (like the corsair H110, nzxt kraken and the likes), so the case needs to support a 240mm radiator at the top with 2 140/120 mm fans attached. The issue isn't finding a case which supports this set up, but finding a case which has enough space left between the radiator and the motherboard, most set ups i've seen look very cramped with the radiator (and fans) almost touching the MB.
Front - minimum of 2 120/140 mm fans for intake,
Bottom - same as above, or 3 120mm fans for intake
Might not sound like a lot but again, space is key, I don't like cramped systems and cable management is a must (specifically the ability to 'hide' the cables behind the MB with enough space to comfortably close the side panel).
Also, since I want a 2 front fan set up, I'm willing to sacrifice the 5.3" bay slots, however I do need a minimum of 3 since apart from the dvd/blu-ray drive, I'm planning to set up a custom fan controller.
Last but not least, aesthetics, how the case looks is very important and a full windowed side panel is a must, after weeks of browsing i've narrowed the choice down to these 4:
Cooler Master Storm Stryker - decent price, has all of my desired fan slots, am a little skeptic about the top slots and whether it supports a 240mm radiator for the cpu cooler.
Cooler Master HAF X - decent price, looks to have excellent support for the top radiator and 2 140mm fans, skeptic about the back panel cable management, support 1 fan only front intake and whether I can comfortably fit 2 bottom fans
Corsair Graphite 780T - This was my favourite since the is very affordable, plenty of fan slots, plenty of space, the only downside is that it only has 2 5.3" front bays but I can live with it. However i've read that the material used to build this is not of the highest quality, and it's mostly made of plastic, looking for your opinion on this.
NZXT Phantom 820- this has everything I want in a case, but it's a bit pricey, my issue with this is whether this case is really worth its price-tag considering its around 120$ more expensive that the other cases I've mentioned.
Please help me decide on the ideal case because I'm currently at a loss, I'm currently leaning towards the storm stryker as it seems to be the best mix of what I want, but feel free to suggest other cases that might fit what I'm looking for, and I would greatly appreciate any tips on where to buy custom modded side panels (nothing too flashy, just looking for a transparent side panel). For shipping purposes I'm in europe (Malta to be exact). Thanks in advance and apologies for the long post.
Also, I'm looking for PWM LED fans to fit in my new case, I have a few ideas but feel free to post budget friendly suggestions.
-Big tower, not so much for the bulky look but for space inside the case, I would like a big spacious case in order to have comfortable cable management, and more than enough space for the third-party OCed graphic cards.
-Fan Slots,
CPU - I am planning to set up a cpu hybrid cooling system (like the corsair H110, nzxt kraken and the likes), so the case needs to support a 240mm radiator at the top with 2 140/120 mm fans attached. The issue isn't finding a case which supports this set up, but finding a case which has enough space left between the radiator and the motherboard, most set ups i've seen look very cramped with the radiator (and fans) almost touching the MB.
Front - minimum of 2 120/140 mm fans for intake,
Bottom - same as above, or 3 120mm fans for intake
Might not sound like a lot but again, space is key, I don't like cramped systems and cable management is a must (specifically the ability to 'hide' the cables behind the MB with enough space to comfortably close the side panel).
Also, since I want a 2 front fan set up, I'm willing to sacrifice the 5.3" bay slots, however I do need a minimum of 3 since apart from the dvd/blu-ray drive, I'm planning to set up a custom fan controller.
Last but not least, aesthetics, how the case looks is very important and a full windowed side panel is a must, after weeks of browsing i've narrowed the choice down to these 4:
Cooler Master Storm Stryker - decent price, has all of my desired fan slots, am a little skeptic about the top slots and whether it supports a 240mm radiator for the cpu cooler.
Cooler Master HAF X - decent price, looks to have excellent support for the top radiator and 2 140mm fans, skeptic about the back panel cable management, support 1 fan only front intake and whether I can comfortably fit 2 bottom fans
Corsair Graphite 780T - This was my favourite since the is very affordable, plenty of fan slots, plenty of space, the only downside is that it only has 2 5.3" front bays but I can live with it. However i've read that the material used to build this is not of the highest quality, and it's mostly made of plastic, looking for your opinion on this.
NZXT Phantom 820- this has everything I want in a case, but it's a bit pricey, my issue with this is whether this case is really worth its price-tag considering its around 120$ more expensive that the other cases I've mentioned.
Please help me decide on the ideal case because I'm currently at a loss, I'm currently leaning towards the storm stryker as it seems to be the best mix of what I want, but feel free to suggest other cases that might fit what I'm looking for, and I would greatly appreciate any tips on where to buy custom modded side panels (nothing too flashy, just looking for a transparent side panel). For shipping purposes I'm in europe (Malta to be exact). Thanks in advance and apologies for the long post.
Also, I'm looking for PWM LED fans to fit in my new case, I have a few ideas but feel free to post budget friendly suggestions.
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