Case Quandary: Need help narrowing the field of cases

[vwcrusher]

I am currently using an 11 year old Xion case, and will be updating the GPU in the near future. I don't want to jeopardize the health of the very expensive component in an older, not very heat-efficient case. Also, most likely in less than a year I may upgrade the CPU, MB, etc as well.

The must have list starts with cooling, then noise then compatibility with future build (either Intel or AMD). Below is a list of nice to haves, they are not in any order:

- Height less than 18.5"
- Helo front fans
- Ports and controls near front of case

To start off the culling activity, I have a few cases that I am considering (see below).
It would be greatly appreciated if you can help me decide which is better (and why) as well as suggest some that I am unaware of....

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/vbL7YJ/corsair-cc-9011101-ww-atx-mid-tower-case-cc-9011101-ww
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/Y6Crxr/fractal-design-meshify-c-atx-mid-tower-case-fd-ca-mesh-c-bko-tg
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/3ZqhP6/nzxt-h500i-black-atx-mid-tower-case-ca-h500w-b1
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/KnWrxr/phanteks-ph-es515ptg_swt-atx-mid-tower-case-ph-es515ptg_swt
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/t7Jkcf/thermaltake-view-31-tg-rgb-atx-mid-tower-case-ca-1h8-00m1wn-01
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/ZHmxFT/fractal-design-focus-g-black-atx-mid-tower-case-fd-ca-focus-bk-w

Thank you in advance.

 

[feelinfroggy777]

Those are all good cases. You really cant go wrong with any of them. For me, I would not go with the Thermaltake View or the Corsiar Crystal. The tempered glass on the front of the case really hampers airflow. You will get higher temps.

Of the rest, I would go with the NZXT H500i. I have heard really good things about this case. With that being said, Phanteks and Fractal Design make some of the best cases around. So pick which one you personally like the best cause everything else is equal as far as it comes to performance and quality.

 

[vwcrusher]

Those are all good cases. You really cant go wrong with any of them. For me, I would not go with the Thermaltake View or the Corsiar Crystal. The tempered glass on the front of the case really hampers airflow. You will get higher temps.

Of the rest, I would go with the NZXT H500i. I have heard really good things about this case. With that being said, Phanteks and Fractal Design make some of the best cases around. So pick which one you personally like the best cause everything else is equal as far as it comes to performance and quality.

Thanks for the reply....interesting, I wasn't sure about the two you suggested avoiding, but I also had read some reviews that stated that airflow was somewhat restricted in the H500i.....you must have different experience.

 

[feelinfroggy777]

Those are all good cases. You really cant go wrong with any of them. For me, I would not go with the Thermaltake View or the Corsiar Crystal. The tempered glass on the front of the case really hampers airflow. You will get higher temps.

Of the rest, I would go with the NZXT H500i. I have heard really good things about this case. With that being said, Phanteks and Fractal Design make some of the best cases around. So pick which one you personally like the best cause everything else is equal as far as it comes to performance and quality.

Thanks for the reply....interesting, I wasn't sure about the two you suggested avoiding, but I also had read some reviews that stated that airflow was somewhat restricted in the H500i.....you must have different experience.

No, I don't have a difference experience with the H500i, I have never used one. But they have reviewed very well. I have the Fractal Design R6 and the Phanteks Enthoo Luxe (which is an upgraded version of the Enthoo ProM). The R6 is quieter and also warmer than the Enthoo Luxe. There is always a trade off when it comes to sound and performance.

I would just avoid a case that has tempered glass on the front because you cant get airflow through glass. Checkout Hardware Canucks videos on youtube. They have the best case reviews out there. Pick the one that you think looks the best and go for it.

 

[Peter Martin]

Lian Li. Go look at all the models and choose. Top quality all

 

[vwcrusher]

Thanks for the replies and advice, guys.

After lots of thinking about priorities and trade offs, I am going with the R6.
It hits all the bells other than RPG, which I can live without.
In timing is everything, Newegg just knocked $40 off the price!

Looked at all the cases listed above plus a few others and this case provides the best functionality as well as upgrade-ability.

Again, thanks for the guidance.

 

[feelinfroggy777]

The R6 is probably the nicest case I have owned. I like it more than the more expensive Enthoo Luxe. Enjoy.

 

[vwcrusher]

The R6 is probably the nicest case I have owned. I like it more than the more expensive Enthoo Luxe. Enjoy.

And thank you for your patience and help.....