Does an ATX case make a difference ?

[IRONBATMAN]

Does a bigger case make a difference in terms of airflow and noise ?
I'm deciding between the Thermaltake chaser S31 and the Corsair Obsidian 350D. They both can fit my components and have excellent cable management. Both look really cool too.
The only difference is the size and price. The S31 is ATX sized while the 350D is Micro-ATX sized.
S31 - 120 sgd
350D - 150 sgd

So is it worth getting the smaller 350D ?

 

[i7Baby]

That's the size of the motherboards they take. They are both the same width, but the chaser is 2in higher and 2in deeper. The Corsair are considered to be a 'classier' case but cost more.

If you want a smaller case and aren't putting hell of a lot in it (say just 1 graphics card) then either case would be fine. If you are putting a lot of gear in it, then go for the bigger case - to help with cooling.

 

[Rationale]

I'd get the smaller case, as I like compact things and dislike large empty spaces.

Generally cases not meant specifically to reduce noise sound pretty similar.
Temperature can change from case to case, but that depends more on how the case is set up and not so much on the size unless it's really tiny or really big.

 

[IRONBATMAN]

Is it true that since bigger cases have more space inside it takes a longer time for intake fans to let the air go through the entire case and exit, hence keeping warmer air in the case ?

 

[IRONBATMAN]

Please help me !

 

[GhislainG]

Reading reviews like http://www.hardocp.com/article/2013/10/16/thermaltake_urban_s31_midtower_case_review/6#.U25ew_l5NUU and http://www.anandtech.com/show/6917/corsair-obsidian-350d-case-review may help. I'd buy the 350D, but ultimately you'll have to decide based on budget and personal preferences.

 

[i7Baby]

Is it true that since bigger cases have more space inside it takes a longer time for intake fans to let the air go through the entire case and exit, hence keeping warmer air in the case ?

Yes BUT it only takes a second longer . And you get more air rather than less. Which cools better. And big cases let you put more in them.

 

[Outlander_04]

The 350D is a better case and has great cooling .

If you plan on using multiple graphics cards m-ATX motherboards should not be your first choice , but other than that buy the Corsair . Its a better case

 

[IRONBATMAN]

I decided to stretch my budget by a little more and get the NZXT Phantom 410. Looks better too.

Basically, I'm looking for a case that has,
- front 120mm fan mount
- bottom 120mm fan mount
- rear 140mm fan mount
- sufficient space at the back of the motherboard tray for cable management
- rubber grommets on the motherboard tray for cable routing
- two 5.25" drive bays
- case feet to be more visible and raised ( I don't like the look of cases where you can't see the feet, makes it look a lot like a steel box, which I'm not fond of )

Any suggestions ?

 

[i7Baby]

The 410 is a nice case - looks good, well fitted out with fans, large enough but not overly so.

140mm rear fans and ample cable management room need wider than usual cases like the CoolerMaster HAF XM