Frustrated with case selection...

[MarcusL]

Rosewill makes just what you are looking for and it's less than $40.

mid-tower w/ conservative but attractive styling
2 120mm fans (front and back)
no window
top power supply
top-front usb/audio

no mobo tray unfortunately

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811147038

It's low cost so the fans might not be top notch as 120s go, but for the money you save you can get high quality, quieter fans and still save $.

 

[chedrz]

I own a Thermaltake Tsunami, and I couldn't be more satisfied with the cooling I get. You can get them with a solid side or window, black or silver, power supply or not, and they have dual 120mm fans for airflow...usb/firewire ports are on top. As for airflow through the front door, there's a pretty decent sized slot at the bottom of the case for the front fan to pull air so it's not all coming through the miniscule slots on the front. I personally have a windowed case which comes with an additional 80mm fan on the side, and my cpu temps don't go above 32C ever, which isn't bad for an 4200+ left running for days at a time and constantly being used for gaming. It's a solid case. The Thermaltake Soprano is essentially the same thing w/o the LED's, I believe. I'll give you links to both, in case you're interested.

Soprano
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811133147

Tsunami
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811133137

Hope these help a bit.

--chedrz

 

[Guest]

Antec 900.

 

[sandmanwn]

woot! lets see what else thermaltake has then...
dont know how crazy you are about white but check this one out.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811133023

Not bad, but the front intake slots don't look too conducive to air flow and, hey, what's with all these cases that don't seem to have any air flow on the intake side when the front doors are closed?? Am I crazy?

One could leave off the front door, but then you'd also have to relocate the LEDs. That and cut out those slots entirely to let the front intake breathe. Too much work.

-Brad
are you planning on running this in a sweat box or something? unless the incoming air is above 60c/140f then you shouldnt have any problems, especially with the C2D.

 

[bberson]

woot! lets see what else thermaltake has then...
dont know how crazy you are about white but check this one out.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811133023

Not bad, but the front intake slots don't look too conducive to air flow and, hey, what's with all these cases that don't seem to have any air flow on the intake side when the front doors are closed?? Am I crazy?

One could leave off the front door, but then you'd also have to relocate the LEDs. That and cut out those slots entirely to let the front intake breathe. Too much work.

-Brad
are you planning on running this in a sweat box or something? unless the incoming air is above 60c/140f then you shouldnt have any problems, especially with the C2D.
The temperature swings in the "data center" (three or four PCs going at any given time, as many as seven or eight when I'm fiddling around) aren't that bad. I just think about the Wavemaster a few feet to my right that makes such a freakin' racket. Heavy aluminum case full of 80mm fans. While the 80's don't help, half the noise is actually turbulence from the horrible design of the front air intake.

On cases with doors it's tough to tell in some of those pics where/how the air is supposed to come in.

-Brad

 

[bberson]

I own a Thermaltake Tsunami, and I couldn't be more satisfied with the cooling I get. [...]
Soprano
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811133147
Tsunami
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811133137

Thanks chedrz, I think those cases are adding up a few votes!

PS, someone on NewEgg was bitching about the USB port header spacing. Any idea what that's all about??

-Brad

 

[sandmanwn]

if your data center is anywhere near 60c then i would serious suggest investing in a new design

the wavemaster has a much smaller chamber for the front intake, it only incorporates the bottom half of the bezel. the soprano case uses the entire front bezel as an air intake. the gap that feeds the front chamber also runs the entire length of the bezel as well. unfortunately i think the filter will actually be a cause of whistle as it will be the first restriction to airflow for the intake, so it may need to be left out.

there is also the optional 90mm side fan that is also an intake source that reduces the burden on the front intake. it is rated at the same dBA as the 120mm, so no issues there.

 

[bberson]

Rosewill makes just what you are looking for and it's less than $40.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811147038

Wow, pretty cool looking for such a chea, er, inexpensive case! Who'd have thunk it? Reminds me a bit of the old Compaq Presarios somehow but far nicer. Gonna have to check the measurements for card length capacity. Won't be making a move until ATI makes theirs most likely so I'm not sure how much of an issue that'll be yet.

I'll keep this one in mind!

Thanks,
Brad

 

[69camaroSS]

Do people really pay $100+ for cases??? Ive never paid more than $25 and thats with shipping. If it doesn't add to the fps whats the point

Why buy a Ferrari when you can buy a Corvette. - Just as Fast? The
difference is beauty and quality.

Just one last word. I have 3 80mm fans in my all-aluminum case and it runs whisper Quiet and very cool.

 

[bberson]

The case you want

Ahhh, the Spire Pininfarina.

Nice case. Not exactly my bag, but nice nonetheless. Thanks for reminding me! I didn't realize until the review that it folds open in that Mac sort of way. Nifty...

-Brad

 

[bberson]

I was just trying to show you a case that fit the bill, except needing larger fans, which the case can accomodate and the MB tray is not removable, which you said you can live without.

Thanks, Space1Monkey, whatever your name is, I do appreciate that. And yes, it's a nice case. And at first glance I didn't notice the rather bizarre inclusion of 80mm fans with 120mm vents. Well, at least the rear for sure. The front vent pattern is 100mm and the pictures don't reveal much more.

On a side note, I'm thinking you might want to have a chat with your other personality, to try and get yourselves on the same page...

At 1148am [EST] you wrote:

I always like K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid). Here is the next case I plan to buy.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811180043
Simple, sturdy, inexpensive. Pics make it look Grey, but is Black. Comes with 80mm fan, but I believe you can mount front and rear 120's in it.

Than at 1251pm you replied to yourself and wrote:

Well now I'm just feeling ignored. I at least expected it to be picked apart if you didn't like it.

Since you seemed to crave some attention/abuse, I replied to that post and let you know what I was thinking and why I didn't post it.

You then wrote in reply:

Well, I thought that since you can build a computer and as you said money isn't an object, you would realize that grabbing a couple of 120 mm fans and installing them would only inconvenience you by about $15 and 15 minutes. I didn't realize that replacing fans was beyond your technical savvy. For that I apologize. Merry Christmas to you too.

In response I asked "if you wanted me to pick you apart some more" and in your last reply you wrote (in continuation from the first paragraph in this post):

But getting rude only gets you rude responses and turns people off from thinking about helping you in the future.

I merely offered you what you asked for.

-Brad

 

[bberson]

I ended up going with the Antec 900 for all of its cooling, but am now slightly regretting it (even before it gets here), because I just realized that I needed at least 3 external 5.25" and 1 3.5 external bay, and this only has 3 5.25". I am thinking I am going to have to remove one of the front 120mm fans to install the floppy drive (ugh I hate them!). I guess that's what I get for ordering everything at 3am!

I actually think the 900 is awfully nice looking and the way to top ports are set up is really practical, but the bottom mounted PSU and the enormous food processor turned me off. If I had way the hell too much time and money on my hands I'd have a metalworker re-engineer a 900 and turn it back right side up.

I have at least another month to obsess about a case before I make my final decision. Hopefully I won't screw up at 3am that way ;-).

-Brad

 

[sandok]

Hard to find but:

http://www.yeongyang.com/yy-5704.htm
http://www.yeongyang.com/yy-5703.htm
http://www.yeongyang.com/yy-5702.htm
http://www.yeongyang.com/yy-5701.htm
http://www.yeongyang.com/yy-5603.htm

 

[qwertycopter]

Nice find. Don't think they're available yet. It annoys me when manufacturers rotate the HDD cage but don't provide holes in it for the front fan to cool the drives. I'd say the yy-5704 silver/black looks the best of the bunch.

 

[bberson]

Hard to find but:
http://www.yeongyang.com/yy-5704.htm
http://www.yeongyang.com/yy-5703.htm
http://www.yeongyang.com/yy-5702.htm
http://www.yeongyang.com/yy-5701.htm
http://www.yeongyang.com/yy-5603.htm

Have to go to downtown Manhattan or Flushing to find one here probably. Looks like Gigacase is the US reseller. What's interesting is that when I Google'd "yeongyang" I turned up a review for a YY case that looks nearly identical (except in color) to the Rosewill case that MarcusL found. I'll have to research that connection a little more too.

Thanks,
-Brad

 

[69camaroSS]

You need to be careful!

The specs you are looking for don't necessarily provide good cooling. Find the case and you might end up with cooling problems. We pay money for cases because the companies behind them know how to design them.

120mm fan does not equal great cooling or airflow design.

 

[Slappy_Slime]

wow brad, alot of good people are trying to help you out, but you seem like a person that is hard to please(silver spoon feed). you mentioned that you might or thought of getting one fabricated, please no pun attended, but i believe that even if you provided the spec's, drew the plans, even picked your own color, YOU WILL STILL FIND SOMETHING SO WRONG WITH IT! Im not being rude, but if go back and read all you post, you will see how picky you are. "dont wont that, dont wont this, it has a blow hole, the buttons are two far apart, its not tall enough, the front fan is not a 120, the front bazel slots will cause turbalence, and on and on and on. gezz dude drive a pinto for once and get out of that jag, then you might find the real world. everything below is only part of your quotes. But please no pun attended, find what you are looking for, but you will have to give a little lead-way some-where! Happy case hunting, and good luck :!: may the case "gods" be with you

enormous food processor turned me off. If I had way the hell too much time and money on my hands I'd have a metalworker re-engineer a 900 and turn it back right side up

bizarre inclusion of 80mm fans with 120mm vents

Nice case. Not exactly my bag

someone on NewEgg was bitching about the USB port header spacing

too small

just missing the removable tray and an air filter

Am I crazy?

front intake slots don't look too conducive to air flow

can that front fan breathe OK

sounding like a broken record

I'm sticking by my requirement for 120's. Period.

Guess what! A good case with superior cooling does increase fps on a Core 2 Duo. Or should I say, it prevents a decrease in fps when the CPU gets cranking and can't dispose of the heat sufficiently, and throttles back as a result.

If I were that worried about hot air in the CPU vicinity I'd use a BTX/TAC solution.

Nice case but the food processor (or food strainer, if you remove the fan) is the deal breaker.

 

[Chil]

Alright, here's my last post on the subject.

Brad, you most definately don't have all too unusual requirements for the case. The only thing that will be difficult is finding all that you want with a removable motherboard tray. Most high end cases like that will have a bottom-mounted psu or something else that will turn you off. My advice to you is at least get a case from a reputable manufacturer. These companies include Thermaltake, Lian-Li, Silverstone, and Cooler Master. I'm not saying that you should exclude all others, but be wary that, on average, you get what you pay for. That Rosewill case may look nice, but how much cheap plastic are you willing to live with? Also keep in mind that decent 120mm fans only come standard on high end cases. Cheap 120's will sound worse than some 80mm's. It also is never a big deal to take out a few 80's that come with a given case and buy some 120's to replace them, just as long as the case has the holes to allow it.

Anyway, I wish you luck in your hunt, but you have a lot of time, so go slow and make sure what you're looking at has everything you need and good quality parts.

 

[Whiznot]

For very low noise and temps the Antec Solo or P150 work best compared to all other cases mentioned above.

 

[bberson]

Brad, you most definately don't have all too unusual requirements for the case. The only thing that will be difficult is finding all that you want with a removable motherboard tray. Most high end cases like that will have a bottom-mounted psu or something else that will turn you off. My advice to you is at least get a case from a reputable manufacturer. These companies include Thermaltake, Lian-Li, Silverstone, and Cooler Master. I'm not saying that you should exclude all others, but be wary that, on average, you get what you pay for. That Rosewill case may look nice, but how much cheap plastic are you willing to live with? Also keep in mind that decent 120mm fans only come standard on high end cases. Cheap 120's will sound worse than some 80mm's. It also is never a big deal to take out a few 80's that come with a given case and buy some 120's to replace them, just as long as the case has the holes to allow it.

Anyway, I wish you luck in your hunt, but you have a lot of time, so go slow and make sure what you're looking at has everything you need and good quality parts.

All excellent advice and thanks for being supportive, unlike someone else who just posted before you. And it does look like the removable tray will be the sacrificial lamb.

Very likely I might replace any included fans with fans of my choice anyway, like one of the S-FDB units or Arctic Cooling's new PST units if they fare well in the reviews.

I wish it were consistently that easy to just rip out 80's and replace them with 120's. That #(@&ing Wavemaster could really benefit from them for example, but it ain't happenin'.

-Brad

 

[bberson]

wow brad, alot of good people are trying to help you out, but you seem like a person that is hard to please(silver spoon feed).

Wow, you took a lot of time to highlight all the negative stuff but ignored the positive responses or positive aspects of the responses entirely.

Of course I'm picky! Wasn't that pretty clear up front? It's my money, and so it's my choice. With a thousand cases out there it's not unreasonable to think that something must come fairly close, and so I'm tapping the community for help. Sometimes I get good responses but they leave me with unanswered questions. If you choose to interpret those questions in a negative fashion that's not my issue. Fact is, the responses netted me at least four good possibilities and gave me a few extra things to think about, too. I can't understand why you're taking this so personally.

Of course a few of my responses were a bit of a kick but the folks richly deserved it. Like the one about the fps. But I digress...

And I apologize for not responding to your first post in this thread. Frankly it wasn't doing much for me:

go to tigerdirect and look in the mid tower atx section, they have a lot of cases that you are looking for. It only took me 15 seconds to find more than one. "no blow holes, usb firewire & etc midway up, 120 fans, no power supply and reset/start button spaced far apart. etc etc etc etc. Look at the GIGABYTE cases nice and simple. but no front swing type door? Good luck!

TigerDirect doesn't break it down as neatly as your hyperbole would indicate. They had about fifty mid-towers, a good chunk of which were the same cheap PoweUp! case in different colors and power supplies. I hate Gigabyte in general, but theres's no way you could possibly have known that. I tried checking them out in more detail anyway but their web site felt like it was running on a 19.2K modem two days in a row so I gave up, at least for now.

-Brad

 

[bydesign]

Coolermaster wavefront or something to your liking just get one with a sliding MB tray.

 

[Fireheart]

Coolermaster wavefront or something to your liking just get one with a sliding MB tray.

Wavefront? Do you mean the Wave Master, which has small fans, or the new Mystique?

Anyway, bberson, regarding the fans on the Stacker T01, the New Egg description stating that the front fan was exhaust is incorrect, it is intake.

You can check out the actual statistics on the Coolermaster site.
CM Stackers

Alternately, you might like the new CM Elite. Nice, simple design, mesh front, no blowhole, 120 fans, but no removable motherboard tray.

Be Well!
Fireheart

 

[bberson]

I just wanted to thank everyone for all their input. Seriously, although I questioned a lot of the contributions they were all valuable even if only as pointers in the direction of a previously unknown or unusual vendor, or to consider options that I had not previously thought of.

Pending a store visit to put my sweaty hands on one of these creatures, I'm probably going to settle on the Cooler Master Mystique 631 (RC-631-KKN1-GP, or perhaps RC-631-SSN1-GP if I decide on the silver finish).

Allow me to share some of my decision process...

I ended up looking for cases with or without power supplies because the "extra expense" of cheap PSUs didn't matter, and I could always use a spare for the parts stockpile. Although in the end it did not matter, it did open up the possibilities.

I was forced to completely give up on the removeable motherboard tray.

I stuck to my guns on everything else, but placing importance on 120mm fan openings more than the fans themselves, since it's likely that I'll be replacing any included fans with Arctic Cooling's new PWM PST fans the day they hit the streets, if not some S-FDB units instead.

An extra requirement popped up while I was searching, which was room for four hard drives in front of the front intake, since I've decided to play with RAID 0+1/10. This knocked the Thermaltake Matrix VX out of the running, as well as the very lovely and professional looking Lian Li PC-16B.

I decided that all the Cooler Master Stacker models were too large - too deep in particular - and would end up sticking out like a sore thumb from under my modular furniture system.

I also decided mid-stream that a vented side panel would be a Good Idea, which was another strike against the Lian Li and also knocked out the Antec P160. This factor also takes out the otherwise very solid, tempting Thermaltake Soprano.

I was still tempted to opt for that Rosewill R5601-BK but decided to spring for a case with slightly better fit 'n finish.

I also decided that the transverse drive mounting on the Mystique is a good thing since it allows more room for today's immense video cards. The Antec P160 shares this feature, so if I end up deciding that the Mystique is no great case then plan B is to get an Antec P160 and drill out the left case side for a TAC pattern and a filter.

Oh yeah, and I haven't ruled out the possibility of cutting extra slots into the lower front facade of the Mystique!

Thanks again everyone for all the help!

-Brad