[SOLVED] Help me decide between entry level ATX Mid Tower Cases ( Zalman S3 vs I3)

[Bach0]

Hi, basically i need to buy a case for my new system.... Unfortunately i have to buy it locally and because of that i'm left with these 2 choices: Zalman S3 S3 link and I3 from same brand both ATX Mid tower cases I3 link

Here's my system PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i5-10400 2.9 GHz 6-Core Processor ($187.99 @ Amazon) !STOCK COOLER!
Motherboard: Asus PRIME B560M-A Micro ATX LGA1200 Motherboard ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Silicon Power XPOWER Turbine 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory ($51.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda Compute 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($52.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI Radeon RX 580 4 GB ARMOR OC Video Card ($569.95 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA BQ 750 W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply ($67.98 @ Amazon)

The main concern is money.. S3 costs around 40$ and I3 60$ . I3 is a little bigger in dimensions 445 x 196 x 456(H)mm compared to 412(D) X 189(W) X 451(H)mm and it also comes with 3 extra 120mm fans mounted on the front panel ( S3 comes with only 1 rear exhaust 120mm). I want to have an OK air flow in case, so i'm wondering will those extra 3 fans and size difference impact air ventilation drastically? As you can see the PC is pretty basic, with no overclocking capabilities and stock CPU cooler. As i have mentioned, i can't buy case online, it would cost me around 25-40$ more to deliver it to my current location, so what's your opinion on that? Would you choose S3 or I3 in my place?

 

[Phaaze88]

You're going to be hard-pressed to buy a cooler for the 10400. Those stock coolers are ok for light stuff, like web browsing, MS Word, watching movies, etc.
Gaming, you'll end up seeing 80C+ and flipping out over it. They just don't have the capacity to handle those kinds of loads.

S3: On top of being pressed to buy a new cpu cooler, you WILL need to add fans to this chassis if you intend to play games with this setup.
Air needs to move in, cool the components, and get out. There just will not be enough air movement with the single chassis fan, the cpu cooler fan, and the gpu's fans, all running under gaming loads.
The front panel's design prevents you from installing any cheapo fan(s) there, so if you have to go the cheap fan route, just add fans at the top.

I3: On top of being pressed to buy a new cpu cooler, you likely can get by on the preinstalled fans on this one.
Heck, you might be able to move one of the 3 front fans to the top and balance out the intake/exhaust a little more.

 

[Bach0]

Thanks for your suggestions

You're going to be hard-pressed to buy a cooler for the 10400. Those stock coolers are ok for light stuff, like web browsing, MS Word, watching movies, etc.
Gaming, you'll end up seeing 80C+ and flipping out over it. They just don't have the capacity to handle those kinds of loads.

I agree with you, but i was hoping i could get away with stock cooler, since i have been using i5 3570 with stock cooler for about 8 years now in similar sized case (1 rear exhaust) paired with ZOTAC GTX 1650 Super recently and temps for CPU never go over 72-74C while gaming for hours and 75C for GPU (I've never changed thermal paste for CPU). If i get same temps , that would be a success i guess.. if not, i'll buy a CPU cooler for sure.

I3: On top of being pressed to buy a new cpu cooler, you likely can get by on the preinstalled fans on this one.
Heck, you might be able to move one of the 3 front fans to the top and balance out the intake/exhaust a little more.

Adding extra fans to S3 will increase it's cost to same as I3, so i would prefer to go with I3 in this case. I also worry about I3 not having dust filter for the front panel intake fans, maybe i can find matching sized filter online and somehow fit it there. I'll try to figure something out.

 

[Phaaze88]

Dust is inevitable. Set up a cleaning schedule.
Ironically, it's the more airflow restricted models that see less dust, but you sacrifice thermal performance.
If the dust thing is that serious, opt for the S3, I guess.

I also worry about I3 not having dust filter for the front panel intake fans

The front panel IS the filter. It does not need another filter - that would be double-filtering and making things worse.

 

[Bach0]

No, the dust isn't the issue, i'll stick with I3 , thanks

 

[Phaaze88]

A tip of sorts, that would work with the I3:
I have the H500 P Mesh. The front panel for that is the filter too.
Every month or 2 - or whenever I choose - I can pop off the front panel, rinse and dry real quick, and pop it back on. A deeper clean can wait for later in the year.