[SOLVED] I need help choosing a case ?

[Mihai Baiasu]

Hello, everybody! I am currently looking to upgrade my computer case and I have these 2 options:

beQuiet Pure Base 500DX - 90$ second hand + 15$ for the road trip

Lian Li Lancool 2 Mesh Performance - 133$ new.

After some research, here is what I found:

• beQuiet looks better and is a bit more silent (don’t know if it’s that much of a difference)
• Lian Li is more spacious, has better cooling, but it’s a bit noisier, doesn’t look as good and it’s more expensive.
• Lian Li has an advantage when it comes to front IO, as my motherboard doesn’t have a type-E connector and I will be stuck with only one front USB.

Here are my specs:
Ryzen 5 5600
beQuiet Dark Rock Pro 4 CPU cooler
AsRock B450 Pro4
ASUS TUF RX 6800XT
Corsair RM850 PSU
2 x Seagate HDDs / 1 x Samsung 870 Evo SSD / 1 x Kingston A2000 SSD.

I really don’t know which case to choose so If anybody has had experience with any of the two, I would love to hear about it.

Thanks!

 

[bill001g]

That is not a very big discount on the bequiet case over the new price from what I can tell especially when you add in the extra cost to get it.

Most the stuff you list is extremely subjective. What looks better vairies. Some people hate RGB fans.

You can look at the new lian li 216 case. Depending if you want the led fans you can get it for about $100. It is very similar to the lancool 2 mesh but it doesn't have all the fancy doors and it has a metal panel on the back rather than glass.

 

[Mihai Baiasu]

@bill001g

Thank you for your reply!

Unfortunately, Lancool 216 isn't available anywhere in my country. In stores, the 500DX is around 135 US$ here in Romania, while the Lancool 2 Mesh Performance costs 130$. Prices are a bit f'ed up if you ask me. The second-hand 500DX seemed like a decent deal until I took into consideration the road trip and the fact that later down the line, I would want to make that type-C usable (which would cost 20$ more to get a PCI-Express adapter). Lian Li also offers USB-C front port, should I ever need / want it.

I think RGB fans look nice, but it's not something I would pay extra for. A computer could look good even without lights all over it.

 

[geofelt]

What is your current case?

Either case will do.
Quiet is determined by your cooling fan arrangement and the speed at which those fans run.
That is under your control.

The cases are not quite equivalent from the functional point of view because of the front type-E issue.

Except for that, I always recommend that you buy the case that you love.
It will be with you for a very long time.
Bust your budget if you need to.

 

[Mihai Baiasu]

@geofelt - Thank you for answering!

My current case is a Modecom Oberon. It is pretty bad, but my first PC was built quite on a budget and the parts were mid-range at that time (RX 480 with i5 4460). I have upgraded parts from time to time and the case remained the same. Now, my CPU Cooler doesn't fit, it doesn't have a front mesh, it's quite crammed inside and the temperatures are quite high because of that.

The cooling fans will be set as follows for both cases: 2 front fans and 1 fan in the back for exhaust. They both come with 2 fans, but I can't find anything about the Lancool II Mesh Performance fans on the internet.

I have considered the fact that it will stay for a long time and that's what made me lean towards the Lancool II. It is a bit more spacious than the 500DX which is a big point in my opinon. About the design, they both look fine. Computer stays under the desk anyway.

 

[bill001g]

Lots of technical details about the lancool 2 mesh in this video. These guys actually test things like noise level.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JSLWewcieY


They also have many other video on various cases.

 

[geofelt]

FWIW, I have built using several Lian Li cases. (but not the lancool II)
They are of excellent quality.
The specs say the lancool comes with two front 140mm fans installed.
I love 140mm fans, they move more air quietly.

 

[Mihai Baiasu]

FWIW, I have built using several Lian Li cases. (but not the lancool II)
They are of excellent quality.
The specs say the lancool comes with two front 140mm fans installed.
I love 140mm fans, they move more air quietly.

Thank you, that's exactly what I was looking for. If they're good, it's great. I will not be able to buy any other case fans for now, so the included fans being good is a huge plus.