[SOLVED] Looking For A Case

[DrummerManSpike]

Hi! I'm currently looking for a good case that matches my preferences. Originally I was aiming for the Corsair Carbide 275R, but I'm deciding against it in favor of something else. I did look through a good amount of options on PCPartPicker, however most of them had not-so-great reviews.

Main Features (non-optional)

• Fits an ATX motherboard
• CPU cooler clearance of at least 155mm
• GPU clearance of at least 280mm
• PSU clearance of at least 165mm
• No included power supply
• At least one 2.5" SSD slot

Main Features (optional but extremely heavily preferred)

• Mid-tower case
• Tempered glass side panel (non-tinted preferred)
• Black colored outer shell
• LEDs from front fans visible from outside (glass and/or mesh front)
• 5/6 minimum 120mm fan spaces
• 3 fan spaces for intake, 3 for exhaust (unless only 2 exhaust is better?)
• Intake can be 3 front (preferred) or 2 front/1 bottom
• Neutral or positive air pressure
• No included fans (or as few fans included as possible. I will be installing my own Corsair HD120s)
• Decent air flow
• Decent amount of space/options for cable management (optimal locations for zip-ties)
• Under $100

Secondary Features (preferred but just fine doing without)

• Front panel LED (strip or logo)
• Black interior (white only if no black options)
• Removable/no HDD drives (only really applies when located within PSU shroud, to free up cable management space. No HDDs planned)
• PCIe expansion knockouts (ones that can be screwed back in are preferred, however plain knockouts are okay)

No preference

• PSU shroud (I don't mind seeing it!)
• Back panel (can be solid or glass)
• External 5.25" bays (I noticed that most don't really fit mid tower cases perfectly, however if one does, I'll gladly accept and utilize it!)
• AIO clearance (for my budget, I chose a good air cooler. I also couldn't find a good case with enough space to top-mount an AIO radiator)
• Panel screws (I know a lot of people prefer thumb screws, but I don't exactly plan on opening and closing the case every single day. Non-thumb screws are totally okay and the 1 minute difference it might make will have no impact on me whatsoever)
• Power/USB/Audio (location can be either front or top. Mic/audio can be split or combined, not picky there)

Currently, I'm looking at the Deepcool MATREXX 55 ATX Mid Tower Case (link leads to manufacturer website) priced between $50 - $60. What are your thoughts? Is there a better option available?

 

[Barty1884]

The Matrexx really goes against the:

Decent air flow

I mean, it's not horrible for what it is, but it's not particularly 'decent' either.

With the exception of a front LED strip/logo, the MeshifyC seems to fit your needs:

165mm cooler clearance (I have an NH-D15 in there)
315mm max GPU clearance
2, maybe 3 2.5" mounts, removable HDD cage in the base (which allows any PSU length available)
Non-tinted (watch out for the "dark TG" option, it's really dark.
Room for 3x 120mm intakes in the front (or 2x140) and room for 2x120/140 in the top and a 120mm in the rear.

 

[DrummerManSpike]

Oh that's BEAUTIFUL. Just checked the specs and manual, that's beyond perfect for what I'm looking for! The additional 120mm fan slot on the bottom is a fantastic feature too, that'll help push towards a much more positive air pressure, and with the included fans, I don't have to worry about getting another LED fan since it wont really be visible. A+

My only question is, how does the front panel look with LED fans behind it? Do they shine through at all, or is the mesh too dense for that? I'm having a hard time finding any pics on Google that show it. Planning for Corsair HD120 fans

 

[DrummerManSpike]

I also noticed it only comes with 8 standoff screws, will this be an issue for an ATX board? I think its meant for 9 (MSI B450 Gaming Pro Carbon AC). If I need that additional screw, what's the best place to get one cheap?

 

[Barty1884]

I can't commend on the RGB behind the mesh personally, as I'm not a big RGB fan.
However, a quick Google search pulls up this video... They're definitely subdued... but still visible.

View: https://youtu.be/HDaIX-pb2fg?t=150


As far as the standoffs, the middle standoff is a 'post' formed into the case - alligns with the middle standoff hole on the board. So you have the one to hold the board in place, which you screw into the remaining 8.

 

[DrummerManSpike]

Excellent! It's okay if the front view isn't super bright too, I just wanted that little extra flare.

Everything sounds great though, I'm definitely gonna go through with it! Thanks for the help!

 

[DrummerManSpike]

Hi, just wanted to post a little update. The case went on sale a bit ago, so I decided to order it. The past few weeks I've been playing around with it, taking it apart, moving things around, putting it back together. It's a phenomenal case! Beautiful design, sleek as hell. I plan to order the rest of the components soon too, can't wait to start building in it.

Many thanks again!