[SOLVED] need a new case but can't find what i am looking for could use some help

[rgs80074]

hello everyone

i need a new pc case would like to say around 150 or less no need for a power supply i just purchased a new one (old one went bad), the case is not an immediate need like the failing power supply i have room for one more hard drive with a 3.5 to 5.25 adapters although i think i need another pci express sata 3 controller card i might be at its limit. i have space on the motherboard but oddly most are only sata2 slots instead of 3.

this is the current motherboard: https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16813131701?Item=N82E16813131701
cpu cooler and this seems to be my biggest issue with cases, cool master hyper 212: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002G1YPH0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1


when i built a new pc a few years ago this one became my dedicated plex server pc, it was still working like a workhorse when i made that change it still did everything i needed plus, not a huge gamer so i guess that helps out in having things last longer.

anyways my power supply is failing or i and others think it is so the pc is shut off until a new one comes in and i thought now would be a good time to look at upgrading the case (i can use the current case for another pc) but i am coming up sort finding one i like with a lot of future hard drive space but it appears its too short to fit my cpu cooler and i do like those coolers

i currently have 5 plex server hard drives in the pc all sata 3, 1 ssd for the os system and i use one external hard drive to back up the current filling hard drive (all hard drives have back ups in storage in case of failure). depending on how long i keep doing the plex server and or upcoming storage tech (i think those data crystals will do wonders) its going to be an ever expanding deal, thats why i loved the one case i found for 15 hard drive bays, i'd only be using 1/3rd of them at the current time more or less would have a few years at least of space for hard drives.

optical drive can be a hit or miss, i have a bluray burner but the pc don't really need one, if i really needed to hook something up i have two external bluray burners to use

but i've been having problems finding ones with usb3 on the front, there needs to be at least one or two usb 3's on the front panel, one at a very minimum but the bluray burners require 2 usb ports to work.

i've looked at server cases but only found one that looked decent but it didn't have an optical drive spot (not a big deal), no usb 3 (this makes it rougher) and don't look like it would fit my cpu cooler in it

maybe with the right case with everything else in place a new cpu cooler could be the real answer but i want to keep it if possible and find a case that works for me better.

right now its in a thermaltake case that had the dual docking stations on top and its kinda old maybe close to 8 years now but a case is a case they don't really go bad although one of the docking stations has stopped working.


any idea and suggestions would be appreciated.

ryan

 

[Darkbreeze]

Does this need to be a specific size, as in, mid tower is ok or do you need it to be a full tower case?

Just about any modern case will work with that motherboard since it is a standard ATX board. Most cases have two front USB ports these days and there are many of them with five or more internal drive bays although most of them don't have 5.25" optical drive bays anymore. One that does however is the Phanteks Enthoo Pro (Full tower) and Enthoo Pro M (Mid tower). Both are excellent cases with optical drive bays.

The Fractal design Define R5 or R6 would probably be my go to choice in general for a high quality case at or near 150 bucks, especially if you don't need a side panel window AND silence is a priority. Even the windowed version is very quiet though. There are too many features on that case to list but I'd look at those two cases before any others. If you have other criteria that neither of those meets, just point it out and we'll look at some other options.

 

[rgs80074]

thanks i'll take a look at those, my biggest need is hard drive space 3.5 size, as my current one had 5 drives in it now and i only expect more to follow. it has one 2.5ssd , optical drive place not needed but if they had would probalby at some point be converted to regular hard drive space.

so mainly it was hard drive space, and usb3's on the front panel

but my issue i was having with server cases is the height of them was not enough to cover my cooler whcih is 6.25 inches plus the motherboard and such that it sits on

 

[Darkbreeze]

The Enthoo pro will support CPU coolers up to 193mm in height. Personally, I don't know of any air coolers that are that big. The absolute biggest air coolers on the market right now that I know of are at most, maybe 172mm including the fans. So if it's an air cooler, it will fit that case.

As for drives, it will accomodate 6 3.5" drives in the drive cages and could be adapted to hold up to three more if you used 5.25" optical drive bay adapters. At that point anything further would likely need to be external USB or NAS.

 

[Darkbreeze]

The Rosewill Nighthawk supports CPU coolers up to 180mm and up to 8 internal 3.5" drives.

https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16811147252?Item=N82E16811147252&nm_mc=AFC-RAN-COM&cm_mmc=AFC-RAN-COM&utm_medium=affiliates&utm_source=afc-PCPartPicker&AFFID=2558510&AFFNAME=PCPartPicker&ACRID=1&ASID=https://pcpartpicker.com/product/nkX2FT/rosewill-case-nighthawk117&ranMID=44583&ranEAID=2558510&ranSiteID=8BacdVP0GFs-O3YpVZEKlbecKuCuhAW7iA


As will the Fractal Design Define XL.

https://www.newegg.com/black-pearl-...&ranSiteID=8BacdVP0GFs-cpwL3VS1u15nPQckY5md6Q