PC Case advice, really stuck after owning a really great Coolermaster HAF932

[varunrandhawa]

Hello everyone
I was after some advice in regards to a case.
I am just going to upgrade my previous Collermaster 932HAF 10 years ago when I was heavily into computers to a new c[/code]omputer as my current one cannot even run Call of Duty Black Ops 1 anymore. However jumping back into computer building which was an extreme hobby for me previously, I find myself a bit out of touch.\

I was aiming for an Intel chipset, 1080Ti, 4HDDs and 1 SSD, USB3 support. Have an external optical drive.

What I really liked about the 932HAF is the amazing cooling which is why I suppose my components lasted so long.
So whilst choosing a case I was hoping I could have your thoughts and recommendations.

Preferences in order:
1. Maximal cooling (Dont really care about it being too quiet but I suppose quiet would be good). Bigger & more fans - the better.
2. Case height less than 620mm
3. USB panel on the front, or worst case, tilted (as the computer will go under a desk with clearance of 630mm)
Good to have, but don't care
-Looks would be good, but I am really after something which is functionally superior and does a good job at air cooling as the computer room gets a bit hot during summer.

What do you guys feel would be a good case for the above requirements?

Many thanks in advance.

 

[Aeacus]

How about Corsair 760T v2,
specs: http://www.corsair.com/en-eu/graphite-series-760t-full-tower-windowed-case
pcpp: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/compare/6zyxFT,x3Crxr/
video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLOt8h8-kNY
Note: my Skylake build sits in 760T v2 (Black), full specs with pics in my sig.

or Corsair 750D Airflow Edition,
specs: http://www.corsair.com/en-eu/obsidian-series-750d-airflow-edition-full-tower-atx-case
pcpp: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/compare/BKW9TW,Rwhj4D/
video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1X1ur2-LFg
Note: my Haswell build sits in 750D AF Edition, full specs with pics in my sig.

Both Corsair cases are about the same size as your old case is, while having better functionality, especially in cooling department, since you can install plenty of fans (120mm or 140mm) inside the case.

With proper cooling, you don't have to sacrifice quietness since the trick is to install as many and as big fans as your case supports. Because the more fans you have inside the case, the less each fan has to work to maintain the airflow and the less noise fans produce. And that is also a main reason why i have 7 case fans in my Skylake and Haswell builds (mostly 140mm). Since i have that many case fans, i can keep all of my case fans spinning between 800 - 1100 RPM and thanks to this, my PCs are very quiet while still having proper airflow inside them.

 

[varunrandhawa]

Thanks mate
What do you think about
Thermaltake A71 - Great review at gamernexus.net. I am primarily interested in temperature and it features vertical GPU installation.

 

[varunrandhawa]

Actually, is it just me. But wheres the space for things like an optical drive or additional usb/microsd card panel?

 

[Aeacus]

The regular Thermaltake A71 does have external 3.5" drive bay for card reader but it's hidden,
specs: http://www.thermaltake.com/products-model.aspx?id=C_00001969

Though, Thermaltake A71 LCS doesn't have 3.5" drive bay hidden,
specs: http://www.thermaltake.com/products-model.aspx?id=C_00002108

I couldn't find the gamernexus.net review of said case but JonnyGuru (who usually reviews PSUs) also did an in-depth review of the stock A71,
link: http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=463

In the review though, i couldn't see that A71 offers vertical GPU mount.
Btw, ODD goes into 5.25" drive bay while card readers (depending on their size) mount into 5.25" or 3.5" drive bay.

While A71 does give plenty of features, there are still some where Corsair 760T and 750D are better.

First thing that catch my eye was the internal 3.5" drive trays. A71 has 5x 3.5" drive trays under the ODD bay with compatibility to 2.5" drives as well. Where's 760T and 750D can support 3x HDD cages under ODD bay, each cage holding 3x 3.5" HDDs with compatibility to hold 2.5" drives as well. In total, you can install up to 4x HDD cages into Corsair cases, giving you space for 12x 3.5" HDDs. Best part is that Corsair HDD cages are modular, giving you great flexibility. Corsair cases also have 4x dedicated 2.5" drive trays, separate for HDD cages.

Since you plan to set your PC case on the floor, the dust intake will be a great issue. A71 has stock bottom and side dust filters and that's it. While Corsair offers stock filters at the bottom and front (750D offers stock top filter as well). Best part is that Corsair cases are also compatible with Demciflex aftermarket filter kits that considerably minimize the dust reaching the internals.
Demciflex: https://www.demcifilter.com/
750D filter kit: https://www.demcifilter.com/OBSIDIAN-750D
760T filter kit: https://www.demcifilter.com/GRAPHITE-760T
And a video review of 760T Demciflex filter kit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3LFD_M8Ev0

I don't know about you but at least i find cleaning the magnetic filters far easier than having to open up my case and cleaning the dust from inside the case (especially between heatsink fins). And thanks to this, i have Demciflex filters in use on both of my Corsair cases to minimize the dust intake.
If you're interested then under the spoiler are two images of my 760T with Demciflex filters in place.

Spoiler

From left to right: Demciflex filter + stock grille; stock grille; no grille.

Demciflex filter kit for Corsair 760T.

Though, what Corsair cases doesn't have is the external hot-swap bay for 3.5" and 2.5" drives. But you can easily buy 5.25" hot-swap bay and install it into any of the three 5.25" ODD bays both Corsair cases have.

2nd thing that Corsair cases doesn't have is the big 200mm side intake fan. While side intake fan can help with case's cooling, at some extent, it also takes up a lot of space on the side panel. I prefer having one nice big widow so i can see my case internals (and monitor dust buildup) rather than having huge sleeve bearing fan there restricting my view and contributing to dust intake.