[SOLVED] Trying to decide on a PC case

[Revo13l]

Currently having a battle with myself on what PC case to upgrade to. I'm currently rocking the NZXT Phantom 410. When I built my first system back in 2014 it was within my budget and it looked cool. However, I think it's time to upgrade. I'm looking for something that has a tempered glass side panel. There's so many options!

Below are some that I keep coming back to:

- NZXT H500i
I like the overall look and the easy side panels. The TG side panel mounting is probably the best I've seen since I've started looking. The cable management options are plentiful. However, the whole negative pressure idea has me hesitant about it overall. Also, no hard drive caddies? Not a deal breaker but something to mention.
- Corsair Carbide Spec-06 RGB
I like the overall design of this case. I'm not a fan of the TG side panel mount being 4 individual screws. There also doesn't appear to be enough clearance in the top for a rad.
- Cooler Master MB520
Seen some really poor reviews on this case. Advertised as a TG side panel but is apparently acrylic. No white option.
- Lian Li PC 011 Dynamic
I found this one recently and I really like the design and idea of the case. However, there would be a need to purchase additional fans to fill up some of the empty space because there is so much space. At $129 + shipping the idea of spending an additional ~$100 on fans doesn't sound fun.

Components:

• Corsair H100i RGB Platinum AIO
• ASUS GTX 1070 8GB
• Corsair Vengence LPX 16GB DDR4
• Asus Z170-A
• Intel Core i5 6600K overclocked to 4.3GHz
• PNY CS900 240GB 2.5"
• Seagate ST2000DX001 2TB 3.5"
• Corsair RM850x

Has anyone built in these cases or have experiences with them? Other suggestions and any sort of feedback is appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

NZXT H500i

 

[CBaca]

I have the NZXT H500 (non - i) (got the black with the blue bar). I downsized from a Cooler Master HAF XM. It is a very nice case. Cable management is good. Not having hard drive caddies is a PITA though. You have to remove the drive holder, screw in hdd drive(s) and then screw the holder back in the case. If you are installing 2 hdd's I recommend putting them in the top two positions. You can actually install a total of 3 hdd's in the drive holder. The removable interior front bracket makes it easy to install your AIO. One other recommendation I have is, if you have large hands, there are three screws that hold the cable bar in place, remove them so you can move the cable bar out of the way when you are ready to plug in the 24 pin cable and your SATA data cables, then reinstall them once you are done. I didn't realize this until afterwards. I had a hell of a time trying to get those cables plugged in.

Despite the 2 things I mentioned, I would recommend the case. I would also recommend checking out reviews on YouTube and other sites for the cases you are considering.

My components: (I know, the mb, cpu and RAM are old, hopefully will be able to update soon)
AMD FX-8300 (Overclocked to 4.4 GHz) (Originally had Phenom II 965)
ASUS Sabertooth 990FX
16GB G.Skill Sniper 2133MHz DDR3
Corsair H100i Pro (Got it on sale, originally had CM Hyper 212 Plus)
Corsair RM850-X (Got it on sale for less than 750 watt psu, originally had XFX XXX Edition 650 W 80+ Bronze)
Crucial MX100 256GB SSD
Seagate Barracuda 1TB HDD
WD Green 2TB HDD
XFX RX-480

 

[Revo13l]

I have the NZXT H500 (non - i) (got the black with the blue bar). I downsized from a Cooler Master HAF XM. It is a very nice case. Cable management is good. Not having hard drive caddies is a PITA though. You have to remove the drive holder, screw in hdd drive(s) and then screw the holder back in the case. If you are installing 2 hdd's I recommend putting them in the top two positions. You can actually install a total of 3 hdd's in the drive holder. The removable interior front bracket makes it easy to install your AIO. One other recommendation I have is, if you have large hands, there are three screws that hold the cable bar in place, remove them so you can move the cable bar out of the way when you are ready to plug in the 24 pin cable and your SATA data cables, then reinstall them once you are done. I didn't realize this until afterwards. I had a hell of a time trying to get those cables plugged in.

Despite the 2 things I mentioned, I would recommend the case. I would also recommend checking out reviews on YouTube and other sites for the cases you are considering.

My components: (I know, the mb, cpu and RAM are old, hopefully will be able to update soon)
AMD FX-8300 (Overclocked to 4.4 GHz) (Originally had Phenom II 965)
ASUS Sabertooth 990FX
16GB G.Skill Sniper 2133MHz DDR3
Corsair H100i Pro (Got it on sale, originally had CM Hyper 212 Plus)
Corsair RM850-X (Got it on sale for less than 750 watt psu, originally had XFX XXX Edition 650 W 80+ Bronze)
Crucial MX100 256GB SSD
Seagate Barracuda 1TB HDD
WD Green 2TB HDD
XFX RX-480

What are your temps in the case? I've watched so many reviews that they start to blend together haha. From what I can gather, the H500 is middle of the pack. Not great but not bad either. Thanks for the tip about the cable bar. What's your fan configuration?

 

[CBaca]

According to HWMonitor, the cpu socket idles at 40 C and under load gets up to around 46 C. The CPU package temp under load is also around 46 C. My GPU idles at 55 C, the GPU fans don't spin at that temp. Under load varies from 72 C to 75 C. The GPU fans crank up at those temps and are are audible. I got these temps while playing Overwatch, WoW, Fortnite and running Cinebench and Unigine Valley.

I have my AIO mounted at the front of the case with the fans pulling in fresh air, pushing through the radiator. I replaced the 2 fans that came with the case with 2 Corsair AF120's blowing hot air out the back and the top.

I believe Gamers Nexus has a good evaluation of what the H500 case temps are like compared to other cases.