Question What do I risk if I buy a case I love knowing I won't be able to afford parts for a new build for a while?

[axlrose]

I don't have money for a new build, but the 9070xt has gotten me excited to build again. It's one of my favorite hobbies and I haven't been able to do it for a long time. I recently became very attached to the idea of trying an SFF build for the first time, started researching cases, and found the case for my next build. What do I risk in buying a case now, knowing it might be a year or two before I can put together a new build?

Thanks.

 

[Ralston18]

You risk having your money "tied up" in a case that you would not/cannot use for "a year or two".

Ask yourself: How important is the case (SFF or otherwise) compared to your desire to build a new system?

If you truly need or want a computer then build it.

Do not let cosmetics/eye candy/ appearances get in the way.

Never let form in the way of function.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

 

[USAFRet]

I don't have money for a new build, but the 9070xt has gotten me excited to build again. It's one of my favorite hobbies and I haven't been able to do it for a long time. I recently became very attached to the idea of trying an SFF build for the first time, started researching cases, and found the case for my next build. What do I risk in buying a case now, knowing it might be a year or two before I can put together a new build?

Thanks.

Buy what you need, when you need it.

There is nothing magical about a case you buy today, that you will not use for a year or two.
Its not going anywhere.

 

[axlrose]

Buy what you need, when you need it.

There is nothing magical about a case you buy today, that you will not use for a year or two.
Its not going anywhere.

I guess that's kind of what I was wondering. I've been watching build videos with it all day, and it seems we are still at the introduction of usb c on a lot of cases. Also, zero something or other where you can hide your cables out the back of the motherboard?

 

[axlrose]

I can't afford a new build right now, but I could afford a new case for a birthday present.

 

[USAFRet]

I can't afford a new build right now, but I could afford a new case for a birthday present.

Put that cash into an envelope.
Save it for later.

 

[FLGamer]

I originally built my PC inside a Corsair 4000D.

I did some upgrades not long ago. Just went from a MSI Z690 DDR4 + i5-12600k to a MSI Z790 DDR5 + i7-12700k.

After those upgrades, I decided I wanted to upgrade my AIO from a 240mm to a 360, and ended up landing on a Thermalright Grand Vision 320 AIO which is way bigger then I thought it would end up being.

I got everything to fit into the Corsiar, but it was tight. I ended up buying a MSI MAG Pano 100r and moving everything into there which gave me the space and looks a ton better.

Later this year, I will upgrade the CPU again to a 14th gen i5 or i7 and upgrade my GPU from a RX 6700 XT to a 7900xtx or a 9xxxx series around black Friday and that will finally put me in an all current gen gaming rig.

I say all this just to illustrate, it can be done, but you have to be a methodical because sometimes, the end result of the build just wont be to your liking and you end up having to purchase more unintended parts to get the system where you want it in the end.

 

[Small_Town_Gamer]

I am going to go out on a limb and offer a minority opinion. I see (potentially) a lot of value in buying a case you love in advance.

Perhaps having the case will incentivize you to save, research, search for bargains, and get other components. You can always buy inexpensive components and upgrade as you go along. This will give you a well-defined end goal of getting the best build you can into the case you love. In short, if the case "sparks joy", it can be a motivating factor that doesn't have to sit around unused until you can afford your final end build. It can evolve with you, like a loving partner who will never leave you .

The only real dangers I see with buying a case early are a) advanced features, such as a new USB standard, may come out that your case won't have and/or b) you may learn that a particular component won't fit in your SFF case. Both of these risks can be minimized or overcome with sufficient research and/or by replacing parts.