Which case? Antec 300 Illusion/Rosewill Challenger/Cosair 200R

[Kitsuni]

Hello, I am currently in-progress of building a new gaming rig and I was curious which would be a better case out of the three? I been having a feud between the three and I was hoping if I may get some help.

There is currently a sale on the Rosewill Challenger for $40 on newegg. However, there is a used antec 300 illusion with an additional fan (totaling to 5 fans) for about $50. As for the Cosair 200R there does not seem to be any sales for it as of now, but some promotions.

I've heard good reviews about each of the cases, but the more popularity seems to go to the Antec 300 Illusion. I wanted to get a better perspective of which case seems to fit for my rig.

My planned spec:

CPU: i5-3570K (Planning to OC)
GPU: MSI 660 GTX TI
PSU: Seasonic mii12 520W or 620W (Unsure if 520W is enough for everything)
MB: ASUS P8Z77
SSD: (Planned)
HDD: Seagate 1 TB
Cooler: Cool Master Hyper 212 Evo

If there are anymore questions about my computer do ask if it helps towards of choosing a case.

Thank you.

EDIT: Thanks for all your inputs! I decided to stick with the Corsair and maybe save up to get the Corsair 300R unless there are any other sales going on for the higher up cases.

 

[logainofhades]

I wouldn't even consider the Antec due to no real cable management capability. The Corsair is the best of the 3 in this regard. The Rosewill is kinda in the middle. More fans than the Corsair, better cable management than the Antec. It will be a matter of what matters more to you. The extra fans at a cheaper price, or the better cable management.

 

[chesteracorgi]

I second logainofhades on the cable management in the Antec. I prefer the Corsair because of the quality of their cases. But for a good gaming case I do not recommend low end cases unless you can get an EOL model with good cooling. If the build is for yourself I recommend saving for a better case and PSU because they can be used in future builds. I have a 2 yr old Corsair 600D, and will keep this one for at least another 5+ yrs. without worry about it being outmoded. I found a bargain on a discontinued (EOL) LianLi model for another build and, while it is not as nice as the Corsair, it is a well cooled case with decent cable managemant.

Buy a case that you will want to keep for a while. Same with a PSU: you will never regret buying more wattage than you need in a quality PSU because if it is a quality PSU (Antec, Corsair, Seasonic, PC Power & Cooling, etc.) it will last longer than your next build.

 

[geofelt]

Cable management and modular is much overhyped.
There is always a place to tuck away unused psu cables.

All three would do the job. They have adequate cooling and space.
In the end, pick a case that has visual appeal to you. You will be looking at it for a long time.
On any case, a 160mm tall cpu cooler may be an issue if the case depends on a side intake fan for cooling.
Regardless, I think side fans disrupt the normal front to back cooling airflow, so they are really not necessary.


I like the Antec 300 illusion. If, for no other reason, for the washable front air filters.
I prefer positive pressure cases which keep the interior free of dust buildup.
And.. it advertises a cable management compartment next to the hard drive cage.

Seasonic is about the best quality psu out there. 520W is more than enough, even for a GTX670/GTX680.

Your build is good.

 

[logainofhades]

Sorry, I prefer a clean setup, not just have cables shoved out of the way somewhere. I spend more time doing clean cable management when building a system than just about anything else. When buying a case, it is one of the most important factors of my purchase decision. My PSU isn't modular but my case has excellent cable management.

 

[scottiemedic]

I have an Antec 300, and it was *hard to clean the cables up, but if you are diligent and AR enough, it can be done, especially with the HUGE area on the backside of the drive bays. That said, I'd look at the 302 as it has better management and USB 3 on the front.

 

[Kitsuni]

Best answer selected by Kitsuni.