Looking for a new case

[Becky]

Ian is upgrading his computer next month, which means that I will have his old components. His case is ur-ger-ly so I'm looking for a new one


I don't want to spend a fortune, so as much as I love the look of Lian Li cases I've ruled them out. Ideally I'd like the following:

• Low noise
• Built in hot swappable drive bays
• Front access USB 3.0
• Good cooling
• Simple and elegant aesthetics (ideally black but blue is also fine) - I don't like the ones that look like a Transformers helmet with jagged edges and mesh everywhere
• Mid-tower ideally

I've seen this one on ebuyer - the Cooler Master Silencio 550. It seems to rate quite well (see here and here) and it's only £67 which seems like quite good value.

Sounds like I might want to put an extra fan in the front (as it only comes with one front fan - but space for a second), and it's probably prone to fingers prints. It's only got one hot swappable drive bay though, which isn't ideal but not the end of the world. Other than that I think it looks like it might be worth going for.

Does anyone here have any experience of this case? Or any recommendations?

Ta!

 

[Anon_F]

Becky your getting Ian's cast off's?
I think you need to put your foot down Mr's C & demand a new PC!

Oh and the case looks good, but my knowledge on this stuff is poor!

 

[Becky]

Ha ha! To be honest his needs are far greater than mine because I don't do much gaming (on my PC). I'll be getting a new SSD which will make a major difference anyway!

 

[Anon_F]

SSD.
Yes, not got one myself, but a friend does and it does make a difference.
On the case issue it's a bit like cars, either you really like a model/spec or dont.

 

[floppybootstomp]

The Coolermaster looks good. I have one of These and I believe V_R has one as well but it may be more than you need.

I like Antec's cases and I think This would suit your needs, cheaper than the Coolermaster as well.

If you do choose the Antec 300 you may want to consider an extra 120mm fan to go in the side panel though the two fans supplied with the case should be adequate.

 

[Abarbarian]

Nighthawk, diamond,astral,cosmos,ash,panther,java,ebony,sapphire,obsidian or magic any type of black you fancy.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SearchCmd?catalogId=10151&storeId=10001&categoryId=165505&langId=-1&action=listrefine&constraints=teq||Colour||Black||sor||Price||1||pag||3&mode=list



DIY and put the £60 saved towarde a bigger SSD.

 

[Becky]

The Coolermaster looks good. I have one of These and I believe V_R has one as well but it may be more than you need.

I like Antec's cases and I think This would suit your needs, cheaper than the Coolermaster as well.

If you do choose the Antec 300 you may want to consider an extra 120mm fan to go in the side panel though the two fans supplied with the case should be adequate.

Thanks for the suggestions - I'll take a look at those today

Nighthawk, diamond,astral,cosmos,ash,panther,java,ebony,sapphire,obsidian or magic any type of black you fancy.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SearchCmd?catalogId=10151&storeId=10001&categoryId=165505&langId=-1&action=listrefine&constraints=teq||Colour||Black||sor||Price||1||pag||3&mode=list



DIY and put the £60 saved towarde a bigger SSD.

Ha ha!!

 

[Ian]

Here's one that I like - although it's a bit more expensive and has no external drive caddy:

http://www.ebuyer.com/352644-corsair-550d-obsidian-case-cc-9011015-ww

 

[V_R]

The Coolermaster looks good. I have one of These and I believe V_R has one as well but it may be more than you need.

I like Antec's cases and I think This would suit your needs, cheaper than the Coolermaster as well.

If you do choose the Antec 300 you may want to consider an extra 120mm fan to go in the side panel though the two fans supplied with the case should be adequate.

I've got the Lian Li PC7-FW now, I've always liked the Antec 300 though, looks understated but the cooling on it is very good.

Here's one that I like - although it's a bit more expensive and has no external drive caddy:

http://www.ebuyer.com/352644-corsair-550d-obsidian-case-cc-9011015-ww

That 550D is very nice!

What about the 300R Becky? Its got almost everything you need. Though there is a bit of mesh on the front.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-063-CS&groupid=701&catid=7&subcat=

 

[floppybootstomp]

That 550D is very nice!

I'll second that. Hadn't seen the Corsair range before, I think if ever I'm in the market for a new case that could well be the one. Bit pricey but I like the way it's soundproofing is described.

 

[Silverhazesurfer]

I just bought this one to house my new i7 Asus board. At $49US, I could not complain. With 4 5.25 and 6 HD bays...I couldn't resist with the top mounted SATA drive bay.

http://thermaltakeusa.com/Product.aspx?C=1465&ID=2029

 

[floppybootstomp]

I just bought this one to house my new i7 Asus board. At $49US, I could not complain. With 4 5.25 and 6 HD bays...I couldn't resist with the top mounted SATA drive bay.

http://thermaltakeusa.com/Product.aspx?C=1465&ID=2029

That looks good, love the built in SATA tray.

£42.00 at Scan Not many other UK suppliers stock it though. Scan would probably charge about £6 postage.

 

[Silverhazesurfer]

I have to say it's working well for me right now. I don't have many fans in it, but I am still at the bottom end of the scale right now. When I pack in the drives, fans aplenty!

 

[Ian]

I just bought this one to house my new i7 Asus board. At $49US, I could not complain. With 4 5.25 and 6 HD bays...I couldn't resist with the top mounted SATA drive bay.

http://thermaltakeusa.com/Product.aspx?C=1465&ID=2029

I like the look of that one - not a bad price at £42 .

 

[Becky]

Hmmm the Corsair 550D does look good... and I quite like how there is a quite normal looking man presenting the overview video as opposed to Jessie at Coolermaster. The quote "I know what you're thinking, this video is probably about the breathtaking girl standing before you" did not appeal

 

[Silverhazesurfer]

Ian

It also looks pretty good. There is a lot of ventilation and it is solid construction. When I was assembling, there was nothing to suggest that it would rattle loose after a while. My favorite is the drive bays. With 6 onboard SATA, I can fill the case with drives and have a simple file server without going to a large tower or rack. This case is going to stay with me for quite some time.