I'm thinking of designing a scratch build and wanted to know what it should have. This is not asking how many hdd bays or what motherboard size etc. I want to know what features such as everything tooless or removable motherboard and so on. So what do you think the ultimate case should have?
I think it will be different for everybody. Personally I don't care whether it's toolless or not or whether the motherboard is removable, i just want it to be solidly constructed, have provision for neat cable management and as small as possible. Moriquendi
E-ATX, Inverted Mobo, Smooth looks, solid feel, excellent cable management, good airflow, room for a couple of rads and pumps with a top mounted I/O panel. But thats what I would want in MY ultimate case. Everyone will have there own options.
At least it should be quiet and shouldn´t transfer vibrations from the hdds to the case -.- (Cooler Master RC-690) Smaller is cuter ^^ just a joke. Small but effective cooling cases are awesome. But I also like cases which are big and nicely done. E-ATX is a way too big but would be interesting too.
Small as possible, simple. Easy cable routing, easy to build a system in. Quiet but still with reasonable cooling. Things like a hole in the motherboard tray for cooler back-plates are a plus.
custom to requirements. Everybody here will have a different opinion on what they want, if you want a custom case, then consider the machines use, then base it off that. So if its the latest gaming hardware, but you want to overclock then consider designing for a well thought out cooling method, be it good airflow for aircooling, or design for water cooling where airflow can be restricted to certain areas of the case. This is how i build, reduce the noise levels as far as possible, portability is another consideration if you move it around a lot, i don't move my case a lot so size and weight isn't an issue ever.
Easy access Quick removable drives in heat sink silencers Manifolds for water cooling built in. Compartments for cabling access through the motherboard tray to the block mounting hardware sound proofing airflow room for upgrades
I agree with you guys about it being different for all of us, but imo there are still some basic features which I think most of us would agree on being good to have, and I think that's what OP is asking for? The perfect case for me would have: - Removable motherboard tray - tool-less access (not the crappy plastic version you see often, though) - good soundproofing - good layout in terms of cable managment /Mork
Just my opinion, it would be: Hidden cable routing PERFECT air flow path, possibly 2 or 3 seperate flows ( Mobo, GPU & HDD/power supply) -in the air path, make room for a water setup for later, without having to redesign the whole thing and as far as I am concerned, don't bother with toolless setups, unless you are building it for someone who will be taking it apart and doesn't know how to use simple tools.
Mine would be: cutout on the motherboard tray for cooler installation hot swap HD caddies with vibration dampening decent cable routing decent airflow maybe made from 10mm acrylic and aluminium.
I thought about that one years ago, and found it a remarkably difficult thing to consider. Last time I tried, I came up with this: I was considering a lightweight aluminium frame, portable (there should be crossbars in the triangular sticky-outy bits), made of as few parts as possible (as similar as possible for easy manufacture) that would mainly just interlock. It would also feature: removable motherboard (up to E-ATX size) by tilting down removable side panels hot-swappable drives that would just slot in and out logical arrangement for watercooling (airflow through rad, over drives, then through the case, pulling some cold air in from the openings around the drives through a venturi effect) would work in upright position but also as easily as a desktop case (just screw some feet under one side of the stick-outs) multiple units could be stacked as a tower (again, by interconnecting bolts on the stick-outs) without affecting airflow If it looks a bit skelettal, that was deliberate. I am a bit obsessed with computer cases following the same principle as motorcycles: just a frame that the working bits hang off. Given that we all like to tinker and swap, and components are starting to look like contained works of engineering art anyway (even if still rather gaudy at times), we may as well display them.
Nexxo's case is pretty damn awesome. Although with a few less pointy bits, it would be the perfect home case. I guess when it comes down, understated, silent and great airflow is perfect. Although having good watercooling capabilities is a plus, I prefer fans, they're cheaper.
I don't have an opinion on the perfect case, my tastes change all the time and I don't even believe there is such a thing. The reason I posted is., I love that design Nexxo! You have to build it.
I think the perfect case would have to be silent powerful and small and maybe Watercooled and have a couple big hard
This is a very dangerous sentence to not finish. My ideal case is the height of a mid tower, but has the length of a full tower. It would be silent with sufficient space for watercooling, but enough airflow that air cooling would be possible. Light weight, made of the same light material (aluminum sides + shiny plastic front = ), and assembled entirely with thumbscrews (tool-less = awesome, plastic clips = the devil). Most importantly, something clean. If you're going to have lighting, there needs to be a way to turn it off. Too many almost-usable cases are ruined by having slots/grates/vents all over and giant spoilers and fins and huge obnoxious logos and nuclear-bright blue lights spewing from a cheap, gaudy plastic front panel with not-quite clear windows on the side panel. If I want to look at poorly-executed ideas of "cool" and "futuristic" I'll go to the county raceway on import tuner day. As a final detail, the chassis should be the same color as the body. Nothing ruins a black case like untreated metal underneath. It just seems lazy. It seems like now, there's a cost premium associated with not having a case that looks like disco trash. The closest I've seen to my idea of perfect is the P182, but that rear shroud ruins it. If you're going to have something tacky, it needs to be ridiculously over the top. Strobe lights, disco balls, a combination of plaid AND chrome, naked lady mudflap decal on the window, etc.
I have to agree with M7ek and add to the calls for Nexxo to build that design! I believe that form should follow function. Designing something for optimum cooling is a good place to start. Such a design can be easily made very quiet (water cooling is inherently quiet anyway). Cable routing and ease of installation should be the next concerns. Only once these factors have been designed for should aesthetics be considered.