Looking to build my first rig and just deciding on a case, have narrowed it down to about 3 which are within my price range:- Coolermaster CM690 II Advanced Coolermaster Centurion 5 II Antec 300 Whats everyones thoughts? (if anyone has seen the Centurion 5 II anywhere let me know as cant find any stores [on/off line] which stock it) Cheers
I have used an Antec 300 before and found it to be very good. Sturdy and built for function. The interior does look a bit dull though so you may want to spray paint it or something like that. I actually have a semi-modded Antec 300 if you're interested. I could throw in a couple of decent fans as well.
antec 300 Cheesecake! Although the coolermasters are a valable choice. it comes down to personal preference here.people come here to get a shortlist more than to let other people have the last word.so you didn't really need our advice anyway,as you did your homework yourself! Portal ben: i would like to take over your antec 300,if you aren't asking a crazy price and willíng to ship to belgium. Also; what is semi modded?
I've built a friend's computer which had a Fenrir in an Antec 300, so it will fit (barely). The other cases are wider so no problems there. And as others are saying, Antec 300 = awesome case!
Just want to say thanks for everyones responses, I think i've finally decided on my system but would appreciate someone giving it a look over as its my first build and dont want to get the wrong kit. Intel Core i5 750 2.66Ghz (Lynnfield) (Socket LGA1156) - OEM Asus P7H55-M Pro Intel H55 (Socket 1156) DDR3 Motherboard OCZ Platinum 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 PC3-10666C7 1333MHz Dual Channel Kit Corsair TX 650W ATX SLi Compliant Power Supply Antec 300 Three Hundred / CM690 / Centurion 5 II Coolermaster Hyper TX3 / Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Rev 2 [instead of a Titan Fenrir] Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit - OEM Not sure if to get a Blueray drive (ROM) or just stick with DVD+-RW, I know there is no HDD but will prob chuck in my old one for now as its not that old and can keep the cost down (got 1.5 TB external anyway). With regards to graphics, i'm having a hard time deciding nVidia (probably the GTX260 Black Edition) or getting an ATI 5850 (maybe as its a bit pricey, though could wait til the 5830 comes out). Thanks edit - Have switched to a Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD2 Intel P55 based on tonpal's P55 recommendation.
I would suggest a P55 motherboard. The H55 should work but is really designed for the i5 CPUs with on-board graphics.
I'd buy 1600MHz RAM instead of 1333MHz as it'll give you more flexibility if you want to overclock; it doesn't cost any extra (okay, maybe an extra quid). I'd stick with the Fenrir, it's got amazing cooling capabilities. My friend's temperatures for an i7 920 @ 3.6GHz were <=20 degrees idle, <=40 degrees load and this is the core temperatures, not the overall temperature! What GPU are you going for?
Only reason i switched out the Fenrir was size, as long as it will fit in the case im quite happy to get that. GPU wise im really not sure, Buyers Guide seems to love the 5850 at the moment but ive always had nVidia and they have served me well.
The Fenrir WILL fit, don't worry about it. I chose a 5850 for my friend, 'tis an awesome card in every aspect (it even feels nice)! It's impossible to recommend any Nvidia product at the moment for high performance gaming when compared to the current ATI line up. If you really want to stick with team green, you'll have to wait to mid March for the Fermi cards. In the meantime, you could buy a 'gap-filler' card, e.g. a £60 9600GT and wait to see what happens.
brand loyalty, while respectable, is usually only good for the brand. so if one specific brand is the best, stay with that brand. if that brand is not the best anymore, go away and return if they got themselves together. so yeah; ati is right now the way to go. and if you want to go nvidia; wait for fermi, maybe it is worth the wait. about your disk; how old is 'old'? because in nowadays computing, the hdd is still the bottleneck, so you want a hdd that is somewhat fast. i mean, a hdd no more than two-three years old. and your psu is a little bit overkill; 500watt should be enough. not that important but i thought i'd mention it.
True, but if he wants to swap out an old GPU for a future dual GPU card he'll be able to keep the power supply instead of having to get a new one.
Yeah i know its a bit overkill but its only about £10 more for a 650w than a 500w on Overclockers at the moment. Will the PSU fit in the Antec 300 as ive heard that some PSUs dont fit too well. HDD is no more than 2 years old, though will see if i can stretch the budget a bit. Is the 5850 much different from the 5700 series?
Hi potts141, The Fenrir puts the actual heat sink part high above the motherboard so will fit almost anything. However, your case is only 185mm wide. It won't fit. How about an AKASA AK-968 X4? It's smaller and cheaper. Another friend of mine has an i5 system and this cooler does the job fine.
