Hi Guys, So I recently came into the possession of a GTX 980Ti, (actually won it at a Scan event, never won anything in my life! ) I have since sold my old graphics card and am looking at purchasing a new case as it's getting a little worst for ware. I would like a case with a little more airflow, and the potential to SLI the 980Ti in the future. I absolutely love my current case (Fractal Define R4) it's sleek, spacious and best of all is very quiet and cools respectably well. I would love to see the above features on the new case but with a few extras. Better cooling for single and multiple graphics cards. Viewing Window (This is not essential but I would like it.) Aluminium finish. (If possible.) Full ATX motherboard support. SSD Bracket Mounts and removable HDD cages. Current contenders: Corsair 450D http://www.corsair.com/en-gb/obsidian-series-450d-mid-tower-pc-case Silvertsone FT02 http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=242 Phanteks Enthoo Pro http://www.phanteks.com/enthoo-pro.html Obviously as much as you can rate a case from a feature point of view I know everybody has different preferences, for example I like sleek and subtle cases, whereas allot of people like the mean aggressive design. Any suggestions/advice would be greatly appreciated, and thanks as always!
I can personally recommend this case if you are looking for something similar to the R4. http://www.anandtech.com/show/6479/nanoxia-deep-silence-1-case-review-you-asked-for-it-you-got-it You can get it with a side window but then you'd lose the 140MM side fan area which I find very useful for keeping the GPU cool. Another handy feature is you can remove the top 5 drive bays (you can remove them all if needs be) and slot 3 of them (or 5) alongside the bottom 3 drivebays (along the bottom of the case) flush with the PSU, so that the higher front fan (and the top of the lower one) has nothing blocking the air from getting straight to your GPU. This makes a big difference in CPU and GPU temps. It does have full ATX support, as well as room for 2 sets of double radiators if you wanted to try watercooling at some point. I think something went wrong when Bit-tech reviewed this case, their temperature results are nothing like the rest of the reviews which say it is slightly cooler than the R4.
Hi Deders, Thanks for the recommendation, and the very useful advice. Can't say I have ever heard of the "Nanoxia Deep Silence 1" but I't don't look to bad at all. My only gripe is the aesthetics are very similar to the Fractal case and I was hoping for something a little different. I'm going to keep on looking but thanks very much for the recommendation.
I have had the Phanteks Enthoo Pro case for about 6 months now and its great. Addressing your points: I'm running SLI 760's at the moment with a PCI-e wireless card in and there is plenty of space. The 200mm fan in the front really helps the cooling and is very quiet. I also have a Corsair H60i and there is plenty of room for the radiator with both 120mm fans attached on the rear. I like the two window section on the case, you can get a decent view inside providing there is some kind of light source. They are perspex It's not full aluminium, the top and front are plastic but look like brushed aluminium. Both side panels are aluminium however. Space for 2 SSD mounts on the back of the motherboard, but it only comes with one. Both HDD cages are removable very easily to free up space. Clip mounts too so no fiddling with screws installing the drives. In addition: PSU cover - keeps spare cables hidden if you do not have a modular PSU (like me). Cable Management - loads of access points to the motherboard and ties on the reverse to keep everything in place. A decent amount of space between the case too so you can have a some overlap in the cables and still get the side panel on. Fan Controller - Centrally placed on the back of the motherboard bracket so you can reach it from almost anywhere you'd like to put a fan. Comes with a little case with loads of screws and cable ties, no need to worry if you have any lying around as there are plenty included. Can take a few photos after work if there's anything specific you would like to see that isn't easily visible in review articles. Can't compare to the other cases you've selected, but hope this helps!
I went from an FD Define to a 450D (via an Arc Midi). I really rate the 450D - good cooling, it's in the Corsair 'style', good cable management, and the scope for watercooling is good too. I found it a joy to build in
Consider the nzxt s340? It's a really fantastic case. I would easily pick it again over other cases on the market, even if having 3x the budget to use for a case.
Thanks for all the excellent suggestions guys. oh man this is going to be harder than I originally anticipated... so much choice!
Another vote for the NZXT S340, it's a stunning little case with such a nice and simple design... not to mention it's only £55 at most places. Here's a decent overview and look at the case from Linus: www.youtube.com/watch?v=65-pqVTykMc I'd say any recent case from NZXT and Phanteks is a good choice, in my view they're currently holding the gold standard for build quality.
Phanteks Enthoo EVOLV. Im a massive fan of the Phanteks Enthoo EVOLV series. Would love to have one my self. http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cases/2015/06/01/phanteks-enthoo-evolv-atx-review/4 OC3D gave this a floorless 10/10/10 http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/cases_cooling/phanteks_enthoo_evolv_matx_case_review/8
That Phanteks Enthoo EVOLV looks incredible! A shame the full ATX version is not available as yet. But I'm seriously considering holding out for the "Gun Metal ATX version"
By coincidence I have both the Fractal Design and the Enthoo Pro case you mention. They are both great, personally I especially like the Enthoo Pro - for the price its really good and surprisingly quiet. TBH I think all three on your list are good so you'll be happy. Chunks
I'd recommend the Silverstone Fortress lineup, as you've picked out the FT02, but the FT05 is also very good (I've the Raven 5, which is identical inside) if you want some really good cooling performance, but the cable management leaves a bit to be desired if you're not handy with zip ties and/or perseverance. The Phanteks enthoo pro is another really nice case, as is the enthoo luxe which is a bit more but has a real aluminium front panel as opposed to plastic effect, and also features an LED strip around the top side lip. The NZXT S340 is great if you want it small (The FT05 is small as well) and looks really clean, but may not have the biggest of cooling increases over the R4 due to the also blanked off front panel. The 450D is a decent case with good cooling, but I personally don't rate it as highly as others at the same price due to the odd looking airflow front panel, fairly flexy chassis (If you put some effort in) and I just think the dust filters are incredibly sub par for the price (But not everyone uses them or takes that into consideration). Just my pennies worth but I hope it helps a bit.
Just wanted to say thanks again for all the really helpful comments and suggestions. So after 3 days of what seems like solid case browsing the Winner is..... No freaking IDEA! It's driving me to the brink of insanity. (First world problems eh) I feel the PHANTEKS Enthoo Evolv ATX is a really strong contender, I absolutely love the case design and the awesome aluminium finish. Lack of an ODD is a bit frustrating but for the amount of times I use an ODD I can just substitute it for an external. I guess the only thing stopping me getting this case is the lack of availability (You can't get it) and confirmed release date. Anyway thanks again for all the suggestions, if anyone has any more please feel free to chuck them into the mix.
Hi Guys, Got a few questions about the Phanteks Enthoo Pro I'm hoping you could answer. Is the GPU cooling as good as bit tech's graph states with stock fans? link How quiet is the stock cooling in comparison to something like the R4? Does the case attract fingerprints and dust easily? Thanks guys!
