I think i've narrowed it down to two. A second case for my home server. It will have 3 hard drives, the rest is your standard PC set up. The coolermaster being the better make? http://www.ebuyer.com/product/151368 But.. the casecom having the option for a top mounted fan. http://www.ebuyer.com/product/239058 Does a top mounted fan improve the airflow that much?
Used the Coolermaster Elite 335 in a budget build for my old man. It's actually a very nice case and looks pretty 'professional.' The cooling is adequate for a budget build that won't be overclocked or used for heavy gaming. I picked mine up for £23.99 on Scan's today only deals so keep an eye out there too. Don't forget we get free delivery from Scan being a member of these forums. Here's what I would say are decent low budget cases: CM Elite 330: http://www.scan.co.uk/products/coolermaster-elite-330-black-silver-midi-tower-case-w-o-psu CM Elite 334: http://www.scan.co.uk/products/coolermaster-elite-334-black-midi-tower-case-w-o-psu CM Elite 335: http://www.scan.co.uk/products/coolermaster-elite-335-black-mini-tower-case-w-o-psu These are essentially the same chassis just different front bezels so take your pick. There's also: Xigmatek Asgard: http://www.scan.co.uk/products/xigm...ase-with-4x525-6x35-bays-inc-120mm-fan-no-psu CM Elite 370: http://www.scan.co.uk/products/coolermaster-elite-370-black-mid-tower-case-w-o-psu A bit of a step up from the others. Silverstone Precision PS04B: http://www.scan.co.uk/products/silverstone-precision-ps04b-all-black-mid-tower-case-w-o-psu CM Elite 430: http://www.scan.co.uk/products/cool...-side-window-120mm-front-led-blue-fan-w-o-psu Probably the best case if you can stretch to £35 would be the NZXT Beta Evo: http://www.scan.co.uk/products/nzxt-beta-evo-black-mid-tower-case-w-o-psu Plenty to think about anyway! Hope this helps.
Eeek, some of those are fugly! Yeah, a lot of people are mentioning the Coolermasters for the lower end cases. I did a build a year or so ago in an Antec 300 for a client, I didn't run any cooling tests though as it was build then deliver jobby. The antec 100 is nice, but a little over at £42. I was wondering if a top-mounted was the better option for cooling? Also, some rep for your sir! Nice long reply.
I almost bought the NZXT Beta Evo for my own build since it's a very good case for the money. Probably the best quality case at that kind of price range. The Antec 300 is a very good case for cooling (its the one I opted for eventually). It's probably a bit long in the tooth now and doesnt have great cable management. I had to drill several holes in mine to achieve a neat job. The 100 I would say has better features but I prefer the looks of the 300. If you mean a top mounted power supply then yes, I'd say this would provide additional cooling since it's like having another fan mounted in the top of your case. Most modern cases have the PSU mounted at the bottom though which keeps the PSU itself cooler but doesn't contribute to the airflow of the case. If you meant top mounted fan then again I would say this a plus for cooling. Heat rises naturally so I would say a fan mounted at the top of the case would be very effective. Cheers for the rep anyway and best of luck with whichever case you go with!
I'm now leaning more towards the Antec 100! It looks a very nice case and I've worked with the 300 in the past. The 100 also offers 2x 120mms in, and will be better quality than the casecom. For some reason I just dislike the coolermaster.
I've just bought a CiT case off of amazon for £37 (Linked below) That's fairly well cooled (1 Frontal fan and a side fan that are "Supposedly" temperature controlled) Its also not fugly if thats important to you (Own opinions obviously) I think the side fan may not give a great increase in the flow of air through the case however, you might be able to take it off and place it on the back next to the CPU where it'll be better used, but then it all depends on what sort of heat the system your putting in there is gonna build up? Build quality's decent but not excellent, worth the £37 its up for. http://www.amazon.co.uk/CiT-Mars-Bl...T8GO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304809989&sr=1-1
I built a system in an Antec 100 a few weeks ago, and I have a 300 myself. The 100 has much better cable management, a hole at back of motherboard for cooler bracket fitment and is all black inside. The rear and top fans also have speed control switches (2-speed) on the outside. However, the 300 feels better built and thicker. The front panel is more secure and it looks nicer, as the 100 has that stupid tray thing stuck on the top of it. I had to actually superglue a couple of the clips on the front panel of the 100 as it kept coming off.
I went with the 100, for my experience with the 300 it was a nice case, but there's no way I'd pay £50 for one. £40 seems like a good in the middle point as well as the 2x 120 intakes.
