Hi, I'm looking for a case under £80 that will hold a GTX 460 and an i5 760, both of which I will be overclocking. Cooling is of importance here, but I dont mind how loud the case is. I have looked at a few such as the CM 690 II Advanced, as well as the Xigmatek Usgard, HAF 912 and Fractal Design R3 , but I am still completely undecided. Care to offer any suggestions?
It's not a question of which case is best but which case is best for you. As you don't seem to care about noise (personally this is one of the most important things for me in a PC) i'd immediately discount the Fractal Design, it's a great case but focuses on great noise-dampening rather than great cooling. The CM 690 II is a great all-round case and is highly recommmended by many. The Xigmatek Utgard will give you a bit better value for money & the included fan controller is a great feature (I have the Utgard myself). HAF 912 seems to be another great value all-round offer but personally I hate the styling of the HAF line of cases. You've pretty much picked out the top cases in this category but i'd also recommend you have a look at the Antec 902 which, while being quite old, offers some of the best cooling available.
Yes, the CPU will be air cooled I quite like the look of the CM 690 II, but I was uncertain on how efficient it is in terms of airflow.
I was considering the Xigmatek Utgard as well. How good is it in terms of cooling? I've read that the 902 can quite cramped?
You can see the cooling performance of all three in Bit Tech's 912 Plus Review. They also mention that they don't particularly notice any lack of space in the 912. All the cases suggested are mid-towers so are going to have a similar amount of space inside.
Thanks for the link. In my opinion, it is now a decision between: Xigmatek Utgard, Antec 902 and CM 960 II.
After some consideration, I have decided it is now the CM 960 II or the Xigmatek Utgard. Does anyone have any experience with these? Also worth a mention is that I will also be using a Titan Fenrir as my CPU cooler. Will this fit into both?
Yes both cases will fit the Titan Fenrir. I have the Utgard and I must say it is a very nice case although they are both very similar in terms of cooling and design. If I were you I think looking at the price points, and general pictures of the case would be the best thing. Here are some links: Xigmatek Utgard On scan.. Bit Tech review Xigmatek website CM 690 II Coolermaster CM 690 II Lite Coolermaster CM 690 Pure Coolermaster CM 690 II Advanced The Coolermaster CM 690 II Advanced is the best cm 690 ii by quite a chunk.
I have a Coolermaster CM 690 II Advanced and I think it's an awesome case. Comes with 3 fans, but there is room for so many more. Like another 7 or 8 fans can be fitted about the case. That's a lot of potential airflow. Personally I just added another 140mm fan in the floor of the case as an intake to balance the airflow out a bit.
I've had both, the CM690 II edges it with the hard disk dock Secondly some of the lads on here have had problems with the fan controller panel heating up to one degree or another which is cause for concern, it may be a stray batch but is something to bare in mind none the less.
Thanks alot guys! I'm now swaying more towards the CM 960 II Advanced, being as it has great cooling potential, and that outside dock would come in very handy
Personally, if it was my £80, i would go for the lovely Lian Li pc-60fnwb Lian Li cases are really well made. This one looks rather good and I love the side window. You can also get a nice aluminium cover for a dvd drive that fits in well with the case. As for HD docks. How offten do you change a hard drive? also changin a hard drive in a case like this only takes a couple of minutes.
With a dock you don't need to change anything. Great for if you got a spare and want to back something up or take it to a mates house. Or if a mate comes round with some goodies to share on his HD. 2 seconds it's in. Rather than faffing about turning the machine off and taking the side off and taking a disc out to make room and FAFF,FAFF, FAFF. The LianLi is nice naturally, but its insides are silver. I look at cases which have silver inside now and they just look wrong..even polished alu looks lame compared to a case that is all the same finish. --- Also 690 II Adv looks better than the Utgard and if you actually want/need a fan controller you are better off buying a decent one yourself IMO.
Best case for £120? As I'm now getting an i3, my budget for the case has increased to £120, preferably £110. I've been looking at the CM Storm Sniper here. Has anyone used this case or can recommend an alternative under £120? Thanks.
At that budget i'd straight away recommend the Silverstone Raven RV02: http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cases/2010/09/09/silverstone-raven-rv02-review/1 An awesome case for £100, great cooling and features and looks pretty nice IMO. The only reason you might not want it is if you really have something against the rotated motherboard design.
Thanks for the link. Looks like a fantastic case, although it's a bit outside my budget at the moment
