PDA

View Full Version : Tooless Cases



Indybird
10-09-2006, 07:03 PM
I officially declare I don't like tooless cases! They maybe handy for your average "I'm taking my old dell and putting it in a fancy case" people but for me they drive me crazy. I really don't mind screwing stuff in... Anyway I was wondering what everyone elses opinions on this were... :)

DaveW
10-09-2006, 07:23 PM
I don't get what you mean, not having bought a case in years. Do cases come with tools these days?

-Dave

MitaPi
10-09-2006, 08:45 PM
I like cases with tooless features but not completely tooless. I have a thing for thumb screws I guess lol. The main thing I like to be tooless is the PCI slots. Thats about it though.

Indybird
10-09-2006, 09:59 PM
Please excuse me if I am really bad at noticing if your are joking but just in case tooless cases are the ones that come with all the sliders and clips that make it so you don't have to use as many screwdrivers and such to install your components.

a.Bird
10-10-2006, 01:28 AM
On one hand, I'd much rather know that my components are screwed in nice and snug so they don't come loose... but on the other hand, my tower just sits on my desk all day so being able to push two tabs in to slide my optical drive in or out is wonderful. There is no reason to have to take off the back panel behind the mobo shield just to remove a drive. I love the PCI clips. Mine are really snug and really tight so the cards don't come loose, and I don't have random screws to worry about when I do a lot of importing/exporting.

simon275
10-10-2006, 03:41 AM
A mixture of the two is good I reckon. Thumbscrews are good if you need to get the side of the case off in a hurry while I won't trust some clip to hold my graphics card in place.

Omega
10-10-2006, 10:50 PM
My current case (Cooler Master Cavalier T-01) is tool-less and some of the things are a pain in the behind (mainly the expansion card holders), because it's mostly plastic. The mobo still needs screws, as does the PSU, and, of course, fans.

ArgentDawn, however, isn't tool-less (It's also from like, what, 1999?), which can make it a slight pain when you have to put things in and out constantly (which i haven't had to do yet, anyways.)

As far as the topic at hand goes, i'm pretty much neutral. I'll take the case if it looks nice to me.

nil8
10-11-2006, 02:15 AM
If I'm slapping together a system without modding or for someone else, tooless all the way.

If I'm modding or building a project for me, tooled cases. They're often more flexible, easier to modify and have less chance of incompatible parts.

I'm neutral as well, but this is a modding forum, so I voted for tooled cases.

m4gnum
10-11-2006, 12:17 PM
If you've ever had to fix more than two computers in a day, tool-less cases are a god send. They save so much time, and I'm lazy so that's good.

Indybird
10-11-2006, 03:41 PM
I'd have to agree with you guys. If you have to work on more than one computer (that isn't your own) then tooless is nice. However, I like the flexibility of traditional tool cases. My main problems with tooless are the drive bays because they are only compatible with disk drives and expansion slot clips because they are typically weak.

Crimson Sky
10-11-2006, 05:18 PM
If you've ever had to fix more than two computers in a day, tool-less cases are a god send. They save so much time, and I'm lazy so that's good.


OT but dude I really like that Tardis case ya made. :up: :up:

ScoutV2
10-13-2006, 09:44 PM
I like a mixture of tooless and traditional. I currently have a tooless case. I don't mind my pci slots being tooless, but like the hard drives to be secured with screws. The last CM case I had with tooless drives was a bit iffy when it came to cinching down the HD. I never had an accidents with the drive slipping out, but it was loose on more than one occasion after lugging it back and forth to a lan. Tooless cases are more convenient though, and it ultimately led to the purchase of another despite the aforementioned prob. Hadn't had the same problem with this case............

ScoutV2

bigbaddog
10-14-2006, 09:56 AM
I agree with Indybird....in most cases (pun?:neutral:) there is no reason for a case to be toolless. I custom build computers all the time and have several myself, and I seldom swap out CD drives, pci cards, etc. If I do, I have a screwdriver, several in fact. I like knowing that my components are secure with metal screws instead of plastic latches. Especially a LAN Party box that might get a little abuse. But I sell many cases that use "tooless" as a selling point, but personally I don't get it.

Chingas
10-15-2006, 03:18 AM
Call me Switzerland or call me what you will. Pros/Cons. Advantages/Disadvantages. It's all in the eye of the beholder, and that my friends are us. If I build a case from the ground up, i'll devise one or two tooless methods just for creative sake. But at the same token, call me old school, but the feel of a screwdriver in hand, euals tools, and tools equal work, and work is what modding is partialy about. I like tool nec. cases. Full on tooless seems a little chinsey to me. Tho, i have to admit, my new case I guess you could say has a hybrid hd rack, that requires tools and clips, call it a safeguard but i like the idea. On the other hand, as others have noted, i have pulled many a friends pc's apart, and for a quick job doing more than two pc's, tooless is nice but if you are quick with a screwdriver, you can do it in almost the same time.


---Chingas---

nzcubey
10-16-2006, 05:14 AM
i have to say i detest screwless cases, i like having screwless side panels, but for hardirves and pci cards and optical drives, cant beat the good old screw. My friend just brought the Thermaltake Armour Jr, and i must say, it is the WORST case ive even layed my eyes on, its so friggin flimsy, he hasnt even got all his components yet, and hes already broken two pci clips. the front flappy things are like floppy elephant ears, just totally unaceptable, whats worse is, that because the way they have designed the armour jr, you cant actually use screws, unless you do some kind of mod and if you guys know your prices, youll know that this case cost ALOT, it cost my friends $280 NZD, not entirely sure how much taht is in USD, but if its really bothering you google a currency coverter.

Sorry bout the rave, just furious he spent that much on a case, then bitches he doesnt have enuff money to get his graphics now.

podpet24
10-24-2006, 12:36 AM
I'm gonna have to side with traditional cases. I just like the fact that I'm the one that determines how loose something is in my case. Plus, you can't improve your finger dexterity with tool-less cases. To me, it's all about being able to actually work on what you're working on, if that makes sense.

The only tool-less case I've ever worked on wasn't bad. I mean, it was a newer dell, so I guess they had the resources to make it somewhat feasible. It was kinda a letdown to think I was about to unscrew some parts this monster dell, only to find that I only had to pop a couple of plastic pieces to get what I needed.

Airbozo
10-24-2006, 03:55 AM
I'm gonna have to side with traditional cases. I just like the fact that I'm the one that determines how loose something is in my case. Plus, you can't improve your finger dexterity with tool-less cases. To me, it's all about being able to actually work on what you're working on, if that makes sense.

The only tool-less case I've ever worked on wasn't bad. I mean, it was a newer dell, so I guess they had the resources to make it somewhat feasible. It was kinda a letdown to think I was about to unscrew some parts this monster dell, only to find that I only had to pop a couple of plastic pieces to get what I needed.

Hehe I actually like this about the dells, since I am always fixing something... Stupid server farm...

Toolless is nice in the data center where trained professionals do their magic. But give me screws and locks for the desktops so some bonehead expert user won't try and replace or "fix" something. I have even resorted to using security screws on some users systems.

http://www.hudsonfasteners.com/sec/sec_sp_phms.htm

klingelton
10-24-2006, 06:51 AM
Sorry bout the rave, just furious he spent that much on a case, then bitches he doesnt have enuff money to get his graphics now.


hmmmmmmm

when building a new computer, especially for games, go for funtion over beauty. beauty can come with time where function is needed to be immidiate for the machine to carry out its purpose. What your mate is gonna end up doing now is skimping a few quid (dollars) on the GPU in order to recoup his losses on a crappy case, thereby making the reason for building the computer in the first place obsolete.

This is my system for building a games machine:-

1) Graphics - most important part of a games machine. without a good graphics card, you can kiss high FPS goodbye
2) Motherboard - you need a motherboard with plenty of scope for upgrade. Since your machine is primarily for games, and games are evolving rapidly, requiring more and more power with each new incarnation, you will need extra slots for more ram, dual PCI express, physx cards, plenty of space for Pata/Sata drives (games eat up HDD space)
3) chip - get the best you can reasonably afford, this will help to add a few frames per sec
4) Ram - don't plump for the crappy value ram, or the bottom of the range stuff, you're running cutting edge software on your machine, give it a treat. Get the best ram you can possibly afford.
5)PSU - you need something to power this beast. bare in mind that if you don't already have dual GFX cards, physx cards, 6 sata hdd, some point in the future, you might. get the PSU that will power it all. 600w on the box doesn't mean that your pc will draw as much power as a fair ground ride all the time, that's the output at peak performace

6) make your case pretty - this is where the fun starts.