Case Questions

[Kelly]

Hi,

Not sure if this is the right section to post this question in, sorry if it isn’t.

I have only had two cases for my main rig since 2002, a Lian Li PC-60 and a PC-65B that I have now, I only got the PC-65B because the silver case got so dirty from constant tinkering and it was hard to clean good.

I have had this case through many upgrades and a few that were all new components except for the case, the case has been great up until the last few builds, (especially this last one). PSU's, graphics cards and Air cooling for CPU's are getting HUGE and it is starting to get really crowded in there and I would like to get a mid-tower with more room or a full tower.

I'm thinking of getting something other than a Lian Li if I can find what I want. But it seems that most of the other brands of aluminum cases I've looked into only have heavy gauge aluminum on certain parts like the front cover, and all the spec sheets I have read don't seem to list the gauge of aluminum used in the construction, so I was hoping some of you might be able to help me out with some suggestions on what brands to look at.

I really want the case to be made entirely out of heavy gauge aluminum and possibly have a removable MB tray (not a big deal if I get a full tower). Removable HDD and PSU cages would be nice too. But one of the main things is heavy gauge aluminum construction and good airflow.

Thanks for your time...

[Kelly]

I happened to find a link on this site to Xoxide.com and that site seems to have a lot of the info that other places I've looked were lacking.

Would still appreciate any suggestions for a good aluminum case.

[dgrmkrp]

hmm... are you sure you want to steer away from lian li? I don't have one but if I could afford one / find one.. I would go for the big ones lian li makes, the v1000 and v2000 series... I suppose..

Other big cases I've seen are the cooler master stacker monster (aluminum), a silver kandalf or armor from Thermaltake.. or maybe an antec nine hundred (steel, but I like it)?

Try to search some more, on other sites too...

[Spawn-Inc]

here is a link (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010090007+1054808289+1055007957+1295819209&name=No) to newegg for full tower aluminum cases.

[Kelly]

Thanks for the link but I looked there already and that’s my problem, most of those cases part heavy gauge aluminum and part light gauge, or not specified and I can't tell from the photos.

For instance the Gigabyte Aurora has a nice heavy gauge aluminum detachable face but the rest of the case is very thin aluminum, same with some of the Thermaltake cases I think.

I think lian-li is like 4+mm frame with 1mm body/panels, the entire case is heavy gauge aluminum and I mean everything, even 1/2"x4" door that covers the USB ports is made of 1mm aluminum.

Guess I'll have to spend the $$ and get a Lian-Li or Silverstone if I can find one in my price range, before I bought my first Lian-Li I was using basically the cheapest case I could get, brand did not matter, so I don't have much experience with other brands of cases. I also like hearing from people that have actually used the stuff for awhile as opposed to basing my decision fully on what tech reviews say.

Thanks for your help :)

[.Maleficus.]

Welcome to the forums Kelly!

As you've noticed, I think that if you are set on a heavy-gauge case, your options are limited. A Google search for "heavy gauge aluminum computer case" yielded mostly results about Lian-Li cases. Does it have to be heave-gauge? Have you tried anything else? There are some really, really nice cases that are thinner, but really solidly made and sturdy. For me, when I think of something sturdy, I think Tt. The Armor case just looks like a monster. It does have steel in the construction, but if you're looking for sturdy that's it. Otherwise, this is your best bet. (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163060) It is $300, but that's what you're looking for, right? Full tower, aluminum (thick), not silver.

Hope that helps!

[Spawn-Inc]

or you can build a case if you have the tools and a place to get the raw goods.

[Kelly]

Yes it's becoming clear that to get what I want, I have basically 4 choices that I'm aware of, and are what I'm looking for, Lian Li, Silverstone, so Tt's or build my own.

The Tt Armor is one I've looked at a lot, and I really like it, I'll probably go with that or maybe a Lian Li Vseries. Considering I had this last case for 4 years and it still looks almost new, spending $250-350 is not that big of a deal.


Thanks for your help everyone.

[Redundant]

As the others have said, the Lian-Li and Silverstone cases are the sturdiest cases out there.

You might want to look for some empty Apple desktop cases (G5, Mac Pro) as they are also use pretty thick metal.

[Kelly]

Redundant,

Thanks for the heads up, I read an article in PC Gamer a while back about them selling cases, it said they were good quality too. I'll have to check them out.

Thanks

[Zephik]

Nzxt Adamas (http://www.thebestcasescenario.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9500).

Some people like it, some people don't. Thats all I'll say. ^_^