Full tower PC cases

[LadyCrimson]

Anyone have recommendations? I mean, sure, you look on Amazon and they all sorta look the same in a way, it's a basic thing right, but are they?

I don't care about RGB lights as long as I can turn them off/disconnect wiring easily if I want. To go along with that, I don't like ones that are all glass/viewable.
Big and roomy/airflow with fans included, and I sure would like a case that feels like it's made out of relatively study pieces vs. sheets of super thin metal that twist/warp if you sneeze in their direction, causing case vibration issues before long, if you get what I mean (especially the sliding removable side covers). Size and weight (and price) doesn't matter too much to me as long as it's not ridiculously over the top for a desktop.

My current case is about 22" high, 21.5" deep and 9" wide and while overall it was decent I was unhappy with its warp-y side panels and crap HDD holders...

Still has to have at least a few HDD slots but I don't need tons of those. Oh and definitely front USB ports.

Edited May 11, 2022 by LadyCrimson

[Sarex]

https://www.fractal-design.com/products/cases/define/define-7-xl/black/

[majestic]

Gamers Nexus generally knows what they're talking about, there's some really hilarious teardowns on the channel too.

Edited May 11, 2022 by majestic

[Pidesco]

15 hours ago, LadyCrimson said:

Anyone have recommendations? I mean, sure, you look on Amazon and they all sorta look the same in a way, it's a basic thing right, but are they?

I don't care about RGB lights as long as I can turn them off/disconnect wiring easily if I want. To go along with that, I don't like ones that are all glass/viewable.
Big and roomy/airflow with fans included, and I sure would like a case that feels like it's made out of relatively study pieces vs. sheets of super thin metal that twist/warp if you sneeze in their direction, causing case vibration issues before long, if you get what I mean (especially the sliding removable side covers). Size and weight (and price) doesn't matter too much to me as long as it's not ridiculously over the top for a desktop.

My current case is about 22" high, 21.5" deep and 9" wide and while overall it was decent I was unhappy with its warp-y side panels and crap HDD holders...

Still has to have at least a few HDD slots but I don't need tons of those. Oh and definitely front USB ports.

https://www.antec.com/product/case/p101-silent

I bought one of these last year and I am really happy. Quite big and roomy, sturdy, not a window in sight.

[LadyCrimson]

Hmm, I like the no window antec look. I'd rather have the USB ports be on the front panel itself vs. on the top (wire angle thing) but I suppose I could live with that.

I probably should have mentioned that it does need to remain about 9" wide because I use one of the huge double wide Noctua cpu cooler thingies and much smaller it would hit the side panel or something.  But I think most full (mid?) towers are like that now anyway.

One of the two front intake fans of current case has been sporadic lately. I could just replace it but since the side panel vibration intermittently annoys me - leading me to bang on it like a drum, desperately stick foam around the edges and tape it to make it stop until it decides to randomly override all my efforts and do it again - I was thinking I would just get a whole new case instead.  >.>

Edited May 12, 2022 by LadyCrimson

[Humanoid]

The Antec is essentially a budget version of the Fractal Design Define 7. Besides better build quality in general, it adds niceties such as USB-C, and being able to switch which way the door swings open.

Since you're pretty partial to high-power components, I would expect you to want to run with the door open every time you play a system intensive game, so be sure you're okay with it possibly getting in the way. Otherwise I'd just grab a Meshify 2 instead, which is based on the same skeleton, but just has a standard mesh front, and there's a windowless version. There's also a compact version if the two 3.5" drive bays are sufficient for you.

(Note: do not get the Define 7 Compact, because unlike the full-sized version, it does not have a door. The solid front panel is permanent and therefore it's unsuitable for high-power builds.)

[LadyCrimson]

32 minutes ago, Humanoid said:

I would expect you to want to run with the door open every time you play a system intensive game, so be sure you're okay with it possibly getting in the way.

Oh...I did notice the swing door but didn't expect one would need to have it open for airflow on heavy usage. Thought it was just a way to access the fans without having to remove a panel off-case entirely. If heavy duty gaming on such cases would mean you'd want that door swung open all the time I wouldn't like that. I'll look at the Meshify 2.

I currently have 1 nvme, 1 sata SSD and two HDD's. Next rig I'll probably have all SSD's and no HDD's but not quite yet. And I do have a bluray/DVD player  (hardly ever used but I want it there) so has to have a spot for that etc. eg, I don't need 3 front intakes. And an internal sound card, adding to the height/space between hardware slots a little bit. If high end GPU's get too much "fatter/taller" I'm going to need an even taller/higher case.  >.>

Edited May 12, 2022 by LadyCrimson

[Sarex]

1 hour ago, Humanoid said:

The Antec is essentially a budget version of the Fractal Design Define 7. Besides better build quality in general, it adds niceties such as USB-C, and being able to switch which way the door swings open.

Since you're pretty partial to high-power components, I would expect you to want to run with the door open every time you play a system intensive game, so be sure you're okay with it possibly getting in the way. Otherwise I'd just grab a Meshify 2 instead, which is based on the same skeleton, but just has a standard mesh front, and there's a windowless version. There's also a compact version if the two 3.5" drive bays are sufficient for you.

(Note: do not get the Define 7 Compact, because unlike the full-sized version, it does not have a door. The solid front panel is permanent and therefore it's unsuitable for high-power builds.)

Do you think she would need to do that on the XL? Although I think she is running the NH-D15 so yeah Meshify 2 would be better in that scenario.

[Humanoid]

5 minutes ago, Sarex said:

Do you think she would need to do that on the XL? Although I think she is running the NH-D15 so yeah Meshify 2 would be better in that scenario.

They're not fundamentally different in terms of airflow so I probably still wouldn't do it. But a hard requirement for a optical drive makes things messy, because cases that still have the 5.25" bay tend more towards the budget end. The Cooler Master NR600 is an example of a decent case with optical bay, but Cooler Master in general have really been dragging their feet in terms of adding USB-C ports.

Of course, you could get the Define 7 and just remove the door, but dunno if that's too ugly of a solution. Maybe settle for an external 5.25" enclosure (instead of buying a complete external drive)?

[Sarex]

2 minutes ago, Humanoid said:

They're not fundamentally different in terms of airflow so I probably still wouldn't do it. But a hard requirement for a optical drive makes things messy, because cases that still have the 5.25" bay tend more towards the budget end. The Cooler Master NR600 is an example of a decent case with optical bay, but Cooler Master in general have really been dragging their feet in terms of adding USB-C ports.

Of course, you could get the Define 7 and just remove the door, but dunno if that's too ugly of a solution. Maybe settle for an external 5.25" enclosure (instead of buying a complete external drive)?

Personally would just buy an external reader.

Edited May 12, 2022 by Sarex

[LadyCrimson]

1 hour ago, Sarex said:

Personally would just buy an external reader.

I already have what feels like a bajillion external USB "things" that could fill 2-3 bookshelves or 3-4 deep drawers in a tangled piled up mess and the last thing I really want is yet more that I always have to hunt for when I want them. But yeah I've noticed for a while that "no drive bays" has become dominant in case designs. Pfft.

The one I bought in 2019 was this Corsair Obsidian 750D one, at the time about $150USD.  It was perfectly fine/seemed awesome for six months or so until it started the bzzzzzt vibration stuff. I think the HDD drive bays rattle too much - I don't feel like those plastic pinchers everything uses now, or the actual thin material bays keep them stable or level enough - which makes the warped side panel ( which got more warped every time I took it off etc) buzz. I suppose I could just get all SSD's now and maybe that would solve that aspect, but they're still so expensive for a lot of TB's.

1 hour ago, Humanoid said:

USB-C ports.

Am I going to need whatever those are any time soon. Nothing I have at the moment cares about anything other than what's on that Corsair and I'm not especially concerned with super-uber-speed USB. Whatever I have is already "good enough".

Edited May 12, 2022 by LadyCrimson

[Sarex]

9 minutes ago, LadyCrimson said:

I already have what feels like a bajillion external USB "things" that could fill 2-3 bookshelves or 3-4 deep drawers in a tangled piled up mess and the last thing I really want is yet more that I always have to hunt for when I want them. But yeah I've noticed for a while that "no drive bays" has become dominant in case designs. Pfft.

I can see that being an issue. Point taken.

9 minutes ago, LadyCrimson said:

The one I bought in 2019 was this Corsair Obsidian 750D one, at the time about $150USD.  It was perfectly fine/seemed awesome for six months or so until it started the bzzzzzt vibration stuff. I think the HDD drive bays rattle too much - I don't feel like those plastic pinchers everything uses now, or the actual thin material bays keep them stable or level enough - which makes the warped side panel ( which got more warped every time I took it off etc) buzz. I suppose I could just get all SSD's now and maybe that would solve that aspect, but they're still so expensive for a lot of TB's.

I have the Corsair 760t and have the exact same vibration coming from the HDD (Use the same solution too). Those plastic holders are really bad. The bigger issue for me (apart from the case red light swastika fans which I replaced with noctua's) is that the case fan controller button is becoming less and less responsive. At one point I'll switch the fans to the MB or the OC panel that came with the MB (which also has a fan controller button)

[Pidesco]

3 hours ago, Humanoid said:

The Antec is essentially a budget version of the Fractal Design Define 7. Besides better build quality in general, it adds niceties such as USB-C, and being able to switch which way the door swings open.

Since you're pretty partial to high-power components, I would expect you to want to run with the door open every time you play a system intensive game, so be sure you're okay with it possibly getting in the way. Otherwise I'd just grab a Meshify 2 instead, which is based on the same skeleton, but just has a standard mesh front, and there's a windowless version. There's also a compact version if the two 3.5" drive bays are sufficient for you.

(Note: do not get the Define 7 Compact, because unlike the full-sized version, it does not have a door. The solid front panel is permanent and therefore it's unsuitable for high-power builds.)

 

I never open the door even when playing demanding games. I don't find heat to be a problem. It is a bit of a dust trap though.

[Humanoid]

13 minutes ago, Pidesco said:

 

I never open the door even when playing demanding games. I don't find heat to be a problem. It is a bit of a dust trap though.

Sure, but we know the lady doth love a 4080Ti or something else of that calibre.

[Pidesco]

Well the Vega 64 I'm currently using isn't exactly cool either.

 

Yes, I'm here to defend the honor of a GPU that isn't even mine.

[LadyCrimson]

If I play a modern "big graphic" game for an hour or two the overall ambient temp of my room (closed door) goes up 7-12 degrees (F), maybe more if it's warm weather/longer play time. Sacramento is going to have a lot more 90+F/32+C days then where we were, as well, so a single AC unit may be hard pressed at keeping (gaming) ambient room temp at or below 78F/25.5C.  Not sure yet. I know further south, when it did occasionally reach 90-100F, AC helped but it does not make the room "cold" either, then add all that PC/game heat and.... 

[Pidesco]

8 minutes ago, LadyCrimson said:

If I play a modern "big graphic" game for an hour or two the overall ambient temp of my room (closed door) goes up 7-12 degrees (F), maybe more if it's warm weather/longer play time. Sacramento is going to have a lot more 90+F/32+C days then where we were, as well, so a single AC unit may be hard pressed at keeping (gaming) ambient room temp at or below 78F/25.5C.  Not sure yet. I know further south, when it did occasionally reach 90-100F, AC helped but it does not make the room "cold" either, then add all that PC/game heat and.... 

If you use only Celsius you'll find that the temperature goes up fewer degrees thus being clearly cooler.

[Azdeus]

5 hours ago, Pidesco said:

Well the Vega 64 I'm currently using isn't exactly cool either.

 

Yes, I'm here to defend the honor of a GPU that isn't even mine.

[Blodhemn]

https://www.newegg.com/black-phanteks-enthoo-pro-atx-full-tower/p/N82E16811854003?Item=N82E16811854003&Description=Phanteks Enthoo Pro&cm_re=Phanteks_Enthoo Pro-_-11-854-003-_-Product&quicklink=true

I got this for my recent build. 200mm fan in front, 140mm fan in back. It's a huge case in height and width and allows for some serious CPU fan options. My CPU stays in low 30C. A double tray bay that you can slide in or out - i took one out to allow for more air to pass through. USB and audio connections up front. There is a closed window option if you look. Great case for the price. 

It's 9.25" wide and my Noctua NH-D15S fits inside nicely.

Edited May 15, 2022 by Blodhemn

[Bokishi]

I been doing corsair cases for 5 years now, and first thing I do is toss the hdd holders; hdds are so ancient and will bring your system down. If I need extra cheap space I use an external usb 3 drive or something.

You can also look into setting up a server drive. I have a 20tb NAS setup where I keep movies and share files between PCs. 

Edited May 16, 2022 by Bokishi

[LadyCrimson]

5 hours ago, Bokishi said:

If I need extra cheap space I use an external usb 3 drive or something.

I have like 4 of those things already, as well as an HDD reader device (for old HDD's removed from no longer existing PC's), although most of such are largely used for repeating file/system backups (I'm a "backs up twice" sort as well as liking to separate storage disc into different categories vs. smorgasbord discs). Which (can) leads back to the issue of too many USB devices to hunt for.

I dunno if I quite need a server, or if that's a method I'd even like (maybe if I built two or three), but even if I had four internal 4TB sata SSD's, I'd still need double that just for the backups and plenty of temporary massive video writing space and ...

 

Edit: ... when did I become like this...

Edited May 16, 2022 by LadyCrimson

[Blodhemn]

I have 4 SSD's and use each for specific things to try and extend the life out of them. 4 external HDD's for data/backups and only switch on when needed, etc. Really hated waiting for disc to spin up once getting used to SSD.

[LadyCrimson]

On 5/16/2022 at 4:55 PM, Blodhemn said:

Really hated waiting for disc to spin up once getting used to SSD.

Yeah, that's why external HDD's are storage only - not going to leave them plugged in 24/7 so that power/spin on time. 
...I don't have any issues with internal HDD's tho - outside of cheap vibrating holders haha - at least for storage or certain "working" purposes. Sure they're slower but I don't install programs on them. Main thing is they're cheaper for TB's - well, vs. higher quality SSD's. Never tried an uber cheap SSD.

I miss the heavier duty all metal/steel/whatever cases of the old days where you could stick a heavy CRT monitor on top of them (the horizontal ones not towers obviously) and they didn't warp at all.

[Blodhemn]

Yeah, most things have gone cheap these days. Disposable world. Hard to even buy a good set of tools. Can't even buy good products even if you wanted to spend the extra $$$.