Never-ending search for the perfect case...any help? (water-cooled setup)

Xylo · 07-15-2005, 09:01 AM

No matter how much I search and search, I seem to never be able to find the "perfect" PC case (without *some* sort of modifications, which I am going to be doing anyway, but I'd like certain specs to *start* for various reasons)....I've searched high and low, and every case seems to not quite meet one of my specs somehow. Anyone know of any cases I may have missed? Obviously, this is for a water-cooled PC, and so some of my specs are based off my own prefs for using such...but in any case...

Ideal case specs:
a) Mid-Tower (height & width)
b) All aluminum
c) 1 120mm front fan
d) 1 120mm rear fan (or 2 120mm rear fans)
e) Large clear side window (no tinting and no obstructive/small shapes)
f) No side panel fans or blow-hole fans
g) Available in black
h) IEEE 1394 + 2 audio + 1 USB (or more) in front or on top
i) At least 4 external 5.25” bays and 1 external 3.5”
j) Under $175
k) eATX support preferred, but not necessary
l) On wheels/casters or “legs” would be nice, but not necessary
m) No included PSU and limited included fans (would prefer to buy separate)
n) Weight under 17lbs.
o) Must fit an ATX motherboard

(don’t really care about tool-less design…)

These req.s are to obviously varying degrees. If a case is a couple of inches bigger than a standard mid-tower, no big deal. If it doesn’t have a side window (e), but it is not hard to add one, that is ok (as long as the case doesn’t somehow *prohibit* such). Slightly flexible on the price (j). And I really would just like a “long/deep” case, but actual eATX support is not the main goal (k). If the case has a very unobvious blowhole (f) (like the Chenbro Gaming Bomb II), that’s ok…….. and so on…

Also, other requests, like (b) and (n), are obviously inter-related to some degree. Then there are other things I just don’t really care about, like “tool-less” designs, and such.

Every case seems to fail one of these criteria to some degree! Some of the closest I’ve found so far:
- ThermalTake Tsunami Dream: fails e (sort’ve), f (also, k, l)
- Chenbro Gaming Bomb II (unavail):fails j (f, sort’ve)
- Antec Peformance I P-160: fails g (also k, l)
- Lian-Li V1000: fails j, n? (also k)
- Lian-Li V1200: fails j, n?
- Silverstone Temjin TJ03*: fails j, d, n
- Silverstone Temjin TJ05*: fails j, b, d, n
- CM Stacker 810 (not out yet): fails a, n? (maybe j?)
- GigaByte Aurora 3D (not out yet): fails e (also k, l)
- Akasa Eclipse-62 (unavail): fails h (sort’ve) (also j (sort’ve))

(note: This is off the top of my head, so it might not be perfectly accurate.)

The Akasa Eclipse, Chenbro Gaming Bomb, TT Tsunami Dream, and Gigabyte Aurora seem the closest, but the first two can't be easily found to say the least, and the 4th isn't even out yet! (I suppose the Antec P-160 isnt' too far off either, but it just seems perhaps a bit cheap to me...but maybe I'm wrong?) The Lian-Li's & Silverstone's are nice, but expensive as all hell...and still not perfect...

I've looked at hundreds of other cases (obviously not listed here), but on the off chance I've missed one, anyone got any other recommendations?

Aside from that, anyone got any comparative comments about any of the above?

Any advice is much appreciated!
Xylo

(BTW, anyone got any links to any interesting pics of water-cooled Gaming Bomb II's or Akasa's?...or maybe even the Silverstone's?...and I don't think I've seen anything more than a 1-rad setup in a Tsunami -- anyone know of any pics of more?)

Tempus · 07-15-2005, 09:38 AM

The antec P180 might fit what you are looking for. I haven't tried it yet.

http://www.antec.com/us/productDetai...?ProdID=81800#

-----------

I have a Super Lanboy that I use for watercooling

http://www.antec.com/us/productDetails.php?ProdID=15001

Its not black and has no front firewire. Those are fairly easy to fix. I've mod my "parts bay" area and made a RES out of it. Plenty of room to run the cables down the side of the case and hide them. Very sturdy.

CYberDruid · 07-15-2005, 12:59 PM

Sonata? If if you eliminate the lower HDD cage and baymount them you'd be set--roomy floor plan--room for shroud or fan in front.

07-15-2005, 09:01 AM	#1
Xylo Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Cambridge, MA Posts: 14	Never-ending search for the perfect case...any help? (water-cooled setup) No matter how much I search and search, I seem to never be able to find the "perfect" PC case (without some sort of modifications, which I am going to be doing anyway, but I'd like certain specs to start for various reasons)....I've searched high and low, and every case seems to not quite meet one of my specs somehow. Anyone know of any cases I may have missed? Obviously, this is for a water-cooled PC, and so some of my specs are based off my own prefs for using such...but in any case... Ideal case specs: a) Mid-Tower (height & width) b) All aluminum c) 1 120mm front fan d) 1 120mm rear fan (or 2 120mm rear fans) e) Large clear side window (no tinting and no obstructive/small shapes) f) No side panel fans or blow-hole fans g) Available in black h) IEEE 1394 + 2 audio + 1 USB (or more) in front or on top i) At least 4 external 5.25” bays and 1 external 3.5” j) Under $175 k) eATX support preferred, but not necessary l) On wheels/casters or “legs” would be nice, but not necessary m) No included PSU and limited included fans (would prefer to buy separate) n) Weight under 17lbs. o) Must fit an ATX motherboard (don’t really care about tool-less design…) These req.s are to obviously varying degrees. If a case is a couple of inches bigger than a standard mid-tower, no big deal. If it doesn’t have a side window (e), but it is not hard to add one, that is ok (as long as the case doesn’t somehow prohibit such). Slightly flexible on the price (j). And I really would just like a “long/deep” case, but actual eATX support is not the main goal (k). If the case has a very unobvious blowhole (f) (like the Chenbro Gaming Bomb II), that’s ok…….. and so on… Also, other requests, like (b) and (n), are obviously inter-related to some degree. Then there are other things I just don’t really care about, like “tool-less” designs, and such. Every case seems to fail one of these criteria to some degree! Some of the closest I’ve found so far: - ThermalTake Tsunami Dream: fails e (sort’ve), f (also, k, l) - Chenbro Gaming Bomb II (unavail):fails j (f, sort’ve) - Antec Peformance I P-160: fails g (also k, l) - Lian-Li V1000: fails j, n? (also k) - Lian-Li V1200: fails j, n? - Silverstone Temjin TJ03: fails j, d, n - Silverstone Temjin TJ05: fails j, b, d, n - CM Stacker 810 (not out yet): fails a, n? (maybe j?) - GigaByte Aurora 3D (not out yet): fails e (also k, l) - Akasa Eclipse-62 (unavail): fails h (sort’ve) (also j (sort’ve)) (note: This is off the top of my head, so it might not be perfectly accurate.) The Akasa Eclipse, Chenbro Gaming Bomb, TT Tsunami Dream, and Gigabyte Aurora seem the closest, but the first two can't be easily found to say the least, and the 4th isn't even out yet! (I suppose the Antec P-160 isnt' too far off either, but it just seems perhaps a bit cheap to me...but maybe I'm wrong?) The Lian-Li's & Silverstone's are nice, but expensive as all hell...and still not perfect... I've looked at hundreds of other cases (obviously not listed here), but on the off chance I've missed one, anyone got any other recommendations? Aside from that, anyone got any comparative comments about any of the above? Any advice is much appreciated! Xylo (BTW, anyone got any links to any interesting pics of water-cooled Gaming Bomb II's or Akasa's?...or maybe even the Silverstone's?...and I don't think I've seen anything more than a 1-rad setup in a Tsunami -- anyone know of any pics of more?)

07-15-2005, 09:38 AM	#2
Tempus Cooling Savant Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Michigan, USA Posts: 456	The antec P180 might fit what you are looking for. I haven't tried it yet. http://www.antec.com/us/productDetai...?ProdID=81800# ----------- I have a Super Lanboy that I use for watercooling http://www.antec.com/us/productDetails.php?ProdID=15001 Its not black and has no front firewire. Those are fairly easy to fix. I've mod my "parts bay" area and made a RES out of it. Plenty of room to run the cables down the side of the case and hide them. Very sturdy. __________________ Thou art God.

07-15-2005, 12:59 PM	#3
CYberDruid Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Blue Ridge Mountains Posts: 44	Sonata? If if you eliminate the lower HDD cage and baymount them you'd be set--roomy floor plan--room for shroud or fan in front. __________________ Electronics are prefilled with factory smoke--if the smoke gets out they stop working--So Don't Let The Smoke Out!

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