So to get it out of the way here’s what I intend to cram into a case: https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/TCWFYd
Budget: $100 to $200.
Asside from the obvious factors (like fitting the GPU) I’m really only looking for 2 main things:
- Airflow, not looking for a fancy glass fronted case I’m just looking to minimize temperatures and maximize component health.
- Dust filters, magnetic for easy cleaning would best, same reasoning as above (2 cats in the house)
Basically I’m looking for something like a Liancool 207 only that case can’t fit my PSU and likely wouldn’t be happy with the cables to feed the Red Devil either. I’ve seen good things about the Fractal Focus 2 but its description as entry level has me worried if those good thermals stay good for this kind of GPU/CPU combo, its front filter is also reportedly not the greatest.
So I thought I’d ask you guys to help me pick a nice cold and dust free box to keep my magic thinking rocks/sand in.
Edit:
Thanks to everyone for the advice particularly putting me on to GamersNexus (looking at you @Durandal@lemmy.today) and encouraging me to look at more Fractal cases. Ended up going right to the top end of my Budget with a Fractal Design Torrent as it appears to have the best overall thermal performance. Figure its going to be worth it in the long run for that ultimate goal of maximizing component lifespan.
My two cats have not killed my North yet. It lacks a top dust filter. Front and bottom ones are easy to clean.
Available in Mesh and Tinted Glass in black or white depending on venders.
A true pleasure to build in.
And wood front Is really spiffy.
I was gonna start my new one this afternoon but…
I love Gamers Nexus’ reviews. Good in depth coverage and I’ve been happy with their advice.
I had a Coolermaster TD500 mesh for years and it has been great. It was decent build process, good thermals. Looked nice. Sturdy build.
It held up so well I was going to reuse it when I upgraded, but ended up giving the whole pc to someone else that needed one and built a new one almost from scratch. I almost got the Antec one that GN recommended, because of price and because I wanted to get a larger case since I was adding a water cooled CPU rad. I ended up getting a good deal on a Lian Li o11 vision. I’ve been super happy with it. I sorta wish it had a top vent as well but it isn’t lacking in air flow. It allows me to put 3 x 140mm fans on the bottom, the 360mm water cooler on the side panel, and and up to a 240 on the back panel. The fit and finish was decent and the build process was a breeze. Everything comes apart to allow access to building… the back fan panel removes entirely from it’s bracket so you can attach it to the radiator or fans then clips in to place with a latch. It has copious tie downs and routes for wires to the back build area. The motherboard attachment point actually can be moved up or down to accommodate different sized motherboards and GPUs a little easier. So far my thermals have been really good, so I’m happy with it. It sits in the $120-150 price range depending on trim options.
I like fractal cases. I would recommend the silent series however. Also I would say that the bigger of a case you can fit the less you have to worry about in the future
IMO you can’t go wrong with a Fractal case. I was super impressed when I assembled my current machine (Define case, IIRC). Everything about it was well-engineered and just a delight to work with.
I’m a big fan of Fractal’s Meshify 2 (or XL version depending on the parts). Easy to build in and clean, breathes well, tons of options for just about every configuration you could throw at it. I’ve used it for multiple builds and will always recommend it.
+1 for a Fractal Case. I’m still running my Fractal Arc Midi. Airfilters in the top, front and below and if you remove the extra drive bays you can probably fit GPUs up until the 8070 should Nvidia decide to grow their cards even further.
