Case Upgrade

Hardware Build a PC
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I'm looking to upgrade my PC case, possibly, anyway, the two main things I'd want from the case is silence, and plenty of drive bays (5 ~ 7 wouldn't need more than 7. I currently have 2xSSD 2xHDD and I may get another drive) and preferably 1~2 optical drive bay slots.

I've been looking at something like the Be Quiet! Dark Base 900 Full Tower case, looks good, and it seems to have plenty of nice features, like a fan controller and a discrete 2.5" drive bay. In addition to that, the case also has two optical drive bays, which is ideal for me. But I'm not sure how good the case actually is, I mean I could watch a review, but a lot of reviews these days tend to try and sell the product 'cause of sponsors. I mean I don't see a great deal of reviews mention a lot of negative points.

Can you guys recommend anything?

I'm not going to be a fanboy to any brands, like I have done in the past, cause I've found that with the huge companies like Corsair, yeah the products aren't bad, but you can probably get a better deal for the same cost. best case I've had so far was an old NZXT case, can't remember the model or anything. I'm currently using the Corsair 200R and I was quite disappointed, I know it's a cheaper end case anyway, so I couldn't set expectations too high.

I also eventually plan on upgrading my internals too, but I think I'm going to wait till the next generation of products to come out. Do you guys think that sounds like a good idea? - I've currently got a fairly high spec system as it is, so it's not like I'm suffering with a low spec system or anything, it can run and do anything I throw at it to say the least. It's not like I need to upgrade any components yet.

=== EDIT ===

I'll also be upgrading the likes of my keyboard and mouse sometime very soon, could you guys give my input on keyboards. I currently have the corsair K70, with red switches, and I'm really disappointed in the whole 'mechanical keyboards are the best' thing. Yeah, it's not bad, but it's nothing to go nuts about in my personal opinion, I like the keyboard itself however, like the mechanical volume controller and the multimedia buttons. But you could get that with a good old membrane keyboard too.

Then as for my screen(s). I plan on upgrading my two 1080p monitors to an ultra-wide 4k monitor, but I'd use it at 1440p, would you guys say that's a good idea, or would you guys go more for the 2 monitor thing. I love having multiple monitors for work, but for gaming, I'm just not that kinda guy, I much prefer sing the 1 screen, the fact that there's a bezel in the way bugs the hell out of me, even if the bezel is tiny. So an ultrawide monitor sounds great for gaming, but I have no idea how good they'd be for productivity?

Anyone with an ultra wide monitor that's a productive PC user, please let me know how good they are for development and all sorts of work. I would imagine it's not that bad, but I don't actually know, hence why I'm asking.

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People will say Define R5... I don't really like that case. I love NZXT H440... It fits...
Silent base is... Weird...
PS:
So you want multiple monitors for work and single for gaming? Where is the issue? If you ask me - single large 1440p middle for gaming, side monitors 1080p to help with the real-estate for work...
Don't go 4K and play 20-40fps... Just get 1440p and play with 60+FPS.

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I've got to give it to NZXT that they make some lovely stuff, the quality seems pretty awesome. I do find some features of the Silent base a big odd, like the wireless charging thing. Like that does not interest me at all, and I'd have to get the plain black one personally, I like quite plain looking cases, I like the 'minimal' look.

Only problem with the H440 (if it's the case I'm thinking about), there's no optical drive bays? Aren't they replaced with fan slots? I will literally need at least one, I'd prefer 2, but I mean I could very easily live with just the one, I'd only use the second for additional USB slots.

And yes, for the additional comment, I'd love a wide monitor for gaming, but I love having more monitors for my development work. And if I did get a 4K monitor, I can assure you I would not be gaming in 4K, I'm not sure about the newest gen GPU's, I haven't looked at them too much, but I know my graphics card would be dying at 4k. I have the GTX 780, it's great for everything I do, no need for anything more.

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One feature about the Silent Base is the PSU deal, like what's going on there, and I'm not sure how I feel about the motherboard being mounted upside down. Apparently you can flip it, but seems like a silly feature to me to be honest.

Also, talking about weird cases, have you seen the In-Win H-Tower full tower aluminium motorized case, you'd have to be a nut case to buy it in my opinion, but it's just well, wtf. That''s literally my reaction to it, just wtf.

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Oh, if you want weird cases, Lian Li is making a lot of those.
Anyways, Define R5 is fitting your bill nicely.

8 HDD slots, 2 ODD bays... Silent and simplistic. I don't like the roof, i don't like some other design choices they have made, but whatever, the functionality you are looking for is right here.

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Seems like it is the perfect fit I guess, and yeah I know, Lian Li make some dodgy stuff, from desk cases to cases that are like boats.

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And trains, and Japanese pagoda...

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Touché, I totally forgot about the train one, I remember when that first came out, my instant reaction was just:
What? Why?

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Because they can... It's a show piece. This is not something functional for home use. It's a show piece for conventions and show floors to scream to the public "look what we have done".

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Lian Li makes some high quality, well designed cases. Don't try to float the boat on water though...

You make fun of the train or the boat. But like, why put led lights on a computer mouse? Most the gimmicks done in the computer industry are pretty stupid. Its just a matter of which one resonates with gamers.

just as a general rule for looking at cases, i'd recommend making sure the feet are screwed in place, not glued and that the filters for fans are easy to take out and clean. Find one that you're going to be happy looking at, that will last you a long time.

2 Likes
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I hate LED's on anything, I like my plain and simple stuff, I like my mice to be as ergonomic as possible, even though my keyboard has the options for LED's, I turn them off. No joke, I just find it annoying, personally, more so in the dark, although I tend to have lamps on around my set up, cause the brightness of my monitors hurts my eyes if I have no background lighting.

I couldn't agree more, a lot of pre-built "gaming pc's" tend to look like the inside of a night club with the lighting and stuff these days. Some cases like that one by Cooler Master (Cosom or something like that), it looks like a desk alien sized space ship or something.

Something I've learned the hard way myself.

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I love my be quiet! Silent Base 800. The case is very high quality steel, it has 3 - 5.25" bays, 6 - 3.5" and 2 - 2.5" bays behind the motherboard.

MBWS-2016-Specs-1200.jpg1200x678 356 KB

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i don't know if weight is of any importance to you. but like, even if you don't LAN, its like, moving the case to reach something in the back used to be such a paine for me. But Lian Li cases are Aluminum, so they are light cases and still very solid.

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Nah weight doesn't matter at all, even if I were to do LAN, it would have to be one HELL of a heavy case to bother me, I work with heavy stuff all the time during the summer, weight is not an issue at all. I have actually had one case that was surprisingly heavy, and that didn't bother me at all, can't remember how heavy it was exactly though.

====== EDIT:

I would like to invest into a somewhat portable case though, the only issue I've experienced with M-ATX/HTPC/Mini ITX cases is that they tend to be too small for what I need, like plenty of storage drives, two optical drive bays (JUST A PREFERENCE). If you could fine a MATX/HTPC/Mini ITX case that can support at least 5 storage drives (3x 3.5" & 2x 2.5" - Could live with 2x 3.5" and 2x 2.5", I'd make the exception if it's a beautiful case).

But I NEED the case to support a full length graphics card, WITHOUT having to remove any drive cages, it kinda bugs me when they do that, it's understandable yeah, but I'm just a hard person to please! :')

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Right, I've looked up the Corsair Carbide 540, it looks great, although I have no idea how quite it would be, but other than noise levels, it looks like an awesome case, considering the fact that it has all the drive bays I'd need, it's small, just seems ideal for what I want. Literally only thing I can fault it for is not having sound dampening.

So what's your opinions? Is it a nice case to work with? - Personally I have no idea.

@psycho_666
@Cort_Byron
@Atatax
@goldenprogrammer
@harmandeepgill

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Air 540? This thing?

There is nothing quiet in that case. It's entirely geared for... Well, nothing. The main selling point is the chamber separation. And today there are many other cases like that. Cooler Master have their HAF XB, Thermaltake have X9 and X5...
Anyways, the silence in non sound proof case will entirely depend on the noise of the components.
For non sound proof case I will always say Fractal Arc Midi R2 is great, Phanteks Enthoo Pro and Enthoo Pro M are also great.
As for air 540 - I don't like it, but that is my thing - hating on Asus and Corsair...

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Yeah, that's one thing that I actually love about this case, but I know it would be far from quite, just glance at it says that much! XD

I'll have to checkout those cases you've mentioned, the ones with the chamber separation feature.

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Define r5

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Only question I have about the R5, how easy is it to allow for good cable management?

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OK. There's about an inch behind the mobo tray. Velcro straps running alongside the vertical holes near the mobo. There's more, give me a minute.

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