Hey Community!
im currently looking for a good full size tower case for my PC so it can support any large parts i may put inside it at a later date.
Im currently looking at both the Haf X and NZXT Phantom 820, wouldnt mind the 800D but its a bit expensive.
My max budget is around £150 so around $240
Inside the case i would like good cable management and airflow.
Your suggestions would be much appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
Go for the NZXT switch 810 it's about $170
The 800D is just so motherfucking stylish....
but if its too expensive i too would pick the switch
I never understood what people see in the Corsair Obsidian series... It's a box!! Just a black rectangle with a window on one side. I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
My vote is for the Antec Twelve Hundred v3.
rosewill THOR v2. better than the phantom, as it has usb3.0, and comes with 3 230mm fans and a 140, with a toolless, filtered mounting for another 140. the larger fans will result in quieter running, especially with the 2 control knobs that come with the case. ~$130
NZXT is also coming out with a Phantom 820 pretty soon. It looks like the internals are going to be modeled after the Switch 810, but it has the Phantom styling. They even integrate their NZXT HUE lighting system, so you can set the LEDs that come with to any color you want at any given time.
Other than that, there's always the HAF X, Storm Trooper, and Storm Stryker. I personally also like the Antec 1200 V3, but it has a little less space than a lot of the other cases on the market, and the two 120mm fan mounts in the back of the case aren't spaced properly so that you can fit a 240mm radiator there. I really like the styling of the Antec 1200 though. I just wish they made it a little more practical.
I personally would not recommend the 800D at all. It has absolutely no intake fans, which makes the airflow absolutely horrid. I am looking forward to the 900D coming out though. That case looks like it's going to be excellent, especially for water cooling.
With just a little bit of elbow grease you can mount a 240 rad in the back of the Twelve Hundred just fine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzyKRifUPrg
Another excelent feature of the case is that it comes with 6 fans (5 x 120mm & 1 x 200mm) which all have individual speed controllers.
If I had to find a flaw in its design, I would say it needs a few more millimeters of space on the back side of the motherboard for wire management.
Sounds a little janky.
Don't forget to take into account how many fans come with the case, along with how large the fans are. I can personally vouch for the HAF X, although It's missing one of it's 200mm Top fans. So you'd have to purchase that to have a full set. All the fans combined keep the case not ONLY cool, but clean as well. With that much air flow going in and out of the case, there leaves very little room for dust to settle inside. The exterior / interior build of the case is also amazing, being very sturdy with its Steel casing.
The only possible con that I can think of for some people is the weight. The HAF X is quite heavy compared to most chassies, but this is due to the sturdy material it's constructed with. If the weight is not a factor for you, I'd highly recommend a Coolermaster HAF X easily.
thanks for the advice guys, think ill go with the Haf X :)
Air flow, air flow air flow. I cannot express enough my feelings for a case with great air flow. I have 2 Cooler Master Cases and both are the HAF series. My mid size case is the HAF 922. My full size case is the Advanced Blue Edition RC-932-KKN3-GP. The full sized case comes with Four Blue LED Fans-1x 230mm front fan, 1x 230mm top fan, 1x 230mm side fan, and 1x 140mm rear fan. You can add 1 more top fan as well as there is 1 already installed. The larger fans can run slower yet produce excellent air movement. Here is the link to The Egg site. The 932 has 10 knock outs in the back for the extra large ATX motherboards.
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119213
This is the link to my build so you can see what I mean by tons of room and air flow. Hope this helps.
Get the Rosewill Black Hawk Ultra!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9bNh1uJbHw
Just Kidding!!!!
On a serious note though, imo the NZXT Phantom 820 is a great case from what ive seen, but for the price, the case just doesnt cut it for me. If I were you, I'd grab the NZXT Switch 810. Its basically the same thing with the same amount of potential for much less price wise.
The 810 i'd say is a great case for either air cooling or even better, liquid cooling.
Its probably the best case for the price out there. Now it just all depends on how YOU like it.
However, if you grab the phantom 820 for the cosmetics then i'd understand. Performance wise, the 810 is exactly the same setup (internally) w/ a slight difference but at a better price
you decide
I second the Switch 810, fantastic case, easy for water cooling and future upgrades, supports eatx. It's only $120 in the states if you catch it on sale too.
CM storm trooper, lotsa nice feature, and fairly large, lotsa space
I also say the Switch 810 I own it I love it its beautiful inside and out i came from a cosair 600t and dont regret the change. its a great case and is better looking then the ugly HAF X.
Hey, I like the looks of my HAF X thank you very much. Just kidding, we all have our opinion on what does and does not look good. I happen to like the HAF X.
okay the case its self isnt bad but the ugly window is what kills it for me. I hate side panel fans mixed with windows.
I'm really liking my CM Storm Stryker :)
not a fan of any of the two you mention. Haf X is too much "bling", and the Phantom looks too much like plastic..
The 800D is a great case but if you cant find that on sale then I would consider the Fractal Design Difine XL.. In my opinion you dont get better value, it looks great, its dead silent and great airflow. Dont think I have ever heard bad about Fractal Designs cases, and had a R2 before, really liked it.
Only think is that I dont think it nativly supports that much watercooling, but didnt sound like that was a big deal for you..
The NZXT Switch looks awesome. I am changing out my 800D for one in the coming weeks probably