I'm planning on upgrading my system very soon. I'm trying to determine if I need to buy a full tower or a mid tower. In terms of drives, I only use 1-2 and an optical drive. My main problem is my graphics cards. I plan to crossfire a 5850 and a 5830. I'm wondering if a mid tower case is going to be enough room to even fit the cards and to have enough room for airflow. I've been told that the 5850 runs hot from the previous owner.
What do you guys think? can I get away with a mid tower?
the HAFx has a gpu air duct that fits a 120mm fan. it's made for sli/cfx. i also reccomend that you put the 5850 on the bottom.
As nice as that case seems, it's way out of my price range. I was looking to spend 50-75 dollars max on my case. That's what I was asking about mid tower cases. I'm looking at the nzxt source and I do like the looks of it. It has plenty of room for mounting fans as well as a bottom mounted psu. I feel like this would be enough space. Although my current case seems cramped, I have to keep in mind that it's a stock case, and that my motherboard is also stock. The only things I'll basically be running are my graphics cards. I don't even think I'll be using a sound card, so it makes sense to me that I could skate by with a mid tower case.
If the 5850 runs hot placing it on bottom would only make the other cards hotter as heat rises.
Mid tower would do just fine if you manage your airflow well.
Switch should work well. Bottom fan for intake would help push air straight up. Also the side fan can blow air directly onto the cards.
The wire management options aren't the best but those cut outs would be useful to help airflow.
Wire management is semi important to me. I can always cut my own holes, honestly. But to put it simply, anything would be an upgrade from my current case.
pffff... your an idiot then. normally, you'sd be right, but the blower will get more air than the top one....