My next PC upgrade?

[TechRookie16]

*SIGHS* You bastards...

I wanted to try to build my own PC about a year ago. Of course a lot of people on this site were helpful and of course I built it. I wanted just a decent PC and wanted to spend less then $1,000. I've spent another 500 in upgrades since then and now I'm hooked.

And I've got my mind on a couple of new upgrades. What do you think would be a good upgrade out of these options?

Sound: I have a pretty good sound card but my speakers aren't worth shit. I bought the Corsair Gaming 2.1 speakers for 70 bucks when I first got the PC. Since then my right speaker crackles with voices and loud bass. My sub barely lets out a quiff, let alone a boom. If you decide sound, what kind of speakers do you recommend?

Case: I bought a NXZT Mid-tower classic silent. This thing actually really impressed me when I got it. And I really don't hate the case but since receiving the case, I've added 2 SSD's and a 680 GTX and space is beginning to get a little tight.

My motherboard and CPU are both still hanging in there. I think I'm going to wait until Haswell before I consider any upgrades and even then I might still be satisfied with what I've got. (Sabertooth P67 with 2500k OC'd to 4.5)

I've also considered just modding my current case (adding a side fan etc) but the thing is, it just feels rather cheaply made and I've kinda got my mind set on getting a full tower.

 

[Sleepingforest]

For a full tower, try an NXZT 820. It's highly rated by Anandtech and it has lots of room. On the sound side, try these $55 Sennheisers, which are pretty good for the price. Maybe sell your Corsair speakers to help absorb the price of upgrading.

 

[Steltek]

You might also consider a bigger mid-tower like the HAF XM. I bought one thinking it was a regular mid-tower -- I was definitely wrong. The thing is the biggest mid-tower I've ever used -- it is somewhat smaller than my older Cosmos-S full tower, but has plenty of internal space, outstanding cable management under the motherboard tray, and not to mention a CPU tray cutout that actually allows you to swap a backplated cooler without dismounting the motherboard. The two things I didn't like about it is that it apparently is easily damaged in shipping (see reviews on Newegg) and the door latch can sometimes be too easy to pop open when bumped. It ain't that pretty, but overall I've come to really appreciate it.

 

[nsafreak]

Personally I'm a big fan of the Fractal R4. If I was building a new PC that's the case that I would definitely put it inside. For speakers it really depends on how much you want to spend. Personally I like my M-Audio Studiophile AV-30 speakers. Sure they don't have a subwoofer but they still put out a pretty decent amount of bass.

 

[mfenn]

For case it really depends on what you are looking for. Minimalist or ostentatious? Discreet or bombastic?

 

[TechRookie16]

Interesting options, I'm leaning towards the case. Another idea I've been mulling for my next upgrade is I'm current gaming on a Samsung 24'' 1080P and I've been eyeing the Shiamin 1440 27"

Notes on the case, I love very basic appearances. I was a big fan of how my NXZT classic silent looked. Basically I care little about appearance and much more on options, good fan circulation etc.

I found a $50 giftcard to BestBuy and bought a headset today. G35, it's not too shabby. Definitely not considering it my next big upgrade though.

 

[Sleepingforest]

Here's a near-silent, roomy case: the Nanoxia Deep Silence 1. It's one of the most silent cases Anandtech has ever reviewed, and it offers competitive temperatures as well. It's also very roomy (enough for SLI). Unfortunately, it might be hard to find; if that's the case, the Fractal R4 is very similar in size, appearance, and thermal/acoustic capabilities.

 

[biostud]

Go for shimian. If you use your computer for movie watching and music listening go for a Hi-Fi sound setup. Definitily worth it.

 

[mfenn]

the Fractal R4 is very similar in size, appearance, and thermal/acoustic capabilities.

:thumbsup: The R4 was exactly what I was thinking of when I read the OP's reply.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I have a couple of Rosewill BlackHawk cases, they are fairly nice.

 

[Zap]

Sound: I have a pretty good sound card but my speakers aren't worth shit. I bought the Corsair Gaming 2.1 speakers for 70 bucks when I first got the PC. Since then my right speaker crackles with voices and loud bass. My sub barely lets out a quiff, let alone a boom. If you decide sound, what kind of speakers do you recommend?

What do you want for sound? What's your budget? What do you listen to?

If you want loud and clear sound, can't beat a cheap receiver with some bookshelf speakers and a powered sub. You can probably find cheap used analog receivers (from those upgrading to digital/HDMI) - look for one with a subwoofer pre-amp output. Most AV receivers will have one.

 

[TechRookie16]

But is the R4 really that much of an upgrade in space over the NXZT Silent Classic??

Interesting idea with the sound Zap, when I get off work today I'll look into that.

I think I'm going to go with a case AND the Shiamin. I have a buddy wanting a PC and I told him I would sell him my case and monitor for 225 which is pretty reasonable.
NXZT Classic Silent Case with my 23" Samsung 1080 TV/Monitor

 

[Sleepingforest]

If you want size and performance, go with the 820. It's only downside: the high cost ($250ish). There's also the slightly smaller, but acoustically and thermally superior NXZT 630 for around $170 if you're willing to wait for it to hit shelves.

 

[mfenn]

But is the R4 really that much of an upgrade in space over the NXZT Silent Classic??

Space? No.

Overall build quality and a nice fan controller? Yes.

 

[frankthetank195]

My NZXT Phantom was $110 on sale, looks great, quiet ( I usually wear TurtleBeaches, hard to tell), has good thermals, and looks awesome. No problems with space in here, and my graphics card is gigantic for fermi.

As for sound I have TurtleBeach x12 which are amazing for their price. I couldn't be happer with this set. For Christmas I got speakers from a brand I'd never heard of. Sona Wave Ti GoGroove. They sound awesome, never heard a crackle listening to music or playing games. The underlit blue is a nice touch.

 

[Sleepingforest]

My NZXT Phantom was $110 on sale, looks great, quiet ( I usually wear TurtleBeaches, hard to tell), has good thermals, and looks awesome. No problems with space in here, and my graphics card is gigantic for fermi.

As for sound I have TurtleBeach x12 which are amazing for their price. I couldn't be happer with this set. For Christmas I got speakers from a brand I'd never heard of. Sona Wave Ti GoGroove. They sound awesome, never heard a crackle listening to music or playing games. The underlit blue is a nice touch.

I'd pass up on any Turtle Beach in favor of audiophile headphones. Honestly, you get much better sound quality for the cost.