Need a new case

[Maethor]

I have a silver case that I have owned for about 1 year maybee longer now that I just love. Its silver has a 120 fan in front and back a cpu air duct, place for a fan right above GPU. top Fan and bottom fan slot. It has high quality handels on top and bottom that serve as feet to lift it off the ground. All of the venting in the side has perferated holes where the window would be to allow airflow but the best part is all the places where it has fans and the like are all covered with a air filter mesh on it. It has screwless sides and everything except a mobo tray.

My problem is that now i need a second case and I dont know where to get the same one so i need a good suggestion on a new case.

My requirements in order of importance.

1. good cooling
2. no front bezel
3. fully featured
4. roomy
5. looks like it didnt come from a garage sale held by the local homeless.

my other idea is that I could take a really cheap but solid steel full tower (under 60 USD)
and mod it with everything I want. My question is how hard is it to Mod a case. I have done the really minor ****** but I would be talking building from the ground up. I really have wanted to fully create and mod a case for a long time but before havent had all the tools to do it properly.

 

[natethegreat]

Good cooling with no front door? Here are 2 I can think of:

Coolermaster Centurion 5 $65 shipped
Antec SOLO $60 + shipping

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

I've had my eye on this: Enermax Chakra for 70$

Looks like it might fit your criteria.

 

[Zepper]

Both the case mentioned above and the higher model CM Centurion Matrix have lots of metal mesh if that's what you want.

Beyond that, check the thread on Rosewill cases here. the 5601 has two open bays and the door opens 270 degress so it would be pretty much out of the way. It would be a decent canvas for modding.

.bh.

 

[acegazda]

Lian Li pc7b plus II is probably the best bang for buck case out there.

 

[buck]

The lanboy is a good case that you can find cheap if you look hard enough.

 

[Maethor]

Honestly its not the mesh I care about so much is how good it is for cooling. Literally my CPU can run at 50 while the rest of the case stays at room temperature. The Enermax looks interesting because I wonder if i could mod any case to have a fan like that. The reason I want grating and mesh filters is I live in arizona where there is alot of dust so If I dont have filters I have to clean out the case on a monthly basis or more often. I know that I can also put filters on any spot where I have a fan so its not bad if it doesnt come with filters I guess.

 

[Zepper]

Yes, those 25cm fans are available separately. But no, you can't buy a hole saw that big. So it's nibbler tool or Dremel for you. Lots of cases are sporting them now so maybe you can find a case that has one that is otherwised suited to you. I know that some iCute and XClio cases have them besides that enermax.

This AOpen A600A is a lot of case for the money. They were about twice that when they first came out. You might not be able to use the included PSU (as it is probably an old design with a weak (relatively) 12V rail. But it's a decent, rebadged Fortron PSU so you aught to be able to sell it w/o too much problem. There are more pix of this case on the AOpen site just search on A600 series - don't even look at the black version as they are made of unobtainium...

The Thermaltake Armor Jr. is nice, the original CM Stacker (perhaps still the most geek'O'licious case around) and it has a pre-existing cutout for a big fan, the Aerocool Masstige, a couple of Silverstones lack doors, the original CM Praetorian, etc. Tons of choices - narrow it down to your short list of three or four and we'll pick 'em apart for you.

This just in:
. The Aerocool Extreme Engine also has that huge fan. It may be too blingy for you and it appears to have vestigial doors.

.bh.

 

[Maethor]

Bah a dremel is the only tool you need they actually make hole cutout tools for dremel in 120 and 90mm size.

 

[Ayah]

What about the Antec P150?

 

[Maethor]

I was thinking honestly I like the 25cm fan idea and will probably go with that case as it has really nice cooling. It claims to have the intel heat duct which is a plus but i didnt see it on the pictures. with that big ass fan blowing in and a proper in and out on the front that case should stay room temperature.