case ?

  • Thread starter Thread starter David Ciemny
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D

David Ciemny

Hi all...seems like a trivial question but I am building a P4 machine. 3G
basically pretty high end.

I am comfortable with all my decisions regarding what is inside the box but
I can't seem to find the right case. I was looking at a cooler master
TAC-T01. Kind of high end. Seen some low end cases that look acceptable.

Can anyone recommend maybe a good "middle of the road" case that will best
fit my needs. I am not going to skimp on power so that will not be a
problem.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Dave C.
 
David Ciemny said:
Hi all...seems like a trivial question but I am building a P4 machine. 3G
basically pretty high end.

I am comfortable with all my decisions regarding what is inside the box but
I can't seem to find the right case. I was looking at a cooler master
TAC-T01. Kind of high end. Seen some low end cases that look acceptable.

Can anyone recommend maybe a good "middle of the road" case that will best
fit my needs. I am not going to skimp on power so that will not be a
problem.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Dave C.
Click to expand...



choose at least a 350W PSU and a unit with as much ventilation and cooling
ability is the general rule - so more of that the better
test before buying or check out the spec if there is any
you really need to make sure that all voltages are within their allowable
tolerances, for instance a badly made PSU will give too much or two little
on the 12v line etc. Each line should be checked to be within 5% of line
voltage (i.e 12v +- 5%, 5v +- 5% & 12v+-3.3v) - As for asthetics - couldn't
tell ya as I don't lust material objects :)
 
power supply is no problem. Probably going with a enermax 460w. Still up in
the air regarding the case?

thanks for the reply.

DC
 
Hi all...seems like a trivial question but I am building a P4 machine. 3G
basically pretty high end.

I am comfortable with all my decisions regarding what is inside the box but
I can't seem to find the right case. I was looking at a cooler master
TAC-T01. Kind of high end. Seen some low end cases that look acceptable.

Can anyone recommend maybe a good "middle of the road" case that will best
fit my needs. I am not going to skimp on power so that will not be a
problem.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Dave C.
Click to expand...

My personal choice would be to go with something like this:

-at least 4x3.5" bays. (Allowing for 2 Hard drives+ floppy + 1 extra
bay for whatever).

-at least 4x5.25" bays

-at least one case fan mount in front and one in rear. Some have more
than that.

Additional features which may be nice, but aren't necessary are:

- tool-less disassembly/assembly (assembled using easy to use clips or
thumb screws too attach everything). This makes assembly and
disassembly easy -- this feature is usually only found on high-end
cases.

- preference would be for steel cases with a nice paint job. I find
Aluminum to be overrated. It's way to easy to scuff up the exterior.
If you do go Aluminum, go for something with an Anodized finish (if
you don't know what I mean, look at a red, blue or purple Maglite
flashlight).

Unless it's a high-end case, I'd rip out the original power supply and
replace it with something I know to be better.

I like the KingWin and Antec Units. Something in the 300W or 400W
range should be more than adequate for most PCs, assuming you don't go
nuts with the cooling solutions (in which case, you should consider a
separate power unit to supply to your cooling solutions).

Add at least one case fan to it (in front), and maybe one in back
(optional). Additional fans are typically overkill but add them if
you think you need to. Preferably a ball bearing unit with a speed
control. The blinking type isn't necessary, and is up to your
personal tastes.
 
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