How To Select The Right Case – THG.RU

How To Select The Right Case For Your Computer

One question that seems to be making the rounds lately is, “How Do I Select The Right Case For My Next Computer?” Many users don’t take all of the possible options into consideration, and purchase either the lowest cost case or the coolest looking case for their next computer.

Too many times this leads to regrets down the road, or even pulling everything out of the old case and putting it into a new one. Of course this is a real drag, but with a little planning, this can be avoided.

We will look at some of the good, the bad, and the ugly designs of today’s PC ATX cases and try to provide you with some information to help you make a more informed buying decision.

What Makes A Good Case?

Right out of the gate, it is important to note that different applications might necessitate different style cases. While there is no one case that will universally appeal to everyone, currently the mid-tower cases seem to be most popular; we will focus on the mid-tower cases in this article. For the vast majority of users, the purchase of a mid-tower case is the right choice.

Typical mid-tower ATX cases provide a good balance of bays and features in an overall size that most users find to be acceptable. While the cases are bigger than the mini-tower cases, most users are willing to sacrifice the increased size for more overall flexibility over the long term of case ownership.

The overall construction of the case is one of the things that can be a downfall first and foremost. In order to cut costs, many case manufactures choose to use thinner materials in the construction of their cases. While it is true that using these thinner materials does make for a cheaper product in many cases, it also can mean that the over all quality of the case is compromised.

Another major thing that needs looked at is the quality of the welding or riveting of the case. Cases that are aluminum tend to be riveted rather than welded, because it is more difficult to weld aluminum than steel. If done correctly, welding or riveting can work well for your case of choice, I see no advantage of one over the other.

In this close-up, you can see the quality of this Antec case. Multiple rivets are used in all sections in order to fasten the case together. Of course this case is heavy, weighing in at over 40lbs, but as you can see, Antec has spent a lot of time on it’s high quality construction.

What Makes A Good Case?, Continued

Drive rails are another area where people tend to disagree. It seems the norm now among most of the more expensive, high-end cases is the use of rails to support the drives in the device bays. This can be an advantage or a disadvantage, depending on your perspective. If you have multiple cases of the same type that all use drive rails, it makes it easy to swap parts from one case to another. The use of drive rails also means that, in most cases, you only have to remove one side panel, rather than both. In general, drive rails are a matter of preference, but a large majority of the high-end cases that we looked at do use them.

Drive rails are a matter of preference, but many cases use them in the mounting of 5 1/4 devices. Rails allow for quick removal and changing of your 5 1/4 devices, but also add to the initial build time. Here are two Asus 32X CDRW drives flanked with drive rails from Antec and Enlight.

When looking at the overall construction of the case, our readers have come up with a few interesting ways to evaluate the quality of a case that they are considering purchasing.

The twist test is one of our personal favorites and one that we use as well. To perform the twist test, place the case on a table, place one hand at either end of the top of the case, and then proceed to attempt to twist the case apart. While this might not seem the most scientific of methods, it is a sure indication of the thickness of the metal used in the construction of the case.

The step test is one that most cases companies will not allow you to perform, because normally it leads into the top of the case caving in. Set the case (the victim) on the floor and proceed to apply pressure with your foot to the top of the case. The vast majority of cases available today could not pass the step test, and many of the cases that are built from lightweight aluminum, in particular, could not pass this test.

The weight test was one test that we found interesting as it was not something that would have occurred to us. One of our readers suggested that most cases have the weight of the case and box printed on the outside of the box in which it is packaged. When looking for cases, he separates the wheat from the chaff by looking at these weight numbers. The heavier the case, the better the construction — or so his theory goes. In general he does have a point, because the majority of the cases that we liked the best tended to weigh the most. However, the aluminum cases throw this theory out the window.

All of the above suggestions will meet with various degrees of success. we have found that a very complete visual inspection of the case with a variety of pulling and pushing on various parts can often times reveal the most about a case.

The Wallet Test Does Not Always Lead To Buying The Best Case

Like a high-end monitor, if you so choose, you are able to continue to use the same case over and over through the majority of upgrades to your PC. Of course, this means that, as you would expect, higher quality cases do carry a premium price tag.

Our own Patrick Schmid looked at the Progressive Housing Tower a while back. He found it a very attractive case with a high price tag to match.

Aluminum is expensive to produce, so this means that you will pay a premium for aluminum cases. If you like the reduced weight and snazzy look of aluminum, then one of these might be the case for you, but be aware that the trend towards aluminum isn’t lost on vendors, and some of them are producing less than stellar quality aluminum cases.

The lack of sharp edges within the case can be an indication of the overall quality of the case’s construction. (It also makes you less likely to cut yourself.) In order to achieve the mission of getting the best case, you should be prepared to spend some money. A check with local retailers in our area found that higher quality cases tend to start at a minimum of $75, and can reach as high as $300 depending on the options and construction materials.

However, we also found cases where the quality of construction was not up to snuff, yet retailers were still charging a premium for them. Many of these cases were of the aluminum variety, so we recommend that if you are going to go shopping for an aluminum case especially, you should pay extra attention to the quality and construction of the case. Once again, it just goes to show that buying the most expensive case doesn’t always mean you’re getting the best case for your money.

Power Supplies Can Also Be A Pitfall

Last year, THG published an article about some of the pain and agony that we’ve experienced with power supplies. (Rant-O-Matic: My Fried Power Supply) In this article, one of the main points was a caution to readers about the fact that the quality of power supplies had sank to a new all-time low.

Since this article was written, it would appear that times are changing and many users are really paying more attention to the quality of the power supplies in their PCs. Power supply manufactures have placed new attention on quality, and we are now starting to see power supply quality rise above what it has been in the past. However, this isn’t all good news, because the cost of these better power supplies has risen as well. Because of the increased power requirements of the new systems, a good power supply can now be one of the most important keys to having a stable system.

The trend of selling the more expensive cases without a power supply is starting to emerge. We continue to be puzzled as to whether this is in fact due to the quality of power supplies or the fact that retailers have realized that users want the choice of selecting the power supply that will work best for their application. Another possibility is that case companies who sell their cases without power supplies simply don’t want the warranty responsibility that comes with selling power supplies. Of course, leaving out the power supply means your initial impression might be that you’ve found a case that is as much as $40 lower.

Power supplies from Antec and Enermax are two companies whose power supplies have met with much success in everyday use within our labs.

We continue to have much success with power supplies from Antec and Enermax. We have found, over time in our informal lab testing, that both of these companies seem to produce power supplies that are a cut above the rest. This fact was echoed by several of the local retailers with whom we talked. Of course, this does not mean that you can’t find success with other power supply vendors as well, but these are the ones with whom we’ve had the most experience. (Judging by the avalanche of responses to the last article that asked us to recommend power supplies, we wanted to at least suggest a couple of vendors who have provided reliable power supplies to us in the past.)

Power Supplies Can Also Be A Pitfall, Continued

Quality power supplies can be expensive. In an informal survey with our local retailers, the price for a 350-365 watt power supply started at $52 and went up from there. Of course, the 400-465 watt power supplies will cost you even more, but if you have a case that is loaded, your power requirements may necessitate this kind of investment.

Comparing the labels that are on every power supply isn’t always possible, but it makes very sound sense. After comparing the labels on the power supplies, you can put the hype of the box behind you and get to the real heart of the matter. The label on the power supply itself can truly reveal what you are buying.

Comparing power supplies can be tricky, but we have found that it is important to get beyond the hype that is on the box. Looking at the labels that are attached the power supply gives you a clear indication of what kind of performance you can expect.

The Enermax EG365P-VE seen in the pictures above included a new feature that we had not seen before, called “Manual Control.” The Manual Control’s EG365P-VE option allows you to use a control knob located on the back of the power supply to adjust the speed of the 80mm and the 92mm fans in the power supply from 1500 RPM to 3000 RPM. By using the manual control knob, you are able to turn down the fan speed to get the fan noise to a reasonable level, allowing you to find a fan setting that balances the cooling and the noise control. We found that this was a very innovative idea from Enermax that works very well, and we continue to find that power supplies can be a major source of noise in the typical case configuration.

Our advice continues to be that you should consider purchase of a case without a power supply and then purchase a quality power supply. This way, you know exactly what you are getting. If you wish to purchase a case that includes the power supply, make sure that it is a high quality power supply with a good reputation for quality. For example, both Antec and Enermax sell cases that include their own power supplies.

The Sounds Of Silence – Air Flow & Fans

The sound of silence is becoming more of an impossibly dream in this day and age. Hotter CPUs and GPUs are only the start of the heat problems of the typical case. If you are an overclocker, the amount of heat generated can be even higher.

The goal is to move the heat off these products and push the heat out of the case. The problem is that more of the typical computer’s parts are requiring more fans to get their jobs done. More fans, of course, equals more noise.

The 1GHz Pentium III Asus CUSL2-C Black Pearl Special Edition motherboard that is housed in this Antec SX1030 case uses the Antec PP-352X power supply. The power supply wasn’t the only thing that was upgraded. The owner made a valid attempt to improve the airflow using four Vantec Stealth fans (two in the front and two in the back), as well as going to the extreme of using rounded IDE cables. In terms of achieving better air flow, there is still room for improvement, but it is still better than many of the cases that we have seen. At least it is quieter than many of the cases that we have seen.

In the vast majority of configurations, you have at least four fans in your system. Depending on the types of fans chosen at the time of purchase, these can be either high speed or low speed fans. Of course, low speed fans move less air than higher speed fans, but they also make a lot less noise.

The Sounds Of Silence – Air Flow & Fans, Continued

Of course, some users are not concerned about the noise and just seek the ultimate in cooling efficiency, which is fine, but this will obviously require louder fans. This used to be okay when we were talking about 3600 RPM, but when some of these new 5400 RPM fans wind up, it may leave you looking for the door.

Your need to cool, at least in our case, has to be weighed with your need to keep from going insane due to the noise that these fans generate. If there is one area that continues to need great improvement, this is the area of fan and heat sink technology.

Of course, things are improving and companies that are making the fans are investing a lot of money into making a quieter PC a reality. Currently, a lot of work is being done in the area of fan technology. The goal of this research is to produce quieter fans that can push more air than the typical higher speed fan. Of course another school of thought is rooted in the new Y.S. TECH Tip-Magnetic Driving Fan (T.M.D. FAN), which relocates motors from traditional location of central hub to the four corners (http://www.ystech.com.tw/Tmd/tmd-0.htm). We have not been able to test the TMD FAN, but it’s claims are interesting nonetheless, and warrant additional investigation.

Another example is Vantec, which went another direction altogether with the release of their new Stealth fan, which claims to be 80% quieter than the standard case fan. We don’t know if the Vantec Stealth fan is actually80% quieter, but the design of this high tech fan was quieter than the case fans that we were using. The Stealth fan has improved on these fans in such a way as to be quieter, but not move as many CFMs as other fans do. If noise reduction is your aim, then the Vantec Stealth fan product line might be worth a look.

A look at the Vantec Stealth case fans. From this picture, it is hard to tell what improvements have been made in order to achieve a more silent PC, but it was better than many case fans that we have seen (and heard).

Rounded IDE cables continue to be all the rage in many circles. The rounded IDE cables help avoid the problem of the IDE cables which block air flow with their flat surface area. The rounded IDE cables overcome this problem by the sheer fact that they are round, and therefore don’t cover as much area. Using rounded IDE cables that are too long for the area that they need to cover can defeat the purpose for which they were intended. The key of course, is to use the correct length rounded IDE cable for the job.

Rounded IDE cables can help reduce the amount of flat surface area used by normal flat IDE cables. As you can see, these rounded IDE cable are available from a variety of vendors and in many different colors.

Dynamat is another idea that can help reduce case noise. We were unable to obtain any Dynamat for testing in this article, but it is based on the simple principal of applying the Dynamat material to the top and bottom of the case. The Dynamat material comes from the speaker world and uses it’s advanced technology to help soak up the sound and vibration in your case that can cause noise. It is expensive, but can make a difference and help quiet your PC down.

The Sounds Of Silence – Air Flow & Fans, Continued

Of course, if you want to overclock and be quiet at the same time, liquid cooling continues to hold a lot of promise. Many people are now using these liquid cooling systems on a daily basis with no trouble at all. We took a look at liquid cooling in the article entitled, Water Coolers: Four Power Kits Starting at 200 Dollars, and this article showed that it is quite possible to use liquid cooling to also help reduce noise.

Cooling contraptions come in all shapes and sizes. In our opinion, the jury is still out on how much they really help or hurt the overall cooling strategy. Of course, for certain applications they might help a lot, but the disruption of air flow that they sometimes cause may just make it not worth it. More fans doesn’t necessarily mean lower tempature.

When it comes to cooling, we have seen a lot of other contraptions that claim to help keep your case cool; these include items such as the slot blower, the dual bay fan and the drive fan. In many cases, use of these items will disrupt the intended air flow from the front of the case to the back of the case. This can defeat the cooling purpose by creating turbulence that does not allow a clear, efficient air flow from front to back. Can these contraptions help keep your case cool? Well, to be honest, it depends on the situation, but we suggest that you try all of the normal methods of cooling first before your get into these exotic solutions. This isn’t to say that some of these more on-the-fringe methods of cooling are not useful, just that they can create problems with your air flow that are more difficult to troubleshoot without additional time and effort. And the case you choose will influence the effectiveness of these more exotic cooling methods, as well.

Although it isn’t popular, we like to use some smoke in order examine the air flow in cases to determine of there is a cooling issue. One case fan that is pointed the wrong direction can cut your effective cooling, almost in half. Of course, if you happen to have plexiglass on the side of your case, this process is even easier, but you can get a general idea of the effectivness of your case’s cooling potential just by feeding a little smoke through the front fan intake. Now, obviously smoke isn’t good for any electronics, but it does help you get a better idea of how well your case’s cooling solution is working and helps you locate those disruptive air flow problems.

Case Layout Differences Can Leave You With Issues

The differences in the layout of cases can leave you with potential problems of which you might not even be aware.

Imagine that you are giddy over your newly purchased GeForce 4 4600ti, only to find that the card extends so far beyond the back of the AGP slot that it runs into your hard drive cage. Nothing brings you crashing back to reality like having to buy a new case because your $400 video card doesn’t fit.

The Antec SX1030 case and the GeForce3 in this picture do get along pretty well, but the choice to use these rounded cables does make it a tighter fit than you might first realize. In this configuration, it would be difficult to get a GeForce4 4600ti to fit without removing the hard drives and relocating them to another place in the case.

In the scenario above, it might have been better to just consider using regular ATA-100 IDE cables and folding them to try to get them out of the way. The drive cage in this case in a two hard drive configuration can be a little tricky with a long video card, without some additional planning.

In this situation, it would have been better to select a case that has a drive bay that is located in the bottom front of the case. Of course, if you happen to have a long, full-length PCI card, this can create another issue by relocating the hard drives to that location.

The Antec SX1000 case was a good choice for this Asus P4T-E and GeForce 4 4600ti combination. The SX1000 gave this owner good clearance for the GeForce 4 4600ti and the two hard drives that are going into this system. The owner of the SX1000 was also able to specify the Enermax EG365P-VE power supply because the SX1000 ships without a power supply.

Advanced planning can really save you some headaches, but this only applies to those headaches that you are able to anticipate before they happen. Of course the unknown by definition isn’t something that you can plan for, but it’s always a safe bet that it wouldn’t hurt to be prepared to handle longer video cards in your AGP slot.

Cool Features That Can Make Your Life Easier

Cool features can not only make your case more attractive, but also easier to use on a daily basis. Of course, not every case has all of the cool features that you would like it to have, but if you select the right case, you should be able to find at least a few of them.

The roots of the side panel fans are from deep in the case modification world. Of course, case vendors were quick to pick up on this very easy-to-do idea. Many cases now come standard with pre-cut 80mm holes for 80mm fans that mount onto the side panel of the case. With many of these new pre-cut side panel fans, it is possible to change the fan grills and swap them out for those fancy grills, if you so desire.

Front mounted USB and Firewire ports are now all the rage. At first you could only find this convenience in off-the-shelf PCs from vendors like HP and Compaq, who many believe pioneered the use of front mounted ports.

Times are changing though, and now many cases offer this as a built-in option. Of course, you will have to make sure that your motherboard supports the correct connection to the connection on the case. This isn’t as much of a problem as it used to be, as many cases use a pass-through technology which allows these front mounted ports to be passed through the back of the case and plugged into the USB and Firewire connections on the back of the PC. Many of the newest motherboards that include additional motherboard USB headers are also supported in many cases, as well.

If you happen to choose a case that does not support front mounted ports, one nice option that we can suggest comes from Asus. The Asus iPanel comes in both a Basic and Deluxe model, which offer front mounted USB, line in, mic in, and line out ports to the front of your case, as well as voltage, post, and temperature status with its built-in display. It mounts into any 5 1/4 bay, but may be more difficult to mount in 5 1/4 bays that use rails. Unfortunately, it only works with Asus motherboards that have direct iPanel support. Neither the Asus iPanel Basic or Deluxe support Firewire; however, the deluxe model does support one serial port for the serial PDA cradle or legacy camera user. Still, the iPanel is still one of the slickest solutions that we have seen that can put ports up front on cases that don’t offer this option.

The Asus iPanel mounts in a 5 1/4 device bay and can help bring ports to the front of your PC if your case does not offer this option. There are other solutions that can do the same thing, but none of them do it with the elegance of the Asus solution. It is too bad that it is only compatible with Asus motherboards.

Side out trays for motherboards are not as popular as they once were. We are not sure if this is because it just never caught on, or if they were too difficult to build. Still, there are cases available that support this option and it is an option worth looking for if you need to change components on your motherboard often.

Removable drive cages are almost a requirement for most high-end cases that we have seen. We like the option to mount our hard drives in these cages outside the case and then place them back in the case when we are finished. These drive cages come in all shapes and sizes, and now many of them offer an 80mm that can be put directly in front of your hard drives in order to achieve good air flow over those hot 7200 RPM hard drives. In many cases, this innovation has done away with the need for hard drive coolers that are mounted to the bottom of hard drives. Drive cages make it easy to work on or replace your hard drives and even help keep them cool, and that is why we suggest that this is one item that you should definetely add to your shopping list.

As we can see from some of the examples above, these cool features do center around making the PC easier to use on a daily basis. Of course, how many of these features you can live with or without is up to you. In many cases, we have found some of the features above just add to the pleasure of the overall user experience and suggest that you at least consider including some of these in your next case purchase, as you will probably be glad you did.

Case Modding – The Next Olympic Sport?

Although we don’t think there is any real danger of seeing case modding in the Olympics, many people have really started to get into making fancy and sometimes less-than-functional modifications to their cases.

Putting your own special stamp on your case is something that isn’t too hard to do. As a matter of fact, many companies now provide a wealth of gadgets for the budding case modification artist in you. These can range from custom fan grills to black lights, to plexiglass side panels, to fan buses… and the list goes on and on.

Custom case-painting has become very popular, and as a matter of fact, THG got into the act late last year with our very own customized THG PowerBox case. The THG PowerBox case was painted by Steve Horch of www.crazypaint.com.

Of course we can’t pass up a chance to show off our customized THG PowerBox. John MacDonald of Austin, Texas was the lucky reader who became the owner of this one-of-a-kind THG-customized case.

Steve fell into painting computer cases by accident. Already a professional painter who specialized in painting cars and motorcycle parts, he wanted to customize his own computer. “I paint things all day and found it difficult to continue to look at my beige computer case.” Steve put his skills to the test by painting his own customized case.

Much of the challenge of successful case painting comes is in the form of painting the things like the CD-ROM/ CDRW drives, which in fact require disassembly of the drive in order to gain access to the face plates of the drives. Of course, masking off the areas that you don’t want to paint, as well as proper attention to the correct process of priming the area prior to painting are important as well.

Getting the right components in the right color can also be a challenge. Abi Singh at Pyrinex has had to go to the extreme by having Asus CDRW drives painted black for his customers. He told us that Asus does not sell the drive in black, so if you want it that way, you are left with very few options. Black components are so popular right now that dealers are sometimes left with little choice but to go to extremes.

You will always have folks who don’t have the correct environment and experience to properly paint cases themselves and those folks who want professional results are going to be better off taking their case to a pro who has experience in case painting.

Other customizations, such as adding cut-outs in the side panels for plexiglass windows and fans, are also popular. If not done correctly, these case projects can lead to damage of another good case. The current trendis to purchase pre-modded and painted cases which can save the inexperienced user a lot of money and effort over the long haul.

Directron sent us a few things that you can use to modify and personalize your case.

Your case can be modified and painted to any specifications that you want and this kind of customization can lead to additional enjoyment of your computer for many years to come. There is no longer a reason why your computer has to look like all of the rest, and, best of all, if you are not very handy in doing such things, a great cottage industry has sprung up that will do it for you, if you are willing to pay for their services.

Let’s Tour A Few Cases

Antec – Performance Plus 1080

Antec makes improvements to it’s popular SX1040 case with the introduction of the new Performance Plus 1080.

Antec cases have become very popular. Antec has looked to Cheiftec to provide a customized version of their case, which has become the new Performance Plus 1080. Antec continues to penetrate the market as their products are able to be purchased in your local Micro Center, CompUSA, and Best Buy. Of course this gives Antec excellent visibility that most other case vendors do not enjoy.

The Performance Plus 1080 took everything that was already good about the SX1040 and improved upon it. With the introduction of the 1080, they didn’t stray too far off course by changing the design, which might turn off long time SX1040 purchasers. Let’s take a look at the specifications for the 1080.

Antec – Performance Plus 1080, Continued

When compared to the SX1040, the two biggest changes were the addition of the new front mounted USB/ Firewire ports and the new Antec 430 Watt TruePower power supply.

Inside the swing out panel, everything else stayed pretty much the same. We did notice some additional refinements in the construction of the case, which we considered excellent. The 1080 continues the Antec trend with continued use of plastic drive rails for the mounting of 5 1/4 devices, and includes a handy storage area in the bottom of the case for extra rails that are not used in the current installation.

With the side panel removed from the 1080, you can see that this is a large and roomy case with plenty of room to grow.

With all four fans installed in addition to the power supply fan, we did find that the case was a little on the loud side. However, when you take into consideration the excellent position of these four 80mm fans, this case has the ability to move a lot of air. The new washable air filter was a welcomed addition.

Lifting up on the Antec logo now reveals two front mounted USB ports, and a Firewire Port, as well: another excellent addition by Antec.

With the addition of the new front mounted USB and Firewire ports hidden behind a door on the front of the case is something for which the older SX1040 Antec has been begging: the new optional side panel fan was another great addition.

With it’s rounded edges, excellent construction, and reliable power supply, the 1080 makes a bold statement in case technology. The price, while not as low as you might like, offers an excellent value for the money. The only thing negative we can point out about this case is the fact that, with nothing installed, it weights in at a remarkable 34 lbs, which isn’t exactly light. In terms ofdurability and quality, the 1080 delivers that and a reliable 430 watt power supply, which is quite a value for the price.

3R System – Neon Light

The Neon Light has an attractive, square, high-tech look to it. However, you will have to decide if you like the digital thermometer in the front of the case.

Never heard of 3R System before? Neither had we till they shipped us their new Neon Light case for review.

The Neon Light is a very innovative case that offers the first-ever case-integrated digital thermometer to monitor case temperatures. In addition, it offers an innovative two-speed fan control in order to help achieve the quest for a quieter PC. Let’s take a look at the specs of the Neon Light.

An up-close look at the Neon Light and how this case got its name.

The Neon Light (Digital Thermometer) in the center of the case is sure to get your attention. It addresses some users’ wish to monitor their case temperature all of the time, without using computer-based utilities to do so. Of course, hardware monitoring is available on more modern PCs, but the ability to monitor your case temperature in real time, simply by looking at the front of your case is a great feature.

3R System – Neon Light, Continued

The two fans in the PC operate at two user-controlled speeds, which allow you to run the fans at the higher speed when the temperature raises and at the lower speed when the temperature is lower, which helps reduce the noise that the PC generates.

A close-up look at the Neon Light with the side panel removed.

With the side panel of the Neon Light off, you can get a look into this roomy case. The case sports a unique design that uses bay guides which only require one set of screws per device.

The front of the case takes an innovative approach to the problem of having to purchase black components for the case. The Neon Light includes pre-doors covers which cover the 5 1/4 optical drive bay, allowing you to use any color drives you wish, without sacrificing the look of your case. We found these springs on these doors to be a little on the flimsy side, and we are uncertain how they will handle with continued use over the years. They can be removed if you wish, but it does spoil the elegant look of the front of the Neon Light.

Our sample case did not include a power supply, but 3R System does offer a version of the Neon Light that includes a power supply.

The Neon Light case construction was above average when compared to other cases that were similar. We found the case to be light, yet solid in construction. The edges of the Neon Light are twice rounded and finished, which left no sharp edges that we could find.

The Neon Light includes both two USB ports and one Firewire port that are mounted on the side of the case. While looking at the side of the case, notice the side air intake for improved circulation.

The side of the case features two USB ports and one Firewire port. We liked the convenience offered by the side mounting arrangement. Mounting these ports on the side allows you to get the cables from devices plugged into these ports out of the way, which is a clear advantage over some of the arrangements on other cases that we have seen.

The Neon Light is an innovative case design and is certainly worth considering for your next case purchase. It offers the digital thermometer feature, which can of course be a great help the overclocker crowd. While most aspects of the construction were good, at times we did feel like the doors thatcover the CD-ROM drive were flimsy due to the spring action. Overall it is a fine effort and should not disappoint.

Directron/Super Flower – 201S

The front of the Directron/ Super Flowe 201S. It offers a look that can by no means be considered ordinary.

So, you want the look and feel of a modified case without all of the work? Well, the folks at Directron sent us the 201S, which offers you the ability to have the case mod look without all of the work.

Of course, buying a pre-modded case perhaps takes out some of the thrill out of the build, but the 201S offers three windows and a stunning paint job that really gives this case that desirable “I modded it myself look.” Let’s take a look at the specifications of this case.

With support for as many as six case fans, the 201S is the dream case for the overclocker in you. It supports a whopping twelve devices, which is head and shoulders above any of the other cases in our article. The layout also offers innovative flexibility not found in other designs.

Directron/Super Flower – 201S, Continued

The 201S is roomy and built for the enthusiast crowd. It is ready right out of the box for additional customizations, and you will definetely want to personalize this case, which can only be classified as a true work of art.

With the side panel removed, the first thing that we noticed was the fact that they moved the hard drive cage to the bottom right of the case. This paves the way for additional room around the your motherboard, which clearly makes access to the components on your motherboard a dream. The hard drive cage is fastened to the case with thumb screws, which allow for easy removal.

We also took notice of the gold fan grills that cover every fan in this case. Clearly this Aluminum beauty is built to show off, with it’s polished internal finish. This makes it an ideal case for case lights, should you choose to add them.

The 201S included an array of ports in the bottom front of the case. These included USB, Firewire and audio. These were very handy and easy to connect.

Our sample unit did not include a power supply, because Directron is smart enough to know that the owner of a case like this will want to select the right power supply for the job.

You have to really like being able to see the inside of your case in order to really like the 201S. Of course this means that you will want to pay extra special attention to the details when using this case, otherwise you will effectively just have a window in your case for people to see your mess.

The three see-through windows provide a peek at the internal workings of the computer, and are just stunning to behold. They are attached firmly to the case, and should provide years of service with no headaches.

The edges of the 201S are a little sharp in a few areas, but the major areas that might cause a problem are covered with plastic in order to prevent possible cuts to your fingers.

With the 201S’s acrylic front and incredible-looking sides, the 201S was the dream case that we had always thought of building. Of course, the 201S isn’t cheap in either price or constuction. With the 201S’s quality construction and pre-modifications, it makes for a great deal for the price. If you don’t want to spend endless hours working on the modifications to your case, then the 201S is a high-quality solution that could be just right for you. With the time that you save, you will certainly be able to squeeze in a few extra games.

Enlight – 7237

I personally have been using and choosing Enlight cases since my early Socket 7 Pentium days. Having a lot of experience with Enlight cases made me want to introduce even more people to what I consider to be one of the best values in cases today, the Enlight 7237. The folks at Pyrinex provided us with a look at the latest version of the Enlight 7237.

The 7237 isn’t fancy, and as a matter of record, I hate the front of the 7237 so much that I have told vendors that I would do just about anything to replace the fronts of all of the 7237’s in the lab.

With that said, let’s take a look at the specifications for the 7237.

The 7237 provides a good mix of both size and space, but don’t be fooled, this is a mid-tower case, and fully loaded with components, things can get a little tight.

Enlight – 7237, Continued

The 7237 continues to use rails that Enlight has been using since the AT case days. The rails have been a good match due to the fact that we can exchange just about any component quickly, because they all use the same rails. This rail technology is a good fit if you want the ability to exchange things quickly.

The 7237 takes a very solid, no-frills approach. If you are looking for bells and whistles, you don’t find them in the 7237. What you do get is a case with quality construction that continues to provide a good home for your computer.

Over the life of the 7237, very little has changed. Perhaps the newest innovation in the 7237 is the new polished look of the inside of the case. We found that it didn’t affect the quality of the case or the metal used within the case.

One of the outstanding Enlight trademarks has to be it’s durability and construction. The case is stable and durable – in fact, we have seen people stand on top of Enlight cases which were unphased by such punishment.

After removing the front panel by lifting up on it and snapping it off, you are treated to a very clean, no-frills design. The 3.5″ drive cage is removable from the front of the unit.

The 7237 includes spots for two 80mm fans; one in the front under the drive cage, and one in the rear of the case. With the holes that are in front of the front fan, airflow to the back of the case is smooth as long as the path is clear, but can be disrupted with careless installation of cables.

What more can be said about the Enlight 7237 that has not already been said in other reviews? It is a durable case built with quality construction that is sold for a reasonable price. While not has cheap as some, it’s excellent construction make it an excellent choice. However, if you are a true enthusiast, you are most likely better off with a case that has a few more features.

Hydraulic – SF-860B

In black, the front of the Hydraulic SF-860B provides a look that is a cut above many cases in the same price class.

With a name like the Hydraulic SF-860B, we were not sure what to expect from the folks at Directron. Let’s take a look at the specifications for the SF-860B.

As you can see from the specifications, one of the biggest features of the SF-860B is the sliding front door, which hides access to your drive bays. The door action was smooth, and when released, it slowly drops toward the bottom of the case. It might have been nice if the door was lockable.

A look inside the SF-860B.

Removing the side panel reveals easy access to everything. This case is very bare-bones on the inside, and does not offer the bells and whistles that you might have expected from just looking at the outside of the case.

Hydraulic – SF-860B, Continued

We found the construction of the case to be average and better than many in the same price class, but it was evident that the materials were thinner than those of many of the other cases we have seen.

The SF860 offers a single 60mm fan in the back of the case, and there is room to add two more fans in the front of the case, but these fans were not included. We have never been big fans of using a single 60mm fan in the back of the case, because it has been our experience that the 60mm fans don’t move enough CFMs if the unit produces a lot of heat.

The SF-860B allows you to bolt the either 5 1/4 or 3 1/2 drives directly to the case. The SF-860B does not use rails of any type, but the case is marked in such a way as to aid installation.

The SF-860B does not include a power supply, so the price of the case will be more in line with the Enlight, once you add the cost of a power supply to the price of the case.

SF-860B adds a single 80mm fan on the side panel, which helps make up for not using an 80mm fan in the rear of the case.

The SF-860B has a single 80mm fan on the side of the case that includes a very nice looking grill. This fan, along with the vent holes on the side of the case, really helps push the air out of the case and provides more than enough cooling for the case. We do however suggest that you add fans to the front of the case for even better airflow and cooling.

The SF-860B is painted a very nice shade of black, and the paint job of the case is first rate. When compared to the Enlight 7237, it is a close race. By the time you add a power supply and the front fans to the SF-860B, you are in the same price range as the 7237. This makes the choice even more difficult. Although this is a nice case, we still felt that the Enlight was a little more sturdy than the SF-860B. however, the 7237 does not come in black, so unless you want to paint your 7237, you should consider the SF-860B.

Super Case – 7C443115

Of course we have to look at case for folks that are on a budget. The Super Case 7C443115 was a cut above most of the other cases in this price class that we looked examined.

The Super Case 7C443115 offers a very attractive package to those who are looking for a cheap case that will not break the bank. This is what the 7C443115 offers, and very little more. Let’s take a look at the specifications of the 7C443115.

Of course we realize that not everyone is looking to spend more than $50 on a case and power supply, and after looking at the 7C443115, it is clear that you get what you pay for.

Super Case – 7C443115, Continued

The construction is sturdy, but it is obvious that the metal used is thinner and lighter than that of other cases. It is clear that the 7C443115 is aimed at the budget consumer.

The 7C443115 with the side panel removed. As you can see, there is not much to see.

The 7C443115 is able to support a combination of up to six devices of both 5 1/4 and 3 1/2. Drives bolt directly to the case, and there is no need to use drive rails. The case does not offer any type of hash marks to help you line up the drive, so you have to get this done with a little trial and error.

The 7C443115 includes one 80mm fan, and there is space in the front of the case to support a second fan if you like. Of course, the included Allied 300 watt power supply included a fan.

The 7C443115 offers a black finish that isn’t all that bad, but the paint on the SF-860B looked a lot better than that of the 7C443115.

When looking at the front of the 7C443115, it is obvious that Super Case paid a lot of attention to making the front of the case look attractive. Andt looks like they achieved their goal on the front of the 7C443115, as it does look very nice.

The biggest surprise of the 7C443115 was lifting up the little door on the front of the case to find two USB ports.

The biggest surprise of the 7C443115 was the two front mounted USB ports. Most cases in this price class don’t offer this at all, and even the Enlight 7237 that we looked at didn’t offer this. Although we were not crazy about how the door flipped down rather than flipping up, we still found these ports a welcomed addition to a case in this price class.

Overall, this was a good budget case and it was absolutely a cut above the normal $20 – $30 cases we have seen. According to Pyrinex, the power supply reliability with has been pretty good, and better than most cases in this price range. It isn’t a bad case and it gets the job done for a lot less money, but you do get a lot less quality, so of course you have to figure out if it is worth it over the long haul.

The THG Case Shopping Checklist

If you were going shopping for a case today, here is a suggested check list that you might want to take with you to help you purchase the right case.

• How many 3 1/2 drive bays do I need? External/Internal
• How many 5 1/4 drive bays do I need? External/Internal
• What size power supply do I need?
• How much cooling to I need? (Number Of Fans?)
• Do I want to purchase the case and the power supply separately?
• What form factor case do I want? (Mini-Tower/Full Tower Etc…)
• What kind of case construction am I looking for?
• Do I want front mounted ports? (USB/Firewire/Audio)
• Do I want to try to build a quiet case or am I looking for cooling in this purchase?
• Do I need to add extra or quiet fans in this case?
• Do I want a case that has rails or not?
• Do I want a case that is suitable for modding or pre-modded?
• Does the length of any of my PCI or AGP cards affect my choice in cases?
• Am I willing to spend the money to consider the purchase of an Aluminum case?
• How much money do I want to spend on this case?

After answering these questions, you should have a pretty good idea of what kind of case you want. If you still don’t know the answers to all of these questions, discuss the above list with the dealer of your choice, and they should be able to help steer you in the right direction.

Conclusion: Quality costs money, but in the long haul it is worth it!

As you can see, there are a lot more factors to consider in the purchase of a case than just “does all of my stuff fit into the case?” Of course, even after reading this article you may still have many questions about your next case purchase.

It is obvious to us that purchasing a case based just on it’s looks can cause you problems down the road. With the ever-increasing popularity of case modding, case manufactures are going to be forced to come up with even better and more advanced case designs that cater the wishes of the buying public.

In this article, we have touched on most of the important factors, but there are still many others that could influence your buying decision.

As with almost everything else in the world today, it is obvious that quality costs money, but over the long haul, if you can continue to recycle your case every time that you build a new system you will not only help the environment, but have a case that is more like an old familiar friend that you have come to count on.

If cost were the overriding factor, we would most likely purchase the Antec 1080, but would have rather purchased the Direction 201S, which is what we ultimately would have rather purchased to begin with.

The 201S is worth the money, given what is included in the package, but it is still difficult to justify such an expensive purchase. If you resign yourself to keeping the 201S for a long time, it does become easier to justify it’s high price.

As for a recommendation on which case to buy out of the ones that we have looked at, there truly isn’t a dog in the bunch. Each of these cases is targeted a at different type of user, and that is why we looked at such a diverse group. As always, a smart purchase takes time and research, and, no matter what the dealers tell you, it is always good to ask questions and get answers. After all, it is only a case… or is it?