[SOLVED] Need a new case

StukaJU87 · 08-20-2009, 09:11 PM

After hours of reading about video cards, I've come to the conclusion that I can't get a good video card until I get a good case. No sense in putting a good card in a bad case and risk damaging it. The case I have now is stock, which means bad airflow. Only has 1 x 120mm exhaust fan, not counting the 120mm in the PSU. (47C - 118F) Terrible! Would just add more fans if I could, but can't.

After reading how hot good cards run, I can't justify buying one just to put in an already hot case. My only choice is to buy a new case that allows for better airflow. I've found a couple that are over kill for me now, but will provide good airflow and give me room to grow for years to come.

I've narrowed it down to 3 full tower cases:
Cooler Master HAF 932 - $139.99
Thermaltake Spedo VI90001N2Z - $144.99
Thermaltake Spedo V90001W2Z - $199.99

Looking at both Spedo models because I don't know which uses the better side fan setup, 1 x 230mm fan or 2 smaller fans. The contact for the 230mm on the door sounds like a nice touch, but does it really work? Are there power transfer issues?, Will the contacts wear out over time? Are 230mm fans even worth the hype?

Why full tower? Because I'm tired of mid tower cases and would like this to be the last case I have to buy. It would be nice to finally have a case with some room to work in. I want to be able to run a 9800 or higher and not have to worry about heat issues or if the card(s) will fit. Any thoughts?

shotgn · 08-20-2009, 10:15 PM

I have a friend that has an haf and loves it...lots of room and air flow.
My personal Favorite is the antec 1200...lots of air in that
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129043

My personal one is....
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811517004

StukaJU87 · 08-20-2009, 11:12 PM

I saw those and considerd them except for the HDD bays. Forgot to mention that I'm looking for a case with the HDD bay turned 90 degrees. I have an old gateway case that's setup that way and love it. The bay position makes it a lot easier to add and remove drives and helps with running cables.

The case I use now has the same HDD bay setup as your links and is so small I have to remove my heatsink and video card when I add or remove drives. I understand that with a larger case the position of the bay probably dosen't matter, but because of my current case, I'm tired of the headaches associated with the standard bay setup. Plus I don't want to run into trouble with larger video cards and power connectors.

Thanks Shotgn for the suggestions and sorry for rambling on, it's just that aside from a lack of fan ports, the HDD bay is the thing I hate the most about my case. I guess that's what happens when you buy off the shelf instead of building what you want. This time I want to start with a good case and move on from there.

Phædrus2401 · 08-20-2009, 11:16 PM

The Antec 300/900/1200 cases get around that another way; the HDD cages are held in by thumbscrews and to remove them you simply undo the thumbscrews, unplug the fan, and pull it out the front. It's quite a clever design, in my opinion.

I'll look for some sideways mounted HDD cages tomorrow though.

StukaJU87 · 08-23-2009, 01:31 AM

After reading reviews and looking around, I think I've found a case that has everything I'm looking for. I've decided to bite the bullet and replace my "Gateway DX4200-UB001A" case with the Thermaltake Spedo VI90001W2Z. If it works like they claim, it should be the last case I'll ever have to buy. $200 is hard to swallow, so I hope it lasts. Should have plenty of room to transfer my current system and handle anything I throw at it down the road.

Current System:
Phenom 9550 Quad-Core 2.20GHz
6GB RAM 800MHz DDR2
1 x ATI Radeon HD 3450
1 x 7200rpm 200GB HDD
1 x 7200rpm 640GB HDD
1 x 7200rpm 1.5GB HDD
1 x DVD/RW
Corsair 850W PSU

Also, I've decided to replace the ATI card with a PNY Geforce GTS 250 1GB for $150.

Nothing has been ordered yet, so if there is a better card for less please let me know.

StukaJU87 · 08-23-2009, 11:28 AM

Found a XFX 9800gtx+ 512MB with lifetime warranty for $130
an EVGA GTS 250 1GB with 2yr warranty for $140
and the PNY I looked at had a 3yr +2yr warranty for $150

The EVGA card is the same as the PNY, except it has a faster core clock and the GTX+ is the same as the GTS 250 but with half the memory.

So my questions are:
1. With these cards, Is it better to buy the 1GB or the 512MB?
2. Is a 756MHz core clock really better than a 738MHz core clock?
3. Should I worry about warranty with these brands?
4. Which card is better if I plan on running SLI down the road?

This upgrade will need to last for a few years, and while I'm not in a position to use SLI now, I would like to try it at some point, so I need to find a card that will still be around.

Any opinions are greatly appreciated.

Dacads · 08-23-2009, 11:46 AM

You could also go with the Radeon HD 4850, the card is cheaper than the 9800gtx and gts 250 and performance is more or less the same.
As you can see from this review, both the gts 250 and radeon 4850 have very close fps rates, one or another better in each game. All 3 cards are solid but it's up to you which one you go with.
I've found a MSI GTS 250 512MB DDR3 for $120, $100 after MIR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127423
Also a XFX Radeon HD 4850 1GB DDR3 for $120
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150351

Dacads

StukaJU87 · 08-23-2009, 01:13 PM

Thanks Dacads for your quick help.

**Tyree** · 08-24-2009, 09:37 AM

For the Nvidia card, I would go with the EVGA or the MSI that Dacads linked to.
ATI cards, Sapphire and PowerColor.

StukaJU87 · 08-24-2009, 04:35 PM

Thanks Tyree for the help. Based on the numbers I could find for each card, the price, and advice from those who offered it, I decided on the EVGA card. It seemed the best bang for the buck. This will be the first high-end card I've ever owned, so the opinions of this forum and those who helped me are greatly appreciated.

Thanks again

08-20-2009, 09:11 PM	#1 (permalink)
StukaJU87 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 27 OS: Vista 64-bit Service Pack 2	[SOLVED] Need a new case After hours of reading about video cards, I've come to the conclusion that I can't get a good video card until I get a good case. No sense in putting a good card in a bad case and risk damaging it. The case I have now is stock, which means bad airflow. Only has 1 x 120mm exhaust fan, not counting the 120mm in the PSU. (47C - 118F) Terrible! Would just add more fans if I could, but can't. After reading how hot good cards run, I can't justify buying one just to put in an already hot case. My only choice is to buy a new case that allows for better airflow. I've found a couple that are over kill for me now, but will provide good airflow and give me room to grow for years to come. I've narrowed it down to 3 full tower cases: Cooler Master HAF 932 - $139.99 Thermaltake Spedo VI90001N2Z - $144.99 Thermaltake Spedo V90001W2Z - $199.99 Looking at both Spedo models because I don't know which uses the better side fan setup, 1 x 230mm fan or 2 smaller fans. The contact for the 230mm on the door sounds like a nice touch, but does it really work? Are there power transfer issues?, Will the contacts wear out over time? Are 230mm fans even worth the hype? Why full tower? Because I'm tired of mid tower cases and would like this to be the last case I have to buy. It would be nice to finally have a case with some room to work in. I want to be able to run a 9800 or higher and not have to worry about heat issues or if the card(s) will fit. Any thoughts?

08-20-2009, 10:15 PM	#2 (permalink)
shotgn Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 196 OS: xp My System	Re: Need a new case I have a friend that has an haf and loves it...lots of room and air flow. My personal Favorite is the antec 1200...lots of air in that http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129043 My personal one is.... http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811517004 __________________ Do or do not, there is no try -yoda-

08-20-2009, 11:12 PM	#3 (permalink)
StukaJU87 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 27 OS: Vista 64-bit Service Pack 2	Re: Need a new case I saw those and considerd them except for the HDD bays. Forgot to mention that I'm looking for a case with the HDD bay turned 90 degrees. I have an old gateway case that's setup that way and love it. The bay position makes it a lot easier to add and remove drives and helps with running cables. The case I use now has the same HDD bay setup as your links and is so small I have to remove my heatsink and video card when I add or remove drives. I understand that with a larger case the position of the bay probably dosen't matter, but because of my current case, I'm tired of the headaches associated with the standard bay setup. Plus I don't want to run into trouble with larger video cards and power connectors. Thanks Shotgn for the suggestions and sorry for rambling on, it's just that aside from a lack of fan ports, the HDD bay is the thing I hate the most about my case. I guess that's what happens when you buy off the shelf instead of building what you want. This time I want to start with a good case and move on from there.

08-20-2009, 11:16 PM	#4 (permalink)
Phædrus2401 Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: New Orleans Posts: 3,810 OS: Vista Ultimate x64 SP1 + Ubuntu 9.04 My System	Re: Need a new case The Antec 300/900/1200 cases get around that another way; the HDD cages are held in by thumbscrews and to remove them you simply undo the thumbscrews, unplug the fan, and pull it out the front. It's quite a clever design, in my opinion. I'll look for some sideways mounted HDD cages tomorrow though. __________________ Good PSU brands: Corsair, SeaSonic, CWT, PC Power and Cooling, Thermaltake Toughpower, CoolerMaster Real Power Pro On 80+ Certification - PSU Information and Selection - Power Supply Myths You don't get what you don't pay for.

08-23-2009, 01:31 AM	#5 (permalink)
StukaJU87 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 27 OS: Vista 64-bit Service Pack 2	Re: Need a new case After reading reviews and looking around, I think I've found a case that has everything I'm looking for. I've decided to bite the bullet and replace my "Gateway DX4200-UB001A" case with the Thermaltake Spedo VI90001W2Z. If it works like they claim, it should be the last case I'll ever have to buy. $200 is hard to swallow, so I hope it lasts. Should have plenty of room to transfer my current system and handle anything I throw at it down the road. Current System: Phenom 9550 Quad-Core 2.20GHz 6GB RAM 800MHz DDR2 1 x ATI Radeon HD 3450 1 x 7200rpm 200GB HDD 1 x 7200rpm 640GB HDD 1 x 7200rpm 1.5GB HDD 1 x DVD/RW Corsair 850W PSU Also, I've decided to replace the ATI card with a PNY Geforce GTS 250 1GB for $150. Nothing has been ordered yet, so if there is a better card for less please let me know.

08-23-2009, 11:28 AM	#6 (permalink)
StukaJU87 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 27 OS: Vista 64-bit Service Pack 2	Re: Need a new case Found a XFX 9800gtx+ 512MB with lifetime warranty for $130 an EVGA GTS 250 1GB with 2yr warranty for $140 and the PNY I looked at had a 3yr +2yr warranty for $150 The EVGA card is the same as the PNY, except it has a faster core clock and the GTX+ is the same as the GTS 250 but with half the memory. So my questions are: 1. With these cards, Is it better to buy the 1GB or the 512MB? 2. Is a 756MHz core clock really better than a 738MHz core clock? 3. Should I worry about warranty with these brands? 4. Which card is better if I plan on running SLI down the road? This upgrade will need to last for a few years, and while I'm not in a position to use SLI now, I would like to try it at some point, so I need to find a card that will still be around. Any opinions are greatly appreciated.

08-23-2009, 11:46 AM	#7 (permalink)
Dacads Registered User Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: UK Posts: 188 OS: XP SP2 My System	Re: Need a new case You could also go with the Radeon HD 4850, the card is cheaper than the 9800gtx and gts 250 and performance is more or less the same. As you can see from this review, both the gts 250 and radeon 4850 have very close fps rates, one or another better in each game. All 3 cards are solid but it's up to you which one you go with. I've found a MSI GTS 250 512MB DDR3 for $120, $100 after MIR http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127423 Also a XFX Radeon HD 4850 1GB DDR3 for $120 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150351 Dacads Last edited by Dacads; 08-23-2009 at 11:51 AM.

08-23-2009, 01:13 PM	#8 (permalink)
StukaJU87 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 27 OS: Vista 64-bit Service Pack 2	Re: Need a new case Thanks Dacads for your quick help.

08-24-2009, 09:37 AM	#9 (permalink)
Tyree Mentor Hardware Team Join Date: May 2009 Location: Illinois Posts: 5,600 OS: XP Pro-7RC-Mandriva My System	Re: Need a new case For the Nvidia card, I would go with the EVGA or the MSI that Dacads linked to. ATI cards, Sapphire and PowerColor. __________________ Posting your PC specs will help us to help you quicker and more efficiently.

08-24-2009, 04:35 PM	#10 (permalink)
StukaJU87 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 27 OS: Vista 64-bit Service Pack 2	Re: Need a new case Thanks Tyree for the help. Based on the numbers I could find for each card, the price, and advice from those who offered it, I decided on the EVGA card. It seemed the best bang for the buck. This will be the first high-end card I've ever owned, so the opinions of this forum and those who helped me are greatly appreciated. Thanks again