Help me pick out a case for my new build??

[Sniping]

I'm trying to figure out which case to buy for my new build. It's a mid end build and I'm going for value more than anything. Specs will probably be r9 290, 250gb 850 pro, 16gb, and devil's canyon i5 just to give an idea. I've been debating whether or not to go with a micro atx build. I really like the smaller form factor and the price should come out to be slightly lower if I go with micro ATX motherboard+case.

I like aluminum front panels, but they're a bit more expensive.

Right now I'm mainly looking at the Silencio 352s, and the 350d for mATX cases (though I hear the 350d isn't that small). I also don't really like the look of the cube cases for some reason. The Enthoo evolv seems pretty good but it's a little pricey. The Fractal Define S is $60 right now but it also has a plastic front panel which makes it similar to the Silencio 352s in my eyes.

As for mid towers, I'm mainly looking at the Antec P280 since it has the aluminum front panel. It's a bit dated though and it's also bigger than I'd like it to be.

I have no idea what to get, so it'd be cool if I could get some advice.

[Signature]

I'm trying to figure out which case to buy for my new build. It's a mid end build and I'm going for value more than anything. Specs will probably be r9 290, 250gb 250 pro, 16gb, and devil's canyon i5 just to give an idea. I've been debating whether or not to go with a micro atx build. I really like the smaller form factor and the price should come out to be slightly lower if I go with micro ATX motherboard+case.

I like aluminum front panels, but they're a bit more expensive.

Right now I'm mainly looking at the Silencio 352s, and the 350d for mATX cases (though I hear the 350d isn't that small). I also don't really like the look of the cube cases for some reason. The Enthoo evolv seems pretty good but it's a little pricey. The Fractal Define S is $60 right now but it also has a plastic front panel which makes it similar to the Silencio 352s in my eyes.

As for mid towers, I'm mainly looking at the Antec P280 since it has the aluminum front panel. It's a bit dated though and it's also bigger than I'd like it to be.

I have no idea what to get, so it'd be cool if I could get some advice.

If no budget I would suggest these:
http://www.hex-gear.com/product/r40-white/
Example build:
http://www.sweclockers.com/galleri/13146-odyssey-by-zoyadog

or:
InWin 901

[diqkiq]

The phanteks evolv matx is a great case. I just received mine yesterday.

[missalaire]

Corsair 88R

http://www.corsair.com/en-us/carbide-series-88r-microatx-mid-tower-case

[tp4tissue]

matx

takes the same amount of space as a regular atx,  but holds less.. and you end up with more cable squishing in the back..

Totes hassle ++

[Leslieann]

I love Matx and mini ITX.
I used to be a big supporter of large cases (even had a double wide watercooled 75 pound monster on casters), I liked big ones because I could get in and work on them without things in the way. But that stuff is no longer needed. We no longer need sound cards, network cards, 10 hard drives and 1 or 2 dvd burners.

I have 3 systems in the basement which are all relatively similar.
Attached is my watercooled, raid SSD, MATX setup from a while back. At the time it didn't have a modular power supply, but it still extremely barren and allows easy access to everything.

I love aluminum, but you pay more, they are less durable and they never match the breathing ability of a full mesh front and on a small case, airflow is more critical than in a large case. I start with a small MATX case with full mesh front (I like the Fractal Define Core 1000), then rip out the drive cages and put fans down the front. If it's watercooled, I stuff a 2x120mm radiator there as well. If the system needs hard disks, I drill mounting holes in the bottom, if it uses SSDs I use a a PCIE mounted drive bay (as seen in the attached picture).  With or without a modular power supply, you end up with a very empty looking case that is very compact, easy to work on and no dead air spots.

I believe this was a PowerSpex case that I paid $25 for, the Fractal 1000 is actually shorter.  I cut out the front of the upper drive bay so the radiator would slide up inside. The bay still could hold two dvd's if I ever repurpose it for something else. Even the old drive bays can be put back in with screws. Ignore the blue lights, they were what I had on hand. The weird connector out the back runs to a remote switch box on my desk as this sits about 5 feet under the office floor. The water cooling system originally was a Corsair AIO with a single 120mm radiator, I swapped that with a dual I had from my monster case, and made a short tube type reservoir in the drive bay which goes up to a fill port out the top of the case. It easily handles an overclocked I7 2600k.


Tp4tissue, I'm not sure where you get the idea they need as much space as ATX, the lazier designs do, but some are quite a bit smaller. I used to feel like you, that they were hard to work on, but look at the attached picture and tell me it's hard to work on, even with watercooling and a non-modular power supply. There's not even cables hidden behind the motherboard.

[tp4tissue]

Well, it's not that bad if you don't put any drives in there..

But if you put drives in it like a normal person that doesn't have a server room..  then turns messy quite quickly,

[Badwrench]

I'm trying to figure out which case to buy for my new build. It's a mid end build and I'm going for value more than anything. Specs will probably be r9 290, 250gb 250 pro, 16gb, and devil's canyon i5 just to give an idea. I've been debating whether or not to go with a micro atx build. I really like the smaller form factor and the price should come out to be slightly lower if I go with micro ATX motherboard+case.

I like aluminum front panels, but they're a bit more expensive.

Right now I'm mainly looking at the Silencio 352s, and the 350d for mATX cases (though I hear the 350d isn't that small). I also don't really like the look of the cube cases for some reason. The Enthoo evolv seems pretty good but it's a little pricey. The Fractal Define S is $60 right now but it also has a plastic front panel which makes it similar to the Silencio 352s in my eyes.

As for mid towers, I'm mainly looking at the Antec P280 since it has the aluminum front panel. It's a bit dated though and it's also bigger than I'd like it to be.

I have no idea what to get, so it'd be cool if I could get some advice.

If no budget I would suggest these:
http://www.hex-gear.com/product/r40-white/
Example build:
http://www.sweclockers.com/galleri/13146-odyssey-by-zoyadog

or:
InWin 901

Show Image

Totally agree with the InWin 901.  It is even nicer looking in person.  So many great details like the recessed rear to hide the wiring. 

Here is a deal on one:  InWin 901 ITX for $120 shipped]http://www.ebay.com/itm/Inwin-Development-INWIN-901-Retail-ITX-Chassis-Glass-Aluminum-Computer-Case-/272060246415?hash=item3f580de98f:g:d-EAAOSwv-NWWwuh]InWin 901 ITX for $120 shipped.  This would require you to go ITX though for your build, but with current pricing, you are actually pretty close to ATX/MATX. 

[Leslieann]

Well, it's not that bad if you don't put any drives in there..

But if you put drives in it like a normal person that doesn't have a server room..  then turns messy quite quickly,

There's two ssd's in that system but they could easily  be replaced by a normal drive.

On top of that, I could still fit a normal drive, plus 5 to 10 more SSDs and you would hardly notice a difference in terms of maintenance, wiring or airflow if you know where to put them. After that, while it would be more difficult to work on, I could still fit 2 more spinners along the front. 


However,
I recommend as few drives in your desktop as possible, the less data stored on it the better. From a data security standpoint, desktops are very high risk, you expose it to malware, there is heat from internal components (cpu and video cards), they get kicked and bumped... A NAS or file server sits on a shelf, away from all of these every day dangers. Not only can I offload large uploads and downloads, but mine also handles all my offsite backups and drive imaging as well, all of which can be done with or without my desktop running. Better yet, I can turn off or power down my power hog of a desktop and still have access to all of that data from a laptop, or continue my downloads. In the first year I saved more on my electric bill than I spent on the few parts I needed to build my first NAS/file server simply because my desktop was powered down so much more.

Frankly, I wouldn't go back to not having one. I no longer stress over making sure I backed up everything before an upgrade. I can backup the desktop in 5 minutes, and do whatever to it, knowing that not only is the data safe, but also I can still access at a moments notice from my phone or laptop. If you like to play with different operating systems, they are amazing for that very reason. Your data is never unavailable.

[Leslieann]

Sniping, have you looked at  SilverStone Temjin TJ08B-E
I meant to mention it earlier but couldn't find the model #, it has room for a long video card, yet still as small as possible, not super expensive ($100), aluminum front panel, good air flow... I consider it to be one of, if not the best matx cases on the market from a design standpoint (that Inwin looks good too)... They make a cheaper plastic front version as well (the SST-PS07B), these can be had for under $75 if you look around.

It was the initial inspiration for what I do with cheap cases, I just took it a step further.

[Sniping]

I was considering the Silverstone itx case as well, but I already bought a case so the deal is sealed now haha

I ended up going for the In Win 901 on Cyber Monday while it was still on sale. It was $130 and I'll do the $20 MIR later (I hate doing those :c). The airflow is probably not the greatest but I really liked the design of the case as well. I'm lucky my GPU fits though, I probably have less than .5cm clearance left lengthwise, so it was definitely a close call.

[vivalarevolución]

Sup.  Mini itx, ftw.  At least that is what works for me with my non-gaming needs.

http://www.coolermaster.com/case/mini-itx-elite-series/elite110/