Is there any reason to not buy the cheapest computer case I can find?

[DeeBye]

I'm looking to build a new computer, but on an EXTREMELY severe budget. One of the parts I need is a new case. There are all kinds of fancy cases on Newegg that cost lots of dollars, but I just need one that can house some parts.

Seriously, do I really need a $100+ case?

[Nystul]

I would do some homework on whatever case you are looking at, but you certainly don't need to pay $100 for a decent case. Should be able to get something decent for around $50 shipped. I doubt any case will hold the system back too much unless you are relying on an included power supply.

[Lissa]

I'm looking to build a new computer, but on an EXTREMELY severe budget. One of the parts I need is a new case. There are all kinds of fancy cases on Newegg that cost lots of dollars, but I just need one that can house some parts.

Seriously, do I really need a $100+ case?

Short answer: No

Long answer: The pricing on cases tends to be more based on some convience aspects as well as name of the maker of the case. In lower prices, you're going to see situations where you need tools (vs toolless designs), sharp edges (potentially cutting yourself if not careful), and thinner metal and/or plastic used.

Case size will depend on how many parts you are bringing over from another machine (if it's just a couple hard drives, CD/DVD/BD drive, and maybe a PSU) you might also want to look at shrinking the overall footprint (going with Micro-ATX or Mini-ITX depending). Ultimately, you should also look at what all you plan to do with the new machine as some cases may be more in line with what you needed vs. a lot of extraneous items. For me, I've really been looking more at what I end up having in the case for my machines of late and have really started to look at shrinking down as much as possible.

If you are planning to get a new MB along with case, let me know and I can suggest a couple things (because of my looking to shrink footprint of my machines).

[Taem]

I'm surprised this wasn't mentioned, but a lot has to do with proper airflow. Some cases are actually very poor for proper airflow. Other's are truly fantastic! You need to do some research. I did, and found the best case I could buy at the time was at Fry's Electronics for around $150 for a full-tower. A standard metal case mid-tower has one fan with airflow going out on the left hand side, and one or two fans on the back pulling air in, not including the power supply. That is a poor, poor design flaw if you have a good video card (or two). A mid-tower should be able to house all your peripherals without any issue, but the airflow is paramount to having your system run without any problems from now into the near future, if you have a video card worth a damn that is . FYI, the cases I was reviewing also had air intakes on the top and front and worked 60-70% more effeciently than your standard mid-tower with a metal case (so they claim).

[kandrathe]

I'm looking to build a new computer, but on an EXTREMELY severe budget. One of the parts I need is a new case. There are all kinds of fancy cases on Newegg that cost lots of dollars, but I just need one that can house some parts.

Seriously, do I really need a $100+ case?

I prefer steel to aluminum for the sturdiness. But, I can get them for around $30 if they are without a power supply, and lack fancy designs.

[Lissa]

I'm surprised this wasn't mentioned, but a lot has to do with proper airflow. Some cases are actually very poor for proper airflow. Other's are truly fantastic! You need to do some research. I did, and found the best case I could buy at the time was at Fry's Electronics for around $150 for a full-tower. A standard metal case mid-tower has one fan with airflow going out on the left hand side, and one or two fans on the back pulling air in, not including the power supply. That is a poor, poor design flaw if you have a good video card (or two). A mid-tower should be able to house all your peripherals without any issue, but the airflow is paramount to having your system run without any problems from now into the near future, if you have a video card worth a damn that is . FYI, the cases I was reviewing also had air intakes on the top and front and worked 60-70% more effeciently than your standard mid-tower with a metal case (so they claim).

Airflow isn't much of an issue anymore. The main difference between a high priced case and a low priced case is really lack of fans (the fan points are there, just no fans installed), whether the case is toolless or not, if the case has sharp edges or not, cable routing if there or not, and the materials used and general thickness of said materials.

[LennyLen]

I got one of these for the machine I built this year. I consider the price of it to be money well spent. There is so much internal space that by Nvidia GTX 680 has several inches of clearance, and it's a huge card.

I added the two optional fans (one's the cooling fan for the CPU liquid cooling system) to the three that come with the case so there is ample airflow. MY CPU and GPU both sit at about 30°, even when the external temperature gets to about 40°.

The case was also a pleasure to work with when I was putting the machine together. The engineers put a lot of thought into the design and I think this is the first of literally thousands of PCs I have built without uttering a single curse at the case.

It's also extremely rugged. I've bruised myself a few times by walking into it.

[DeeBye]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. Once again, you have all been extremely helpful.

If you are planning to get a new MB along with case, let me know and I can suggest a couple things (because of my looking to shrink footprint of my machines).

I'm actually planning on building two new (mostly) identical computers. My son is getting old enough that he's not happy with gaming on his really old computer, and I'm not terribly happy with what I currently have. Since I'm splitting my budget for two separate computers this time, I really need to save a lot of money.

My budget is about $800 for both machines. I can re-use a lot of stuff from current computers (PSUs, optical drives, hard drives, video cards), so I can save a lot of money that way. I pretty much only need to buy two new cases (I don't want to re-use old cases), two new motherboards, two new CPUs, and two new sets of RAM.

My expectations for these systems aren't very high - I'm really only looking to build a couple of computers that have at least dual-core CPUs and 8GB of RAM. More would be better of course. If I can get decent Diablo 3 performance, I'll be happy.

One sticking point is that I also want to include the price of two copies of Windows in my budget.

edit: I totally forgot to address the case size issue! In short, I would actually prefer bigger cases. I'm not looking for a small footprint and bigger cases are easier to work with.

[Lissa]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. Once again, you have all been extremely helpful.

If you are planning to get a new MB along with case, let me know and I can suggest a couple things (because of my looking to shrink footprint of my machines).

I'm actually planning on building two new (mostly) identical computers. My son is getting old enough that he's not happy with gaming on his really old computer, and I'm not terribly happy with what I currently have. Since I'm splitting my budget for two separate computers this time, I really need to save a lot of money.

My budget is about $800 for both machines. I can re-use a lot of stuff from current computers (PSUs, optical drives, hard drives, video cards), so I can save a lot of money that way. I pretty much only need to buy two new cases (I don't want to re-use old cases), two new motherboards, two new CPUs, and two new sets of RAM.

My expectations for these systems aren't very high - I'm really only looking to build a couple of computers that have at least dual-core CPUs and 8GB of RAM. More would be better of course. If I can get decent Diablo 3 performance, I'll be happy.

One sticking point is that I also want to include the price of two copies of Windows in my budget.

edit: I totally forgot to address the case size issue! In short, I would actually prefer bigger cases. I'm not looking for a small footprint and bigger cases are easier to work with.

Ok, here's a couple suggestions since you have the PSU, Video Cards, and drives:

Case: Cooler Master Elite 120 $50, mini-ITX case, room for 3 3 1/2 drivers along with an Opttical Drive, unlike most mini-ITX cases, this one takes normal sized PSUs (so you can move those over) and can take double slot Video cards up to a foot in length (yes, even the NVidia GTX 690 or AMD 7990

Case Fan: OPTIONAL The Elite has room for one more 120mm case fan, you probably won't need it, but you if you want to put a fan in there, Xigmatek eXTREME SILENT is a good choice at $8 (on sale) to $11 (not on sale)

MB: AMD Build - ASRock A75M FM2 $90 This works with the latest APUs from AMD (which mean the CPU has a dedicated video processor, a good one actually, equivalent to an AMD 7660 and works really good if you splurge on RAM or can overclock the RAM)

MB: Intel Build - ASS P8H77 $100 This is designed for the Ivy Bridge line of Intel processors and can have decent onboard graphics (not as good as AMD). Overall, works better when dealing with an add on card instead of using the internal graphics of the processor for playing games.

CPU: AMD Build - A10-5800K - $120 With this processor combined with the above MB, unless you turn your graphics all the way up, this will handle just about any modern game right now fairly easily, especially if you splurge on some higher speed RAM for it.

CPU: Intel Build - i3 3220 - $120 With an add in video card, you get the advantage of a cooler running CPU (Intel cornered the market here as AMD chips tend to run a little hotter and use a little more power, not a huge amount, but if you're a penny pincher on electric costs or have a heavy "green" complex, Intel is better in that reguard).

RAM: AMD Build - G.Skill Sniper 2133 $50 and will boost your gaming performance using the on chip graphics for the A10.

RAM: Intel Build - Samsung $35 this is some top notch RAM made directly by one of the RAM chip makers. It also, supposedly, overclocks like crazy, but with the Intel system, you don't need to do that.

Heatsink: AMD Build - The heatsink that comes with the CPU is low profile, so will work.

Heatsink: Intel Build - Noctua NH-L9i $48 this is designed for small form factor cases and Noctua is one of the best heat sink makers in the business. The cooling delivered is exceptional.


Total cost of each build:

AMD: $310 to $321 (depending on if getting additional fan).

Intel: $353 to $364 (depending on if getting additonal fan).

You could splurge more on the processor on the intel side, potentially going up to a i5 like i5 3350P, but this increases the price of the CPU up to $190 tacking another $70 onto the Intel build (bringing it up to $423 to $434 depending on the optional case fan).

So, you end up with a nice smal footprint machine (can go on your desk) and you can use your old PSUs and your old Video card along with the old drives with ease and comes in under budget as well.



Missed that you would want a larger case, in that case:

You can stick with the CPUs and MBs above and can drop the heatsink for the Intel processor.

For a good midtower case, APEVIA X-Trooper gives you two fans (with an optional third) to begin with and plenty of space in it. It can fit a video card up to 12" and has plenty of space for optical and hard drives. It's also only $39 with a rebate dropping it to $29 (but that will cover the shipping for the most part). You could also go with less expensive cases, but they typically come without fans, so you end up paying the difference in adding case fans to them.

[DeeBye]

MB: AMD Build - ASRock A75M FM2 $90 This works with the latest APUs from AMD (which mean the CPU has a dedicated video processor, a good one actually, equivalent to an AMD 7660 and works really good if you splurge on RAM or can overclock the RAM)

CPU: AMD Build - A10-5800K - $120 With this processor combined with the above MB, unless you turn your graphics all the way up, this will handle just about any modern game right now fairly easily, especially if you splurge on some higher speed RAM for it.

You just blew my mind by showing me that some AMD CPUs have decent video built right in! This changes everything. For my son's computer, I was originally planning on re-using his really old nVidia 9600GT, but AMD 7660 performance from the CPU is pretty outstanding and I would like to try that instead.

Can you suggest a case/mobo/CPU/RAM build using Newegg.ca? US newegg prices are sometimes hilariously lower than what I can get in Canada. Keep in mind that I'm also going to have to buy 2 copies of Windows and stay under $800 for the pair.

[Lissa]

MB: AMD Build - ASRock A75M FM2 $90 This works with the latest APUs from AMD (which mean the CPU has a dedicated video processor, a good one actually, equivalent to an AMD 7660 and works really good if you splurge on RAM or can overclock the RAM)

CPU: AMD Build - A10-5800K - $120 With this processor combined with the above MB, unless you turn your graphics all the way up, this will handle just about any modern game right now fairly easily, especially if you splurge on some higher speed RAM for it.

You just blew my mind by showing me that some AMD CPUs have decent video built right in! This changes everything. For my son's computer, I was originally planning on re-using his really old nVidia 9600GT, but AMD 7660 performance from the CPU is pretty outstanding and I would like to try that instead.

Can you suggest a case/mobo/CPU/RAM build using Newegg.ca? US newegg prices are sometimes hilariously lower than what I can get in Canada. Keep in mind that I'm also going to have to buy 2 copies of Windows and stay under $800 for the pair.

Here's what I could come up with, boy do they screw you Canucks on shipping ($34 in shipping):

Case: ToPower TP-4106BB $25 + $13 in shipping

MB: MSI FM2-A75MA-E35 $63 + $10.75 in shipping

CPU: AMD A10-5800k $130 + 0 in shipping

Memory: G.Skill Ares Series - 2133 $45 + $10 in shipping

Total price: $263 + $34 in shipping

I would also check locally for a couple 120mm case fans to add to the case. They actually cost more in shipping than their price on NewEgg.ca

That leaves you about $100 for Windows licenses.

[DeeBye]

Here's what I could come up with, boy do they screw you Canucks on shipping ($34 in shipping):

Thanks a lot for this. There is another online computer parts vendor that actually has a retail store in my town and I was able to make a Wish List that cuts the price down by quite a bit due to no shipping costs.

[Lissa]

Here's what I could come up with, boy do they screw you Canucks on shipping ($34 in shipping):

Thanks a lot for this. There is another online computer parts vendor that actually has a retail store in my town and I was able to make a Wish List that cuts the price down by quite a bit due to no shipping costs.

No problem. Grab a couple of 120mm case fans then, that'll mean they run cool for sure and make sure to set the timings on the RAM in the bios. This is one of the few times where having faster/higher timing RAM will truly benefit you (people have seen 25%+ FPS performance in various games with using higher rated RAM with the APUs).

[DeeBye]

My local computer store has the Cooler Master 430 Elite mid-tower case on sale for $45, less a $20 rebate. The terms of the rebate specify " Limit (1) ONE rebate per person, billing address, company, or household.", so I don't think I can buy 2 cases and get 2 rebates - but it would still average out to $35+tax per case.

Good deal?

[kandrathe]

My local computer store has the Cooler Master 430 Elite mid-tower case on sale for $45, less a $20 rebate. The terms of the rebate specify " Limit (1) ONE rebate per person, billing address, company, or household.", so I don't think I can buy 2 cases and get 2 rebates - but it would still average out to $35+tax per case.

Good deal?

Per day? Per transaction? Per lifetime? It is the case I have. It is big, sturdy, spacious inside and quiet. I approve.

[Lissa]

My local computer store has the Cooler Master 430 Elite mid-tower case on sale for $45, less a $20 rebate. The terms of the rebate specify " Limit (1) ONE rebate per person, billing address, company, or household.", so I don't think I can buy 2 cases and get 2 rebates - but it would still average out to $35+tax per case.

Good deal?

Yeah, that should be a good deal. Can't go wrong on $35 a case + tax considering the cases I quoted through NewEgg.ca would have been around that after shipping without case fans. Just be sure to grab some case fans from it as Cooler Master's website indicates all fans are optional.

[DeeBye]

Just be sure to grab some case fans from it as Cooler Master's website indicates all fans are optional.

The place I'm buying it from lists a 120mm case fan included.

[DeeBye]

Per day? Per transaction? Per lifetime? It is the case I have. It is big, sturdy, spacious inside and quiet. I approve.

I missed this earlier. Here are the rebate terms (.PDF).

I believe the important part is

Limit (1) rebate per qualifying rebate offer, per person, billing address, company, household and receipt/invoice/packing slip during the eligibility period, except were prohibited by law.

I went and picked up one case. I decided not to tempt the fickle rebate gods by trying to claim two rebates.

It seems like a nice case, albeit a tad more fancy than what I prefer. My son likes the idea of a LED case fan (it did come with one) and clear side window though. I like the fact that it can easily house up to (by my count) six 120mm case fans in various places.

I'm going to put off buying the mobo/CPU/RAM for a couple of weeks. Pretty soon the online Canadian vendors will be having Boxing Week sales. Right now the cheapest mobo/CPU/RAM combo is about $245 before tax and shipping, and I bet I can find something a lot cheaper during Boxing Week.

I do have a question about the FM2 motherboards. Right now I'm limiting searches to the FM2-A75 ones on Lissa's advice, but I'm seeing a few cheaper A55 motherboards. What's the difference?

[Lissa]

Per day? Per transaction? Per lifetime? It is the case I have. It is big, sturdy, spacious inside and quiet. I approve.

I missed this earlier. Here are the rebate terms (.PDF).

I believe the important part is

Limit (1) rebate per qualifying rebate offer, per person, billing address, company, household and receipt/invoice/packing slip during the eligibility period, except were prohibited by law.

I went and picked up one case. I decided not to tempt the fickle rebate gods by trying to claim two rebates.

It seems like a nice case, albeit a tad more fancy than what I prefer. My son likes the idea of a LED case fan (it did come with one) and clear side window though. I like the fact that it can easily house up to (by my count) six 120mm case fans in various places.

I'm going to put off buying the mobo/CPU/RAM for a couple of weeks. Pretty soon the online Canadian vendors will be having Boxing Week sales. Right now the cheapest mobo/CPU/RAM combo is about $245 before tax and shipping, and I bet I can find something a lot cheaper during Boxing Week.

I do have a question about the FM2 motherboards. Right now I'm limiting searches to the FM2-A75 ones on Lissa's advice, but I'm seeing a few cheaper A55 motherboards. What's the difference?

This article gives a quick explanation.