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Advice on Case Options

573 views 7 replies 5 participants last post by  Historyc 
#1 ·
Hello,

I will be building a computer for the first time. Since I don't have any prior experience, I was wondering if anyone could give me advice as to which case options would work best for me. These are the parts I am thinking of using:

- either an mATX or ATX motherboard

- Intel i5-6600 processor

- 1 3.5" HDD

- 1 2.5" SSD

- 2 8GB sticks of RAM

- 1 NVidia GTX 150 TI Graphics Card

- 1 Seasonic Prime Power Supply

- 1 Arctic Liquid Freezer closed loop liquid cooler or 1 Freezer
Xtreme twin-tower air cooler

- Several 120mm fans

Possible additional parts:

- wireless card

- optical drive

I will not be using open loop liquid cooling, but I would like to have some flexibility for the future.

Here are my questions:

1. Which CaseLabs case model would you recommend getting with these parts?

2. What would you recommend in terms of the ventilation and flex-bay options?

3. Would I likely need to purchase accessories in addition to the case?

4. Can you use fans that are thicker or thinner than 25mm?

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Chris
 
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#2 ·
Hi Chris,

I have to say, I like your style. Spend more on the case and PSU (nothing wrong with that, I have an S8 and a Seasonic PSU myself right now) than the rest of the computer.
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Knowing what I know now, I'd have loved to have bought top end cases right off the bat. I'd probably have the two or three cases I'd ever want after decades of building.

What I would do is carefully consider where you want to put your case in relationship to your working space. Then post that answer below so people have a better idea of which form factor might make the most sense. I personally dislike putting my cases on top of my desk for example but some people love it.

Spend some time browsing google image searches like, "computer desk layout". Link to any that you take a liking to. I'm sure there'll be some better informed suggestions after that.

Good luck!
 
#3 ·
I assume you mean a 1050ti, yes?

Given a single gpu and one or two other expansion cards you would be perfectly at home with a mATX board. Many current boards also have onboard wifi and some even include external antennas if you need to use them.

Have a look at the BH5 case - it will happily take a single AIO Cooler of 120x2, a couple of HDDs and SSDs and can also fit many air coolers.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for your responses, fellas. Yes, I meant the 1050ti graphics card. Good catch. As to the layout, at least at first, I will probably be putting the case on my desk. That is what I am used to, and it hasn't bothered me much in the past. What do you usually do for your layout?
 
#5 ·
I've always kept my workstation below my desk and to one side. Depends on the desk but I've fallen victim to anthro carts the last few years and I'm not likely to turn back anytime soon.

My desk has a 27" monitor on an arm and a 26" sony TV to the side. Not a lot of room for the PC up on the desk.
 
#6 ·
I love my Caselabs case, but the choice is a matter of taste, space, and aesthetics which only you can answer. I would, however, recommend that you consider the following:
  1. What are the maximum dimensions (Height, Wiidth, Depth) you could comfortably work with? I would recommend doing a cardboard mock-up to make sure you can live with it, especially if you are going to put it on your desk.
  2. Do you foresee upgrading to a custom water cooling solution in the future? if so you need to make sure you will have room for radiator(s), fans, pump, etc. You will also want to consider the difference in price between the larger case that is future-proof, vs the cheaper, smaller case that works today vs. the chance that you will never go custom loop and waste the space/money.
Once you get a handle on those issues the right case will probably pop out for you. In any case, good luck and keep us posted!
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#7 ·
You can look at the Mercury S5 MATX case.
Price is not cheap and with the system you are getting I see no reason to even but Caselabs.
There is many good case around $120 that will be good for air or watercooling.

As the CPU you pick stay away from the i5-6600. Price wise it is terrible compared to the 6 core/12 thread Ryzen 5 1600
 
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