i need to get myself a new pc case and its not easy finding one which has everything i want in a case.
was hoping someone on here might be able to suggest something that might work for me.


i'd like a case with the following:

E-ATX
Compartmentalised design
holds 5 or 6 hard drives
good cooling design (something that will keep my hard drives and graphics cards happy)
will hold a larger then standard size psu no probs
has enough room between the top of the motherboard and where the psu or top of the case is to fit the rear cpu heat sink from a thermalright IFX-14 cpu heat sink


i realize this is a bit of a list, so far the only thing i've found that’s close is the thermaltake xaser 6 (which most people don’t like), tho it’s not compartmentalised and the IFX-14 heat sink will be close.
i don’t really mind the Xaser 6 and i can pick one up here for $270, but b4 i give up and buy one i want to know if anyone knows of anything better out there

Shao

check out lian li cases, umart stock them.

diy

Compartmentalised design

What are you imagining here? Or is this a well defined term in the empty box industry?

Make me a car where everything under the bonnet can be detached like a module.

this is mine:

http://www.silverstonetek.com/products/p_contents.php?pno=tj07
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=25_608_609&products_id=4181

Compartmentalised design is a defined term these days

It basically means to keep each heat generating item, grouped.

So, for example pretty much all the new lian li cases compartmentalise the power supply area, away from the mother board/cpu, so that the heat from one, doesn't effect the other. That sort of thing.

Some even seal off the drives from everything else too.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the "compartmentalised" design cause, well, everyone knows that ambient heat doesn't travel through metal....

:/
If each compartment is cooled correctly, they're ok. My biggest gripe with that particular design is the lack of cable length when you have to wrap it round corners (P180 style is a poster child of poor design)

Lian Li do make extremely nice cases which should suit your purpose.
All that said, I myself have an Antec 1200 which houses a 9800GX2 thermonuclear device along with 3x raptors an various other parts) and am quite happy with it, ample drive storage bay all with filtered fan cooling.

p182 go

antec P190 + 1200 seems to fit what you're after. i didn't like my p180 though.

i got the p182.. its win

P182

coolermaster, thermaltake, lian-li.. etc.

It all comes down to personal choice IMO.

edit: yeah or what yellow said, Do it yourself. Just grab an old Pc case and mod it out, heaps of fun and the end result is very rewarding depending on how good you are.

The only advice I can give you when you Diy is to think it through and take your time, dont rush it...

last edited by Articuz at 09:16:14 19/Nov/08

Actually, after having a thermaltake case, i didn't find them all that impressive, especially for the price.

The 1200 won't have the room you are after.

Second the TJ07 suggestion, also would like to mention the Lian-Li V2000 series / PC-200 series. Have both, awesome cases. And they can be had for not much more.

he's said he needs extended-atx yeah?

p190 + 1200 appears to be the only antec which can fit that according to their website (quick browse through though, could be wrong)

The 1200 is tight for room length wise with a normal board, EATX is going to create havoc in that case.

Lian-Li, nothing else compares.