Case and PS Suggestions?

[Eversion]

I've deceied to build my own computer, and plan to use the suggested Econobox (Alt) build
Processor Intel Core i3-530 $114.99
Motherboard Gigabyte GA-H55M-USB3 $109.99
Memory Mushkin 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1333 $79.99
Graphics Sapphire Radeon HD 5770 $154.99
Storage Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB $89.99

and I now just need the Case and PS, but truthfully, I don't know what I'm looking for, anyone have any suggestions?
Relativity cheap if possible, I do have a small budget.

[emorgoch]

What are the features that you're looking for in the case? What size (mid-tower, mini-tower etc.), expandability (number of drive bays)? Is low noise a big concern? What about cosmetics (ie. lighting, glass windows, colour, etc.)?
As for the power supply, between 350W and 500W should be fine for that system. This assumes you won't use that PSU for a larger system at a later time. Do you care about modular cabling?
Finally, what is the budget number that you're looking at? I could make suggestions of anything between $60 for a combo case & PSU all the way up to $150 for each. The lower cost you go, the more features you give up, so give a ball park figure so we know where to start suggesting.

[ryko]

for cases, it is all a matter of personal taste and budget really. for psu i like corsair, seasonic, antec... here are some to get you started.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811129042

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817139017

[axeman]

If you're building on a budget but want to make sure you get something at least half-decent, buy an Antec case/PSU combo. Buying case and PSU separately is a rip-off by comparison, as long as the included PSU is *decent*. If you look at the prices of the Antec PSUs, sometimes an Antec case that includes the same PSU is less than 20 bucks more, can't beat that.

Not that long ago, it seems a lot of people were having trouble with failing Antec PSUs - I don't think this is a big concern anymore, but maybe someone will disagree with me.

For cheap and cheerful PSUs, I've had very little trouble with Fortron, FSP/SPI, and/or Sparkle power supplies. They're one of the biggest actual manufacturers of PSUs AFAIK, and lots of other types are just rebranded.

For cheap and cheerful cases, try Foxconn or Compucase. I've bought a few of both, and while low frills, the quality seems perfectly acceptable.

[rcs2k4]

Firstly, your fairly new to TR, so on behalf of the TR regulars - Welcome

You didn't specify an exact budget, but striking a happy balance between performance and price I got this case 2 weeks back for my new build:
http://www.zalman.com/ENG/product/Produ ... sp?idx=381

It's the Zalman Z7 Plus. I spent ages thinking whether I should get this or the tried and tested Antec 300 that was the same price. I finally settled on this because it's a little larger inside than the Antec, has more fans included as standard (and really quiet Zalman 120mm ones at that), and has that really nifty fan controller too, built into the side pannel. It's also got an anti-vibration base, hard drive mounts and motherboard stand-off's. I paid £44 for it - I would imagine you can get it for a price price your end just by swapping the £ for a $ symbol (Rather annoyingly!!!). It is a LOT of case for very little outlay.

On the PSU front, I would recommend this:
http://www.corsair.com/products/hx/default.aspx

Speciffically, the Corsair HX520 Modular PSU. I use the 620W version of this, and it's been brilliant (as far as PSU's go). It's very quiet, has excellent efficiency and is able to keep voltages on each 12V rail perfectly steady. Finally, being modular (You really dont want to save the extra £8 to get the non-modular version of this) means there is no cable clutter - And loads of un-necessary floppy drive and molex connectors hanging around.

It's 520W output will handle your build, with room for expansion down the line and being able to supply enough juice for overclocking. I don't quite agree with axeman on the PSU front though. For me, this is a part of your system where you really should not "cheap out". You will want a good quality PSU (Also consider Antec, Be Quiet!, Seasonic, OCZ, Zalman), that has solid parts and won't expire in a cloud of smoke - It's the only part that gives your PC it's power and regulates the voltages. If it fails, it could take some of your system componants with it. I picked up the HX620 for £71, so I expect the 520W version will be a touch cheaper.

Hope this is of some help.

[axeman]

Firstly, your fairly new to TR, so on behalf of the TR regulars - Welcome

You didn't specify an exact budget, but striking a happy balance between performance and price I got this case 2 weeks back for my new build:
http://www.zalman.com/ENG/product/Produ ... sp?idx=381

It's the Zalman Z7 Plus. I spent ages thinking whether I should get this or the tried and tested Antec 300 that was the same price. I finally settled on this because it's a little larger inside than the Antec, has more fans included as standard (and really quiet Zalman 120mm ones at that), and has that really nifty fan controller too, built into the side pannel. It's also got an anti-vibration base, hard drive mounts and motherboard stand-off's. I paid £44 for it - I would imagine you can get it for a price price your end just by swapping the £ for a $ symbol (Rather annoyingly!!!). It is a LOT of case for very little outlay.

On the PSU front, I would recommend this:
http://www.corsair.com/products/hx/default.aspx

Speciffically, the Corsair HX520 Modular PSU. I use the 620W version of this, and it's been brilliant (as far as PSU's go). It's very quiet, has excellent efficiency and is able to keep voltages on each 12V rail perfectly steady. Finally, being modular (You really dont want to save the extra £8 to get the non-modular version of this) means there is no cable clutter - And loads of un-necessary floppy drive and molex connectors hanging around.

It's 520W output will handle your build, with room for expansion down the line and being able to supply enough juice for overclocking. I don't quite agree with axeman on the PSU front though. For me, this is a part of your system where you really should not "cheap out". You will want a good quality PSU (Also consider Antec, Be Quiet!, Seasonic, OCZ, Zalman), that has solid parts and won't expire in a cloud of smoke - It's the only part that gives your PC it's power and regulates the voltages. If it fails, it could take some of your system componants with it. I picked up the HX620 for £71, so I expect the 520W version will be a touch cheaper.

Hope this is of some help.

You're buying into the "you need an uber PSU" nonsense. You just need one of decent quality. Even if he overclocks the snot out of that rig, it will never draw anywhere close to 520 watts. It'd probably be fine with 300 watts even with moderate overclocking, however you probably can't get away with that since the PCI-E power connector is absent on most supplies under 400 watts. Keep in mind power consumption of the motherboard/CPU is _way_ down on what it used to be a few years ago, unless you are going high-end. I agree skimping on the PSU is not beneficial, but getting one that's overkill is money that's completely wasted. This isn't the bad old days of Yum-cha PSUs that explode and take everything with it. Buying a $100 PSU for a budget build is okay if you think you can't sleep at night otherwise, but there are plenty of supplies for less than $50 that are perfectly fine.

[rcs2k4]

You're buying into the "you need an uber PSU" nonsense. You just need one of decent quality. Even if he overclocks the snot out of that rig, it will never draw anywhere close to 520 watts.

Im sure many will agree, but I have had system cases in the past that come with PSU's included from companies names I could never pronounce. I used to think they were ok - Until one years back went a little wrong and cooked my old P4 3.4Ghz Prescott CPU (Some might say that was a blessing - It was a S478 Toaster!!!). As a result, I have only ever bought CPU's from brands that are known, and get good reviews.

I dont think the Corsair HX range is in the "Uber PSU" class - It's priced in the mid-range, as are it's features. Corsair have a top range above the HX, and other companies like Seasonic and Be Quiet! really are in another league when it comes to prices - But I don't know what the OP is prepaired to spend. For me, the £60 (You can prolly get them for $60-70 over that side of the pond) is not a lot for a system part that could last a few upgrade cycles, and has proven reliability and low failure rates.

I'm also sure many will agree with my view! Think we should agree to disagree

[axeman]

You're buying into the "you need an uber PSU" nonsense. You just need one of decent quality. Even if he overclocks the snot out of that rig, it will never draw anywhere close to 520 watts.

Im sure many will agree, but I have had system cases in the past that come with PSU's included from companies names I could never pronounce. I used to think they were ok - Until one years back went a little wrong and cooked my old P4 3.4Ghz Prescott CPU (Some might say that was a blessing - It was a S478 Toaster!!!). As a result, I have only ever bought CPU's from brands that are known, and get good reviews.

I dont think the Corsair HX range is in the "Uber PSU" class - It's priced in the mid-range, as are it's features. Corsair have a top range above the HX, and other companies like Seasonic and Be Quiet! really are in another league when it comes to prices - But I don't know what the OP is prepaired to spend. For me, the £60 (You can prolly get them for $60-70 over that side of the pond) is not a lot for a system part that could last a few upgrade cycles, and has proven reliability and low failure rates.

I'm also sure many will agree with my view! Think we should agree to disagree

I didn't say no-name is fine, but there are brands like Fortron that decent without the price premium.. You do know that alot of these brands like Corsair don't even make what they sell, they're rebranding and charging more for a fancy package.. The HX520 is $99 on newegg, I wouldn't say that's extravagant, but surely for a budget build, we can do better. An Antec Earthwatts 430w is $59 and still likely has oodles of headroom for that build. Personally, I wouldn't recommend anything over the ~400watt range unless the video card is a lot more power hungry, but the 5770 sips power. I'm probably going to be in the minority here, since I tend to cobble things together, but you'd be surprised what will run on a good 300w unit. I think the enthusiast community is consistently way overboard on what they recommend. The proliferation of 850watt and bigger units bears this out, you'd have to run one hell of a system to need something that big, yet you see dozen of different models everywhere for sale, so someone must be buying them, even though probably a miniscule percentage of machines would ever need one.

[Eversion]

Thanks for all the input guys!
I went with the Antec case and the Cosair 420W PS suggested earlier because they are relatively in my budget, and the 420W should be fine for the computer.
One question though, does the case come with a CD-Rom reader, or do I have to buy one separably? If so, could someone suggest a decent one?

[rcs2k4]

Thanks for all the input guys!
I went with the Antec case and the Cosair 420W PS suggested earlier because they are relatively in my budget, and the 420W should be fine for the computer.
One question though, does the case come with a CD-Rom reader, or do I have to buy one separably? If so, could someone suggest a decent one?

Cases very rarely include them, and that Antec one does not. You'll want a DVD-RW these days, or if you can stretch to it a Blu-Ray ROM. Sony, LG, Lite-On and Samsung pretty much make up 99% of all internal optical drives on the market, and none of them are particularly bad. Just make sure it's an SATA one.

Typically, a DVD-RW here is £14 (Samsung SH-S223C: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showprodu ... subcat=951)
And you can get a Blu-Ray ROM / DVD-RW Drive at £46 (Samsung SH-B083L: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showprodu ... subcat=314)

You can probably get them for similar prices over there with a $ symbol in front if you shop around. The £30 upgrade to get Blu-Ray might be worth it if you think you will use it, otherwise save the extra for another day...

[Flying Fox]

Thanks for all the input guys!
I went with the Antec case and the Cosair 420W PS suggested earlier because they are relatively in my budget, and the 420W should be fine for the computer.
One question though, does the case come with a CD-Rom reader, or do I have to buy one separably? If so, could someone suggest a decent one?

Instead of just reading the Econobox alternatives page, read the "main" Econobox page it has all the suggestions that you need (except OS, monitor, keyboard, and mouse - those are on another page of the guide). I think the Antec 300 and EarthWatts 380W are excellent choices.

[axeman]

DVD-RW drives have become pretty much commodity items, I'd buy whichever one was on sale usually. The technology is mature, in that there isn't much change in the technology in a few years now, unless you're going BD, that's a different story. Out of curiosity, I was checking the specs on an old IDE drive I'm using in one system, it's shocking how little has changed in the last 5 years, so if you're really cheap like me, if you can scavenge an old one, do that, although you probably don't want IDE

[Eversion]

Thanks for all the input guys!
I went with the Antec case and the Cosair 420W PS suggested earlier because they are relatively in my budget, and the 420W should be fine for the computer.
One question though, does the case come with a CD-Rom reader, or do I have to buy one separably? If so, could someone suggest a decent one?

Instead of just reading the Econobox alternatives page, read the "main" Econobox page it has all the suggestions that you need (except OS, monitor, keyboard, and mouse - those are on another page of the guide). I think the Antec 300 and EarthWatts 380W are excellent choices.

I'm still going with the 420W, since on newegg.ca (I live in Canada) the EarthWatts 380W costs 59.99, where as the Cosair 420W is $49.94

DVD-RW drives have become pretty much commodity items, I'd buy whichever one was on sale usually. The technology is mature, in that there isn't much change in the technology in a few years now, unless you're going BD, that's a different story. Out of curiosity, I was checking the specs on an old IDE drive I'm using in one system, it's shocking how little has changed in the last 5 years, so if you're really cheap like me, if you can scavenge an old one, do that, although you probably don't want IDE

Haha, thanks for the tip

[SpotTheCat]

I like this thread in this forum. In order to keep it here and not in System Builders Anonymous, this thread needs to stay on topic with case and power supply discussion.

Thanks,

Sam

[Flying Fox]

Thanks for all the input guys!
I went with the Antec case and the Cosair 420W PS suggested earlier because they are relatively in my budget, and the 420W should be fine for the computer.
One question though, does the case come with a CD-Rom reader, or do I have to buy one separably? If so, could someone suggest a decent one?

Instead of just reading the Econobox alternatives page, read the "main" Econobox page it has all the suggestions that you need (except OS, monitor, keyboard, and mouse - those are on another page of the guide). I think the Antec 300 and EarthWatts 380W are excellent choices.

I'm still going with the 420W, since on newegg.ca (I live in Canada) the EarthWatts 380W costs 59.99, where as the Cosair 420W is $49.94

I would think a bit more about the choice of the Corsair CX430 unit (seems to match your description closest):
- Newegg.ca is not the only place you can shop in Canada. I find that often times it is overcharging.
- The CX430 outputs the same 12V amps as the EarthWatts Green 380W! It is also not 80+ certified. Seems like Corsair really cheaps out on this one.
- "Only" 2 years warranty.
- There are enough negative reviews on newegg that should give you some cause for concern.

If your budget is not as tight, then I would suggest the 430W EarthWatts for more 12V peace of mind. Of course, I would not try to cheap out too much on the PSU myself.

[insulin_junkie72]

I would think a bit more about the choice of the Corsair CX430 unit (seems to match your description closest):
- Newegg.ca is not the only place you can shop in Canada. I find that often times it is overcharging.

It's a decent enough cheapy PS. Picked one up on sale (came out to US $18AR, $38 shipped) a week or so ago for a family member's HP Pavilion (the HiPro PS it came with fried completely).

Reasonably heavy, good job on the sleeving, quite quiet. Solid, no-frills CWT entry-level unit.

[Flying Fox]

I would think a bit more about the choice of the Corsair CX430 unit (seems to match your description closest):
- Newegg.ca is not the only place you can shop in Canada. I find that often times it is overcharging.

It's a decent enough cheapy PS. Picked one up on sale (came out to US $18AR, $38 shipped) a week or so ago for a family member's HP Pavilion (the HiPro PS it came with fried completely).

Reasonably heavy, good job on the sleeving, quite quiet. Solid, no-frills CWT entry-level unit.

True. However, the 5770 and the gaming use (as stated in his other thread) makes me think 28A may not be comfortable enough.

[FuturePastNow]

For a first-time computer build it's hard to go wrong with an Antec case+PSU combo. There's better, and cheaper, to be had, they look nice and the power supply will be more than good enough.

Here's a mATX case with PSU, since that's what your mobo it:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129035

Of course, Corsair makes great power supplies and that's what I use now, though still with an Antec case.