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whm1974
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What cases and PSUs are you guys using?

Thu May 18, 2017 11:22 pm

I was just wondering, but are the cases and PSUs the folks here are using and how do did you paid for each?

I have the Corsair 300R case and Seasonic 550G PSU. Which If I recall I paid $70 and $60 four years ago. I was going to get the 200R, but Newegg was out of stock at the time so I ended up with the 300R instead. However I did use the 200R for my dad's computer I built for him.
 
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Re: What cases and PSUs are you guys using?

Thu May 18, 2017 11:54 pm

I'm still rocking a Coolermaster 690 II Advance case and an XFX XTR 550W PSU. I've had this case for probably 7 years. I bought it to replace my Antec P180B when I had a GTX 470 in my rig. I definitely needed more airflow for that thing.

I'm glad I never went with anything smaller because I recently slapped an Arctic Accelero S3 passive cooler with a 120mm case fan onto my GTX 970 and there's plenty of space for it in the 690 II. Thanks to this setup my 970 is idling at 35C only a few minutes after a gaming session with a 28C ambient temp in my office, and I never have to listen to a whiny GPU fan ever again.
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whm1974
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Re: What cases and PSUs are you guys using?

Fri May 19, 2017 12:06 am

There is no way I will use a cheap case or PSU again, even if I gotten them for free.
 
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Re: What cases and PSUs are you guys using?

Fri May 19, 2017 12:23 am

My main desktop rig is in an NZXT Source 210. This is a well-thought-out yet inexpensive mid-tower case with plenty of ventilation. The only gripe I have is that mine is the older version, which only has USB 2.0 front ports (the more recent version has USB 3.0). IIRC I paid around $50 for it.

My DIY file server is in an ancient metallic green Chieftec (with Alienware branding :lol:) full tower. You can see pics of it in the thread about my most recent file server build, here. I don't remember how much I paid for it since I've had it for close to 15 years, but it was really cheap -- like $25 or $30 or something. That even included a craptastic Chieftec-branded PSU that died after a year or so. It came from the clearance room at the back of the TigerDirect Outlet Store that used to be near here; there were pallets stacked with piles of them in assorted colors. You had to sort through the piles looking for the ones that weren't scuffed up and still had all of their accessories. I still own four of them (two in green and two in purple). Sold Gleek a system in a puke green one at a TRBBQ a few years back. They're built like tanks, but only take 80mm fans so they can be a little loud if you need airflow. It was a really good deal for the time though; new-in-box Chieftec full towers of the same model were going for close to $100 IIRC.
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.
 
synthtel2
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Re: What cases and PSUs are you guys using?

Fri May 19, 2017 12:28 am

NCase M1. I paid a semi-embarrassing amount for it (was over $200 after shipping IIRC), but if a case can be worth that, this one is. 13L, fits all the stuff I want including good CPU coolers and full-size graphics cards, lots of good case airflow options (I'm prioritizing PSU and SSD health and dust control), Lian-Li's top-tier build quality - I've got no complaints.

Corsair SF600. For SFX PSUs at single-card power levels, it still seems to be the best-built thing out there. I had actually been holding off on moving to a smaller form factor due to the lack of SFX PSU options, and Corsair's release of this unit was what let me go ahead with that. $120, and again, I've got no complaints.

Now I just need to bring my monitor/mobo/CPU/RAM up to the high standards of my case/PSU/cooling/KB/mouse. :lol:
 
whm1974
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Re: What cases and PSUs are you guys using?

Fri May 19, 2017 12:43 am

I'm thinking for my next build I'll use a smaller case. Maybe an mITX case like the Silverstone Milo-08BH. I was also looking at several MicroATX cases from Silverstone as well but I forget which ones.
 
The Egg
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Re: What cases and PSUs are you guys using?

Fri May 19, 2017 1:18 am

I've got a full-size ATX gaming rig in a Silverstone GD07B. Not the easiest case to work with, but it slots-in perfectly to the matching side table for my desk. No issues with cooling or GPU length, but the layout of the front drive cage makes cabling work atrocious if you have any meaningful number of drives (I initially had 3 HDDs, 2 SSDs, and an optical, but since reduced to just a single mechanical drive).
 
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Re: What cases and PSUs are you guys using?

Fri May 19, 2017 1:56 am

Node 304 and an EVGA G3 650. Probably my favorite ITX case so far. The Cryorig C7 fits in there with room to spare and it's got plenty of room for drives. If you're ok reducing the number of drives from six to four(still more than enough for me) you can also fit a decent sized video card in it. It's a little cramped, but most ITX cases are. The Node 304 is about $80 on Amazon, the G3 650 is about $90.
Do not meddle in the affairs of archers, for they are subtle and you won't hear them coming.
 
whm1974
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Re: What cases and PSUs are you guys using?

Fri May 19, 2017 2:07 am

Yeah I could live with four drives. I have three right now, one DVDRW and two SSDs.
 
Redocbew
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Re: What cases and PSUs are you guys using?

Fri May 19, 2017 2:12 am

There's no external drive bays in the Node 304, so if you wanted to keep an optical drive around you'd have to use a USB drive.
Do not meddle in the affairs of archers, for they are subtle and you won't hear them coming.
 
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Re: What cases and PSUs are you guys using?

Fri May 19, 2017 2:26 am

Fractal Design XL with all Noctua PWM fans hooked up to the motherboard. EVGA G3 850W PSU.

Very happy with both. The EVGA PSU is probably the best PSU in terms of low noise / ripple and high quality components vs price right now. It's also semi-passive and the fan only spins when you play games (high cpu and gpu load).
 
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Re: What cases and PSUs are you guys using?

Fri May 19, 2017 2:51 am

Some of the old timers around here may still have some Chieftec/Chenming Dragons running somewhere. My experience has been that a good case and power supply can outlive several PC builds, while cheap cases eventually fall apart and cheap power supplies fail. Here are the ones that I'm currently supporting.

Silverstone Fortress FTZ01S (silver) with a Silverstone SX600-G: It's tiny and cute, but the small volume limits CPU cooling options. The Nitrogon NT06-Pro is noisier than I would like.

Silverstone Temjin TJ08-E with a SeaSonic SS-660XP2: This case and power supply are both great once you've got the PC installed. With some Noctua fans and careful tuning of Asus' Thermal Radar 2 software, the Corsair Hydro H70 is silent when not gaming.

Rosewill Line-M with a SeaSonic SS-660XP2: This case is a bit on the flimsy side, but it's attractive, compact, easy to use and quite inexpensive.

Antec Mini P180 with an Antec Earthwatts EA-650: This solid old case has housed more than one PC build.

Antec P182 (black) with a PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 CrossFire Edition (red): This is more old gear that has housed and powered several systems over the years.

Antec NSK3480 with a SeaSonic S12 SS-600HT: This case is a royal pain to work in, but it's solid, so it has outlived more than one PC. The original inferior power supply failed and was replaced with a quality unit from SeaSonic.

Antec P160 (silver) with a SeaSonic M12 SS-500HM: More old gear that just keeps working.

Antec Three Hundred Illusion with an Antec Neo Eco 400C: This case was inexpensive and attractive. An old PC actually went into a newer case after a family member dropped a cheap Rosewill R6AR6, causing it to explode into tiny pieces.
Last edited by JustAnEngineer on Fri May 19, 2017 9:37 am, edited 4 times in total.
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Re: What cases and PSUs are you guys using?

Fri May 19, 2017 3:24 am

PSU's oldest first-

Corsair VX450 (Seasonic)
Seasonic S12-520
Antec HCG-520 (Seasonic)
Seasonic G360
There's a trend there-Would consider EVGA(Superflower Leadex gold)but the smallest local suppliers have is 650 Watt.
Best case I have is a Coolermaster Silenco 550............................
 
blahsaysblah
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Re: What cases and PSUs are you guys using?

Fri May 19, 2017 3:46 am

Sugo SG13B ITX case and Corsair SF450 SFX PSU. $40 + $90.

I like it. Definitely needs SFX PSU for better air flow if using big graphics card. Put one 140mm fan in front. Had it with six 2.5" 7mm drives lined up vertically behind front fan, 2xSSD, 4xHDD but i finally switched to one m.2 960 EVO and 2 of those HDDs. Only because i needed more/better SSD space. The PS has never turned on its fan, only GTX 1060, so not pushing it much at all. So i like it a lot.

One, making your own power cables is very helpful for ITX builds. Not necessary, but it is a bit night and day if you can.
Two, i now know vented top is a hard must. Convection rules.

Would i get different case in future? Sure, i didnt just throw everything into SG13 and get quiet/cool out of the box. Im open to possibility. Would i go micro-ATX for more DIMMs, m.2 ports, cheaper? Probably not unless i can find a small micro-ATX case that is designed for temps.

One 140mm fan is overkill for my current setup, its more than enough for the Corsair ONE case, by design, i think 99% of cases are wrong for 99% of people.
 
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Re: What cases and PSUs are you guys using?

Fri May 19, 2017 6:11 am

SuperMicro SC747TG-R1400B-SQ . Very expensive, not at all quiet. Recommended only if you have very specific needs (redundant power supply, 8 HDD hot swap, oversized motherboard)
 
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Re: What cases and PSUs are you guys using?

Fri May 19, 2017 6:34 am

JustAnEngineer wrote:
Some of the old timers around here may still have some Chieftec Dragons running somewhere. My experience has been that a good case and power supply can outlive several PC builds, while cheap cases eventually fall apart and cheap power supplies fail. Here are the ones that I'm currently supporting.

The Chieftec server build I mentioned above is a Dragon derivative (or vice-versa).

My wife's desktop is still in one of those cases too (one of the purple ones). Lower-spec build, so the 80mm exhaust fans are lower RPM and not obnoxiously loud.
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.
 
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Re: What cases and PSUs are you guys using?

Fri May 19, 2017 7:29 am

Had a Corsair Obsidian 650D with a Corsair AX750 psu.. Really liked the case features, but it's huge. The front intake fan is 200mm and is prone to making noise. Also had to replace the top exhaust fan because of noise issues. Beyond that, it's a great case, and the AX750 is top notch. Just passed it down to my teenage son.

Current case is a Corsair 450D which I like much more than the previous 650D. It's super quiet and it was easy to build in. Removable HDD cages gives it plenty of room and airflow. The psu is a EVGA SuperNova G3 650watt. The TR System Guide keeps recommending the G2 version of this PSU, but the G3 is usually the same price and is the most up to date model. Super quiet and came with everything needed for a gaming rig.
I paid $61.50 for the case, and $79.99 for the psu after $10 MIR (which I received in about a month). Both from Newegg.
Corsair 450D | EVGA SuperNova G3 650W | Asus Z270 Prime-A | Intel i7-7700K | Cryorig H7 | MSI GTX1070 Gaming X 8G | 16gb GSkill TridentZ DDR4 3200 | Crucial MX300 M.2-2280 1TB | Corsair K70 Rapidfire | Logitech G502 | Asus ROG Swift PG279Q
 
just brew it!
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Re: What cases and PSUs are you guys using?

Fri May 19, 2017 7:45 am

Forgot to mention, I've been using Corsair CX series PSUs for a few years now, with satisfactory results. Good bang for the buck. And reliable.
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.
 
LostCat
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Re: What cases and PSUs are you guys using?

Fri May 19, 2017 7:46 am

Corsair 100R Silent Edition at $60
Not my favorite case overall, but I do mostly like the internal layout. Just a lot of little things about it that are bizarro.

Antec 850W HCG-M was $90 at the time.
Massive overkill for my usage, but it works. I think it was on sale, I needed something for the 290 so I got em both together in 2015.
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Re: What cases and PSUs are you guys using?

Fri May 19, 2017 7:52 am

Corsair Carbide Series Quiet 400Q - $115 CDN

Corsair AX860I 860W - $305 CDN
 
EndlessWaves
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Re: What cases and PSUs are you guys using?

Fri May 19, 2017 8:15 am

My current system is an Optiplex 790 USFF with it's own 4L case and dinky little internal PSU (it's very cute).

synthtel2 wrote:
NCase M1. I paid a semi-embarrassing amount for it (was over $200 after shipping IIRC)


I'm also part of the 'paid silly money for a tiny case because the case manufacturers aren't making any' club. In my case it's a white Sentry that I'm expecting delivery of in a couple of weeks:
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/sent ... e-computer

synthtel2 wrote:
Corsair SF600. For SFX PSUs at single-card power levels, it still seems to be the best-built thing out there.


I have read comments that the ribbon cables are very stiff compared to other SFX PSUs and not ideal for small cases.

I haven't decided on a PSU yet. Ideally I'd want something cheap that has 80%+ efficiency at circa 30W but unfortunately 150-200W PSUs aren't very common so I may just get whatever's been professionally tested and is on offer.
 
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Re: What cases and PSUs are you guys using?

Fri May 19, 2017 8:18 am

Corsair Carbide 500R that I got for about $100 and a 650w 80 plus Platinum Rosewill Tachyon psu. The PSU is actually made by Sunflower, so it's a pretty decent one despite being sold by Rosewill. Both have be serving me well for about 4 years.

At this point though, I really want to shrink my case and decrease noise levels. That involves several hundred dollars in parts changes though.
Gaming: i5-3570k/Z77/212 Evo/Corsair 500R/16GB 1600 CL8/RX 480 8GB/840 250gb, EVO 500gb, SG 3tb/Tachyon 650w/Win10
 
Kretschmer
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Re: What cases and PSUs are you guys using?

Fri May 19, 2017 8:32 am

Fractal Design Node 304 Case:
+Tons of hardware for the ITX footprint (i7 7700K, 1080Ti, etc.)
+Real ITX footprint, not a tall skinny tower or tiny mobo in huge case
+Less challenging that some of the more exotic ITX options
+Inexpensive
+Integrated fan controller
+No case window, RBG tomfoolery, etc.
-No acoustic dampening
-The front panel connectors are long enough to wrap around your desk and still reach the headers
-Blue front panel LED is THE EYE OF SAURON OH GOD IT BURNS
-Drive cages are overly large/overkill during the SSD era
-Built around a standard PSU instead of an SFX variant


PSU: Corsair 600W SFX power supply
+You need SFX to build in the Node 304 with a huge GPU and not lose your sanity
+No really, don't skip the SFX
+SFX is civilization!
-Fitting a SFX PSU into a standard PSU case requires an $8 bracket from Silverstone (RL-PP08B)
 
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Re: What cases and PSUs are you guys using?

Fri May 19, 2017 9:22 am

Case - Lian-Li PC-7FNW (wish I got the solid side panel version now)
PSU - EVGA 550W G2
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Vhalidictes
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Re: What cases and PSUs are you guys using?

Fri May 19, 2017 11:38 am

NZXT H440. Awesome case, very quiet and a ton of expandability, looks nice and not too expensive.

Downsides are that the sound dampening keeps it from having the best airflow, and the total lack of front-facing bays (no 5.25" bays of any kind, for that matter).
 
The Egg
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Re: What cases and PSUs are you guys using?

Fri May 19, 2017 11:45 am

just brew it! wrote:
Forgot to mention, I've been using Corsair CX series PSUs for a few years now, with satisfactory results. Good bang for the buck. And reliable.

Same here. I use Seasonic for myself, and Corsair CX for everyone else.
 
Voldenuit
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Re: What cases and PSUs are you guys using?

Fri May 19, 2017 11:49 am

Case: Phanteks Enthoo Evolv mATX (white)

PSU: Seasonic X-650
Wind, Sand and Stars.
 
e1jones
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Re: What cases and PSUs are you guys using?

Fri May 19, 2017 1:12 pm

New desktop: Fractal Design Define R4 with an EVGA G2 550 - Pretty big case, easy to work with. Had intended to downsize a little, but ended up needing to keep a DVD drive and a few internal hard drives. Lots of cable routing space. Prefer the hard drive mounting arrangement, ie side-side. Things that are annoying... the 2.5" drive mounting spots on the back of the mobo tray... inaccessible/unusable once the motherboard is installed, and I ain't pulling the mobo off and trying to fiddle with that once it's built. Really hate the OMG bright blue LED around the power button, which isn't covered by the front door (really bad when its very attractive to 15 m.o. short person fingers). Two really BAD design choices but otherwise a great case. Well segmented modular options (one video card option is just a 6+2, and a separate one is 6 plus 6+2) and semi-passive mode, great PSU.

Old desktop: Antec P182B with a PC Power & Cooling 610W (built in early 2008!) Nice big case, ended up not liking the split internal space... bottom was way too cramped between a non-modular PSU and the lower HD cage being full with 4HDD. The center fan was removable but I figured it needed cooling. Bottom HD cage sucked to work with, especially when it was full. The other HD locations up top were also hard to work with when there was a real video card installed. PSU was a beast and was still chugging along even after the mobo decided to blow the BIOS repeatedly, necessitating the new computer above.

mini-NAS/server: Lian Li PC-Q25B with a CX430 - I like the 5 'hot swap' bays even if the retention mechanism is a little different. I quite literally had to peel the logo sticker off the side of the PSU to get it mounted. Really wish I'd gotten the modular version; either it didn't exist or wasn't in stock... I don't remember exactly.

Brother's Computer I built: Corsair 200R and the same EVGA G2 550 - Still like the PSU. Case, not so much. Not as easy to work with and the combo rocker Power & Reset switch is just stupid.

edit: P182, not P180
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Re: What cases and PSUs are you guys using?

Fri May 19, 2017 1:51 pm

My primary set up is linked in my signature block.
Secondary desktop PC case is an oldie but still cool: CoolerMaster Centurion 5: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product. ... 6811119047
using a Silverstone 700W PSU in that one. That case is no longer in production and had other subsequent versions but the original still looks great to me.

Other family member's PCs:
Cheap but I like the handy handles on these: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product. ... BB75C71860
-used one for my daughter's PC and a NAS build with CoolerMaster or Corsair CX-modular series PSUs
Betfinix Prodigy for my son: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product. ... 25V2SB6925 with Corsair PSU
Older daughter has a https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product. ... 6811144110 with an Antec PSU
Built my brother an ITX-shoebox size PC with this CoolerMaster: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product. ... 6811119261 pretty sure it had a Corsair modular PSU too
Then I used this for my niece: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product. ... 6811208053 with https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product. ... 6817703035
-The XION case was flimsy in my opinion but the PC Power and Cooling PSU was nice.
Nephew picked out a gamer case he liked and it was fun to set it up for him: https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product. ... -_-Product

My wife has an old HP case but I'm getting ready to upgrade her AMD Phenom to Ryzen and use this case that I've stored away unused:
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product. ... 6811226007
Sigma went out of business a few years ago and I found a great clearance deal on this all aluminum one.
Last edited by G8torbyte on Sat May 20, 2017 11:32 am, edited 2 times in total.
Later, -G8tor
Building PCs & gaming since"Chuck Yeager's Air Combat" 1991, Lurkin' around TR since 2004.
Current setups: Z390 Platform and DIY mini-ITX NAS Build
 
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Re: What cases and PSUs are you guys using?

Fri May 19, 2017 1:56 pm

P182/Corsair HX750i. Never a complaint. That said, I build my boxen on a 7-year schedule (mobo).
What we have today is way too much pluribus and not enough unum.

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