Best enthusiast chassis, come 2012

As 2011 draws to a close, and intel releases the x79 that somehow, despite being deprived of so many features still manages to make us all giddy with excitement.

Now as the extremists scramble to build the ultimate rigs, I start to plan my rig. T'was quite simple matter until I had to choose a chassis.. :shakes: Fine, I know that there is still a lot to come in the next few months, knowing that I will only be building this PC later next year, but I'm one of those people who likes to plans waay ahead and fits everything perfectly in to a not-too-modest budget xD. Also my current rig is still LGA 775 ><.

Meaningless introductions aside, I want to start a thread for the best chassis for a rig to be built now or going into the new year.
I only ask that when you submit a chassis, you also say why you think that chassis is a good candidate.
It will be a good reference for enthusiasts looking for that perfect chassis to suite their rig.

Kinda feels strange replying to my own thread, but aaanyway xD

Ive been looking at Chassis from different brands, and here are the chassis I think are worth looking at.

NZXT Phantom - This chassis we know well, although it lacks USB 3 on the front panel, with the front panel located at the highly uneven top of the chassis, I doubt many poeple would be able to use it even if it were there :P
This chassis has excelent cooling capabilities.

CM Storm Trooper (Though the white Phantom looks more like a storm trooper than this does :P). It has a very nice feature set, even though it is LAN orientated.

The Corsair 650D and 600T-SE are really nice as well. I'm not really keen on the box-shape of the Obsidian series, but as far as modding go, it will be damn hard to find better.

You didn't mention full or mid tower, but I feel a lot of mid tower case are going to be the new thing, because CPUs and GPUs are shrinking in die size and running cooler and require less power, and lots of WC solutions are available now at all prices. Some mid towers are actually quite spacious now too.

The cases you mentioned are fairly common fare though. I would look for Corsair to come out with a more improved version of a mid tower some time in 2012. They keep improving on their case design. Their new 400R is about the most thermally efficient with stock cooling in their line so far, and you can get it for under $100.

Some of my 2012 cases haven't been completed yet, so if there's anything you guys want, let me know.

The size of the tower isn't that important, but for arguments sake, lets say it needs to be able to house a E-ATX motherboard without modification. The cases I mentioned were all recently reviewed - thats how I dicovered them.

I'm very picky about my PC, hehe, but tastes vary, and I opened the thread for a broad public idea, not just my own. I am really sure that I am not the only guy planning a build for early next year - so we might all contribute and all benefit from this - isn't that what forums are all about?

if you have watercooling in mind i wouldnt choose the 600T id go with the 800D if id have to choose, theres also the xigmatek elysium great case for watercooling price is good aswell. Also if u plan on going watercooling u can take a look at those littledevil cases, they are real nice but the price is "real nice" aswell:rofl:

Cooler Master Cosmos II

What about Lian Li's PC-100? Or the PC-90 that can house a HPTX motherboard in a mid-tower case? They look tasty and have some fun new ideas.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Redbeard

Some of my 2012 cases haven't been completed yet, so if there's anything you guys want, let me know.

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Quad radiator (or two triples); E-ATX - inverted (I wouldn't bother with XL-ATX and HPTX just for 0.05%, simply because it makes a case much bigger); lighter weight; some smart drive and hdd placement to keep the case size reasonable, perhaps (see LL PC-90). More curvy design would be nice as well for a change.
Abee cases have some interesting design and engineering ideas that keep their case size reasonable while accommodating a lot of hardware. They are entirely air cooled, though. Adopting some of their ideas for water cooling would be fantastic.
And please don't make anything like TJ-11. Disgustingly huge and expensive, full alu yet still heavy. Bigger doesn't always mean better.

A few ideas

I really like the Fractal Arc Midi but...

a couple of tweaks to allow a front mounted 240 or 280 radiator please
and about an 10-15 mm in height gives that little bit of extra for the top radiator - you know with the x79 motherboards we are going to play with dual ram water cooling

Motherboards manufacturers - right angled 24 ATX sockets please

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Revian

The size of the tower isn't that important...

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That sounds like you're pushing you're own philosophy, esp when you recommend full over mid towers, rather than being open to what others might think is the ideal case, as you alluded to here, "It will be a good reference for enthusiasts looking for that perfect chassis to suite their rig."

So this,

Quote:

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I'm very picky about my PC, hehe, but tastes vary, and I opened the thread for a broad public idea, not just my own. I am really sure that I am not the only guy planning a build for early next year - so we might all contribute and all benefit from this - isn't that what forums are all about?

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...kinda contradicts the first sentence above.

We all know what computers started out as, they filled entire rooms. Since the inception of the personal computer, hardware AND case manufacturers have been striving for more efficient products in size, power consumption and heat output. I really think in 5-10 years or so these behemoth cases are going to look strange and quite unnecessary. And while 2012 is only 1 vs 5-10 years away, lots of people keep their cases, esp if they invest a lot into them, throughout the first if not the second build, which could easily end up being 4-7 years from now if they put it together in 2012.

Well I can't speak too much for broad popular opinion but Mid-tower wise I can recommend the Coolermaster 690 II Advanced. A little long in the tooth now, and not biased as I don't own this case myself (I have a Stacker 830 for whatever it's worth), but seems to hit every single spot one could think of value for money wise.

For this case reviews can be found here among other places:
http://www.overclockersclub.com/revi...90ii_advanced/
http://www.guru3d.com/article/cooler...anced-review/1
http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.ph...=431&Itemid=61
http://www.pureoverclock.com/article882.html
http://www.atomicmpc.com.au/Review/1...i-advance.aspx
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/print...ase-Review/898

Full sized wise I recommend the Lian-Li PC-V/X2120. (Difference between 'V' and 'X' being internals colored silver or black). This case is pure class. Strength. Features. USB3 x 4 at the front panels. XL board support. Can lock the front door, mobo tray (which also slides out), and remaining side panel for random security if so desired, more random facts here -

Lockable front door
Very sturdy locking mechanism for the main side panel that locks everything in place all the way to the front of the case via a smart spring screw feature
Room to put padlocks for the sidepanel and motherboard tray
Motherboard tray is removeable
Cable management despite what a few reviewers say is excellent, unless you have the building abilities of an ape
Seperate 'thermal zone' for the PSU
All aluminium made from the caster wheels to the flap that covers the front ports, to every single screw used
Wheels have breaks, and rubber to stop the scratching of surfaces it's put on
Weather sealing for the front door and sound dampening material on both side panels and the front door
11x PCI Expansion Slots
3x top mounted 12cm fan spaces
Inbuilt fan controller (the knob of which is also pure aluminium) for up to 3x 3-pin fans
4x USB v3.0 Support for the front connectors
13x 3.5" drive support
Additional support for 2x 2.5" SSD's
Support for extra large dual-socket form factor motherboards (EG EVGA SR-2 Motherboard)
Brushed alumium
Internal fans come with grilles to stop cables from going into them
Toolless design for top 2 5.25 optical drive slots
3x 14cm fans at the front stock, 1x 12cm fan under optical drive spaces
Excellent airflow
Graphics Card retention bracket to stop multiple graphics cards from 'sagging' and damaging the motherboard and themselves
Water cooling support
Silver look inside (V) so that any scratches inside from component installation aren't as visible as with an anodized inside, or with (X) a look of black all over for continuity
All rubber grommets for fans stock to stop vibration transfer
All fans come with removeable dust filters
Cable management clamp near the PSU mount
Rubber PSU guides to prevent vibration
Hand Built

Just my opinion and hope my input may help.

- SabreWulf69

Haha, you guys have been a great help. Personally, I am not a fan of Lian-Li, I think their cases are overrated, hehe. I am a fan of the TJ-11, purely because of the turned mobo and the possibilities of modding - I have yet to see someone put in as much work as some of the TJ-07 builds.

To me the functionality and efficiency of a case are what are most important - be it a mid or full tower, but of course there are those among us who dont like housing our PC's inside a brick.

The Cosmos II is something I'm going to be keeping an eye on - It looks to be built specifically for the enthusiast, though it will be a little harder to mod.

Have you looked at the Corsair 400R at all?

I have, but I much prefere the 500R. It has a relatively simple design, but the finish is good and it is rich in features. I do like the 600T SE a bit more, though.

www.murderbox.com

Hopefully will be one of the better cases for 2012. I just got a TJ11 myself and it is pretty amazing, but very expensive :o

Hehe, if my finances look good next year I'm going to try and do a mod similar to this, but using a TJ11. hehe its going to half my budget for hardware, but I'm pretty confident that the chassis will live long enough for me to do 2 more builds in it, hehe - I'll just change minor details to the mod with each new build to make up for technological advances/missing features.

http://www.guru3d.com/article/guru3d-rig-of-the-month-december-2009/2

http://www.guru3d.com/article/guru3d...-october-2011/

It will take me quite a while to complete, because I have to import just about everything - I live in South Africa, but I think you will all agree with me, it is something well worth doing.

How much does a TJ11 cost to purchase in South Africa?

Cost me $670 I believe after taxes and shipping.

Its insane. more than **1400$ :shocked:. That is why I will import it from China, hehe. I have enough contacts here to organise things by myself, so it will save me a considerable amount.

The Cosmos II really is tempting, lol. All the kinks with the original Cosmos has been fixed, also it looks really sleek.. I just think that it would give a more wel-rounded look if the I/O ports could be hidden away when not in use. Also, if you can move the harddrive bays in the bottom compartment, it would be really useful too.

Newegg just did an email subscriber promo on the 500R for $90.

Hehe, I know this doesn't really belong in this thread, but I wonder if Intel will release a K-series CPU with 15MB of L3 Cache - that is to say, something between the 3930K and the 3960X maybe a 3960K, with a more reasonable pricing (600$ would be quite fair). Probably not as the difference between these CPU's performance is minute - even more so when OC'ed.
It will be interesting to see how this CPU series develops.