Computer Case Upgrade

[Tanaus]

Hello Everyone!

I was looking into purchasing a new case for my computer I am upgrading and I found one that I liked. Being my first computer I am upgrading and not knowing much about the best choices out there I wanted to know what you all thought.

Currently I am looking at Computer Cases that are black and sleek. While I find the ones with clear siding and neon lights cool, I prefer the more casual look instead of gaming.

This is what I had in mind: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8428604&productCategoryId=abcat0507006&type=product&tab=1&id=1183160363476#productdetail

Any feedback, opinions, or suggestions are welcomed!

Will this case fit my needs for space, cooling, etc and are there any cases that fit my criteria that you recommend?

[zer]

Honestly never heard of the brand, looks like a decent case, although Im partial to Antec/SilverStone.

[Lyolf]

Hello Everyone!

I was looking into purchasing a new case for my computer I am upgrading and I found one that I liked. Being my first computer I am upgrading and not knowing much about the best choices out there I wanted to know what you all thought.

Currently I am looking at Computer Cases that are black and sleek. While I find the ones with clear siding and neon lights cool, I prefer the more casual look instead of gaming.

This is what I had in mind: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8428604&productCategoryId=abcat0507006&type=product&tab=1&id=1183160363476#productdetail

Any feedback, opinions, or suggestions are welcomed!

Will this case fit my needs for space, cooling, etc and are there any cases that fit my criteria that you recommend?

If you want something that is good on cooling, make sure you pick up an aluminum case as they conduct the most heat. Also make sure that it a full-tower and not a mid-tower. The full towers are bigger than the mid towers, so if you're in trouble for space, then it's probably not for you. Although, they do keep cool a lot easily.

The specific tower you've picked out seems more of a server box than a at-home box simply because they give you 14 drive-bays :o

If you're willing to spend over $350 for a excellent case, then go with Zer and pick up a silverstone :P

There are many cases that may fit your criteria. Although I'm not a fan of buying any computer components from best buy, I typically enjoy buying things from www.tigerdirect.com (http://www.tigerdirect.com--they) --they do have stores as well. Normally, they have good deals and I would trust them more than BestBuy or any business of the type. They seem more geared towards the gaming look with the flashy cathodes etc. But you can always remove them, or turn them off :)

EDIT: Please keep in mind that full towers are also generally more expensive than mid-towers. http://www.newegg.com I'm not American, but I've heard (I've never ordered from it) good things about this website as well. If you want to have the sheek looking tower with no glass or flashy lights, then you probably want to look at getting a case like the one you've picked out since they are typically the least expensive. (ie. Look at server cases)

Good luck!

Cheers,
Lyolf

[zer]

Also, just to pitch it out there, because I was increadibly impressed by the case: Antec 900!

I buy almost exclusively from NCIX though, they have proven to be much better than Tiger Direct when it comes to prices, processing and shipping times:P

[Tanaus]

Thank you for all your responses as I will take them all into consideration. The reason I was looking towards purchasing a case from Best Buy is because my friends works there and I can get a large sum of money off the case.

As much as a Silverstone sounds impressive my budget is only around 150 dollars. Currently I am trying to purchase a case, motherboard, and prossesor and they are really taking a tole on my wallet.

Thank you very much for all the help!

[Nerror]

Lots of good choices for cases. :)

I would recommend an Antec P182. Silentpcreview.com (http://www.silentpcreview.com/article741-page1.html) has a nice review of it. That site specialises in silent computing, which is becoming more and more important to people. It is for me. :)

Several nice features with that case, like the special sound-dampening side panels, the compartmentalising of the interior to optimise the thermal properties, and a backplate you can route the wires behind so they don't impede the airflow in the case, as seen in the pictures below.

http://www.silentpcreview.com/files/images/antec-p182se/p182e.jpg
http://www.silentpcreview.com/files/images/antec-p182se/p182l.jpg
http://www.silentpcreview.com/files/images/antec-p182se/p182n.jpg

The black version looks pretty cool to me: http://www.cluboverclocker.com/reviews/cases/antec/p182/images/DSCF1206.jpg
You can probably get it for $150ish.

I almost bought it myself, but ultimately went for a Lian Li PC-V2100B Plus II case, which is a full tower server case with room for my watercooling setup.

[erloas]

I liked the look of the Antec Sonata III case. The reviews say they are very quiet too. Looking at Best Buy it has them listed at $150 and they say it is a super mini case, but looking at the size specs it is clearly a mid-sized tower. Newegg also has the Sonata III listed as a mid-tower, but they are listed at $130. They also have the Sonata II listed at $110 and it is pretty similiar. Both of the Sonata cases come with a good Antec power supply as well (Earthwatts 500W in the III), and while you probably don't need it you can always resell it or keep it as a spare.

[Tanaus]

The Sonata seems like it wouldn't be able to hold a lot and it would easily overheat because it was so small. I don't know much about computers so this is only a guess.

[Nerror]

The Sonata seems like it wouldn't be able to hold a lot and it would easily overheat because it was so small. I don't know much about computers so this is only a guess.

Bigger isn't always better when it comes to cooling and airflow. A big case might have dead-zones and such, or at least require more fans. The P182 has very nice airflow.

[Drowz]

Id go with either an Antec 900 or a Raidmax Smilodon for a mid tower...

If you want a full tower, go with a Thermaltake Amor Series case.

Those 3 cases are very nice looking, nice lights, and can pretty much fit anything you need with more than adequate cooling.

[Lyolf]

The Sonata seems like it wouldn't be able to hold a lot and it would easily overheat because it was so small. I don't know much about computers so this is only a guess.

I did forget to mention about mini-cases. Smaller isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Generally issues with mid-towers are cable management which leads to cooling problems. It 's harder to access your components, such as your HDD(s).

With full-towers you can keep your cases organized easier and it's easier to clean. Sometimes, depending on the brand and the quality of the tower, you are left with dead-zones like mentioned above where you won't get circulation and you will get hot-spots all over your tower. So if you're going cheap, make sure to pick up 3rd party fans and mind the decibel (how loud it is) of the fan when purchasing one :)

With min-cases sometimes you're limited to what you can put inside and depending on where you live and how hot it gets in the summer, mini towers are sometimes not the best solution. They are also good for portability (LAN tournaments etc.)

[Nerror]

Here's the ultimate budget computer case: http://www.flickr.com/photos/21627831@N05/

Honestly, not a bad idea and it's workable if done with a little care. :mrgreen:

Or make it out of scrap wood. Makes for good soundproofing too.

[erloas]

The Sonata case isn't actually a mini-tower though. They seemed like every other mid-tower when I looked at them last in-store. If you look at the measurements of the case and compare it to other mid-towers it is pretty much the same, newegg also lists it as a mid-sized tower not mini.
Not sure how well it would fit any of the very large video cards, but I thought it was a nice looking case and the reviews have said it is very quiet. But of course its just a single suggestion out of the many many cases out there.

[8igdave]

tjhats quite a bit of cash for a case. The lian li cases are by far the best ive ever used. Very well made. Incredibly stylish with aluminum brushed panals and excellent cooling. They are made to a high standard and you pay for it lol. I got the PC 60 plus II and i love it. Replaced the fans to make it dead silent so i have 4 fans coolign my pc and i cant hear them :)

Its a really clever design. Air comes in through the front and back and out through the top and side. It means that the cpu gets great cooling from air being blown direcrtly only to the heatsink and out through it into the top. Then the graphics card has its hot air being exhausted out through the side. The front fan feeds the graphics card with cool air and also cools the hard drives.

Also came with a scoup to direct the air from the rear fan onto the heat sink to get even better cooling, but i ahve a tuniq tower so there aws no room!

briliant case!

[zer]

SilverStone and Lian-Li are top-notch enclosure brands, Antec is also good but man its eclisped by the former!

[8igdave]

*strokes lian-li case*

make sure you buy a aluminum bezel for the front of your optical drives as the plastic will really show up against the aluminium. But its good coz it means you dont need to worry about matching the plastic colousr up like on other cases.

[MasterKiller]

I just recently bought a RAIDMAX Sagitta 2 case and it has not disappointed me yet its only a mid tower but my 8800GTX fits in just fine, it comes with 2 120mm fans their really quiet, and theres good air flow inside the case.
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16811156090

[zer]

Antec 900 /w 4 Scythe Slip Stream Kaze 88.1CFM 120mm 1600RPM Fans. /FLEX

Cant get much better in terms of air cooling. :)

[8igdave]

really uou should just make one big topic with your pc spec you want to build in.

usualy ill spec someone on a website ad take a screenshot of the basket and show them so they can see what id suggest they buy annd at what price if i can fit it in the screenshot.

[mongoose]

Im going to blatantly hijack this thread for my own purposes since the OP has bugged out and ask what you all think is a good (or bad) brand/case for UNDER 100 bucks (that means NO silverstone or Antec Rolls Royce stuff!).

Ive heard some of you smack talk brands like Rosewill so why are they so bad?

Also just to rattle off some other brands.......what about Cooler Master, NZXT, APEVIA, XION, or Gigabyte? I wanna hear the good the bad and the ugly. Just saying it sucks really dosent tell me why it sucks so I know to look for that particular problem.

And Dave.....I know about the Lian Li. There are a few on the upper limit of my budget but I would prefer something closer to the 50.00 range (yeah Im a cheap :mrgreen:)

Also......see through side or not? Is this just for show and is having a solid side better?

[zer]

Solid is fine, you dont need a clear side panel. However, I honestly do prefer to have some form of extra colling comming from that part of the case.

You can get a Antec for less that $100 bucks, and really, a good solid case usually save alot of headaches in the long run:)

[Tanaus]

I'm willing to pay more Mongoose, I just don't want to buy a case that is $150+ and silver/aluminum is not what I'm looking to get. Many Thermaltakes have interested me, especially the Soprano DX.

[zer]

I was very unsastisfied with my TT, felt flimsy and heavy for no reason, I replaced it:

http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/186/img0782hc4.jpg

It now sits on the side of my room waiting for a few part so I can sell it to a friend that isnt too picky about cases...

The Antec 900 is my new case:

http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/1193/img0781ba4.jpg

P.S: The teddy bears were a sign of good luck when I used to be a competitive skater:P Dont hate!

[mongoose]

I'm willing to pay more Mongoose, I just don't want to buy a case that is $150+ and silver/aluminum is not what I'm looking to get. Many Thermaltakes have interested me, especially the Soprano DX.

Im willing to pay more if there is a reason to (to a point). I mean other than spending 300 bucks to turn your case into a refrigerator I just dont see the need. Im not going to OC so Im not really worried about ultimate cooling plus there are fans everywhere already. I prefer 120mm fans (front and back, side if possible) then you have the PSU, GPU, AND CPU fans. So I look a a 150.00 case and a 50.00 case (like a CoolMaster) and dont see where that extra 100.00 has gone.

Thats why I want some feedback as to why some brands are better or worse than others. I see people say they like or hate a brand but never give a reason why its good or bad.

I do have a question about fans though.

Ive noticed that some cases have the following configs (these are all 120mm)

1 front, 1 back
1 top, 1 back
1 side, 1 back
1 top, 1 back, 1 side
1 back (how a case can get away with this boggles my mind. :shock:)

Is there a certain config thats better than another?


http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/186/img0782hc4.jpg



and what else can we learn from this pic?

Zer speaks french, likes Asus MBs, is into political/spy thriller novels, dosent make his bed and has a hardwood floor :mrgreen:

[zer]

Best is at least 1-2 front, 1 side, 1 rear and 1 top:)

[8igdave]

yeah zer has an unhealthy asus obsession. We shall wean him off the blasphemous brand.

To answer some of your questions i randomly saw while scrolling down.

A solid side i think is best because it will tend to have better noise insoulation. Seethrough sides are genearly for those that want to show off their water cooling. I cant see the point as its not like i go around saying hey look at my pc!!! lol.

The reason why we say get theese brands is because they are the better, well made brands and well thought of. You will get what you pay for with casees. Buy a cheap case but it wont be as well made or as cleverly designed to make the most out of the space. its like comparing a astin martin to a ford, of course the ford gt is an exception :p

The cheap end cases will oftern not have as good airflow and come with cheaper fans. Some of the cheap ones actually will prirtty much block up the fan holes to try fit other things in, off the top of my head the alaska zen has 2 fans and is cheap but the front is totaly blocked up save for a few gaps.

Another thing you may have noticed. Alot of the expensive cases have only 2 fans, yet cheaper ones may have 4 fans in. The reason is that the expensive ones are designed for briliant air flow and simply dont need the extra 2 fans and are alot quieter as a result. Therefore there is no best setup.

For a good case your looking at £80+ imo. But i do have higher standards then most lol.

Also you can get black aluminium not just silver. They do look alot better to plastic :)

[zer]

yeah zer has an unhealthy asus obsession. We shall wean him off the blasphemous brand.


Dont hate! All my AMD mobos used to be DFI!!! Abit lover... >.<

[Ragenrok]

hey, atleast my ABIT doesn't Vdroop when I need it most like asus does!!

[8igdave]

as least i can plug all 3 of my hard drives in and my optical drive with my 8800GTX :)

[zer]

I can do that too:)

[8igdave]

which board? i want photo graphic proof. I know some of the p35 asus boards you cannot use 2 of your 4 sata ports with a 8800. i cant remeber which ones off the top of my head.

Did i menchen that i can plug them in and out when ever i want? Abit boards have good layout. All my PCi and PCI-E slots have good space between them, another problem of some boards is that with dual coolers you may block your other slots. MMM was that another asus problem? im thinkin it may have been.

[mongoose]

The cheap end cases will oftern not have as good airflow and come with cheaper fans. Some of the cheap ones actually will prirtty much block up the fan holes to try fit other things in, off the top of my head the alaska zen has 2 fans and is cheap but the front is totaly blocked up save for a few gaps.

Another thing you may have noticed. Alot of the expensive cases have only 2 fans, yet cheaper ones may have 4 fans in. The reason is that the expensive ones are designed for briliant air flow and simply dont need the extra 2 fans and are alot quieter as a result. Therefore there is no best setup.


Ah, this point in particular hits home.The "cheap" beige case I currently have Ive had to replace all the case fans (one of which went belly up within the first 3 months :p) So that is a selling point.

I admit to liking the Lian Lis simple design. Its a nice black box. No silly front bezels, all aluminum. I also liked that it separated the PSU from the rest of the case.

It all comes down to current budget though. So we will see what things are looking like after I get my general price quote for everything. If I can work in a more expensive case I will.

[zer]

which board? i want photo graphic proof. I know some of the p35 asus boards you cannot use 2 of your 4 sata ports with a 8800. i cant remeber which ones off the top of my head.

Did i menchen that i can plug them in and out when ever i want? Abit boards have good layout. All my PCi and PCI-E slots have good space between them, another problem of some boards is that with dual coolers you may block your other slots. MMM was that another asus problem? im thinkin it may have been.

Using X38 Asus P5E...

[8igdave]

Ah, this point in particular hits home.The "cheap" beige case I currently have Ive had to replace all the case fans (one of which went belly up within the first 3 months :p) So that is a selling point.

I admit to liking the Lian Lis simple design. Its a nice black box. No silly front bezels, all aluminum. I also liked that it separated the PSU from the rest of the case.

It all comes down to current budget though. So we will see what things are looking like after I get my general price quote for everything. If I can work in a more expensive case I will.

One thing to note is that lian-li cases are normaly quite smaller then the other cases you might buy (well they are normal size, others are just huge i think lol). Do not let the pictures fool you. Things like the antec P182 are very very big. The lian-li PC60 plus is a very nice case and very well made. but it is quite small in side, everything fits totaly fine. But cabling management is a bit harder but still possible. i would not change it for anything within the £80.

The PC7 case is also a very good case with 3 fans although 1 of them you have to buy. A friend has it and it has all the good looks of lian cases and is quite small also. Its a bit cheaper and a great buy.

Remeber you need to buy a front aluminum bezel for any optical drives you have for lian li cases so taht the plastic doesn't ruin the look.

have you see the expensive lian li cases. By expensive i mean £100+ they look reakl swish with mixes of black and silver aluminum etc. Love em :) The other lians are quite a bit bigger. Its just the PC series that seem quite small in comparison. But you only need a big case if you are doing water cooling.

Using X38 Asus P5E...

tahts not a P35 baord then is it. I think the x38s are all bigger in size as well? not sure, ive got the X38 quad gt. The extra size helps with spacign of them so i gues thats aniother erason to get a x38 over a P35.

[zer]

It is bigger than my older P5B-Plus, but its about the same size as the P5K Premium Wifi/AP! Its got lots of cooper lol:)

[8igdave]

the heat pipes dont mean alot anyway. All th extra copper does jack all and is just to look good. They are all stuck down terribly on all boards it seems. if you really wana overclock replacing the TEM is the best way to stop your northbridge overheating and holdin you back.

[zer]

Was implying that I had a fun time installing a Heat Sink!

[linkz]

Hello Everyone!

I was looking into purchasing a new case for my computer I am upgrading and I found one that I liked. Being my first computer I am upgrading and not knowing much about the best choices out there I wanted to know what you all thought.

Currently I am looking at Computer Cases that are black and sleek. While I find the ones with clear siding and neon lights cool, I prefer the more casual look instead of gaming.

This is what I had in mind: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8428604&productCategoryId=abcat0507006&type=product&tab=1&id=1183160363476#productdetail

Any feedback, opinions, or suggestions are welcomed!

Will this case fit my needs for space, cooling, etc and are there any cases that fit my criteria that you recommend?


imo i would go with a http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1215768&Sku=ULT31824

or this one
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3556949&CatId=1510
maybe not the first one but i hear it is an excellent case in terms of cooling and space but this is the one i'm going for. The second comes with a PSU.hope you like the choices.Oh and btw i wouldn't buy from bestbuy because of ther warranty policy(saying this b/c of experience with tons of electronics and other stuff i bought there awhile ago) but w.e. it's your money so have fun.

[zer]

Dont like either one of them... They remind me of the Thermaltake cases Ive handled. Heavy, flimsy and poor air flow...

[8igdave]

never heard of them being called flimsy or poor airflow. Some of them have like 5 fans in, i wouldn't say that has poor airflow lol. I dont really like the look of them though, they are like chav tastic ones. But i gues if you like those looks like are alright cases. The cheaper ones arn't overly good i think though.

:EDIT:

i said "like" alot there lol.

[zer]

te filters they come with negate any form a "decent airflow" some cannot be removed!

[8igdave]

didn't know they had bad filters. But i doubt they cant be removed. Otherqwize youd not be able to clean them. I thinks who ever told you that simply couldn'tg work out how to remove them as thats a serious design flaw that only asus would be stupid enough to make :p

[zer]

Some of the filters can be removed but not every single one... either way there a waste.

[Plaguebringer]

The Antec 900 is the best cooling case on the market.

Thermaltake doesn't make bad cases they are pretty good as well as some of the CoolerMasters.

Also all of you Lian-Li fanbois realize that the Rocketfish case at Bestbuy is a rebadged Lian-Li right?

[Woot]

I bought myself the Antec 900 recently.... Its pretty nice, not as big as most of them... comes with 4 fans, a huge one on the top, 2 infront with blue LED's and one in the back with blue LED's.

THIS (http://www.hardware.info/images/news/antec_900_overview_goed.jpg) is what it looks like :)

[zer]

The Antec 900 is the best cooling case on the market.


I own one and Im very happy with it.


Thermaltake doesn't make bad cases they are pretty good as well as some of the CoolerMasters.


Ive owned 2 in the past, never been satisfied with either one of them.

[8igdave]

The Antec 900 is the best cooling case on the market.

Thermaltake doesn't make bad cases they are pretty good as well as some of the CoolerMasters.

Also all of you Lian-Li fanbois realize that the Rocketfish case at Bestbuy is a rebadged Lian-Li right?

best cooling case on the market? Na. There are better but also alot more expensive. Id say its the bset cooling within that price range and will cool better then many of the ones which are more expensive of it.

But what alot of people dont get is that its not needed. its over the top. Buy a well made, well thought out and good quality case and it doesn't need all those fans. They are designed with air flow in mind to get the best coolign with the minimum of fans so that it is quiet.

I would pick a well designed case with good airflow over a cheaply made case with lots of fans put in to compensate.

[Nerror]

Pffft, go for home modded cases like this with airflow from HELL (http://home1.stofanet.dk/mmorpgnut/casefan.jpg)!! (if hell is really drafty).

[8igdave]

lol that majkes the antec 900 look like a pansy

[Tharg]

I got myself one of these... i like it.

http://www.lancoolpc.com/k7/html/k7.html

Mmmm brushed aluminum... silky. being able to stick 80% of your cables behind the MB try is also a great feature. If you have a modular PSU it gets even better. Ive managed to hide a pretty decent portion of my cables with it, although Ill have to redo em all once I actualy stick the MB into it.

[8igdave]

that looks alot like lian0li

[Tharg]

Oh it is a lian li :p not sure why they call it under a different brand name. For its price its pretty good. Oh and for the guy that said filters can cause reduced airflow, the lancool k7's filters are real easy to remove.

[8igdave]

pfft. It doesn't come with a lian li sticker so i dont wana know. To think my psu came with one as well to stick in place of my lian li sticker... yeah right lol :p *rubs sticker*

[Tharg]

pfft. It doesn't come with a lian li sticker so i dont wana know. To think my psu came with one as well to stick in place of my lian li sticker... yeah right lol :p *rubs sticker*

Whats your PSU?... since mine also came with a sticker Corsair 550vx... was quite shocked when I saw they have one large fan these days rather than 2. Are the Lian Li stickers that good?... :D

[8igdave]

seasonic M12 600w. I got me two fans :)

[linkz]

Pffft, go for home modded cases like this with airflow from HELL (http://home1.stofanet.dk/mmorpgnut/casefan.jpg)!! (if hell is really drafty).

WOW I wonder the power outage on that baby!

[mongoose]

Also all of you Lian-Li fanbois realize that the Rocketfish case at Bestbuy is a rebadged Lian-Li right?

It might be made by them but it most certainly isnt a re-label job because Lian Li dosent have anything like that in their current lineup. In fact Im really at a loss as to why they would follow in Antecs footsteps and put the PSU on the bottom :rolleyes:

[8igdave]

psu at the top is alot better for most motherboards. I beleive one of the Gigabytes favours it in the bottem. cant remeber. Otherwize youve got a big fat 6 (or is it 8... i cant remeber now) and 24pin streching across your mobo.

[Nerror]

It might be made by them but it most certainly isnt a re-label job because Lian Li dosent have anything like that in their current lineup. In fact Im really at a loss as to why they would follow in Antecs footsteps and put the PSU on the bottom :rolleyes:

PSU at the bottom makes a lot of sense really, at least if you invert the mobo tray too like they do in the Lian Li cases. I bought my V2100 exactly because of that. The bottom compartment is roomy enough for watercooling and putting the PSU down there means it can run quieter (lower RPM) because it isn't sucking in heat from the other components. That's assuming it's a thermally controlled PSU fan of course.

Because the mobo is inverted top to bottom, there are no powercables crossing the mobo at all, at least if routed right. Check this out: http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/7210/1000869xb4.jpg It's not a V2000 or V2100 (http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/xoxide/lian-li-pc-v2100-plus-2-1.jpg) series with the bottom compartment and the PSU in the back, but it shows the inverted mobo part.

[8igdave]

You cant remeber the mobo tray in quite a few of them though. Thats a good idea of inverting the mobo tray.

[Plaguebringer]

A top mounted PSU is better because the power can get to the motherboard quicker due to GRAVITY. It travels alot faster instead of struggling against gravity going up the cords.

Don't you guys know ANYTHING?

[8igdave]

I hope that was sarcastic. Sarcasm really doesn't work over the internet. Specialy not without smilies lol.

[zer]

A top mounted PSU is better because the power can get to the motherboard quicker due to GRAVITY. It travels alot faster instead of struggling against gravity going up the cords.

Don't you guys know ANYTHING?

Im sure that slight extra resistance will make a HUGE difference... Comong man, sigh... Do the calculations and tell me how much of a impact that will really make...

You also fail at sarcasim...

[8igdave]

Well an electron ways practically nothing, therefore graphivitational effect will have next to no effect on the electrol traveling around the circit at nearly the speed of light. I dont think its a problem. But then again- i dont know what im talking about LOL. Its notible he never replyed to that other post. Cant think why, lol.

[Plaguebringer]

Probably because I haven't read it until just now.

Yes that was sarcasm.

There is not benefit to have having a top or bottom mounted PSU. It is just user preference. The only difference I can say is if you have a PSU that will push air out of the top it will probably increase your temps due to hot air rising.

[Nerror]

A top mounted PSU is better because the power can get to the motherboard quicker due to GRAVITY. It travels alot faster instead of struggling against gravity going up the cords.

Don't you guys know ANYTHING?

Pfft, you know that the power gets hot in those wires, and just like hot air it wants to go up, so it travels just as fast as the power coming down due to gravity!

[mongoose]

There is not benefit to have having a top or bottom mounted PSU. It is just user preference. The only difference I can say is if you have a PSU that will push air out of the top it will probably increase your temps due to hot air rising.

This is the main reason. Sure you can probably design a case that can dissipate that rising heat but why? Just put it at the top and then you dont have to even be concerned about possible extra heat. :cool:

[8igdave]

how well does the P182 work at keepign the psu heat separate? although the hard drives are ment to be quite toasty in that case without some extra fans.