First Post - Rant About Cases.

[Steev43230]

I are so frustrimatated. In 2019 there is no reason for a case to be much "taller" or "deeper" than eATX plus about one inch, and no "wider" than necessary for a fullsize graphics cards. The cards are about the same length as the mobo, M.2s can attach directly to the mainboard (I'm an old-timey type), 2.5" SDD's can hang just anwwhere, and a full size 3.5" WD black or red can be positioned on the door, or hang from the top, flat size facing the mobo. I'm not a design engineer, but the image in my head assure's me this isn't all that difficult. And that includes nice placement of the PSU. (Why don't they make 80+gold PSU's in 350w capacities?!)

 

And "also, plus, too," as a college classmate used to say, a case's I/O ports can so (totally!) be made modular so the buyer can select from a buffet of no-longer-separately-needed USB ports all the way up to ThunderCougarFalconBird. Just make bushings to fit in the case and offer the connection components and wiring. Finding a case that will top out most of the USB headers on the mobo shouldn't be an exercise in futility.

 

I love Bitfinex but they're guilty too. AMD's forcing me to buy a Ryzen 3K in July, which means all the accessories to go along with it, and the Bitfinex Shadow should've been updated to USB 3, 4, and Thunderbird before now.

 

I'm sad.

 

Linus rocks. The whole gang rocks too.

 

So there.

Edited May 30, 2019 by Steev43230
To fancy it up some.

[SpookyCitrus]

5 minutes ago, Steev43230 said:

AMS's forcing me to buy a Ryzen 3K in July, which means all the accessories to go along with it,

No one is forcing you to do anything lmao...

[Fasauceome]

11 minutes ago, Steev43230 said:

there is no reason for a case to be much "taller" or "deeper" than eATX plus about one inch, and no "wider" than necessary for a fullsize graphics cards.

Custom watercooling loop, and tall ass CPU coolers?

[seon123]

1 hour ago, Steev43230 said:

Why don't they make 80+gold PSU's in 350w capacities?!)

Would you rather pay $58,89 for a 350W 80+ Gold PSU or $58,99 for a 450W 80+ Gold PSU? The price of producing them stays pretty much the same, which is why decent PSUs start at 400W. 

1 hour ago, Steev43230 said:

case's I/O ports can so (totally!) be made modular

Spoiler

They can. But a lot of people would rather have a cheaper product, than a minor customisability option. 

1 hour ago, Steev43230 said:

AMD's forcing me to buy a Ryzen 3K in July

Ah, yes, AMD hired a thug to beat you up if you don't buy their 3000 series products.

1 hour ago, Steev43230 said:

In 2019 there is no reason for a case to be much "taller" or "deeper" than eATX plus about one inch, and no "wider" than necessary for a fullsize graphics cards. 

Guess all case manufacturers should just remove every single case on the market, since you still need to fit a PSU, some fans for airflow, and some cooling. 

Some people prefer things like performance, noise and reliability, rather than having a slightly smaller case. 

My cat also appreciates having a decently large warm box to lie on.

Spoiler

 

Edited May 31, 2019 by seon123
Replaced a single letter with another

[OrionFOTL]

27 minutes ago, seon123 said:

 My cat also appreciated having a decently large warm box to lie on.

  Hide contents

 

Your cat is so cute!!

[VIVO-US]

We've offered a number of PC cases over the past few years, so maybe I can help you to understand some of the reasoning.

 

21 hours ago, Steev43230 said:

In 2019 there is no reason for a case to be much "taller" or "deeper" than eATX plus about one inch, and no "wider" than necessary for a fullsize graphics cards.

The width is needed so high end coolers and other components can be fit inside without worry.  A good quality tower cooler is usually around 160mm, and some are even larger.  The width also allows larger fans to be used, allowing higher performance at a lower noise level.  If the width is shrunk down too much, it will become difficult to fit the majority of after-market parts.  Also, you have to consider room on the other side for cable management nowadays.  Cases with no cable management are now looked upon with great rage and disappointment by the users.

 

21 hours ago, Steev43230 said:

The cards are about the same length as the mobo, M.2s can attach directly to the mainboard (I'm an old-timey type), 2.5" SDD's can hang just anwwhere, and a full size 3.5" WD black or red can be positioned on the door, or hang from the top, flat size facing the mobo. I'm not a design engineer, but the image in my head assure's me this isn't all that difficult. And that includes nice placement of the PSU.

Most cards don't go above 13", but there are a few out there.

Attaching hard drives where you've said will certainly work, but to avoid attaching them to the door, additional brackets would have to be made.  This will add to the cost, and it will reduce airflow through the case.  As for the PSU, many positions have been tried over the years, but it always goes back to the default top-rear or bottom-rear after a while for the tower cases.  It's just easier that way.

 

21 hours ago, Steev43230 said:

And "also, plus, too," as a college classmate used to say, a case's I/O ports can so (totally!) be made modular so the buyer can select from a buffet of no-longer-separately-needed USB ports all the way up to ThunderCougarFalconBird. Just make bushings to fit in the case and offer the connection components and wiring. Finding a case that will top out most of the USB headers on the mobo shouldn't be an exercise in futility.

Yes, but that would add to the overall cost, and most users don't want to pay extra or have to think about USB placement.  I can see something like this happening for a high-end modular case, but not for the ready-to-use cases most people go for.

 

21 hours ago, Steev43230 said:

I love Bitfinex but they're guilty too. AMD's forcing me to buy a Ryzen 3K in July, which means all the accessories to go along with it, and the Bitfinex Shadow should've been updated to USB 3, 4, and Thunderbird before now.

Most cases won't be updated to support the latest tech until that tech becomes common.  That's why so many cases still don't have USB-C.

 

21 hours ago, Steev43230 said:

I are so frustrimatated.

Gesundheit.

[Steev43230]

So a general update here. Which I should've made clear in my original post. I'm only talking in terms of a case for a computer that doesn't really need to be extreme or high end gaming. Like 5 or 10 self-assembled computers for the office which need to run Excel, Word, QuickBooks and and internet. Mine will require a graphics card but it doesn't have to be attached directly to the board and sit at 90º from it; I can just use a connector. I've been looking at Linus's compact builds and some of them look pretty intriguing.

[Fasauceome]

20 minutes ago, Steev43230 said:

I'm only talking in terms of a case for a computer that doesn't really need to be extreme or high end gaming. Like 5 or 10 self-assembled computers for the office which need to run Excel, Word, QuickBooks and and internet. 

But then, those don't really have enormous cases do they? Take any of the bottom of the barrel cases from pcpartpicker.com and they're all just little crappy office PC cases. If you go the OEM route they're certainly not spending extra for that case real estate.

[VIVO-US]

On 6/2/2019 at 6:56 AM, Steev43230 said:

So a general update here. Which I should've made clear in my original post. I'm only talking in terms of a case for a computer that doesn't really need to be extreme or high end gaming. Like 5 or 10 self-assembled computers for the office which need to run Excel, Word, QuickBooks and and internet. Mine will require a graphics card but it doesn't have to be attached directly to the board and sit at 90º from it; I can just use a connector. I've been looking at Linus's compact builds and some of them look pretty intriguing.

Thanks for clarifying. For this use, HTPC case manufacturers like Silverstone have actually come up with some good stuff.  HTPC cases also work very well for office computers since they're designed to be compact.  The only problem is they tend to cost more than gaming cases due to lower manufacturing volumes, but I've also seen some basic ITX media cases that are barely 8" x 8" and cost very little.  In one of those, you can fit an ITX board with integrated CPU graphics and a hard drive or two, and then plug it in using an external power supply.  Here's one I just found from a quick search that's also VESA mount compatible, so you can hide it on the back of a TV or monitor: https://www.ebay.com/itm/E-T3-Mini-ITX-Case-Ultra-Slim-SECC-Computer-PC-Chassis-Support-Wall-Mount/323755354463

[MrPigger]

I think I get what the OP is getting at and it's something I've been thinking about recently. Like he said, we're dealing with a world now where more and more of our storage is going smaller. M.2s sit on the mobo, SSDs will easily hang off the back of the mobo tray or practically anywhere else we can think of. Network and or Cloud storage is becoming more popular. Streaming and internet speeds are making me less likely to hang onto games/videos. I can't even remember the last time I needed to use a 5.25" drive for anything.

 

One of the main reasons I bought my current Fractal R5 years ago was the modular aspect of the drive bays. Knowing I could add more, take some away, move things round and keep it looking clean in the process. Now I'm looking at a new build and I thought about the case and realised just how much space is wasted in there. I've started looking round at new ones and noticed it's a massive pain in the arse to try and find what I'm after. Is there a standard name for this type of case that I'm just not seeing?

 

Full ATX compatible, with enough space for decently sized CPU cooler and GPU, but without a server farm's worth of drive bays? Just space for one or two 3.5" flat against the front of the case or something so they take up as little space as possible. I'd even say without the space massive watercooling rads too but I don't think there will be many case manufacturers willing to cut out the AIO user market.

 

As I said, is there a name for this layout (where the space marked in red on the pic is condensed or done away with) I'm just not seeing? I want to be able to narrow my search down but it's so hard to do that when you have to dive into every product page and try and find a pic (like the one attached) that shows a cross section of the case then try to judge by eye.

[VIVO-US]

4 hours ago, MrPigger said:

Full ATX compatible, with enough space for decently sized CPU cooler and GPU, but without a server farm's worth of drive bays? Just space for one or two 3.5" flat against the front of the case or something so they take up as little space as possible. I'd even say without the space massive watercooling rads too but I don't think there will be many case manufacturers willing to cut out the AIO user market.

 

As I said, is there a name for this layout (where the space marked in red on the pic is condensed or done away with) I'm just not seeing? I want to be able to narrow my search down but it's so hard to do that when you have to dive into every product page and try and find a pic (like the one attached) that shows a cross section of the case then try to judge by eye.

There isn't a standard name for it, but gaming cases are moving more and more into having an open design.  The NZXT S340 is a popular choice of this style, and the Fractal Design case in your post is actually modular.  You can remove those extra drive bays by taking out a couple thumb screws.

[MrPigger]

11 minutes ago, VIVO-US said:

There isn't a standard name for it, but gaming cases are moving more and more into having an open design.  The NZXT S340 is a popular choice of this style, and the Fractal Design case in your post is actually modular.  You can remove those extra drive bays by taking out a couple thumb screws.

Yeah, that's kinda my point. I've cut down the amount of 3.5" drives I have by so much that the entire front 1/3rd of the case is just empty space now that the cages are gone.

 

I think I've convinced myself to go for the Define C.

[Steev43230]

Thank  you MrPigger and others for all your kind and helpful comments. And also the fact that no one asked me to justify my original post, something I've gotten right sick of over the years. Much appreciation all around!

[aisle9]

On 5/31/2019 at 4:21 PM, VIVO-US said:

Cases with no cable management are now looked upon with great rage and disappointment by the users.

 

As for the PSU, many positions have been tried over the years, but it always goes back to the default top-rear or bottom-rear after a while for the tower cases.  It's just easier that way.

@VIVO-US, I really like some of the cases you put out and I think highly of your business in a field that makes it way too easy for an HEC or a Diablotek to pump out junk, but I would like to point out that these are two of my favorite things ever said on here.

 

On 6/2/2019 at 7:56 AM, Steev43230 said:

So a general update here. Which I should've made clear in my original post. I'm only talking in terms of a case for a computer that doesn't really need to be extreme or high end gaming. Like 5 or 10 self-assembled computers for the office which need to run Excel, Word, QuickBooks and and internet. Mine will require a graphics card but it doesn't have to be attached directly to the board and sit at 90º from it; I can just use a connector. I've been looking at Linus's compact builds and some of them look pretty intriguing.

Rosewill makes a bunch of MicroATX cases in the size range you're looking at, most for sub-$30. DIYPC does as well, but their ultra-cheap stuff gets really iffy on build quality. If it's ITX you're looking for, the ultra-basic Cooler Master Elite 110 and 130 are garden variety, mass-produced cases that you could probably negotiate a discount for on reseller sites if you're buying 5-10 at once.