Looking for a Good Value Budget Case

[Katarn]

I need a case for the following build:

MSI B450 Tomahawk Max

R5 3600

RX 5700 XT

2x8 3200 MHz 16CL DDR4

2x3.5" HDDs

Cooler Master MWE 550W Gold

 

The problem is that the cost of the system laves me with very little money to invest in a case.

Fortunately, I don't care all that much about some of the more costly elements of the component. I don't care for RGB, and I don't care for robust aesthetics. In regards to appearance, I have a preference for minimalist designs, but that's beside the point - my main concern is that it is stable and that it has decent airflow, preferably silent (and whatever other specs one ought to look for in a case).

 

I have a few models in mind. They are the following:

Antec GX500 Black Steel

Cooler Master Force 500

Fractal Design Core 2300

DeepCool Dukase V3

 

To me, it seems as though the Antec GX500 is the best deal. The problem with the others seems to be their inability to hold a long GPU (like the 5700 XT) and two 3.5 hard drives at the same time. They also seem to have inferior resistance to dust. So is the Antec GX500 the best in the list, and (more importantly) is it good for my build?

 

I am open to suggestions.

If you know of a case within the price range that you think would be better, please tell me, even if it is not on the list. This is a thread primarily about opinion and advice; if availability or small fluctuations turn out to be a problem, we can adapt, but only once the issue arises.

 

Also, if I go slightly above the budget, I should be able to afford the more expensive versions of some of these models, namely:

Antec GX700

Fractal Design Core 3000

Fractal Design Core 3300

Cooler Master CM590

 

I would rather not, but if the price difference makes for substantial improvements, I very likely will.

 

Peace

[aisle9]

What part of the world are you in, and what marketplace are you using? I'm only getting out of stock notifications with the dreaded "may not be resupplied" message.

 

It sounds like the Fractal Define or Meshify series would give you what you're looking for.

[Katarn]

5 minutes ago, aisle9 said:

What part of the world are you in, and what marketplace are you using? I'm only getting out of stock notifications with the dreaded "may not be resupplied" message.

 

It sounds like the Fractal Define or Meshify series would give you what you're looking for.

I live in Eastern Europe. I am dealing with a retailer who imports from Germany (I think Denmark and/or the Netherlands too, not sure). It is him who recommended me the Antec GX500.

 

What are these Fractal Define and Meshify you speak of?

 

@Genwyn will look into; speaking from experience, what would you say are its main pros/cons?

[Worstcaster]

These are the Focus G and Meshify C.  They are budget minded good airflow cases.  I linked the German prices from PCpartpicker.  (My PC is in a Focus G.  I like it.)

 

https://de.pcpartpicker.com/product/ZHmxFT/fractal-design-focus-g-black-atx-mid-tower-case-fd-ca-focus-bk-w

 

https://de.pcpartpicker.com/product/Y6Crxr/fractal-design-meshify-c-atx-mid-tower-case-fd-ca-mesh-c-bko-tg

[Katarn]

I have looked into the cases.

The Meshify looks like a great case. But it appears to be at least double the price of the Antec GX500 and/or the Focus G.

The Focus G seems to have the same cons as the GX500. (links)

The Vivo seems like a clever pick, but I'm not sure if it is the right choice of the ones offered.

 

I have two other questions:

 

- Is 35 dBA at full speed loud? Is it average? What can I compare it to?

 

- Are these stock temperatures good? (link)

[TVwazhere]

On 9/21/2019 at 2:40 PM, Katarn said:

- Is 35 dBA at full speed loud? Is it average? What can I compare it to?

I would consider that to be very quiet, assuming that's an entire system's max dBA. For a single fan though, 35 dBA is loud because you often have two or three of those fans which raises the overall system noise, though keep in mind most people do not leave their fans running at 100% speed (Usually 50-75% for case fans) so each fan will usually not reach their max dBa rating.

On 9/21/2019 at 2:40 PM, Katarn said:

 Are these stock temperatures good? (link)

They're fine. Anything below 80C is the general rule of thumb, though CPU's and GPU's can terchnically opperate into the 90C's although not generally advised.

[Sat1600]

https://www.newegg.com/black-cooler-master-masterbox-nr600-without-odd-atx-mid-tower/p/N82E16811119368

 

Review:

 

[Katarn]

Only now do I see I've gotten two more replies in this thread.

I was almost positive that I wanted the Antec GX500, but Cooler Master NR600 looks very good too.

 

@TVwazhere

Should I take the NR600 if available?

I find it strange that, according to the prices at NewEgg, the Cooler Master is the less expensive case, but according to review sites, it is the Antec model that costs less.

Is it just me, or are their performances more or less equal... Cooler Master NR600 ... Antec GX500 ?

Yet for some reason, I feel like the Cooler Master has an advantage in the brand (although it actually has one fan less, and its temps seem higher - according to the reviews I linked - so I can't tell).

Also, how sturdy is that glass frame on the side?

 

If both are the same price, which one would you recommend?

If the NR600 is the more expensive one, is it worth the difference in price (provided it is not over $25)?

 

On 9/23/2019 at 3:55 PM, TVwazhere said:

They're fine. Anything below 80C is the general rule of thumb, though CPU's and GPU's can terchnically opperate into the 90C's although not generally advised.

In that case, it's a good thing I've chosen a custom 5700XT, as opposed to a reference model. Bullet dodged.

[TVwazhere]

2 minutes ago, Katarn said:

I find it strange that, according to the prices at NewEgg, the Cooler Master is the less expensive case, but according to review sites, it is the Antec model that costs less.

The Antec model is old and technically discontinued, so there's low supply of the case which artificially inflates the price above what it would have sold for at launch in 2014. 

7 minutes ago, Katarn said:

Is it just me, or are their performances more or less equal... Cooler Master NR600 ... Antec GX500 ?

You cannot directly compare those two numbers, as they're two completely different systems, and one measures real temperature and one measures Delta T over ambient (meaning you basically add 20ºC to the temperature)

4 minutes ago, Katarn said:

Yet for some reason, I feel like the Cooler Master has an advantage in the brand (although it actually has one fan less, and its temps seem higher - according to the reviews I linked - so I can't tell).

Brand means basically nothing when it comes to cases. Any brand can make a great case and a terrible case, I will refrain from making the "case by case" pun and simply say every case is a little different.

6 minutes ago, Katarn said:

Also, how sturdy is that glass frame on the side?

It's sturdy, but it's not critical to the structural integrity of the case any more or less than a normal side panel would be.

6 minutes ago, Katarn said:

If both are the same price, which one would you recommend?

If the NR600 is the more expensive one, is it worth the difference in price (provided it is not over $25)?

The NR600 is more modern but comes with two fans, as opposed to the GX500's three fans (two at the top as exhaust) If you were getting the GX500, I'd move those two top fans to the front as intake. The GX500 is the better value assuming the prices are the same, but if the NR600 is $10 or more less than the GX500, I'd get that since you can buy a fan for about $10 and get the same airflow (or just save $10)

[Katarn]

3 hours ago, TVwazhere said:

You cannot directly compare those two numbers, as they're two completely different systems, and one measures real temperature and one measures Delta T over ambient (meaning you basically add 20ºC to the temperature)

I see.

3 hours ago, TVwazhere said:

It's sturdy, but it's not critical to the structural integrity of the case any more or less than a normal side panel would be.

That is good to know. I have a tendency to move my computer. I wouldn't want the risk of breaking its side panel.

3 hours ago, TVwazhere said:

The NR600 is more modern but comes with two fans, as opposed to the GX500's three fans (two at the top as exhaust) If you were getting the GX500, I'd move those two top fans to the front as intake. The GX500 is the better value assuming the prices are the same, but if the NR600 is $10 or more less than the GX500, I'd get that since you can buy a fan for about $10 and get the same airflow (or just save $10)

Is the third fan the only reason the GX500 is the better deal than the NR600?

How much does the release date (2014) affect quality? I'd guess not much, seeing as their USB ports and supported mobos are the same.

I see that the NR600 has lights and a glass panel: since they are integrated in the price, is it safe to assume that its quality will not be as high as a case of the same price but with less trinkets?

[TVwazhere]

2 hours ago, Katarn said:

I see.

That is good to know. I have a tendency to move my computer. I wouldn't want the risk of breaking its side panel.

Is the third fan the only reason the GX500 is the better deal than the NR600?

How much does the release date (2014) affect quality? I'd guess not much, seeing as their USB ports and supported mobos are the same.

I see that the NR600 has lights and a glass panel: since they are integrated in the price, is it safe to assume that its quality will not be as high as a case of the same price but with less trinkets?

Cases don't really lose quality, they just go out of style. Newer cases are more competitive than they used to be. I'd argue that newer cases of 2019 are much higher quality than cases of 2013 for the same price, and this becomes more true the higher the price tag (Evolv X for example is a much more "premium" feeling cases than cases available for $180 in 2013)

 

From a strictly functional standpoint, the extra fan is the only reason I'd consider the GX500 over the NR600, if you don't plan on changing out the fans at all. Personally if it was up to me, I like the modern look of the NR600 and if I needed it, I could get the extra fan after the system is built.