Good air cooling cases?

[Guest]

Hi,

Im deciding on a new case and Id like to hear some suggestions from you.

I dont ever plan on watercooling so Im after some very good air cooled case, Id like it to be quiet, I prefer bigger cases and of course want the case to look good.

Right now Im considering Silverstone FT02 but its expensive and Id like to hear your input first.

[Nup]

Dunno how good that thing would be at air cooling, the from doesn't seem very open. 

 

But perhaps the Corsair 450d would suit you, great airflow and the look are kinda along the same line. 

 

or a Phanteks case? 

 

Nzxt phantoms are good too, with lots of air in. but the style may not be your first choice  

 

Cooler master's N-600 seems good too. 

[RevoltTrain]

Silent Base 800 is great

[othertomperson]

The Air 540 is good here

[CorruptDataFiles]

i would go with cooler masters haf series

[TW1ST3R]

But perhaps the Corsair 450d would suit you, great airflow and the look are kinda along the same line. 

I can vouch for this.  Excellent airflow and cooling with this case.  Threw in a few extra fans so I could lower RPMs and it's now very cool and quiet.

 

I've heard very good things about the Air 540 and Phanteks cases in general if you're looking at alternatives.

[Guest]

Thanks for your suggestions!

HAF and the N-600 dont appeal to me.

The Air 540 looks ok but wouldnt fit under my desk.

The Silent Base 800 is very nice but didnt do very well in thermal tests.

The 450d looks ok and I will definitely consider this one for the cooling / noise performance.

I looked at Silverstone FT04 but the side ports would be against a wall so that one is out too

Ok, Im deciding between Silverstone FT02, FT05 and the Corsair 450d.

Edited February 9, 2015 by Neftex

[Thorium19]

The very best air cooling cases are the silverstone FT/RV05 and silverstone FT02 (slightly less good), if you're after ultimate air performance then they're your best bets, proven.

For lesser cooling but better cable management, the air 540 and phanteks enthoo pro are good bets as well.

[n0mahd]

As an owner of an FT02.I absolutely love it. There's a few issues I personally have with it. One is that it's hard to get the case SILENT. It's not loud at the lowest setting. Its quiet but not silent. The cable managing isn't the best but that's mainly due to the acoustic foam. You can easily make do However. I think that people have been kinda spoiled with how easy cable management has become lol. Also, you can't beat a good metal case.

[srolle]

i really considered the FT05 closely. there's some cable mgmt issues and a clumsy top design, but otherwise an outstanding air-flow case. it if wasn't for the fact that my previous build was with a silverstone, i may have picked that one up. check out phanteks primo if you like big towers. fractal arc series has really good air-flow, but not sure how quiet they get. thermaltake core series will obviously have great cooling, but not so much silence. in the end, i picked the define r5.

[RazrLeaf]

Ok, Im deciding between Silverstone FT02, FT05 and the Corsair 450d.

Can I throw a recommendation for the Fractal Design Define R5 in? It's not the largest, and will only support ATX or smaller motherboards, but it allows you to have lots of airflow and sound dampening. Cable management is really easy as well, and it looks immaculate if you leave the moduvents on. Only caveat is it only comes with 2 included fans, and they haven't started retailing that model of fan yet (I'm OCD about my fans matching).

[Guest]

@RazrLeaf

I know the Define R5 is popular here and I looked into it even before I started the thread. Its very quiet but the tradeoff for temperatures isnt worth it to me.

At first I wanted a big case but I think the FT05 will be enough. Price between Corsair 450D and Silverstone FT02, very good airflow/noise, simple and nice look makes it ideal for me. + handle (as seen in

)

Thanks to everybody for suggestions!