Are full towers even necessary anymore?

[Cs342]

With so many options in the mid-tower market these days such as the Storm Scout 2 and Vengeance C70, is there still a need for full tower cases? Most people won't be using EATX motherboards, so I am simply asking this question in the context of consumers who have a regular sized motherboard and 1 or 2 graphics cards. In the old days a full tower was necessary for coolers like the D14 and H100, but these days most mid towers can fit loads of hardware in them. Wouldn't it be better to spend more money on the hardware inside rather than the case? What are your thoughts? Just wanted to start a small discussion on this :)

[Theo]

I want a full tower for custom watercooling, mid towers are fine depending on your needs, but personally i want a big one!

[AraSarkisyan]

*cough*custom loop *cough*

[Cs342]

It just seems to me like for the average consumer, having a huge case with a tiny motherboard inside would look kind of ridiculous, even if it was being watercooled (im speaking about single CPU loops or CPU+GPU, not triple SLI setups)

[virusal19]

Full towers are for enthusiast people who wants custom watercooling and multi GPU set-ups 

[AroundWayOtherThe]

I like full towers because I like the idea that no matter what I put in my tower whenever I can afford it, it will work. I like having overkill just for the reassurance that I know I have the power to do whatever whenever. 

[CrabCreations]

I have to agree with you, sure full towers might look great and offer more features, in the end a mid-tower is more than enough for everyday use & gaming.
I'm happy with my Vengance C70 ;) And to be honest, those massive case are kind of "too much" for my taste.

[Deus Ragno]

Sure a mid tower is adequate and all. But I'm not an enthusiast because I settle for adequate. I love me some big juicy tower that can take everything I want to fit in it.

[teeejay]

It depends. I personally never go back from high tower, I like the options etc.

[Cs342]

I have to agree with you, sure full towers might look great and offer more features, in the end a mid-tower is more than enough for everyday use & gaming.

I'm happy with my Vengance C70 ;) And to be honest, those massive case are kind of "too much" for my taste.

+1

Also, there's really no point having a huge case that you will literally never fill up. That's my one big issue with full towers. I've seen many beginners get cases like the HAF X or Corsair 800D for their first builds just because they think that they are going to magically have the money to throw 3 graphics cards in at some point in the future. Chances are if you can't afford something now, by the time you can afford it you will want something else.

[Thecrazyswede]

show me a small case that's NOT a caselabs that are a smaller case that supports X2 360 rads.

 

caselabs are just too expensive

[Undieing_Lust]

I own a Xigmatek Elysium So...yeah....

 

[IPCharger]

Id depends on your needs. If you're a gamer that will only have 1 or 2 GPUs and an AIO liquid cooler, then a small case will do. If you want a bit more expansion like the possibility of adding a sound card and a custom loop, a mid tower would do. If you want to do a completely overkill build with a big watercooling loop, you need a full tower.

[onionring]

try fitting a hptx mobo in a mid tower...

[airdeano]

yes they are necessary. if they weren't, mannies wouldn't spend the money to

have the produced. the reason most of the case mannies are here is because

of the diverse market and what consumers want or they think they have a better

mouse-trap idea about how a case looks, functions or can be used.

 

iTX has been around for a long-time, but since Bitfenix Prodigy came out, now it

is a "thing-to-have" build. as much chest-beating in large cases Corsair 900D now

trounces the market with a bigger splash with a bigger flagship case over the 800D.

not all peeps like corsair or their idea of case concept and venture for other mannies

to have a similar functional case.

 

so on the surface, it'd be easy to say "most" peeps want a mid case, but you are not

seeing or hearing about the industry as a whole. gamers do not want big cases, most

daily webbers don't want big cases, business owners using two or more don't want

big cases, but enthusiasts using big parts still want them, ask for them, and make them

even larger.

 

airdeano

[airdeano]

caselabs are just too expensive

 

CaseLabs cases although seem expensive, the material they use, aluminum, is also

expensive compared to steel. and not being mass-manufactured (a lot hand made)

they tend to ask for a higher price tag. look at Lian-Li cases and tell me that ally cases

are not expensive and those are mass-produced.

 

another issue is export. shipping large, flat boxes makes it even more expensive.

and tariffs, fees, and BS charges doesn't help the cause. but CaseLabs seems to be

alright with the scheme of things as they are still kicking out cases and venturing out

even further to expand the line.

 

airdeano

[I'm Batman]

i like mid towers much more cuz if you buy a full tower case the mobo in it and the components look so small and case looks empty only time i used a full tower case was when i did my custom loop if not water cooling i think mid-towers are way better

[bcho85]

It all depends on personal use.  Some are enthusiasts and some are casual or hardcore gamers. 

 

I used to run 2x gpu and a huge Noctual cooler in my full tower. 

 

I also had tons of HDDs (around 8) that I pretty much don't like letting it sit around. 

 

This is me now: 8x HDDs (varies from 320gb to 1.5gb), 2x SSDs, 1x 79xx gpu card, C14 "Hamburger" CPU cooler, 1x ODD, and 8x 120mm fans.

 

When I was shopping around, only way to have ample cooling and room for all the cables, full tower was optimal for me.

 

Now.. with mid towers being made slightly bigger with better cable routing, multiple fan mount points, and multiple HDD bays.. I'm going to move my innards to a mid tower case shortly (Waiting for FD R5..)

 

Either way, it depends on personal use.  There is no "BEST" case solution in my honest opinion.  Do what you gotta do to make your PC user days better. :)