Poll: Which High End Case to Buy

[r.perez]

Need the forums help on this one. My case is feeling a bit cramped and I want to upgrade for my upcoming birthday to something large and high quality that will last through years of builds with dual custom loops. 

As an aside: my favorite case I have ever owned was the Lian Li PC V1000. I also had a nice custom loop in a custom modded TJ07 from 2010-2012, but thought the TJ07 build quality was lacking in comparison to the V1000. I still love both cases, but feel like they are lacking a bit in modern features and prefer something not totally riveted together and don't want a case that needs rivets drilled to be dismantled and painted on the inside. 

[zzzzzzzhhh]

MasterBox 5, cheap, quality, aesthetic case, with all the features you want.

[Zando_]

I voted for the Phanteks Enthoo Elite. I've got the Evolv and the build quality is amazing, so I'm assuming the Elite is up to par as well. 

[Lurick]

SMA8 is an amazing case to build in and work on  

[r.perez]

Definitely, need something in the full tower size range. I also haven't bought a cheap case like that in 13+ years. 

[honor]

Fractal Design Define R5, windowless. Quiet, great value, minimalistic design, great build quality and last, but not least, ease of use/ great to build in.

[Pagi79]

+1 for Fractal Design Define R5. I have a windowed one and i love that case!

[Loot]

Corsair Air 540  good airflow , split chamber design & plenty of room

[Mooshi]

If OP has the budget for CaseLabs, a budget Fractal case is not in the same class lol

[PCGuy_5960]

If you can afford it, get the SMA8! It's an amazing case, but it costs WAY too much

[kerradeph]

1 minute ago, Mooshi said:

If OP has the budget for CaseLabs, a budget Fractal case is not in the same class lol

I mean, that's not to say that it's not a good solid case that will last him a long time and work well for multiple cooling loops. 

[Pagi79]

5 minutes ago, Mooshi said:

If OP has the budget for CaseLabs, a budget Fractal case is not in the same class lol

Sure it's not the same (price)class, but he asked for our suggestions. And maybe he would be happy to save a "few" bucks on the case and be still happy with it....

[r.perez]

4 minutes ago, Pagi79 said:

Sure it's not the same (price)class, but he asked for our suggestions. And maybe he would be happy to save a "few" bucks on the case and be still happy with it....

Mooshi has a point. I definitely don't need to spend $700-$900 on a case, but something lower quality than say a Lian Li V1000 or Silverstone TJ07 is pretty much out of the question. I've built in cheap cases before and absolutely hate it. 

[r.perez]

16 minutes ago, Loot said:

Corsair Air 540  good airflow , split chamber design & plenty of room

Kinda ugly IMO. I like the 900D okay, but Corsair cases are a bit too utilitarian for me. 

[kerradeph]

1 minute ago, r.perez said:

Mooshi has a point. I definitely don't need to spend $700-$900 on a case, but something lower quality than say a Lian Li V1000 or Silverstone TJ07 is pretty much out of the question. I've built in cheap cases before and absolutely hate it. 

Aside from one very slight QC issue that might have actually been from an issue in shipping, all of the Fractal Design cases I've built in have been great to work with. They're clean, have good cable management, they're well build in the inside, and they're built like a brick. I would be surprised if you were actually significantly disappointed after building in a Fractal Define R5. 

[Pagi79]

17 minutes ago, r.perez said:

Mooshi has a point. I definitely don't need to spend $700-$900 on a case, but something lower quality than say a Lian Li V1000 or Silverstone TJ07 is pretty much out of the question. I've built in cheap cases before and absolutely hate it. 

I wouldn't call a $160 Case (in my Country) a cheap one and definitely not a low quality one. But it's your money, your choice.  But i recommend you to check it out before you decide. Have fun building your new config. 

[r.perez]

Just now, Pagi79 said:

I wouldn't call a $160 Case (in my Country) a cheap one and definitely not a low quality one. But it's your money, your choice.  But i recommend you to check it out before you decide. Have fun building your new config. 

 

Why spend $3000+ on hardware and put it in a $160 case? Honestly though, I bought the Enthoo Evolv TG originally and have been relatively happy with the build quality, just want something considerably larger and more flexible. I looked at the R5 and it just does not look like it would suit my needs at all. Have you ever built a system in a case equivalent to a flagship Lian Li case? It's hard to go back after that. 

[Pagi79]

2 minutes ago, r.perez said:

 

Why spend $3000+ on hardware and put it in a $160 case? Honestly though, I bought the Enthoo Evolv TG originally and have been relatively happy with the build quality, just want something considerably larger and more flexible. I looked at the R5 and it just does not look like it would suit my needs at all. Have you ever built a system in a case equivalent to a flagship Lian Li case? It's hard to go back after that. 

No, i haven't built a system in such a case. i could buy one (or more), but i'm just that guy who always want's the best bang for the buck.I hope you understand that i only gave you my honest opinion. If you don't like it it is no problem for me.  I end this conversation here and give others the opportunity to make some suggestions for you!  

[r.perez]

I am leaning towards Caselabs at this point but still not 100% sure. I love the modular nature of the case. If I scratched the hell out of the mid plate drilling holes for WC pass through I can just get another mid plate! Is it safe to assume that any new front panel I/O tech that comes out in the next few years will be supported with a user swappable front plate? If I spend $700 on a case, I want to be able to use it without compromises for the next 5-7 years. 

 

I love the Phanteks elite as well but it's even more expensive and I'm worried it won't be as future proof as Case Labs. Any thoughts on that? 

[brob]

The Caselabs SM8 offer the best customizability. Over the long term the ability to easily change configurations will extend its useful life. I particularly like the fact that front panel i/o can be configured to suit. This means that as new standard connectors emerge, the front panel can be easily updated.

 

The Phanteks Elite is a beautiful case but I hate front panels that have non-functional connectors. I suspect I would find it limiting picking components that would support all the connection on the Elite i/o panel.

[r.perez]

1 minute ago, brob said:

The Caselabs SM8 offer the best customizability. Over the long term the ability to easily change configurations will extend its useful life. I particularly like the fact that front panel i/o can be configured to suit. This means that as new standard connectors emerge, the front panel can be easily updated.

 

The Phanteks Elite is a beautiful case but I hate front panels that have non-functional connectors. I suspect I would find it limiting picking components that would support all the connection on the Elite i/o panel.

 

Any word on whether Caselabs plans to support vertical GPU mounting in the future? That's a feature I love in the Lian Li PC 011 and upcoming V3000, Phanteks Elite and Primo. 

[brob]

2 hours ago, r.perez said:

 

Any word on whether Caselabs plans to support vertical GPU mounting in the future? That's a feature I love in the Lian Li PC 011 and upcoming V3000, Phanteks Elite and Primo. 

No idea. Presumably one could construct a custom motherboard tray backplane.

[cistec]

Tried them all bar none!...spent a small fortune looking for the right case..then I decided to take a chance on a costly Case Lab SMA8 ....I cant put into words how simple this idea is and who ever started this company must have played with meccano building toys, just simply the best idea and quality parts I have ever seen! and the fact you can design it your self as you build it (simple steps) is just amazing!! I can honestly say the price is high but so is the finish and longevity because this case will last a few processor/motherboard upgrades and still give you the ability to redesign again and again and it is all Aluminum construction = no rust + light weight.

 

 I am of the opinion that this new generation of self build/design cases are here and it is a matter of time before these will be the standard for mid to high end systems.  Case Labs have a excellent product well worthy of a price tag to match but in the long run far cheaper when taking into account the longevity of the product and flexibility of redesign...Well done!