case requirement

[greensouth]

Hi:How did you choose your ATX case ?.
assume you buying one for your Duron & tbird.
did you buy a mid tower one or full tower ?250watts or 300watts?
thanks in advance..

[S_Klass]

Since the few popular KT133 chipset mobos from MSI, Abit & Asus are full sized ATX mobos there are several requirements the case will have to meet. ATX for one, a mid-tower at least to give you enough room to work in and from personal experience building numerous T-Bird/Duron PCs, a good 300 Watt PSU is highly recommended. Consider how many IDE devices you will have and determine how many bays you will need. I won't consider anything less then a 4x 5.25" bay + 2x 3.5" bay (external) + 2 / 3x 3.5" Internal bay mid-tower case these days.

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-=S_Klass=- I tweak... therefore I am.

[Shinma]

Due to precautionary power requirements, got into habit of eliminating cases with <300 watts.
Has the required number of bays, must be sturdy, prefer preset areas for case fans, fit the mobo with little to no problem, no sharp edges, durable rails and appearance a bonus.
I think that covers it. Oh, price!
Cheers.

[Todd a]

Cooling features are a must. I liek the Mid Tows the best. Unless you are going crazy a 250w PS will work, but a 300w is best if you can afford it. Either one MUST be AMD approved. Look how the PS is mounted. A good one will have it mounted horisontally across the top with a spot for an extra case fan in back below it. Quite a few have the PS mounted vertically and the CPU will be barried behind the PS. This is VERY bad for cooling. Notice in this picture (it is kind of confusing because it is taken from inside the case looking back at the power supply). The PS is only about 1/2" front the fan on the heatsink:



Now this guy cut a hole and mounted a fan directly above the CPU, but normally their is little way of venting the heat the CPU gives off. This is a picture of a very good case for cooling:



Notice the extra cooling fan below the PS. Also the grill allows good airflow. Most use a bunch of small holes drilled in the case. This rear picture is from the Fong-Kia FK-603 and this is the front:



It has a spot for another fan up front with the same vent holes (under the snap-off bezel). It also hase good vent holes in the back, top and front were there is not enough room to put a fan. It also has a duct connected to the rear fan to remove the CPU's heat. It even includes an AMD approved 250w PS. You can get it here for $67 (plus about $15 for shipping):
http://www.directron.com/fk603atxcase.html

If you want something with even better cooling, then get the FK-320 for about $100. It has room for two 92mm and 120mm case fans and comes with a 300w AMD approved PS (it also comes in black):





As for drive bays. I dont liek zip drives so one is fine. room for 2-3 internal is fine for most. 35 1/4" bays are good for me. I only use 2 (CD and CD R/W). That is up to your needs. There are a lot of other features too, but most of them are really up to you... removable motherboard tray, drive rails, locking covers, removable sides, top and front, and even refrigerant cooling system (VapoChill Unit).

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The COMPUTER is your FRIEND!
Happiness is manditory.