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What do you guys think of modern computer cases?

Unknown_K

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I tend to check out craigslist for EATX computer cases from time to time. I use them to house my older multiple CPU motherboards that are too big for a standard ATX case.

Recently a local guy was selling computer cases very cheaply, they were fairly new gamers cases from Corsair, Cooler master etc. I ended up snagging a few and then a bunch more before he moved.

For the most part these cases are huge, have great cable management, large low noise fans for good airflow, and built in USB 3 hubs, and up to 6 3.5" hard drive caddies (also up to 3 2.5" SSD caddies). Some have buttons to control fan speed as well for hot days plus cooling fan air intake filters you can easily clean. Cons would be 3 or less 5.25" drive bays (I still have internal tape drives in a few systems), lighted fans and some power buttons (glow in the dark when you are going to bed with the computer one), and very wide. In one unit I had to strip out the LED lighting setup and some misc. stickers.. Newegg sells them for $100-175 for the models I snagged. Generally I tend to buy the cheaper $40 newegg cases on sale. Even the most expensive of these cases weighs less then my old Inwin Q500 towers.
 
They're okay, I guess, as long as they're not flimsy enough to collapse under their own weight...

I'm surprised that no case vendor has come out with an "Ikea" case that is shipped as a pile of flat pieces that are then assembled into a box by the customer.

Maybe I'm just ahead of my time...
 
I've actually been impressed with some of the industrial cases in recent years.

I'm surprised that no case vendor has come out with an "Ikea" case that is shipped as a pile of flat pieces that are then assembled into a box by the customer.

I've been expecting that since the whole "build it yourself" AT clone fad started.
 
There are cases for techs where all the parts are uncovered so you can work on the system powered up. I kind of like this case (used for my Netflix box).

http://assets.coolermaster.com/global/uploadfile/upload/images/case/haf-xb-evo-dimensions.jpg


Has handles for easy moving, 2 external HD bays with easy removable trays, and the top comes off (has a huge fan for airflow) revealing the motherboard facing you so its easy to add or remove stuff.

I kind of wonder where all the ATX bezels with the AT style keyboard hole connector went (I have one but have not seen one on ebay in ages). People would love to stick an AT board into a cheap surplus ATX case. They do have ATX to AT power supply power adapters all over the place.
 
It's hit and miss. Lian Li still makes good desktop cases, that's what I tend to buy for a full size build. I've got a HP Z420 workstation on my main dev bench at the moment, I like the case design well enough.

I've got two no-name "gamer" cases that are waiting to go to the recycler. Pain to work on, poor airflow, sharp edges, and very thin metal. But, I remember trash cases from the 90's too, so I suspect it's just a matter of these being the cheap, gaudy, "gamer" crap that was on special on TigerDirect/Newegg/wherever when the previous owner built them up.
 
Matching colors can be a pain since most old beige drives are recycled by now. I just got used to black to be honest, my house is full of beige cased machines. Silver cases (or brushed aluminum) are the worst to match drives to.
 
Matching colors can be a pain since most old beige drives are recycled by now.
I wish somebody would "recycle" the word "recycle".

A big problem with CD/DVD drives is they seem to have a certain designated life span. A drive that has been sitting in a machine idling for 10 years or so is likely to act flaky under actual use. (Your mileage may vary, mine has sucked). So even if someone wants to re-sell an old drive, they are probably asking for trouble.

Modern computer cases?

- Too many blue LEDs!
- Ugly, hideous, nauseating, black cases.
- Crumple like a soda can if I even breath on them.
- Not enough external drive bays
- Too much dumb looking designer gaming junk
- Various random "nonsense" mis-features.
 
It's all just a bunch of boxes of various dimensions and sizes. :) I've yet to see a PC in a sphere, although there have been personal computers with the brand name "Sphere".

Zotac had a design that was close to spherical; https://www.pcper.com/news/General-Tech/Zotac-Shows-Spherical-ZBOX-01520-SFF-PC
Couple that with the incredibly expensive hard drive sphere https://www.superadrianme.com/technology/christofle-designed-lacie-sphere-hard-drive/

Think pyramid power but without all the pointy bits that made the 70s so dangerous.
 
That Zotac thing is interesting, but where do you put your coffee cup? :)

The point of the 10s and 20s should be to make the computer disappear, I think. I guess the tablets pretty much do that, but I like keyboards.
 
Oh, there are plenty of all-in-one PCs out there. The problem is that I wish the PC would be in the keyboard (or better, just a lump in the power cord) and not in the screen!

(Shades of the C64!).
 
It's all a mish mash for me these days.

When it comes to the OEM's, the one I'm the most impressed with the new Lenovo P410/510/710 workstations. Motherboard swap = 15 minutes and no tools, except the flat-head or nut driver you use to remove the HSFs from the CPU(S).

My favorite "modern-ish" case is the InWin D500 that my current desktop is in, I can get them cheap, they are beige so they match my vintage PC's, and are very small yet so open-by-design they are easy to work on. Only gripe is the power supply might not be a standard design, but I'm fine with that. A modern machine for me is just a case, motherboard, PSU, CPU, HSF, an SSD, and a bunch of roving 2nd hand SATA Drives, most laptop form factor.
 
Hey Chuck! They stole your idea before you even mentioned it:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/205124958009372898/


Some of the designs are really neat....


ziloo :mrgreen:

So which one exactly comes in a carboard Ikea box as a set of flat case parts? FWIW, I do like the art deco models. I remember when a radio was to be valued as a fine piece of furniture. Sad that PCs aren't packaged that way.
 
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