Modern computer cases are going to hell

[J7SC_Orion]

34 minutes ago, Fluxmaven said:

Thermalfake vs Caselabs... Usually starts off as a mild disagreement then goes off the rails 

 

...you mean...?

 

[UltraMega]

I'm curious why people still play more than $50-60 for a case. Given the options available, what do you expect from a more expensive case that you don't think a cheaper case would have? 

[Sir Beregond]

11 minutes ago, UltraMega said:

I'm curious why people still play more than $50-60 for a case. Given the options available, what do you expect from a more expensive case that you don't think a cheaper case would have? 

Would mostly just expect a higher material/build quality.

 

And then there is the factor of non-standard cases (dual chamber designs, open frame, etc.)

Edited December 7, 2022 by Sir Beregond

[UltraMega]

8 minutes ago, Sir Beregond said:

Would mostly just expect a higher material/build quality.

 

And then there is the factor of non-standard cases (dual chamber designs, open frame, etc.)

What does higher build quality amount to? Thicker aluminum?

[Storm-Chaser]

12 hours ago, pioneerisloud said:

Yup.  I'm curious to know what he had to say about modern cases to be honest.  If other people don't like it, screw em.  Isn't that the point of the thread titled, "Modern computer cases are going to hell"?  

LOL lighten up there buddy. 

I hope you take it more as comic relief going forwards, because that was my primary intent when posting. I mean for Christ's sake I posted a comparison between a trapezoidal shaped PC and a rug doctor lol. How serious do you think I really am? 

 

[Sir Beregond]

4 minutes ago, UltraMega said:

What does higher build quality amount to? Thicker aluminum?

Possibly. I'd also expect fewer (or none) sharp edges, panels shouldn't feel flimsy, screws of good quality, screw holes not feeling like they might strip easily, etc.

 

I'd also expect better thought out designs for the little things in building whether its cable management, front panel, etc.

 

EDIT: This isn't to say you don't have quality in the price range quoted. I'm just saying for more $$$ I'd also expect more in quality of materials and thoughtful design choices.

Edited December 7, 2022 by Sir Beregond

[UltraMega]

3 minutes ago, Sir Beregond said:

Possibly. I'd also expect fewer (or none) sharp edges, panels shouldn't feel flimsy, screws of good quality, screw holes not feeling like they might strip easily, etc.

 

I'd also expect better thought out designs for the little things in building whether its cable management, front panel, etc.

 

EDIT: This isn't to say you don't have quality in the price range quoted. I'm just saying for more $$$ I'd also expect more in quality of materials and thoughtful design choices.

I've never encountered any of the issues you mention with a cheap case, aside from maybe the rear panel being flimsy, which happens on more expensive cases too. 

 

I think there is a good argument to be made that a lot of people still buy expensive cases in no small part because they don't realize how much cheap cases have improved. When I worked at Digital Storm around the intel 4th gen era, more expensive cases were a big deal. Cases like the Corsair R300 were like the standard for a good gaming case without being over the top expensive, but now pretty much any $50 case is going to be much better than an R300, and there's not really any features I can think of to look for in a case that today's cheap cases wouldn't have. I'd much rather have a $50 case from today than a $300 case from 2015. 

[Sir Beregond]

7 minutes ago, UltraMega said:

I think there is a good argument to be made that a lot of people still buy expensive cases in no small part because they don't realize how much cheap cases have improved. 

Entirely possible for me. My case evolution was:

 

Many beige 90's cases -> Cheap generic case from 2006 -> Cheap generic case in 2009 -> Cooler Master CM690 II -> Corsair 650D -> NZXT Switch 810 -> Corsair Air 540 -> Lian Li O11-D

 

Starting with the 540, I really started liking dual chamber cases. The O11-D fixed all of my complaints with the 540, however there are 2 big things I don't like about it - the front panel being glass (fixable, but more $$$), and the width of the case. I don't know if there is a $50 case that is of a dual chamber design with the feature set and open loop watercooling compatibility, but if there is, that's impressive.

Edited December 7, 2022 by Sir Beregond

[UltraMega]

2 minutes ago, Sir Beregond said:

Lian Li O11-D

Hmm what an odd case. Looks pretty normal at first, but definitely not so normal on the inside. What made you go with that case? 

[Sir Beregond]

1 minute ago, UltraMega said:

Hmm what an odd case. Looks pretty normal at first, but definitely not so normal on the inside. What made you go with that case? 

It fixed all my complaints I had with my old Corsair Air 540 with the dual chamber design, compatibility with bigger radiators, and better thought out designs for things like where to mount hard drives and/or SSD's which seemed tacked on with the 540. Of course hard drives are now phased out of my build and have a couple nvme drives now.

 

Add to that, I can be totally lazy with cable management in the rear of the case, and I like the PSU and such being out of the way.

 

I don't know why, I just really like the dual chamber cases now that are side to side dual chamber vs say top and bottom dual chambers like a H510 or similar.

[UltraMega]

1 minute ago, Sir Beregond said:

It fixed all my complaints I had with my old Corsair Air 540 with the dual chamber design, compatibility with bigger radiators, and better thought out designs for things like where to mount hard drives and/or SSD's which seemed tacked on with the 540. Of course hard drives are now phased out of my build and have a couple nvme drives now.

 

Add to that, I can be totally lazy with cable management in the rear of the case, and I like the PSU and such being out of the way.

 

I don't know why, I just really like the dual chamber cases now that are side to side dual chamber vs say top and bottom dual chambers like a H510 or similar.

It does look cool. I suppose if that design becomes popular, we will see cheap cases doing it in a couple years. I guess that's what you get these days from a more expensive case; moving the PSU to the back and the radiator to the side so that it looks a little bit cooler. 

[Sir Beregond]

6 minutes ago, UltraMega said:

It does look cool. I suppose if that design becomes popular, we will see cheap cases doing it in a couple years. I guess that's what you get these days from a more expensive case; moving the PSU to the back and the radiator to the side so that it looks a little bit cooler. 

Where ya been, these Lian Li cases are everywhere. Part of me hates I have one because of that, but I can't help it, I really like the case aside from the 2 deficiencies I mentioned.

 

I'd just say Lian Li really should offer an option to get them with proper vented front panels (with fan mounts) instead of the tempered glass panel so you can have a more traditional front intake. As it is, I am planning to get a custom front panel from PPCs in the future.

 

You are now seeing some weird derivatives of the O11-D design like the Hyte Y60. I think some Corsair cases have experimented with the side intakes too. I personally think the side intake is dumb, but what can I say, the case meets the rest of my needs/wants.

Edited December 7, 2022 by Sir Beregond

[UltraMega]

Was just looking at cases to see if some of the cheaper cases are doing the dual chamber thing that Sir B's case has. Found one for $80 that doesn't look as nice, but is pretty similar. 

 

Rosewill CULLINAN PX RGB-ST ATX Mid-Tower Gaming PC Computer Case, Supports 240 & 280mm Liquid Coolers, 4 Dual-Ring Remote-Controlled 120mm RGB LED Fans & 80mm Rear Fan, Tempered Glass - Newegg.com

WWW.NEWEGG.COM

---

Buy Rosewill CULLINAN PX RGB-ST ATX Mid-Tower Gaming PC Computer Case, Supports 240 & 280mm Liquid Coolers, 4 Dual-Ring Remote-Controlled 120mm RGB LED Fans & 80mm Rear Fan...

 

 

Also found this one for $70 that has an infinity mirror in the front and that is cool AF IMO. 

 

 

Bgears B-Optillusion Mid Tower ATX Glass Mirror LED Black Optical Illusion PC Gaming Computer Case ARGB LED - Newegg.com

WWW.NEWEGG.COM

---

Buy Bgears B-Optillusion Mid Tower ATX Glass Mirror LED Black Optical Illusion PC Gaming Computer Case ARGB LED with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. Once you know, you Newegg!

 

 

[Fluxmaven]

43 minutes ago, UltraMega said:

I'm curious why people still play more than $50-60 for a case. Given the options available, what do you expect from a more expensive case that you don't think a cheaper case would have? 

Because I'm an idiot and like weird overpriced crap...

 

I like running cases that not everyone and their sister has. I prefer thick aluminum vs stamped steel. I enjoy non standard layouts. When I help friends build PCs we go with cheaper cases because to them it's just the box that holds the parts.

 

[UltraMega]

4 minutes ago, Sir Beregond said:

Where ya been, these Lian Li cases are everywhere. Part of me hates I have one because of that, but I can't help it, I really like the case aside from the 2 deficiencies I mentioned.

 

I'd just say Lian Li really should offer an option to get them with proper vented front panels (with fan mounts) instead of the tempered glass panel so you can have a more traditional front intake. As it is, I am planning to get a custom front panel from PPCs in the future.

 

You are now seeing some weird derivatives of the O11-D design like the Hyte Y60. I think some Corsair cases have experimented with the side intakes too. I personally think the side intake is dumb, but what can I say, the case meets the rest of my needs/wants.

Oh yea I'm definitely aware of Lian Li and their tendency to always try to come up with a unique design. There was a Lian Li case that would come up when I worked at DS that everyone hated doing, but it was an SFF case so people hated working on it for obvious reasons. They do a good job at making cases that stand out in good ways without looking too flashy. Looks like the prices on their cases have come down a lot though, probably because that space is so competitive now. 

[UltraMega]

3 minutes ago, Fluxmaven said:

Because I'm an idiot and like weird overpriced crap...

 

I like running cases that not everyone and their sister has. I prefer thick aluminum vs stamped steel. I enjoy non standard layouts. When I help friends build PCs we go with cheaper cases because to them it's just the box that holds the parts.

 

Best way to ensure no one else will have it is to get a cheap no name case .

 

I have a 540 air. I got it used for $40 and that seemed like a steal at the time. Now it feels very dated and clunky. The extra room in the back did not make it any easier to work on lol, which was part of what I wanted from it. 

 

Kinda want that infinity mirror case... 

[Storm-Chaser]

12 minutes ago, Fluxmaven said:

Because I'm an idiot and like weird overpriced crap...

 

I like running cases that not everyone and their sister has. I prefer thick aluminum vs stamped steel. I enjoy non standard layouts. When I help friends build PCs we go with cheaper cases because to them it's just the box that holds the parts.

 

same here. Why not stand out from the crowd, you know

[J7SC_Orion]

1 hour ago, Storm-Chaser said:

same here. Why not stand out from the crowd, you know

 

...that's what most of my builds end up like. I  don't mind some of the more expensive cases as a starting point for custom work - things like custom-made tempered glass, stainless steel posts and USB/C + / power cables can be expensive on their own. Still, my trusty Dremel tools (I got several ) and I like on-off solutions as the outcome....the TT  Core P8 for example with dual side-by-side ATX mobos and water-cooled components.

 

I used to stuff eATX server boards w/ water-cooled CPUs and 4x GPUs into Antec 300 ATX cases (still have three of those for firewalls etc). While they are 'flexi-flyers' re. their construction and metals, they were easy to mod because of it

[Sir Beregond]

8 hours ago, UltraMega said:

Oh yea I'm definitely aware of Lian Li and their tendency to always try to come up with a unique design. There was a Lian Li case that would come up when I worked at DS that everyone hated doing, but it was an SFF case so people hated working on it for obvious reasons. They do a good job at making cases that stand out in good ways without looking too flashy. Looks like the prices on their cases have come down a lot though, probably because that space is so competitive now. 

I was more speaking to the fact that these cases are extremely prevalent in the PC community. So much so I am somewhat disappointed I have one now, but that's made up for the fact it meets my needs, aside from the front panel which I will fix at some point.

 

Anyway I agree with @Fluxmaven, though being the basic b**** that I am, I have a case everyone and their mother seems to have. @Avacado knows what I am talking about .

[EHW Ai]

10 hours ago, UltraMega said:

I'm curious why people still play more than $50-60 for a case. Given the options available, what do you expect from a more expensive case that you don't think a cheaper case would have? 

 

$50-60?  My last case came in around close to $1000. $50-60 doesn't even buy a mount. 

 

What do I expect? I expect it to be better in every single way and not some cheap plastic POS that most cases are. Don't even get me started on Thermalfake and their total shitty ass cases that not even good enough for the local trash heap. 

 

As I'm sure from this post I'll be banned for unneeded hostility or whatever BS excuse the mods want to use. So it's been fun. Nice knowing you all. 

[Fluxmaven]

37 minutes ago, Sir Beregond said:

I was more speaking to the fact that these cases are extremely prevalent in the PC community. So much so I am somewhat disappointed I have one now, but that's made up for the fact it meets my needs, aside from the front panel which I will fix at some point.

 

Anyway I agree with @Fluxmaven, though being the basic b**** that I am, I have a case everyone and their mother seems to have. @Avacado knows what I am talking about .

I actually was interested in the O11 when it first came out. Most people went with the dynamic but they made an air version at one point. I held up hope the new PC v3000 would come out and eventually gave up and got other cases entirely. 

[UltraMega]

1 hour ago, Outsider said:

 

$50-60?  My last case came in around close to $1000. $50-60 doesn't even buy a mount. 

 

What do I expect? I expect it to be better in every single way and not some cheap plastic POS that most cases are. Don't even get me started on Thermalfake and their total shitty ass cases that not even good enough for the local trash heap. 

 

As I'm sure from this post I'll be banned for unneeded hostility or whatever BS excuse the mods want to use. So it's been fun. Nice knowing you all. 

I'm not offended, I just now think you're a crazy person for asserting that a $1000 case is reasonable. I don't get offended by other people's mental health issues. 

 

It does seem like you want to be offensive though, I guess so you can play the victim card when people get annoyed with you. Seems like a pretty bad strategy. 

Edited December 7, 2022 by UltraMega

[Avacado]

2 hours ago, Outsider said:

As I'm sure from this post I'll be banned for unneeded hostility or whatever BS excuse the mods want to use. So it's been fun. Nice knowing you all. 

Shawn, just stop. It's us man. This isn't reddit or the tards on OCN. We've done business before. We've had Singularity computers make us a shitty dual pump res that cracked and didn't fit our TH10's before. You seem to have a limitless source of anger all the time for every topic. It's just not needed here bro. We are family, there's nothing worth banning you for. Most of the guys here are some of your biggest supporters. You can let your guard down here with us. We don't bite (hard).

Edited December 7, 2022 by Avacado

[pio]

56 minutes ago, Avacado said:

Shawn, just stop. It's us man. This isn't reddit or the tards on OCN. We've done business before. We've had Singularity computers make us a shitty dual pump res that cracked and didn't fit our TH10's before. You seem to have a limitless source of anger all the time for every topic. It's just not needed here bro. We are family, there's nothing worth banning you for. Most of the guys here are some of your biggest supporters. You can let your guard down here with us. We don't bite (hard).

I lick windows.......   

 

But yeah seriously, other than being a little "edgy" with a $1000 case comment, so what?  Who cares?  Thermalfake?  I have a Thermaltake case, and I am absolutely offended.  Wait, is offended the right word for laughing my butt off at calling them "Thermalfake"?  Seriously, @Outsider, bro, this isn't reddit.  And from what I've gathered around here, that's part of the reason E made this site, was so us enthusiasts could openly speak our mind after OCN went the way it did.

 

Other than saying you're going to be banned for being offensive, I haven't seen anything actually offensive said yet.  Quit talking about being banned, and have some fun man. 

[The Pook]

41 minutes ago, pioneerisloud said:

I lick windows.......   

 

I have a Thermaltake case

 

new signature for somebody