Getting new case - 900 or Stacker?

**Wokeye** · 31st July 2007, 01:24 PM

So I've decided that before I'd get new computer bits I'd get a new computer case to stick them in, as my current case is small, noisy and looks dodgy.

Trying to pick between Antec 900 ($165) or getting serious with a Coolermaster Stacker 830/832 ($320). They both get such good reviews...

I need good cooling 'cause Dubvegas is freakin hot in summer, and it might be operating on carpet :twisted: , so potentially dusty environment.

Anyone got either of these cases? Is the Stacker really worth the extra ~$150?

CDN-SMOKEJUMPER · 31st July 2007, 01:33 PM

Get an Cooler Master Ammo 355, great reviews and waaaaay cheaper so you can afford 2 gig more ram.

I'm not going to even bother getting a new case untill mine is no longer useable.

daveee · 31st July 2007, 01:42 PM

Unless you plan to have alot of harddrives I wouldn't bother with the stacker.

I have a 900.

It cools pretty well with all of the fans on low - though you WILL need to mod it to take dust filters for the fans on the front otherwise you will be cleaning the case every week. This is no joke - you will need to run a vacumn over the front every week or two with filters just to get the dust off them.

My CPU doesn't get over 35 under load with a stock cooler just because it has that much air flowing over it due to the fans. That is while its overclocked a bit too.

Build quality is fantastic, rock solid. Though quite heavy. The LEDs are also quite bright (front fan cans be fixed by putting a black bit of electrical tape over the front, makes them a bit duller and bareable at night time if its in the same room as your bed - though you'll still need something to shield the light if you plan on sleeping.

Make sure your PSU has a long enough 4 pin power cable as the PSU is located at the bottom of the case and will need to reach the top of the motherboard in most systems.

Also on the sidewindow there is a bit of mesh where you can mount another fan, you might want to block this up somehow (either cut it out and put some more perspex here or more metal painted black). This will improve airflow a bit as it will have more pressure in the case.

If you play around with the insides of your case a bit, such as harddrives etc, its a pain in the arse with a billion screws for each harddrive case (you also have to take the cases out to put hdd's in - requires unscrewing cages, unscrewing hdd's instead of just clipping the cages out like most cases).

Limited space inside the case even though its quite big due to the design.

Overall its good for the price, but could be much better (if you have an angle grinder or dremmel it can be much better..but that voids your warranty and you need to know what you're doing to an extent

)

Check out the 180 or 182 if you can, the 182 is a much newer case and Antec learnt from a few of their mistakes with the 900 from it I believe.

Captain_Wolf · 31st July 2007, 01:47 PM

Coolermaster is the way to go IMO. However I would recommend a Coolermaster Centurion T05 I have used them for about 10 computers I have built so far and as far as cooling, price, and noise they are great. It will only set you back about $110 and in my experience price is not proportional to quality when it comes to cases.

Depending on what you are putting in it you may need to get a new PSU I think they come with 430W as standard which is not quite enough if you want to run a 8800GTX or similar like I do.

Plus it looks simple but dead sexy.

Porridge · 31st July 2007, 02:47 PM

I recommend the Antec P180 or P182. It's one of the quietest cases out there and excellent cooling for high end systems. Not only that but it has easy access to filters on the front and the case is very well closed off. prevents unwanted dust from getting in except though the filters.

I've used this case on a 6k system and 4k system that I've built in the past. You'll be dam impressed how quiet it is. Shove a mid to low end system in one and you can't hear it. Throw in a high end system and you've got yourself a dam quiet machine you cant hear anything a meter away.

The case has a great CMS (cable management system) that allows excellent cooling for all parts. I'd choose this case over the Antec 900. I've built a single PC with that case and I found it to be noisy and the CMS a bit retarded when you have allot of HD and Graphics cards, as the cables seem to get in the way of everything. So I had to compensate by placing an extra fan in and increase the speed on some, making it a tad noisy. But never the less for a gaming rig say 1-2.3k a good case.

only time I'd use this case is for a O/C rig using liquid cooling, to make it look great.

Captain wolf is right the CAC-T05, is a neat case, I love using it for pretty much any system. Some one who wants nothing too fancy and quality then this is the case for them. Although it doesn't do anything for me (personal opinion) although having said that the Antec P180 isn't overly stylish, but the benifits in this case out weigh the looks by far. If it's on the floor out of the way then who cares?

Although I'm sticking to the P180, simply because its dam quiet and has great CMS with an excellent cooling system. Plus not much dust gets in as its pretty much a bunker with 3 layered panels

guerrillakiller · 31st July 2007, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Porridge

I recommend the Antec P180 or P182

Yeah i put my hand up for the P182. Just got it for my new system, it hauls ass. Really really really quiet. I think the stock cooling is exceptional, I tried putting in some extra after market fans in the front but it didn't help in cooling and just added alot of extra noise.

I think the cable management system is awesome, if you spend the time to get the right cable lengths etc and have a play with different configurations you can get a very very tidy case which will help with airflow tremendously. There is alot of stuff put in to reduce noice, silicon grommets and braces everywhere to get rid of vibrations and it also has sound deadening panels.

I spent days upon days looking at cases, as this case i will keep for my next few systems. The P182 is a must to check out.

Also for when it gets hotter it has adjustable fans, and when it is cooler you can tone it down and the noise. The front intakes also have grills as well as dust covers so that will suit you for sure.

Cheers,

GK

Kindros · 31st July 2007, 10:28 PM

I love my P180. When I first got it, all my friends would walk into my room and wonder why my pc didn't make a nose when they turned it on, they all thought there were no fans in it and it would overheat.
I also have a passive PSU, Very Very quiet. A little eerie for a pc.

daveee · 1st August 2007, 06:50 AM

If only the 182 was out when I got my 900

Porridge · 1st August 2007, 08:37 AM

yeah the P182 is the new version. I haven't noticed much difference besides improved frame work, ie higher quality and better paint job on the outside. I leave it to you to decide weather its woth the extra $30-40 for the new P182. If your strapped for cash then theres no problem going with the P180.

I had a P180 with two 8800GTX's in sli both were Overclocked. Allot of fans and you just can't hear it, sometimes it was hard to tell if it was on or not. The fan controller on the back is great as well

**Wokeye** · 2nd August 2007, 09:11 AM

Thanks for the advice all, I'll check out the P182, for $200 it sure is cheaper than the $320 stacker 832.

CDN-SMOKEJUMPER · 2nd August 2007, 09:31 AM

Skip my suggestion, I just went to look at some CPU coolers for overclocking and I don't know if it will fit in my ammo box.........

**Wokeye** · 2nd August 2007, 09:37 AM

bummer - the joys of smaller cases!

CDN-SMOKEJUMPER · 2nd August 2007, 10:56 AM

Yeah and it's not even that small. I think I can get it in there it's just going to be really tight.

Porridge · 2nd August 2007, 11:43 AM

Yeah, never the less a decent case though.
Nice setup btw Smoke Jumper

CDN-SMOKEJUMPER · 2nd August 2007, 11:47 AM

Thanks mateee!

Time for an upgrade though and Tubby is the man for telling me how to keep it cheap!!

Do you think I should get a new case though boys? Or just try and cram it all in there untill I know for sure it wont fit?

Tubby · 2nd August 2007, 12:19 PM

Here's a case for ya!

Maxtron Server Chassi:
Can Take 14 x 80mm Fan
32 x 5.25 Bays
6 PSU Slots
Dual Slideout ATX Mobo Trays
Dual Doors 16 x 5.25 Per Side

If you run out of room in that sucker I'll stand rootin!

Finding space in your house is another question.

Smokey, it all depends on what grafix card you want mate. If your after a monster like the 8800 then you might have to look for a larger case. Sometimes those big cards can block off one of your internal 3.5 inch bays so it also depends on how many HDD you have.

In my opinion, if you don't have a need for more than 2 HDD, 1 DVD and heat isn't much of an issue (ie o/clocking or livivng in the tropics) then spending huge amounts on a case is a waste of money. Much better spent on better CPU/PSU/RAM/MB

CDN-SMOKEJUMPER · 2nd August 2007, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tubby

Here's a case for ya!

Maxtron Server Chassi:
Can Take 14 x 80mm Fan
32 x 5.25 Bays
6 PSU Slots
Dual Slideout ATX Mobo Trays
Dual Doors 16 x 5.25 Per Side

If you run out of room in that sucker I'll stand rootin!

Finding space in your house is another question.

Smokey, it all depends on what grafix card you want mate. If your after a monster like the 8800 then you might have to look for a larger case. Sometimes those big cards can block off one of your internal 3.5 inch bays so it also depends on how many HDD you have.

In my opinion, if you don't have a need for more than 2 HDD, 1 DVD and heat isn't much of an issue (ie o/clocking or livivng in the tropics) then spending huge amounts on a case is a waste of money. Much better spent on better CPU/PSU/RAM/MB

I want two DVD's as I get stuff sent from Canada and the regions are different and I can only change it 3 more times before it's permanent. Plus I'll be moving back and forth between our two kick ass countries.

guerrillakiller · 2nd August 2007, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CDN-SMOKEJUMPER

I want two DVD's as I get stuff sent from Canada and the regions are different and I can only change it 3 more times before it's permanent. Plus I'll be moving back and forth between our two kick ass countries.

Can't you get a regoinless DVD driver, i thought most of them you could update the firmware for this anyway? Could be wrong though.

CDN-SMOKEJUMPER · 2nd August 2007, 08:04 PM

Can i?? Tell me more!

guerrillakiller · 2nd August 2007, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CDN-SMOKEJUMPER

Can i?? Tell me more!

Eg. http://cd-rom.free-driver-download.c...are--1.80.html

I have had my pioneer for years, not sure what other manufacturers do?

I think some programs will still bitch about being a particular region, but u can get other programs and hacks for alot anyway.

Hope that helps ya

31st July 2007, 01:24 PM	#1
Wokeye [bD] Clan Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Dubvegas NSW Posts: 3,259	Getting new case - 900 or Stacker? So I've decided that before I'd get new computer bits I'd get a new computer case to stick them in, as my current case is small, noisy and looks dodgy. Trying to pick between Antec 900 ($165) or getting serious with a Coolermaster Stacker 830/832 ($320). They both get such good reviews... I need good cooling 'cause Dubvegas is freakin hot in summer, and it might be operating on carpet :twisted: , so potentially dusty environment. Anyone got either of these cases? Is the Stacker really worth the extra ~$150? __________________ Where's the cheese?

31st July 2007, 01:33 PM	#2
CDN-SMOKEJUMPER Wolf Company Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 3,865	Get an Cooler Master Ammo 355, great reviews and waaaaay cheaper so you can afford 2 gig more ram. I'm not going to even bother getting a new case untill mine is no longer useable. __________________ Or as one of many thousands of Canadians have said, my guns are at the bottom of that lake. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. - On Gun Confiscation

31st July 2007, 01:42 PM	#3
daveee Wolf Company Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Stickville, Sydney Posts: 3,263	Unless you plan to have alot of harddrives I wouldn't bother with the stacker. I have a 900. It cools pretty well with all of the fans on low - though you WILL need to mod it to take dust filters for the fans on the front otherwise you will be cleaning the case every week. This is no joke - you will need to run a vacumn over the front every week or two with filters just to get the dust off them. My CPU doesn't get over 35 under load with a stock cooler just because it has that much air flowing over it due to the fans. That is while its overclocked a bit too. Build quality is fantastic, rock solid. Though quite heavy. The LEDs are also quite bright (front fan cans be fixed by putting a black bit of electrical tape over the front, makes them a bit duller and bareable at night time if its in the same room as your bed - though you'll still need something to shield the light if you plan on sleeping. Make sure your PSU has a long enough 4 pin power cable as the PSU is located at the bottom of the case and will need to reach the top of the motherboard in most systems. Also on the sidewindow there is a bit of mesh where you can mount another fan, you might want to block this up somehow (either cut it out and put some more perspex here or more metal painted black). This will improve airflow a bit as it will have more pressure in the case. If you play around with the insides of your case a bit, such as harddrives etc, its a pain in the arse with a billion screws for each harddrive case (you also have to take the cases out to put hdd's in - requires unscrewing cages, unscrewing hdd's instead of just clipping the cages out like most cases). Limited space inside the case even though its quite big due to the design. Overall its good for the price, but could be much better (if you have an angle grinder or dremmel it can be much better..but that voids your warranty and you need to know what you're doing to an extent ) Check out the 180 or 182 if you can, the 182 is a much newer case and Antec learnt from a few of their mistakes with the 900 from it I believe. __________________ proud supporter of EA

31st July 2007, 01:47 PM	#4
Captain_Wolf Wolf Company Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Wolf Company officer's lounge Posts: 3,857	Coolermaster is the way to go IMO. However I would recommend a Coolermaster Centurion T05 I have used them for about 10 computers I have built so far and as far as cooling, price, and noise they are great. It will only set you back about $110 and in my experience price is not proportional to quality when it comes to cases. Depending on what you are putting in it you may need to get a new PSU I think they come with 430W as standard which is not quite enough if you want to run a 8800GTX or similar like I do. Plus it looks simple but dead sexy. __________________ Captain Wolf [WC] Major. ------------ pMDw1234 will join Wolf Company, it is just a matter of time.

31st July 2007, 02:47 PM	#5
Porridge Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 131	I recommend the Antec P180 or P182. It's one of the quietest cases out there and excellent cooling for high end systems. Not only that but it has easy access to filters on the front and the case is very well closed off. prevents unwanted dust from getting in except though the filters. I've used this case on a 6k system and 4k system that I've built in the past. You'll be dam impressed how quiet it is. Shove a mid to low end system in one and you can't hear it. Throw in a high end system and you've got yourself a dam quiet machine you cant hear anything a meter away. The case has a great CMS (cable management system) that allows excellent cooling for all parts. I'd choose this case over the Antec 900. I've built a single PC with that case and I found it to be noisy and the CMS a bit retarded when you have allot of HD and Graphics cards, as the cables seem to get in the way of everything. So I had to compensate by placing an extra fan in and increase the speed on some, making it a tad noisy. But never the less for a gaming rig say 1-2.3k a good case. only time I'd use this case is for a O/C rig using liquid cooling, to make it look great. Captain wolf is right the CAC-T05, is a neat case, I love using it for pretty much any system. Some one who wants nothing too fancy and quality then this is the case for them. Although it doesn't do anything for me (personal opinion) although having said that the Antec P180 isn't overly stylish, but the benifits in this case out weigh the looks by far. If it's on the floor out of the way then who cares? Although I'm sticking to the P180, simply because its dam quiet and has great CMS with an excellent cooling system. Plus not much dust gets in as its pretty much a bunker with 3 layered panels __________________ E6600, 2GIG XMS2, 1TB RAID 0,Gigaybyte GA-P965-DQ6, Leadtek 8800GTX 768MB, X-Fi Sound Card.

31st July 2007, 10:28 PM	#7
Kindros Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: la cabane d'amour Posts: 1,727	I love my P180. When I first got it, all my friends would walk into my room and wonder why my pc didn't make a nose when they turned it on, they all thought there were no fans in it and it would overheat. I also have a passive PSU, Very Very quiet. A little eerie for a pc. __________________ You're all wrong, and I am always right, and the sooner you accept it, the happier you will be. That is all! Va Fan Culo

1st August 2007, 06:50 AM	#8
daveee Wolf Company Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Stickville, Sydney Posts: 3,263	If only the 182 was out when I got my 900 __________________ proud supporter of EA

1st August 2007, 08:37 AM	#9
Porridge Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 131	yeah the P182 is the new version. I haven't noticed much difference besides improved frame work, ie higher quality and better paint job on the outside. I leave it to you to decide weather its woth the extra $30-40 for the new P182. If your strapped for cash then theres no problem going with the P180. I had a P180 with two 8800GTX's in sli both were Overclocked. Allot of fans and you just can't hear it, sometimes it was hard to tell if it was on or not. The fan controller on the back is great as well __________________ E6600, 2GIG XMS2, 1TB RAID 0,Gigaybyte GA-P965-DQ6, Leadtek 8800GTX 768MB, X-Fi Sound Card.

2nd August 2007, 09:11 AM	#10
Wokeye [bD] Clan Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Dubvegas NSW Posts: 3,259	Thanks for the advice all, I'll check out the P182, for $200 it sure is cheaper than the $320 stacker 832. __________________ Where's the cheese?

2nd August 2007, 09:31 AM	#11
CDN-SMOKEJUMPER Wolf Company Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 3,865	Skip my suggestion, I just went to look at some CPU coolers for overclocking and I don't know if it will fit in my ammo box......... __________________ Or as one of many thousands of Canadians have said, my guns are at the bottom of that lake. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. - On Gun Confiscation

2nd August 2007, 09:37 AM	#12
Wokeye [bD] Clan Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Dubvegas NSW Posts: 3,259	bummer - the joys of smaller cases! __________________ Where's the cheese?

2nd August 2007, 10:56 AM	#13
CDN-SMOKEJUMPER Wolf Company Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 3,865	Yeah and it's not even that small. I think I can get it in there it's just going to be really tight. __________________ Or as one of many thousands of Canadians have said, my guns are at the bottom of that lake. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. - On Gun Confiscation

2nd August 2007, 11:43 AM	#14
Porridge Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 131	Yeah, never the less a decent case though. Nice setup btw Smoke Jumper __________________ E6600, 2GIG XMS2, 1TB RAID 0,Gigaybyte GA-P965-DQ6, Leadtek 8800GTX 768MB, X-Fi Sound Card.

2nd August 2007, 11:47 AM	#15
CDN-SMOKEJUMPER Wolf Company Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 3,865	Thanks mateee! Time for an upgrade though and Tubby is the man for telling me how to keep it cheap!! Do you think I should get a new case though boys? Or just try and cram it all in there untill I know for sure it wont fit? __________________ Or as one of many thousands of Canadians have said, my guns are at the bottom of that lake. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. - On Gun Confiscation

2nd August 2007, 12:19 PM	#16
Tubby Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Hills District, Sydney Posts: 259	Here's a case for ya! Maxtron Server Chassi: Can Take 14 x 80mm Fan 32 x 5.25 Bays 6 PSU Slots Dual Slideout ATX Mobo Trays Dual Doors 16 x 5.25 Per Side If you run out of room in that sucker I'll stand rootin! Finding space in your house is another question. Smokey, it all depends on what grafix card you want mate. If your after a monster like the 8800 then you might have to look for a larger case. Sometimes those big cards can block off one of your internal 3.5 inch bays so it also depends on how many HDD you have. In my opinion, if you don't have a need for more than 2 HDD, 1 DVD and heat isn't much of an issue (ie o/clocking or livivng in the tropics) then spending huge amounts on a case is a waste of money. Much better spent on better CPU/PSU/RAM/MB __________________ carpe the living crap out of the diem

2nd August 2007, 08:04 PM	#19
CDN-SMOKEJUMPER Wolf Company Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 3,865	Can i?? Tell me more! __________________ Or as one of many thousands of Canadians have said, my guns are at the bottom of that lake. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. - On Gun Confiscation

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Case Mod's	VisOne	Tech Support	10	26th November 2009 08:31 PM
My New Case	GI.Gazza	Off Topic & Current Issues Discussion	13	7th March 2009 07:47 PM
Case (or not)..	GI.Gazza	Tech Support	10	2nd February 2009 12:38 AM
you've got the case of the humans	Danthesandman	Media Room	0	15th August 2008 03:08 PM
Just in case you were wondering...	Aphex_Fusion	Project Reality General Discussion	5	26th June 2007 08:27 AM