SPCR

I've always assumed based on the recommendations in this site, the best ATX case excluding appearance for a quiet pc is the Evercase 4252.

I'm considering other cases since the CNPS7000A has trouble fitting in that case with most decent motherboards.

I'm curious what people think is the best ATX case they know of. The Evercase? Or was I wrong to make that assumption?

I'd go with the Evercase.

If there's not enough space in the 4252 I'd go with the 3700AMB with it's fan grills removed.

Hello from Ars, Ralph. I'd be curious to hear you thoughts on the Fong Kai FK-333 if you'd care to indulge me (and yes, I have read the article here about it).

My vote:

Evercase 4252

or

Compucase LX-6A19 (cheaper and better designed version of the Antec SLK-3700 series.)

Ephemeron wrote:Hello from Ars, Ralph. I'd be curious to hear you thoughts on the Fong Kai FK-333 if you'd care to indulge me (and yes, I have read the article here about it).

It's big, built like a tank and has excellent ventilation. If you need a big case, I'd say it should work fine, otherwise I'd go with the SLK3700 or EC-4252.

I really like my Lian Li 6070. Though my complaint, which is leading to my recommendation, is that it is too small.

My last case, and the case I used for my gf is the Chenming/Chieftec Dragon. It is a volumous case! I could work with it so easily and there is plenty of room to run wires and tuck things out of the way. Being a bigger guy (over 6 foot) and having bigger hands, this case was a breeze to work in. My Lian Li is a bit more of a tight fit every now and then. Suprisingly, my gf's is really quiet. Not sure why, she has all these UV fans in there that are Crystals, but it really is decently quiet without me even trying to make it like that.

Ralf Hutter wrote:

Ephemeron wrote:Hello from Ars, Ralph. I'd be curious to hear you thoughts on the Fong Kai FK-333 if you'd care to indulge me (and yes, I have read the article here about it).

It's big, built like a tank and has excellent ventilation. If you need a big case, I'd say it should work fine, otherwise I'd go with the SLK3700 or EC-4252.

Would the FK333 be worth 2X the $$$s to you if you needed a slightly larger, quiet case?

Ephemeron wrote:Would the FK333 be worth 2X the $$$s to you if you needed a slightly larger, quiet case?

Probably not. It's nice, and the construction quality is impressive, but that's a big premium to pay over something like the 4252, which is functionally nearly identical.

I love my 333, but then again I didn't pay for it. The super-sturdiness, big size, and tool-less stuff is really only useful if you tinker inside of the case alot. If you're just going to assemble it and then close the box for 6 months, I'd go with either of Ralf's suggestions.

I could be wrong, but the FK333 seems to have the same problem as the Evercase, which is that the PSU is mounted almost flush with the motherboard. Of the cases mentioned, only the Antec SLK3700AMB/Compucase LX-6A19 have a reasonable amount of clearance for the Zalman 7000A.

I would also add the Chenbro Xpider to the list of best cases, btw. I just wish they made a version without the side window. It also appears to have the same PSU clearance limitation as the others.

I've only built two systems with the 4252, one for my parents and my main system. I'm quite often working and fiddling with stuff in my system, and the 4252 has been great and easy to work with. Sometimes I've wished for a tad bit more space, but for the price and ventilation abilities, its the best that I've heard about. I've not used the 7000 cooler though, so I don't know about how it fits or doesn't fit.

Here's a picture of how close the mobo is to the PSU in a 4252 case. That's an old school Abit KT7A mobo.

The PSU/mobo distance in the FK is maybe a smidge bigger than in the 4252, about 1/2". Roughly half the space that a 3700 has between them.