looking for cheap ATX horizontal case
Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 9:51 am
Hey guys, in a couple of weeks I intend to upgrade my current desktop to Ivy Bridge.
The past years I've always been able to reuse my old hardware for something else, until it finally breaks or is simply too slow to be useful.
To start with, my wife always inherits most of my current HW. That way we're both happy with a faster PC She'll be getting an Intel i5 750 with 16GB RAM and an SSD. Think she'll be happy?
One step down the road I have her HW to give a new purpose. This time it will become a bedroom PC: we've recently placed a crosstrainer in the bedroom, and added an old CRT TV. It keeps the mind busy while exercising... I intend to replace the CRT by a flatscreen and also hookup the old PC. That way we have a full blown media streamer when there's nothing interesting on the TV.
I like to tell stories, don't I? But that way you understand what my intentions are...
So now, why this post? Her current desktop was the last ATX mobo that I've bought. Finding a reasonably priced HTPC case that supports an ATX board isn't that easy. Mind you that I don't want to spend too much money for that old HW... €100 is kinda the limit.
Just mounting it in a tower case would of course be much easier/cheaper, but I don't think my wife will be pleased with the looks of the thing. And we currently have much in the bedroom where a tower case could be hidden under/behind/in.
The only thing I've been able to digg up is this one:
http://www.ms-tech.de/eng/index.php/pro ... 6/pdid/168
It's available for about €65-70
It'll do I guess, but I'd never heard about that brand before, so maybe there's better around?
My requirements:
* must fit an ATX motherboard
* horizontal case (for aesthetic reasons in a bedroom)
* under €100
* decent build quality
* as compact as possible (for an ATX case, not that easy, I know...)
* after replacing the stock fan(s) the whole should be fairly quite
Optionally:
* sufficiently high to mount a Scyth Ninja Plus rev B (if not, I'll need to buy another silent heatsink)
* if possible there should be room for a DVD-ROM
* simple fan controller
What I absolutely don't need:
windows, doors, lot's of 3.5" and 5.25" bays, remote control, display, etc
HW specs to be mounted inside:
Asus P5B-E ATX board
Intel Core2Duo E6600 2.4GHz dualcore
Scyth Ninja Plus rev B CPU cooler
4x 1GB RAM DDR3
WD Caviar Blue 500GB
Sapphire HD5450 512MB DDR2
Antec NeoHE 380W PSU
Anyone?
The past years I've always been able to reuse my old hardware for something else, until it finally breaks or is simply too slow to be useful.
To start with, my wife always inherits most of my current HW. That way we're both happy with a faster PC She'll be getting an Intel i5 750 with 16GB RAM and an SSD. Think she'll be happy?
One step down the road I have her HW to give a new purpose. This time it will become a bedroom PC: we've recently placed a crosstrainer in the bedroom, and added an old CRT TV. It keeps the mind busy while exercising... I intend to replace the CRT by a flatscreen and also hookup the old PC. That way we have a full blown media streamer when there's nothing interesting on the TV.
I like to tell stories, don't I? But that way you understand what my intentions are...
So now, why this post? Her current desktop was the last ATX mobo that I've bought. Finding a reasonably priced HTPC case that supports an ATX board isn't that easy. Mind you that I don't want to spend too much money for that old HW... €100 is kinda the limit.
Just mounting it in a tower case would of course be much easier/cheaper, but I don't think my wife will be pleased with the looks of the thing. And we currently have much in the bedroom where a tower case could be hidden under/behind/in.
The only thing I've been able to digg up is this one:
http://www.ms-tech.de/eng/index.php/pro ... 6/pdid/168
It's available for about €65-70
It'll do I guess, but I'd never heard about that brand before, so maybe there's better around?
My requirements:
* must fit an ATX motherboard
* horizontal case (for aesthetic reasons in a bedroom)
* under €100
* decent build quality
* as compact as possible (for an ATX case, not that easy, I know...)
* after replacing the stock fan(s) the whole should be fairly quite
Optionally:
* sufficiently high to mount a Scyth Ninja Plus rev B (if not, I'll need to buy another silent heatsink)
* if possible there should be room for a DVD-ROM
* simple fan controller
What I absolutely don't need:
windows, doors, lot's of 3.5" and 5.25" bays, remote control, display, etc
HW specs to be mounted inside:
Asus P5B-E ATX board
Intel Core2Duo E6600 2.4GHz dualcore
Scyth Ninja Plus rev B CPU cooler
4x 1GB RAM DDR3
WD Caviar Blue 500GB
Sapphire HD5450 512MB DDR2
Antec NeoHE 380W PSU
Anyone?