PC Peripherals Which micro-ATX cabbie ??

quixilver

quixilver

Disciple
Hi guys,

In the past 12yrs, i have had 2 rigs which were upgraded several times... but the cabbies just stayed... once both were running ATX boxes, never really felt the need for a bigger or better cabinet coz they both serve their purpose well...

One of em has an iball cabinet since 2001.. other has a local brand one...

of late, on my current rig, addition of 2 more external HDDs and a Geforce 275GTX meant, its got pretty cramped.
My rig's Configuration that i feel calls for the need for a new cabbie

Asus M4A78EM-1394 (has 4 RAM slots - currently have 2x 1GB + 1x 2GB modules installed)
MRON 700W SMPS
WD 500GB HDD
WD 1TB HDD
Samsung 320GB HDD
Seagate 500GB HDD
1x Asus litescribe
1x LG dvd-RW

2 custom fans (stuck to give cooling to the HDDs) both running off the MB

future expansion :-
Not much, I might get a 2TB drive and sell off the 320GB disk or keep it aside
Please suggest a cabinet which has the following plus points from ergonomics point of view(pl suggest if u have any others to add) - no need to have an SMPS on it coz i have a 700w one already

Pl suggest if i need to go for a full tower ?

Budget <3.5k

- No jazzy stuff.. plain n simple will do... dont fancy a glass see-thru thingie etc :p
- tool free fitment
- enough gap from SMPS after mounting the HDDs, DVD writers
- no screws n mess
- easy to remove/re-fit rear slots for the MB jacks
- Easy to access power button
- Reset button is a must
- tell-tale lights for Main HDD at least, power etc
- Front USB ports (min 2 prefered)
- preferably with a carry handle on top
- side cover which is easy to open and removable in case i need to run it without a cover
- not much metal parts exposed (have got electrocuted few times due to poor grounding on my current cabbie)

Thats all i cud remember....

Pl suggest guys

Regards
Quixilver

--- Updated Post - Automerged ---

Sorry... forgot to mention.. the Maybach 62 size Zotac 275GTX also needs breathing space apart from the massive real estate it already takes up!!
 
Coolermaster USP 100 -@ Rs.3000- check reviews section for review. I had similar requirements when I needed to buy my case but then such cabinets meeting all the above requirements are hard to come by these days. I opted for Coolermaster USP 100 because it meets a lot of the above requirements mentioned by you and has a few surprises as well. If you can make do with a single 120 mm fan opt for the Antec Sonata @ Rs.3200. Also do consider Antec 100/Antec 200(Rs.2500)/Antec 300(Rs.3500).
 
sunny27 said:
Coolermaster USP 100 -@ Rs.3000- check reviews section for review. I had similar requirements when I needed to buy my case but then such cabinets meeting all the above requirements are hard to come by these days. I opted for Coolermaster USP 100 because it meets a lot of the above requirements mentioned by you and has a few surprises as well. If you can make do with a single 120 mm fan opt for the Antec Sonata @ Rs.3200. Also do consider Antec 100/Antec 200(Rs.2500)/Antec 300(Rs.3500).
Click to expand...

@sunny - Thanks for the info mate... actually except for the "tool free installation", my current cabbie has meets all other requirements (except for space as well)

btw i like ur signature... like JC put it.. "u use a pussy to put off the xmas fire" :p
@harishgayatri - will check that too mate... btw u have any links for lancool in India ??

--- Updated Post - Automerged ---
harishgayatri said:
You can also checkout this thread.
http://www.techenclave.com/dealers-paradise/xigmatek-cabinets-its-here-169851.html

It has very good cabinets for great value
Click to expand...
Ok... i had looked at these cabbies @ mediahome.in quite sometime back while hunting for graphics cards.. cud not find the real difference between ASGARD & ASGARD II even on the thread ?? Also any idea if those side panels are screwed or just clip-on types ??

i'l post there anyways.. thanks guys :)
 
Had been to SP Rd (B'lore) with a frnd to get him a WD Passport 3.0 500gig... had my sight on some cabinets... so din think much... picked up the Elite 334 (it was simple design and basic model with tool-free design)... Between 335/334, i found 334 had proper power & reset buttons integrated into the side chrome lining! But 335 had a reset button which needs to be poked!

iball had some lovely looking cabinets... i liked the "i-BENZ"... but it was out of stock :(

No other cabinet had tool-free design.. This one cost me 2.1k all-inclusive without SMPS after bit of bargaining. At Computerwarehouse @ MG Rd, the same thing costs 2.3k+tax. So frankly there is no real benefit in running around @ SP Rd...

Frankly, now i find tool free design pretty useless unless u lock the stuff only from 1 side (RHS)... coz i need to anyways open both side panels to access the locks for HDDs on either sides.. and LHS panel needs a screwdriver anyways! So for time-being i've used the locks only on RHS...

But the new cabinet is very spacious... still i can hardly fit in a 4th 3.5" HDD after fitting the GTX275! :(

Thanks for the help guys!
 
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