best computer case for 200$ AUD?

[franpa]

Hey, my BFG 8800GT appears to be overheating due to the fact that graphical glitches only start appearing when the video card reaches around 90+ degree's Celsius and if i keep running the game (black and white 2) then eventually i get a blue screen. the same thing happens with various games.

the fan on the video card works and i can hear it slowly but surely start hitting 100% load around the time i finish the first land in B&W 2.

I'm after a excellent computer case for air flow and welcome any/all suggestions relevant.

[yauhui]

Find a computer case with the ventilation holes like:

http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/1001/perfectairflowzs5.png

Because it uses the fact that hot air rises and cold air otherwise.

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/6966/hotcoldairry5.png

[MrBunsy]

How many computers sit far enough off the ground for that to work though? Also, the number of fans and general lack of space messes up the usual flow of air a little, the hotter components really need cooler air going straight over them.

My experience has shown that a good ventillation system is in at the front at the bottom, and out at the back near the top, through the power supply and, if you need lots of throughput, a fan in the back near the top. That way the air goes over the CPU, RAM, hard discs even if you place them carefully, and out the PSU. The main thing it doesn't take into account are older graphics card, without their own exhasts, but if it can blow air out the case, then it should work. Otherwise, giving it as much room as is possible between the card and the bottom of the case seems to work. You're just after the graphics card, but keeping the overall temperature down could well help.

Although, before going as far as getting a new case, have you tried cleaning the heatsink, tiding cables up and getting decent case fans?

http://www.lukewallin.co.uk/images/airflow.png

[Liketyspli]

I'd advice the NZXT Zero.
http://www.nzxt.com/image/2/144/ (http://www.nzxt.com/products/zero/)
Click it.

Or the Coolermaster Stacker.
http://www.coolermaster.com/uploads/product/products_highlight/file1169869010738.jpg (http://www.coolermaster.com/products/product.php?act=morecategory&finalflag=Y&tbcate=558&cateid=000018)
Clickity.

Two cases with really neat-o airflow.
Didn't look for a price though, you can do that yourself? Yes? Good.

[yauhui]

My experience has shown that a good ventillation system is in at the front at the bottom, and out at the back near the top

You mean have grilles in the front, like.. *opens powerpoint to create another picture of a comp* ..this?

http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/6043/mrbunsysuggestionairflopt7.png

[MrBunsy]

Yeah. but only one place out at the back. From the side on:

http://www.lukewallin.co.uk/images/airflow2.png

Where you've got a grill/hole + filter at the front, and a case fan, and a power supply with a big fan in its base at the back.

[yauhui]

Oh yeah, about the previous picture you posted, it isnt optimal, as described in the picture below:

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/2302/mrbunsydiagramerroric0.png

But this only applies if there are TWO ram cards.

This error can be fixed by having the ram cards positioned horizontally. Your best bet - custom cases.

[Cyclaws]

The case I use has two fans on the side as well, so that air doesn't get trapped like that.

Although to be honest, RAM doesn't get so hot that the trapped air is a problem, unless you're using that expensive high speed RAM, in which case it probably has a heatsink attached to it anyway.

[yauhui]

there are 2 issues there - heat issue and windflow issue.

the heat is solved, no prob, but the windflow...

if ram cards are positioned vertically, they will slow down the speed of the wind due to the aerodynamical properties - near zero.

[Cyclaws]

To be fair though, windflow will always be an issue unless you're using a liquid cooled system. It's not just the RAM that'll cause issues, pretty much anything will to an extent, especially with stacked PCI cards, the air will get trapped between them. But so long as you have decent system to get air in and out of the system, the chances of overheating are minimal (unless you haven't got the heatsink secured to the CPU properly, but that's another issue).

EDIT: Which brings me onto the point Bunsy made. Make sure the fan isn't being blocked by dust. You may also want to try increasing the speed that the fan goes, if you can speed it up any further. I'm pretty certain the option to do so will be in the BIOS, or you may be able to download software that'll change it from Windows.

[franpa]

you are correct that the hard drive needs a fan since now it has been moved under my DVD Burner and is now running 10~ degrees hotter then it did before. it was moved due to being in the road of the graphics card.

i solved some problems with my pc by reseating the ram yesterday :P but still need to do some further testing.

so far people have suggested the following...

- antec 900 (165$)
- ZERO (wouldn't the fan in the base of the tower get incredibly dusty really quickly?) (200$~)
- sopranoRS? (not sure on the exact model here)

[yauhui]

try the Lian Li PC-V1000.

http://www.dansdata.com/images/pcv1000/v1000280.jpg

The PC-V1000 also isn't a whole lot more expensive than the older cases. When the PC-60 first came out here in Australia it cost around $AU400, ex delivery; now, Aus PC Market will be selling V1000s for $AU374 including Sydney metropolitan delivery (but, as is traditional for fancy aluminium cases, not including a power supply).

Forget, for instance, about Lian Li's affection for realistic, but nonetheless fake, carbon fibre end-plates on their front bezels. The V1000's front bezel - which isn't detachable - curves smoothly around to meet the top and bottom panels, and the fit and finish is excellent. Lian Li have always made cases that look great and don't rattle, but the V1000 takes it to a new level.

Look at the delicately scalloped edge of the side panel, for instance. It's as close to perfectly even as you could ask, and it's actually got a bit of a purpose, as well; it lets you get a better grip on the edge of the otherwise-magnificently-featureless panel when you're removing it.

You might also notice that there are rather a lot of little holes in the front panel. In the back and bottom panels, too, as you'll see shortly.

All of these holes lead straight to the inside of the case; they're not blanked off by more panels inside. So this is a very well ventilated case.

I haven't, in my cutting-out-the-background Photoshoppery for this review, bothered to make every little hole as white as the main background for each image, so the true sieve-like nature of the PC-V1000 may not always be obvious.

But trust me - it's cheesecloth. It's a colander. It's hardly there at all. There are one zillion computer cases out there where air has to take a circuitous path to get in, and has limited places where it can get out; this is not one of those cases.

Yes, it's got holes, for god's sake.
http://www.dansdata.com/images/pcv1000/cornerclose280.jpg
http://www.dansdata.com/images/pcv1000/frontmid640.jpg
http://www.dansdata.com/images/pcv1000/pers280.jpg

EDIT: Forgot the link. http://www.dansdata.com/pcv1000.htm

p.s. Wow, after following some links, I came across this page.

http://www.dansdata.com/magnets.htm

Come on, scroll down, for god's sake. DOWN.

And you'll come across this liquid magnet.

http://www.dansdata.com/images/magnets/ferrofluid.mpg

Have fun playing with magnets. Solid and liquid.

[MrBunsy]

I reckon you'd get huge problems with things getting clogged with dust using something like that. Originally I had my air intake simply open, and it wasn't very long before things started getting very dusty inside.

- ZERO (wouldn't the fan in the base of the tower get incredibly dusty really quickly?) (200$~)Well, you wouldn't need a fan to draw air in. The fans at the back pulling air out will handle that for you. And if you make sure you've got an air filter then you shouldn't have too much of a problem with dust.

I was too cheap to get a real filter, so I bodged one with this stuff (http://www.smitkits.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=5535), which I think is used for cross-stitch, but seems to keep the dust out fairly well.

[Liketyspli]

- antec 900 (165$)
- ZERO (wouldn't the fan in the base of the tower get incredibly dusty really quickly?) (200$~)
- sopranoRS? (not sure on the exact model here)
I wouldn't go for the Antec 900, I read some reviews and everyone complains about it being really ****ing noisy, probably because its just full of holes...

And the Zero, well yes, the fan will probably get dusty very quickly, the dust can't get in the case though, it has a dust filter. Plus you can just clean it now and then and it has 7 other fans...

And I guess the Coolermaster Stacker is kindof expensive? :P

[Star Worms]

I don't really know much about what works in terms of computer cases, but I can guess. I've seen some which have a fan at the front taking air in, and one at the back pumping it out. Holes are just a passive flow of air. Having an active directional flow of air through the machine should help to cool it quicker.

[franpa]

my dad did some research on this and found my current air flow is close to optimal :) also i fixed my heat issues 2 days ago with simply moving the memory around in my computer... trust me, the memory was detected fine and all diagnostic tests showed it worked, yet the errors weent away when it was moved to a different channel.