imi wrote on 2020-02-11, 03:03:

why not look out for a used case instead of spending that much on a probably very cheaply built new case?

heck, for that much you can probably get one with spare hardware in it.

Unfortunately I don’t have any thrift stores nearby. It would be a bit of a drive to get to one, and I’d feel pretty lame if the end result was not finding a case. But you are right, I could find a $20 case at a thrift shop that included actual hardware in it. I suppose I should just make the drive to a few thrift shops.

Horun wrote on 2020-02-11, 03:21:

For new cases I like the Corsair Carbide 200R Series, 3 - 5.25" external bays, built quite well. Imi has a great idea ! Look thru ebay, craigslist, local thrift stores and find a good older case.

I have been looking at eBay multiple times a day. Unfortunately people on eBay are well aware of the demand for older cases and asking $100+ for a case, and then tack on another $70-$100 for shipping.

There was one listed as an auction just a few days ago which was at about $20 plus $25 shipping. Unfortunately by the end of the auction it jumped well above $50 (not including shipping). I was really hoping I could land that one for about $50 including shipping and call it a day, although that is still more than what I’d like to spend.

gex85 wrote on 2020-02-11, 14:54:

Have you checked the Chieftec Bravo/UNI series?

Nope, but these look great! I will definitely check them out now. Thank you for your recommendation. 😀

the funny thing on ebay is that demand for cases is usually higher than actual systems, I've seen an empty In-Win A500 case sell for ~€70 recenty, meanwhile I got an A500 for €30 including shipping with a full system inside only a few days later, that is my third A500 (I like them... ok :p) that I got for around that price complete with a system.

just have to be on the lookout ^^

imi wrote on 2020-02-11, 19:56:

the funny thing on ebay is that demand for cases is usually higher than actual systems, I've seen an empty In-Win A500 case sell for ~€70 recenty, meanwhile I got an A500 for €30 including shipping with a full system inside only a few days later, that is my third A500 (I like them... ok :p) that I got for around that price complete with a system.

just have to be on the lookout ^^

Nice! That’s a good deal, and a good tip. If you happen to come across one, please let me know. I would happily take a case full of hardware, for less (being sold as junk by someone,) than an empty case labeled as retro with the premium markup that comes with that tag. 😀

well I'm in europe, that probably won't be of much help to you ^^

also be sure to check local classifieds, often people are just throwing them out for nothing, especially the P4 generation... the cases might not always be pretty, but hey if they're free ^^

Slashzero wrote on 2020-02-11, 19:35:

Nope, but these look great! I will definitely check them out now. Thank you for your recommendation. 😀

Chenbro has some pedestal workstation style ATX cases as well.

gdjacobs wrote on 2020-02-11, 23:49:

Chenbro has some pedestal workstation style ATX cases as well.

Thanks for the suggestion! I did some googling and was only able to find server specific cases, that were also quite expensive. Was there a specific model in number you were thinking of?

Slashzero wrote on 2020-02-12, 13:47:

gdjacobs wrote on 2020-02-11, 23:49:

Chenbro has some pedestal workstation style ATX cases as well.

Thanks for the suggestion! I did some googling and was only able to find server specific cases, that were also quite expensive. Was there a specific model in number you were thinking of?

I think gdjacobs might be referring to the SR209 or SR105 series. I like those too, but since storage space is always an issue for me, I found them to be slightly too big.

gex85 wrote on 2020-02-12, 14:07:

I think gdjacobs might be referring to the SR209 or SR105 series. I like those too, but since storage space is always an issue for me, I found them to be slightly too big.

Great, thank you! I had a quick peak and although they look nice, they are a bit more than what I am looking to spend.

Slashzero wrote on 2020-02-12, 18:53:

Great, thank you! I had a quick peak and although they look nice, they are a bit more than what I am looking to spend.

Fair enough. They are higher quality with a higher price to go with.