unsure about case

[gunner440]

firstly i'm currently trying to decide between 2 cases:

coolermaster wavemaster
and
thermaltake xaser III

anyone have any experience with either or know someone with one?

on another note, does anyone know if a sound blaster audigy panel fits within the front door so it can shut properly?


thanks in advance

 

[Clown]

I think I might be going for the Wavemaster in black. It looks better.
I think it's essentially the same as the other Coolermaster case that was reviewed in the other thread.
http://www.gamepc.com/labs/view_content.asp?id=wavemaster&page=1 .

The Xaser looks fucking shit. I care more about looks than performance.

 

[MrBlack]

I'm all for practicality, but the Xaser's designlooks like the kind of thing a marketing executive comes up with when he's trying to be 'down with the kids' I think they actually think PC users will like having the case equivalent of a 'Wayne + Tracey' sticker. Cheesy in the Xtreme. See... I can be down with the kids by starting words with an X, too.

 

[gunner440]

thanks so far for your help, much appreciated =)

id still like to know from first hand experience and how each perform

xaser has 7 fans
1 top exhaust
2 front intake
2 rear exhaust
2 side intakes


coolermaster has 3
2 front intake
1 rear exhaust
*additional 4th fan needed if you want a top exhaust

apparently both cool very well

xaser is cheaper + includes fan monitor which isnt that important but still a plus

the key issue here is whether the front doors will allow me to have an audigy panel fitted without preventing it from closing fully

 

[wyrd_fish]

the xaser is a bit tack looking im ny opinion, i'm saving for one of these

http://www.antec-inc.com/pro_details_enclosure.php?ProdID=15138#

 

[Tom]

They're all massive ugly black noisy boxes. When will someone start thinking like Apple, and produce something that doesn't even need to do anything, for it to look stylish?

 

[Clown]

Two of the boxes have been reviewed as being alright for noise if you put the right equipment in it. I dunno about the Xaser though, as I didn't read up on it because the looks put me off it straight away.

The Sonata doesn't look that big, and the Wavemaster doesn't look that ugly to me.

I've never used a recent Apple though so bleh.

 

[old.user4556]

They're all massive ugly black noisy boxes. When will someone start thinking like Apple, and produce something that doesn't even need to do anything, for it to look stylish?

How about:

That's my case incidentally

 

[.Wilier.]

ahem

Your right about the cooling issues though, the flow is a bit shit, although there is the option to remove the IO panel aty the top and fit an exhaust fan in there.

 

[NaveT]

I have the Wavemaster and am very impressed in it, ableit a bit pricey.

Plus
Motherboard tray, can be pulled out.
Looks
Space
Front door hides, cdrom drives.
Haven't cut myself on it yet.

Minus
Price
Top IO is a bit cheap.

 

[Doh_boy]

I have a xaser 3 and it's very cold.

For some reason though the fan controlers don't seem to effect the speed of the fans. :/ (I'm probably doing something wrong.

I don't think it looks tacky

 

[gunner440]

thanks doh boy and navet, much appreciated.

could you also please tell me if you can fit an audigy panel properly? i mean will the nobs get in the way of the door?

thats the one thing i havent been able to confirm so far :/

 

[wyrd_fish]

how big are the knobs?

i'm sure some one will posess both a wavemaster and a ruler

 

[Clown]

I have a nob for my Thermaltake PSU. It's pretty much centre of the 5 and whatever inch bays. It sticks out about 1cm. Someone wanna tell me if it will fit? If it won't then I'll just have to use the PCI nobbly thing

 

[wyrd_fish]

alternativly you could just buy hte case and sand teh knobs down abit if they don't fit

 

[Clown]

I like the PCI solution better.

 

[Doh_boy]

I'm at work now so I'm not sure how much space but I'd guess around 1.5 cm's. The door is hollow and, as I said, around 1.5cm deep.

 

[NaveT]

Will check tonight...however if the audigy frontpanel has a IR port on it, you will not be able use it unless you open the door.

 

[NaveT]

Not much room at all.

The left hand side has about 3.5cm clearance, but this goes down to about 0.5cm by the time its got to the right hand side.