Im putting together a new system and I've decided on most of the components Im going to get which look something like this: m/b :Asus P4C800 "Canterwood" Motherboard. cpu :P4 2.6C Ghz ram :Twin 256MB DDR 466 Dual Channel(PC 3900) sound: Creative Live 5.1 PSU : Antec Trueblue 480W However there are 3 components which I havent figured out yet. The case, GFX card and a Hard Disk. Now before anyone flames me for not searching for other topics before posting this let me assure you I spent 4 hours today reading through previous topics and im still stuck so any help would be appreciated. HDD : http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/Western_Digital2.html I was thinking either the WD Raptor or the one below it ( 120 GB one ) Case : Now this is where im really confused. At first I was considering one of the Thermaltake Xaser III's such as http://www.thermaltake.com/products/xaser3/v1000dblue.htm http://www.thermaltake.com/products/xaser3/v2000a.htm But when i mentioned That i was interested in a Xaser to two different people in two different computer companies I was told they're junk and to get a Coolermaster instead. So i went searching and thought maybe these coolermasters might be suitable. http://www.coolermaster.com/case/products/atc710.html http://www.coolermaster.com/case/p210b.htm ************************************** What i dont understand is why the thermaltake is crap yet it comes with 7 fans and all those gadgets and the coolermaster only come with 2 fans and yet they're supposed to be much better. I dont see anything so special about the coolermaster. In terms of looks the two links i provided are the coolermasters i found most appealing but is it the aluminium casing on the CM's that means they only have to put 2 fans in and thats why Thermal has 7 fans( b/c of no aluminium casing?) Help would really be appreciated on this part as its the most part im stuck on right now. At the moment CoolerMaster and Xaser are the only case manufacturers im interested in so please do try to keep replies to those. As for GFX, im thinking wait a month or two and get a Radeon 9800 pro when the 9000 comes out cause its just ridiculously overpriced atm. So what do you guys think? Thanks

Hi P Lucas One major question if I may What will be the primary function of your system ? Gaming or Power user computing . There is nothing wrong with eather of the 2 brand cases you mentioned above. Perhaps one other you may consider is SKYHAWK alluminium cases. Good choice on the PSU. Janos

I have a TT v2000a and it cools really good(with the side off) i get 30c idle and 50c max load with my p4 3.06ghz@3.6ghz and my spark 7 hsf, but the fans in the v2000a aren't the best. i would suggest buying newer faster ones if you want better cooling. also i would buy 2x wd raptor's with raid 0. i would wait a bit till the 9800's go down in price. they'll probably go down a bit next month.

Hi when buying a case you should pay attention to a number of things: - It should have enough room so you can install devices without any trouble - It's a really good idea to get a case with MB tray. It really helps installing your MB - Cooling system. I have P4C800 Deluxe, Intel P4 3.0GHZ, and I'm using 6 fans to keep it cool. - and it needs to look good I hope that helps

I certainly agree with all the above recommendations. My opinion on cases is to buy one that is designed to move air. Don't care about looks or color or country of origin. If it will move air from the front/bottom to the rear/top; that's what I want. Big grills with big holes. Look hard and you'll find good design and pretty too.

The primary function of the computer will be a gaming machine. im trying to set it up for the up and coming games like Half Life 2 and Doom 3 because my current 650 Mhz Athlon just doesnt cut it anymore. Also thanks for the replies, What im looking for though is specific examples perhaps even recommendations because unfortunately its very difficult to find out the information you need about a case before you buy it. I.E. The manufacturers websites mention nothing of the true capabilities/downfalls of their cases only very generic info such as the H/W/L and how many fans come with the case. I suppose what im really looking for is confirmation that the TT Xaser III's are good quality with excellent cooling. Also i havent been able to find out any information on why the coolermasters only seem to come with 2 or 3 fans. Is there something im missing?. Are 2 fans ( Front intake, Rear Exhaust) enough to keep a system cooled particularly with the CM models i mentioned.

Hi Lucas I dont hink you will find many people that will actualy say that is or is not a good case. It all depends on your individual preference. I detect that you have your sights set on this case. And rightly so. The design of the case has some excellent features built into it. I have had abrief look at one of these cases and it will do the job you have in mind for it very well indeed. I presume you are refering to the v2000A series. I didnt look at the prices though lucas dont think my heart could have taken it. http://www.8ballshardware.com/articles/psr5601/page1.cfm Feed the link into your web browser and have a read. It is another alternative for you. Let us know what you decide on. Regards Janos