Looking for simple case which will fit two long GPUs

[doveman]

I'm looking for a case under £50 that must:

 

a) accommodate at least 159mm tall CPU HSF (the Evo 212 but space for bigger options would be good) and have good clearance between it and the top of the case

 

b) have plenty of space for dual long (305-317mm) GPUs

 

c) have a nice open front to allow for good airflow but also have removable, or at least easily cleanable, dust filtering

 

d) have dust filtering on the bottom PSU intake

 

e) have two 5.25" drive bays, so that there's one for DVD drive and a spare for other stuff (which can always be used as a 3.5" bay with an adapter)

 

f) have USB/audio ports at the top, with at least one USB3 port

 

I guess I could compromise on e) as if I was desperate, I could use a USB DVD drive, freeing up the single 5.25" bay and on f) as I could run a USB3 cable from the back onto the desk and likewise with the audio ports. I guess I could compromise on having dust filtering on the front, although it would mean having to open up the case to clean it more often but dust filtering on the PSU intake is essential, as I can't remove the PSU and open it up when it gets full of dust!

 

So far, the only case I've seen that doesn't have the drive cage blocking any of the PCI slots is the Cooler Master N200 http://www.coolermaster.com/case/mini-tower/n200/ but then I realised it's only mATX and I need ATX. I would have thought that most people building a powerful PC with dual GPUs would be using ATX boards but I haven't found a single case that would accomodate this, as GPU1 would go in slots 2 & 3 (slot 1 is PCI-E x1 on most boards, certainly on my Asus Z97-A) then slot 4 left empty for airflow (depending on the cooler, GPU1 might overhang it a bit anyway), with GPU2 in slots 5 & 6 (possibly overhanging 7). At best, the cases I've looked at might leave slot 5 clear to the front of the case but have the drive cage blocking slots 6 and 7.

 

Looking at the Bitfenix Neos, if they just reduced the HDD cage to two slots and then put the SSD cage between that and the PSU (or anywhere else that didn't block the GPU slots), we'd be sorted: http://www.bitfenix.com/global/en/products/chassis/neos#gallery

 

So has anyone found anything like what I'm looking for?

[xxJohnxx]

I am running with two ASUS GTX780s in a Cooler Master HAF-XM.

It is an awsome case, with a lot of place for cable managment, drive slots, top accessible USB 2 and USB 3 as well as audio ports.

It does not have a dust filter for the PSU though, and it might be a bit more expensive (not much though) than your £50.

 

Here is the link anyway: http://www.coolermaster.com/case/mid-tower/haf-xm/

[doveman]

I am running with two ASUS GTX780s in a Cooler Master HAF-XM.

It is an awsome case, with a lot of place for cable managment, drive slots, top accessible USB 2 and USB 3 as well as audio ports.

It does not have a dust filter for the PSU though, and it might be a bit more expensive (not much though) than your £50.

 

Here is the link anyway: http://www.coolermaster.com/case/mid-tower/haf-xm/

 

Very nice looking case indeed, although it's over double my £50 and no PSU dust filter rules it out for me http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00835ZCLQ?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

 

Even with the upper drive cage in-place, it gives 354mm for the cards, which is more than some cases provide with the drive cage removed! With it removed, it provides a massive 463cm!

 

Obviously the case is much deeper than the one's I've looked at and it also provides 196mm for the CPU cooler, so is much wider as well and even if I could afford it, I think I'd prefer something a bit more compact, if only to ensure it fits into the space I have available without sticking out and tripping people over. I think probably 170mm for the CPU cooler and 354mm (if that) for the cards with the drive cage removed would be sufficient, I find it hard to imagine any 463cm cards being produced (I think the current longest is 317mm).

[Seraph]

You might want to have a look at the Zalman Z5 (Plus):

http://www.zalman.com/global/product/Product_Read.php?Idx=618

 

It's quite similiar to the Bitfenix Neos you mentioned.

[doveman]

You might want to have a look at the Zalman Z5 (Plus):

http://www.zalman.com/global/product/Product_Read.php?Idx=618

 

It's quite similiar to the Bitfenix Neos you mentioned.

 

Thanks. Whilst slot 5, where the 2nd GPU would go, might have 330mm clear, it looks like slots 6 and 7, which are likely to be needed as well with a decent quiet cooler on the card, would be blocked by the HDD cage, as with most other cases I've looked at.

 

I've found something suitable though. The NZXT Source 530 http://www.nzxt.com/product/detail/137-source-530-full-tower-computer-case.html has space for 310mm GPUs with the cage, 444mm without it and has the cage in three modules of 3, 1 and 2 drive bays, so I can remove the top two (the 3 and 1 bay), leaving just the two bay at the bottom sitting under the motherboard and not blocking any slots and it has a mount for the SSD behind the motherboard With 310mm space with the cage, I probably won't even need to remove it but it's nice to have the option in case cards get bigger. Front and PSU removable dust filters, mesh front, no holes that I need to block on the side (window) panel, ports at the top on the front panel.

 

A bit over my original £50 target at £65 but considering there don't appear to be any cheaper options and it's a nice case overall, I don't mind paying a bit more.

[doveman]

I am running with two ASUS GTX780s in a Cooler Master HAF-XM.

It is an awsome case, with a lot of place for cable managment, drive slots, top accessible USB 2 and USB 3 as well as audio ports.

It does not have a dust filter for the PSU though, and it might be a bit more expensive (not much though) than your £50.

 

Here is the link anyway: http://www.coolermaster.com/case/mid-tower/haf-xm/

 

Although this wasn't suitable for this particular build (for my Dad), it led me to the HAF XB EVO http://www.coolermaster.com/case/lan-box-haf-series/haf-xb-evo/ which is pretty much my dream case, with the PSU and HDDs in the lower chamber and the motherboard in a separate chamber above it and lying horizontally to reduce stress on the board from heavy heatsinks, etc.

 

I've been planning to build something very similar for about a year but it would never have turned out as neat and would have cost me more than the £85 I've just ordered this for, so I was really happy to discover it before I got started :)

[PureEvil]

not exactly your price range, but i use it myself so i can say it's good. can fit ANY MB. for high cpu coolers 1 hard drive tray need to be removed. i have a havik 140 - NZXT cooler, it feats well (it is slightly higher than you need). the rest of the specs can be found on the website. http://www.lian-li.com/en/dt_portfolio/pc-90/

 

my build:

 

dvd drive is istalled, case have it's own cover for any drive.

[doveman]

not exactly your price range, but i use it myself so i can say it's good. can fit ANY MB. for high cpu coolers 1 hard drive tray need to be removed. i have a havik 140 - NZXT cooler, it feats well (it is slightly higher than you need). the rest of the specs can be found on the website. http://www.lian-li.com/en/dt_portfolio/pc-90/

 

Thanks. That's a very nice case you've got there but the NZXT Source 530 suits me better, not least because it costs a lot less :)

[Cyb0rg]

I don't know much about PC cases, but i think this one is up to your requirements.

[doveman]

I don't know much about PC cases, but i think this one is up to your requirements.

 

Funnily enough I came across this case and bought one for myself, as it's almost exactly like the case I was planning to build myself, although it wouldn't have turned out as neat and would have cost me more (both money and time), so I was well chuffed when I stumbled across this :)

 

It's not suitable for my Dad though, as he needs a standard tower but the NZXT Source 530 I've bought for him seems pretty much ideal.