# Mesh computer cases



## Esc320 (Dec 17, 2007)

Hey guys, I wasn't sure where to post this I figure since I'm planning on rebuilding my computer I'd post it here, I read the sticky however I just have a few questions of my own.

I'm going to be purchasing a new computer case this week however I thought I had my mind set on an antec 900 but I was considering giving rosewill a chance and try out their new "armor" case. Anyways, I have a few concerns which I'm fairly certain I already know the answers too, this case is 80% mesh which is awesome for cooling but not so awesome for cleaning, heres my questions.

case: Newegg.com - Rosewill ARMOR Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case ,Full mesh design front bezel, comes with Six Fans-1x Front 120mm Fan, 2x Top 120mm Fan, 1x Rear 120mm Fan, 1x 80mm Fan on motherboard tray, 1x Side 200mm Fan, option Fan-1x Bottom 120mm (that video review is awful)

1) Mesh is great for airflow but I live in hawaii, on the beach none the less so sea salt destroys everything in my house... I currently have a full aluminum tower but I need to replace it because its 5 years old and 80mm fans are ****. Will the mesh allow the sea salt to destroy my computer or can I get filters? (is it even worth it?, honestly).

2) I've never had a steel case but I'm assuming since it's painted it wont rust, right?

3) Since I live in hawaii ambient temps are a problem, will the 80% mesh allow the hot humid air to increase my cases temps greatly or is that a non issue?

4) My current case has 6 80mm fans will I notice a fairly large difference switching to 6 120-200mm fans?

I know this is alot to ask considering this is a new case fresh on the market... I have no where else to turn, I'm willing to actually give rosewill a shot for once but not if it's at the expense of my computer hardware! Any input would be nice!

Thanks


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## Esc320 (Dec 17, 2007)

Sorry link to the case is here http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147047&Tpk=11-147-047


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

The salt problem in your area could be a problem with the mesh. 
My main concern with the Rosewill would be all the fans. Too many fans can sometimes cause turbulence in the case and actually do more harm than good. Personally, I'd stay with the Antec or a CoolerMaster fo be assure od quality.


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## Esc320 (Dec 17, 2007)

Alright, thanks alot. Should I see a pretty significant tempature drop even if the antec 900 has only 3x 120 - 1x 200mm vs my current 6 80mm?


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

Larger fans move more air, On the plus side they are quieter as well. You should see a drop but not that drastic


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## Esc320 (Dec 17, 2007)

Thanks, I appreciate the help. I suppose i will try the antec, stupid ambient temps


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

What are your ambient temps?


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## Esc320 (Dec 17, 2007)

it's around 78-80f+ in my room depending on the day(i think). I'm on vacation in LA right now so I don't have my PC, however I will tell you this... my fans move like NO air, I've had to replace them 3 times over 5 year span. 

IDLE:
stock q6600 temps: 42c
oc @ 3.2: 48-50c

GPU: anywhere from 45-50c idle

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811144007 

I bought this back in 2005, it's really nice however the fans really do not move any air lol.

edit: do you find these to be normal temps? should I bother even getting a new case? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118019 (cpu cooler I've been rocking for the past year)


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

If you have room in that case or if it allows...get 120mm fans...Quieter and more airflow.

Get rid of the side fan, I find that to cause turbulence rather than help. A good front to back flow is optimal.


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## Esc320 (Dec 17, 2007)

I'm fairly certain I'm unable to mount 120mm fans so I'll have to buy a new case.


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

If you do, Look at Coolermaster or Antec...Best cases IMO


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## Esc320 (Dec 17, 2007)

Alright, thanks alot, seriously. I'm torn between antec 902 and coolmaster sniper. :\. I'll do more research


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

Both are excellent cases, I would be in your position as well.

The 902 is a much better refinement over the 900, Black painted chassis and cable management holes.
IMO the 902 is what the 900 should have been


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## Esc320 (Dec 17, 2007)

yeah, my friend has a 900 but with a 1055t and he his temps dip below 30c sometimes, insane. I can barely get under 42c w/ no OC


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## Esc320 (Dec 17, 2007)

These are the 3 cases i'm looking at right now:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811517004

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129058

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119194


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

I am currently using the azza solano, It is a good case, Lots of airflow.
However it is a pain to add remove drives(requires the removal of the motherboard) unless you have a microatx motherboard.

And the dust OMG the dust this thing collects(no dust filters) That is the main reason im switching cases. But I do live in the desert southwest.

Fans are pretty quiet. Cable management is awesome.


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## Esc320 (Dec 17, 2007)

haha, I could only imagine how awful that 80% mesh case would be then.. I was reading that the antec 902 has air filters (Built-in washable air filters), is that over the fan/mesh? I'm unable to find out where.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Of those 3 I would go with the Antec. The CoolerMaster is nice but the top receptacles and side fan would be my concerns. Side fans can disrupt the airflow within the case and the top mounted USB ports could be a problem with dust and anything liquid.


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## ajax088 (Sep 18, 2010)

the Thermaltake Element G case looks pretty sexy.

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/202747

http://www.techpowerup.com/img/09-06-17/20094611551030195.jpg

http://www.techpowerup.com/img/09-06-17/20094611551028957.jpg

http://www.techpowerup.com/img/09-06-17/2009461361587145.jpg

i've got the Antec 1200...it's pretty good but u hate the hdd bay not being side mounted cause all the cables hang over the mobo and it's a pain to get them out.

the 1200 would be perfect if it had a side mounted hdd drive bay and a filter of the huge 200mm top fan.

it has removable bays on the front that all have there own 120mm fan and removable filters and then they go and add a 200mm fan on top with massive hex mesh and no filter on it letting all the dust in.

so yeah Thermaltake Element G looks pretty nice i think.

the armor looks too plastic and cramped for me.


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## Esc320 (Dec 17, 2007)

Yeah, I have a full tower now, I'm not sure if I want to get another one again.. feels unnecessary. What do you think, is it really worth the extra 35$ for a full tower (1200)


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## ajax088 (Sep 18, 2010)

i personally think the bigger the better. if i decide to add stuff i can and it's always cold with all it's fans and the fact that there is so many places to hide the cables.

I think i'm actually going to downsize because I don't use it as much and i'm going to be moving a lot but full towers are the best for gaming i think.

i would never buy a generic branded case unless it was epic which i doubt will ever happen and basically if any more than the front face is plastic then i'll not buy it and it needs to be good quality metal.

i've bought cases before that was so weak i could bend the metal with 2 fingers, all antec cases are good quality that way.

the 1200 is thick as hell and i think it's powder coated so it's hard to scratch.

for an area with lots of dust or salt/whatever i'd maybe think of something else but, as i said it's got a massive 200mm top fan that doesn't have a filter so it will let in all the elements.

Thermaltake Element Go i think.


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## Esc320 (Dec 17, 2007)

It's either that or the 902, I'm really liking the 902, however I'm reading that my 9800 gtx+ might not fit without modding the case, it is 10.5 inches.. however i read you have to mod the case in order for it to fit.


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## ajax088 (Sep 18, 2010)

i wouldn't go with the 902, it has the same issue as the 1200 with the open top fan and it has a problem as you said with the graphics card,

with the length of the card it can be hard to get everything in.

my 9800gtx+ runs along the board just barely missing the ram on the board stopping me from actually opening the bottom ram clips (mobo and graphics card issue but still) then it makes it very hard to connect the cables to the hdd in the bay across from it because it almost touches.

the 900 is smaller and i suspect even worse for this than the 1200.

i would go with a case that has all it's fans filtered and with a side mounted drive bay so the drives can be inserted from the side allowing the cables to stay away from the graphics card .etc solving all space problems.

up to you but.


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## Esc320 (Dec 17, 2007)

I see, I really don't know why you dislike the antec cases so much, I have multiple friends who have the 900,902 and 1200 and love them! Anyways, I don't know many, I hate computers always take me forever to choose what I want lol. I'm now stuck between 902 and 1200, why do I want the 1200? BECAUSE I have a full tower now and I feel if I get the 1200 it will be enormous but hopefully will last me 5+ years like my last case and for 30$ extra it might be a good investment. Will I achive better cooling versus the 902? The amount of fans you can put in this case seems a bit insane, 5x 120mm (+ 2 120mm optional) and 1x 200mm, ridiculous.

Opinions please! Is it worth the investment to get a full tower to keep for another 5 years?


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## Esc320 (Dec 17, 2007)

Esc320 said:


> I see, I really don't know why you dislike the antec cases so much, I have multiple friends who have the 900,902 and 1200 and love them! Anyways, I don't know many, I hate computers always take me forever to choose what I want lol. I'm now stuck between 902 and 1200, why do I want the 1200? BECAUSE I have a full tower now and I feel if I get the 1200 it will be enormous but hopefully will last me 5+ years like my last case and for 30$ extra it might be a good investment. Will I achive better cooling versus the 902? The amount of fans you can put in this case seems a bit insane, 5x 120mm (+ 2 120mm optional) and 1x 200mm, ridiculous.
> 
> Opinions please! Is it worth the investment to get a full tower to keep for another 5 years?


edit: God, I wish I wasn't on vacation! I can't find out how long my PSU wires are! TX650 corsair, if I get the antec 1200 I read some people needed 8 and 24 pin cable extensions but I don't want to purchase them unless I need them.


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

You might need them, The only way to tell is when you get it..lol, Then you would be wishing you did purchase them.


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## Esc320 (Dec 17, 2007)

shotgn said:


> You might need them, The only way to tell is when you get it..lol, Then you would be wishing you did purchase them.


Hah, damnit. Why can't corsair site tell me wire lengths! What jerks 

I'm assuming the 650w and the 750w have the same cable lengths.. if so I've seen pictures of it fitting. I will risk it!


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

LOL, you think they would add that, considering the amount of full tower cases, Not to mention the full tower they make themselves


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## Esc320 (Dec 17, 2007)

I'm going to buy 2 extra 120mm fans incase I want to install the optional ones, however the ones I want to buy do not come with 3-4 pin connectors, do you know any cheap ones? or is newegg the cheapest?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103022


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

Those are ok, I personally like the coolermaster R4-L2R fans
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103060

The best cfm to dBA ratio on the market IMO....Moves a ton of air and are quiet.


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## ajax088 (Sep 18, 2010)

i added a fan on the side and one on the inside directly next to the cpu heatsink but to be honest there not really necessary.

not sure about the 900 but the 1200 has controls on the back to adjust the back and top fans speeds and knobs on the front for each front fan, i keep them all down at medium to low and still get temps of around 42 on my x2.

i had to use an extender for my 24pin cable to make it reach on the 1200


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## Esc320 (Dec 17, 2007)

shotgn said:


> Those are ok, I personally like the coolermaster R4-L2R fans
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103060
> 
> 
> ...


Pretty pricey, I'll look into it.  I was only considering the other ones because they were 2 for 8$


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## Esc320 (Dec 17, 2007)

ajax088 said:


> i added a fan on the side and one on the inside directly next to the cpu heatsink but to be honest there not really necessary.
> 
> not sure about the 900 but the 1200 has controls on the back to adjust the back and top fans speeds and knobs on the front for each front fan, i keep them all down at medium to low and still get temps of around 42 on my x2.
> 
> i had to use an extender for my 24pin cable to make it reach on the 1200


Hm, is it hot where you live? Thats around the same temp as mine and my case is awful, is it overclocked? What cooler?


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## Esc320 (Dec 17, 2007)

I went ahead and ordered the Antec 1200 case w/ 2 extra coolmaster r4 fans along with 24 / 8 pin extensions. Only 192 via amazon! It was 230 on newegg with shipping and taxes to CA, amazon matched prices with zero tax and free shipping. Awesome.


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

enjoy your new case


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

I would suggest using only the fans that come with the case and watching the temps. More fans can sometimes do more harm than good.


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## Esc320 (Dec 17, 2007)

Tyree said:


> I would suggest using only the fans that come with the case and watching the temps. More fans can sometimes do more harm than good.


I actually bought them as backup since they were cheap, I was planning on installing the one on the back of the hd cage for my gpu. I might not thought, I might replace a couple stock fans I don't know how good these are. Thanks though


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

The stock antec fans are decent. you should have no problems, Enjoy


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## ajax088 (Sep 18, 2010)

Esc320 said:


> Hm, is it hot where you live? Thats around the same temp as mine and my case is awful, is it overclocked? What cooler?


my system isn't overclocked no, it used to be but my temps got to high with my current cooler and since i don't use it much now days i decided just to default it rather than mod it more.

My cooler is a cooler master Xtreme and no it's not hot here, i live in cold scotland, temp outside just now is 10C

i might in fact be doing more damage with my extra fans installed, when i set it up i didn't test the temps without the extra fans like i should have.

enjoy.


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## GZ (Jan 31, 2010)

Just remember that, no matter how many fans you have, your case will never drop below room temperature! Maybe you should invest in a room air conditioner, it will lower the temp in your room, decrease the humidity and protect your PC from the corrosive nature of the salt (salt in the air is suspended in water vapor). Just my 2ȼ.


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## Esc320 (Dec 17, 2007)

gavinzach said:


> Just remember that, no matter how many fans you have, your case will never drop below room temperature! Maybe you should invest in a room air conditioner, it will lower the temp in your room, decrease the humidity and protect your PC from the corrosive nature of the salt (salt in the air is suspended in water vapor). Just my 2ȼ.


Yeah, I have one, it's just really expensive to run. hawaii rates are insane atm. I understand it will never drop below room temps however on nights where its 70 degrees my cpu will be around 115f/46c on stock settings. my cooler is excellent my case just moves no air, at all. 2 fans are broken. so I have a full tower with 4 80mm fans and ****** cable management. I hope too see it drop to 35c/95f. .

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118019
My cooler on my q6600 w/ artic silver paste

I honestly used to get pretty good temps before my fans started breaking and I had to get new ones which werent nearly as good as the old ones. It sucks porting over to the antec 1200 and not being able to use my awesome fan controller since they require 3 pin connectors and not molex! (I'll buy adapters eventually)

edit: my gpu used to run cool too but like I said, stupid case moves no air now-adays. lol


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## JimE (Apr 16, 2009)

There are numerous (as in cannot count them all) brands and models of fans available. Why not just spend a little money on some quality fans?


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## Esc320 (Dec 17, 2007)

For what my old case? I haven't found any really good 80mm fans that aren't ridiculously loud, which is why I bought the antec 1200


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## Esc320 (Dec 17, 2007)

I just finished putting together my antec 1200, I'm down 15 degrees from my old 80mm case, THATS CRAZY! However, I have one problem lol!!! My ethernet cable cant reach my pc anymore because its so tall... are there any good ethernet cable adapter type deals that wont make my connection slower and give me a couple more inches of wire?


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## ajax088 (Sep 18, 2010)

an rj-45 coupler with a 1.8m or 3m cable would do, i'd just replace the full thing but.

best to get a big *** cable and just roll-up 'n' tape the excess, that way you always have room to move.


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