PC cases without transparent side panels
Hi folks! I am, unfortunately, probably going to have to build a new PC soon; my beloved Thelio-r1 is slowly failing, and while my original plan was to buy a Ryzen 7 5800X and keep riding this PC for another three to five years, I don't know that I'll actually be able to make that work.
I like the NXT H510 I used for my boyfriend's gaming build, but the thermal performance isn't amazing and, most importantly, I hate tempered glass!
Yes, I understand that people want to show off their (ridiculously!) expensive components. I understand that lots of things have RGB. However, metal is cheaper, easier to work with, doesn't shatter, and I can modify it if I need to.
So, does anyone know of a good mid-tower PC case with decent airflow, up-to-date features (no 5 inch bays, good cable management hardpoints, a cable hiding bay, etc.), and no tempered glass or, preferably, acrylic?
Thank you!
I know this might not be particularly useful but – is it really not an option to keep using the Thelio case, even if you end up replacing most of the components?
Personally I have found finding "tasteful" PC cases to be really hard! I have personally been eyeing the Thelio mostly because I love the case, but it seems that getting them to Europe is a bit complicated.
Some stores let you filter by having the side window. PCPartPicker at least has this option: https://pcpartpicker.com/products/case/#B=1
Unfortunately, no, I don't think it's possible. I would have to find a motherboard with the exact same I/O configuration, which is really difficult to evaluate.
Oh, sweet, I had no idea. Thank you!
How handy are you? I ask because years ago I found a case I liked, at a metal recycler, and I modified it to fit modern components. If you're comfortable cutting the area that would normally hold the I/O plate, then you could reuse that case with any motherboard that'll fit.
What I did...
I was dropping off a load of scrapped payphone components for a previous job when I saw this beautiful hunk of aluminum gleaming in the sun and asked to buy it. I paid whatever the going rate for recycled aluminum at the time (I was out less than $20). Took it home to find that it had likely been scrapped as someone had attempted to overclock it, had failed, and didn't know how to un-overclock it. It was also outdated, but I like the overclock failure story more as these aren't well documented (now or at the time) and un-overclocking it wasn't exactly an intuitive process.
It ran, but as I stated was outdated and while the case alone is 40+lbs (video of size comparison to a human as it's not easy to imagine how huge this thing really is) of very thick aluminum it uses a BTX motherboard because Dell wanted to do things their own way. So I cut out the rear panel and installed a sliding ATX motherboard tray (that I picked up from a now closed Goodwill computer store, one of many wonderful businesses that died due to COVID) and it remains my computer to this day with all the modern hardware in a unique case. There is a ton of room in this case even with my GPU and a 280mm water cooler.
Also worth noting that this case opens on the right side (when facing the front of the case) compared to nearly every case I've seen that opens on the left side, making it an "inverted" case where the GPU is at the top and CPU at the bottom and now my GPU fans face upwards instead of only seeing the backing plate. Which I find more aesthetically pleasing.
Oh wow, that's a heck of a project! I suppose I could buy another Dremel tool, it's been a while since I used one though...
Have you looked into the Fractal Design cases? Many of them offer options between solid panel or glass panel sides on the cases, and the Define series is usually always up to date on the latest case features and designs. I still have a Define R5 that is holding up very well.
I second the Fractal Design recommendation. The Define Mini (a micro atx case) I have is happily resting in my living room in stealth mode - just a black monolith, no garish LED whatsoever ! (ok, if I had to be picky the blue power LED is a little bit too bright).
As mentioned elsewhere, pcpartpicker actually has search/filter criteria for this, but you can further refine that by manufacturer, type, and even color. E.g. Cases, >$1 (to avoid out of stock listings), Side Panel Window = None, Sort by rating:
https://pcpartpicker.com/products/case/#B=1&sort=-rating&X=365,112758
And IMO it's no surprise that Fractal Design, Cooler Master, Phanteks, Thermaltake, Corsair, and Silverstone all have cases at the top, since they all have reasonably good reps. I currently have a Corsair 4000D Airflow, and Silverstone SG13 Mini, and have no complaints about either. But be quiet! and Lian li are two other case manufacturers you may want to take a look at too though, since they both have incredibly good reps, even though they are admittedly a little pricey.
p.s. Despite not focusing on panel-less designs, in order to get a sense of trends in the market, I highly recommend checking Gamers Nexus recent Best & Worst PC Cases of 2021 video.
I use the fractal r5 define for my media server. I bought it because it has far more harddrive bays (with easy swapping) than any other case I could find. It's really quiet and really stable (very hard to tip over). I use it as a footrest and I cannot tell when it is powered on by sound alone (although that's without a GPU).
Biggest downside is that the power button is on the top. I disabled it's functionality in bios after 1 too many unintentional server shutdowns. I can't say too much about the thermals, it's never been under much load.
wait what
You modify metal cases?
Back in my day if you wanted a window you had to buy it separately and cut a hole in the side panel yourself! Uphill both ways, in the snow!
The fact that the first part is true makes me feel almost comically old
Yes, it's quite easy to drill the kind of thin sheet metal that's generally used for side panels, such as to add an additional mounting point for a fan.
Just curious what’s failing on your PC? Those are relatively new pre-builds from System76, no? Is it something replaceable?
I was in the original wave of orders, so mine is about the oldest model - so much so that it doesn't even have documentation on their site. (Mine is
thelio-r1, the earliest version they document is the revision,thelio-mira-r1.)As far as I can tell, it's an issue with the VRMs; even when somewhat undervolted, I have significant instability under high load. I could replace the motherboard if I wanted to, but I don't really want to replace it with the same model, and barring significant modifications that's all that will fit. I might try to modify it, though, per @AugustusFerdinand's comment.
This may be absolutely nothing like what you want, especially given that there’s an actual gap in the side (not a window, though!) - but the YouTube algorithm sent it my way today and it made me think of this thread: https://youtu.be/M-RMV5pFrNc
This is very cool, thank you!!