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Battle of the PC Gaming Cases

Posted Oct 29, 2006 at 1:06PM EST by QJ Staff

Listed in: Opinions & Analysis, Hardware Tags: Antec, NZXT, Silverstone

You want a PC gaming rig that'll pack in the best multicore on the planet (and running overclocked), pump out stunning visuals that'll make your eyeballs bleed, and surround sound that'll bust your eardrums. You'll need a PC case that'll (a) protect those bleeding-eye, busted-ear components, and (b) cool them off before they all melt down from their performance.

Tom's Hardware gives us the benefit of looking over four "fine examples" of PC gaming cases. The Antec 900, NZXT Adamas, the Silverstone TJ09, and the Zalman Fatal1ty. We bring them to you so that YOU can make the right choice to protect your gaming power and experience.

The Antec 900 is a cooling fan's dream come true. Just about every surface is designed with a vent or to hold a fan. Four fans are thrown in with an option to plug in three more. Even the HDD cages double as air ducts for the front cooling fans. The only negative Tom's Hardware could think of was the lack of space for a floppy drive. But with seven card slots and two top-mounted USB slots (in addition to the back, we guess), so as long as you're not dependent on floppies, it's not even much of a negative.

Next is NZXT's Adamas. There's a demo video around of people standing and jumping on it with no ill effect. There's the biggest advantage of the Adamas: it'll survive abuse, just like its (nearly) namesake captain of Galactica. Its aluminum frame construction does make it slightly heavier than the norm, but that's why it's so rugged. Other than that, it's pretty much a traditional PC case.

The Silverstone TJ09 has size and convenience going for it. Like the Adamas, it's designed traditionally, until you look closely and inside. The motherboard is held in a tray that conveniently slides out. The HDDs slide out to the side instead of into the case, making it easier to remove and replace them (Tom's say nothing new, but still very very convenient). And as for its size, Tom's appreciates the fact that the TJ09 can easily hold six HDDs without sacrificing a floppy or tapping one of the larger 5.25" bays.

Finally, the Zalman Fatal1ty. Unlike the other three, especially the Antec, this case relies only on three fans (and nothing more) to cool off abused chips and cards. That's because the anodized aluminum body doubles as a heat sink of sorts. It's actually the heaviest of the four - even heavier than the Adamas - although Zalman hasn't made any claims about the "survivability" of their product. Its only weakness could be its limited space - only three 3.5" bays for HDDs, plus one for a floppy, and four 5.25" bays.

The verdict? Tom's Hardware leaves it up to the customer to decide. Each case offers unique advantages to different people. Modders who overclock their processors like mad will definitely appreciate the cooling properties of the Antec 900 and the Fatal1ty. The Adamas will definitely survive a lot of physical abuse short of a shooting war. And the TJ09 is well suited for gamers who insist on swapping out their cards or even motherboards every time Moore's Law kicks in.

That's the wonderful thing about choice in the marketplace, really. Look hard enough, and you might find something you really need.

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