order of importance

[Hrodebert]

kmote I am curious about why you feel the case is so important.

 

[C0RR0SIVE]

Because you will be stuck with it for a long time. A GOOD case can last several builds/years compared to the rest of your components. That doesn't mean buy the most expensive out there. It means buy one that will suit you, and anything you could possibly want to do later on. I have a case thats ~15 years old still in use today.

 

[PP Mguire]

Because you will be stuck with it for a long time. A GOOD case can last several builds/years compared to the rest of your components. That doesn't mean buy the most expensive out there. It means buy one that will suit you, and anything you could possibly want to do later on. I have a case thats ~15 years old still in use today.

As true as this may be I don't consider it to be more important than say CPU, RAM, or an SSD for an every day use rig that isn't a workstation or gamer rig. Somebody who browses the internet, listens to music, and watches Youtube will probably stuff their computer in a hole and not look at it.

 

[Hrodebert]

PP Mguire
Nothing could be further from the truth.
I use my computer every day.
I may not use it for the same thing you do, but it will never be stuck in a hole and not looked at.
cOrrOsive that is the kind of thinking I like.
I plan on building a computer that I can add to and upgrade on a regular basis for a long time .

 

[PP Mguire]

I said probably, I didn't deem it as fact. What is fact though, is that in importance a case is the least unless you are going for absolute performance which requires every detail to be picked out, IE a water loop inside your case ect. Any standard ATX case will be able to last for years, long as it has a 120mm intake/exhaust and is pleasant to your eyes. Spending more money on the CPU/SSD/RAM combo will make the difference between that extra year or not quite making it as long as you want. The details on the case I mentioned could come in a 30 dollar package that could last 10 years. That's what I meant. I still have a Raidmax Scorpio from 2002 that has lasted through many years of rigs, modding, and abuse that cost 25 bucks on sale at Frys. The only reason I don't use it now is because it doesn't have 120mm exhaust ports to fit my H50.

 

[C0RR0SIVE]

Think of it this way in the end, for some a case is very important in how durable it is, and what it can accommodate in the future. For others, they might not care to drop $50 every build for a cheapo case.

Those scorpios are some of the best cases I had ever purchased when they was all steel back in the early 2000's, paid $80 for my first one, $30 for second one. First one is trashed from abuse, second is still in use.

 

[jasonalwaysready]

case choice is a personal preference. spend more, spend less. up to you. on a 6 or 700 budget, i wouldnt spend $150 on a really nice case; which is why i put it low in my importance list. i have spent $30 on a sheeeet case and it lasted 2 years. spend $90 and it lasts 5+. if my budget was only 700, then i might go with the $30 case, as a $700 build wont be the newest in the first place and will probably last as long as the case.

imo, with just a little bit more money in the budget, getting a super nice case might be more important than a few of the other components and upgrades because of the longevity in a case, that you wont see from a gpu or hdd.

as mentioned previously, everybodys order of importance will be different, and without knowing OP, there isnt a right answer to the question...

 

[PP Mguire]

Think of it this way in the end, for some a case is very important in how durable it is, and what it can accommodate in the future. For others, they might not care to drop $50 every build for a cheapo case.

Those scorpios are some of the best cases I had ever purchased when they was all steel back in the early 2000's, paid $80 for my first one, $30 for second one. First one is trashed from abuse, second is still in use.

Just look at the material it is made of. 9 times out of 10 if it's aluminum it wont last long. With aluminum cases it is a 50/50 chance you will break it sometime soon. My Raidmax was a cheapo then and is a cheapo now. The reason it's lasted so long is because it is steel but small enough to still be light. That is why I put case so low on the list because on a budget and for a machine like this you don't need to be spending a ton of money on a case.

 

[C0RR0SIVE]

If I remember right, there are 7 revisions of the scorpio total, from small changes such as fan types used, to the thickness of the steel. The final version was a very thin aluminum.

 

[kmote]

kmote I am curious about why you feel the case is so important.

Because you will be stuck with it for a long time. A GOOD case can last several builds/years compared to the rest of your components. That doesn't mean buy the most expensive out there. It means buy one that will suit you, and anything you could possibly want to do later on. I have a case thats ~15 years old still in use today.

^Basically this. A good case is pretty much timeless. Buy an ATX case today and you will be able to put (pretty much) any combination of components you could want. But there is more than just longevity to consider. Desirable cases have these properties (some of these are directly contradictory which is one of the reasons why case selection is important and not necessarily driven by cost):

Durable (Appropriately resilient materials)
Ventilated
Shielded (Protects the components from dust, liquids, physical abuse, other environmental)
Well designed (Logical layout of the interior, sensible button placement, accessible ports, easy cable management)
Spacious (Enough room for your components + room to maneuver when working inside)
Good aesthetics
Quiet
Well built (Parts fit tightly together to prevent vibration, rigidity to prevent flex, etc)
Compatible (Compatible with a broad range of components, watercooling, backplanes, redundant PSUs, rack mountable, whatever the requirements are for the computer)
Compact
Light
Features (Tool-less, physically secured fascia, quick swap fans, whatever you need)

As true as this may be I don't consider it to be more important than say CPU, RAM, or an SSD for an every day use rig that isn't a workstation or gamer rig. Somebody who browses the internet, listens to music, and watches Youtube will probably stuff their computer in a hole and not look at it.

I view it the other way around for a workstation because the CPU, RAM (other internals) are going to be (relatively) more important and so the case is (relatively) less important . Gamers (in contrast to workstation users) have a lot of requirements for the case, especially if they intend to go to LAN parties etc.

What is fact though, is that in importance a case is the least unless you are going for absolute performance which requires every detail to be picked out

This is not a fact, this is your opinion. If I were going for absolute performance I would place (relatively) more focus on the internal components and (relatively) less focus on the case.

case choice is a personal preference. spend more, spend less. up to you. on a 6 or 700 budget, i wouldnt spend $150 on a really nice case; which is why i put it low in my importance list. i have spent $30 on a sheeeet case and it lasted 2 years. spend $90 and it lasts 5+. if my budget was only 700, then i might go with the $30 case, as a $700 build wont be the newest in the first place and will probably last as long as the case.

imo, with just a little bit more money in the budget, getting a super nice case might be more important than a few of the other components and upgrades because of the longevity in a case, that you wont see from a gpu or hdd.

as mentioned previously, everybodys order of importance will be different, and without knowing OP, there isnt a right answer to the question...

I agree with everything here except the implication that more expensive means better.