HAF XM, and HAF 922 come into mind for the smaller cousins of the HAF series of cases. They do provide the airflow you are looking for without the height. they also provide for expandability and upgrading, with all future options in mind for an overall wide range from Newbie to Seasoned builder. I always tell people go with a full tower if you want a bit more out of a case. I started with a simple rig and I wanted the best possible airflow and cooling, so I chose the 932 for this exact reason. I knew eventually the system would be expanded and built upon. I also liked the option of installing 2 power supplies with the HAF 932, and knowing where to get the power Y cables from means that I have that option if I wanted to go out and buy two Power supply's instead of one. I will go slightly off topic with an example of what I'm speaking of below.
This being Said, one could always make a jumper loop, install a second power supply and run their fans exclusively off say a 450W seperate power supply, and leave more headroom wattage wise with the dual PSU option. I'm considering this again. Keep an option open if you are thinking about running a smaller PSU. you can always run TWO smaller units of exact make, model and brand to accomplish something achieved by just one larger unit. For example if you bought two of these
Newegg.com - SeaSonic S12G S12G-650 650W ATX12V / EPS12V 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Active PFC Power Supply and a
Lian Li Dual Power Supply Adapter Cable - FrozenCPU.com you would get the Effect of having one larger unit, with 108A total current. but I am only bringing this up as an example of why an HAF 932 or Stacker 935 would be advantageous over any other case.
I've seen many smaller cases turned into big flaming hot boxes without the proper cooling, and half of the cheaper options you don't get much choice of fans. I suggest 120-230mm fan sizes when looking at your overall options in a case. I've posted other articles over the years about cases, I've also read alot of reviews, When I shop for a new case to buy for Self Review or an upgrade or alternate option to what I have versus what someone else with a lower budget needs, I always take 3 things into consideration, I will list them below.
1.Cooling --This of all things is very important when looking at a case, having the better higher airflow options of 120,140,200,230MM fans is always a plus, not only that the larger fans tend to have lower DB ratings than their smaller cousins.
2.Room--ask yourself, "Is there enough space for that oversized graphics card and a small amount of expansion or upgrading?"
3. Layout-- Does the case have features that would impinge on anything being installed into the case, now or in the future? Do you have a need to cleanly route your wiring further than what a case without those types of cutouts would allow? Is there going to be or could there be an issue in the future with Drives getting in the way of a larger video card being installed? If so consider a sideways facing 3.5" internal bay.
Keep these things in mind as you make your decision as to what to purchase for your case. Always take into consideration these factors, as it will make a difference into your experience and how you enjoy things.
