# Suggest a mid tower E-atx cabinet



## debarshi (Nov 5, 2012)

Hello,

Can anyone here suggest me a good (mid-tower preferable) e-ATX compatible cabinet. Its for am bro, he's building a PC with ASUS Maximus V Formula Motherboard..............
Frankly confused about my options with this...
Keep the budget within 8k

I was looking at the Cm Stryker, but its way out of budget..... 13k


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## saikiasunny (Nov 5, 2012)

For that price nzxt phantom is the best.


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## debarshi (Nov 5, 2012)

Anything from the Corsair or CM or Bitfenix?
Can you tell me the models appropiate for e-atx without a budget...... The best ones???

And can you tell me if the Stryker supports e-atx?? The site says it suports XL-atx....................
What are my other options?

When will the Phantom 820 be released in India???


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## saikiasunny (Nov 5, 2012)

No cm, corsair or bitfenix cabby officially supports e-atx format at this price range. See if you can get a 650d or the haf xm.

Without budget the list goes
cosmos 2 
raven 3
fortress 2
800d
lian li pc76x or pc75x
switch 810
pc 80n
and the list goes on
But don't worry, you can fit an eatx board even in a 500r. All you need is a cabinet with adequate depth.
And yes the stryker can fit eatx mobo.


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## debarshi (Nov 5, 2012)

So are you sure Stryker will be compatible with e-atx? And without any modding????? W/o any problems???


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## The Incinerator (Nov 6, 2012)

820 will be priced over Rs 12000 for sure.

And at Rs 8000 the best cabinet in terms of cooling and features would be the Nzxt Phantom. Corsairs in that range have very good products like the C70/650D/600TM have great build but under par cooling when compared to the Phantom.The next obvious choices are the Antec 1100 and CM HAF 922 . A case with side Intake fans will always keep your internals cooler by up to 4°C.



debarshi said:


> So are you sure Stryker will be compatible with e-atx? And without any modding????? W/o any problems???



Any Mid tower will take in an E-ATX and if they are specified that they can accommodate an XL - ATX then the smaller E-ATX will definitely fit in, a no brainer I would say.


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## saikiasunny (Nov 6, 2012)

Yup it will. 
If you want a nice cabby other than the phantom at 8k, it should be p280/1100 or the 650d. 
Have you given the raven 3 a thought.
And if you can, i will definetly suggest the stryker or trooper.


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## debarshi (Nov 7, 2012)

The Incinerator said:


> Any Mid tower will take in an E-ATX and if they are specified that they can accommodate an XL - ATX then the smaller E-ATX will definitely fit in, a no brainer I would say.



Is e-atx generally smaller than xl-atx?

According to wikipedia  Extended ATX (EATX) (305×330 mm) and XL ATX is (325.12 x 243.84 mm)

So by length XL ATX is larger but by width E-atx is larger............... So the width can be a problem.................

Thats why I am concerned... It isnt like I can return the cabinet if it doesnt fit, and 12k is not a small amt.

So when will the Phantom 820 be released to markets like MD computers....... and any other suggestion??? Within 10k, if you are saying I wont get any at 8k.

And b/w P 820 and CM Stryker and HAF X, which one is better????

............................................................


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## saikiasunny (Nov 7, 2012)

Man i think you should not run for 820 coz it will cost you minimum 15k. 
And yes eatx is wider and xlatx is longer. And most of the cabinets will take a eatx mobo easily.
The p280, haf x, stryker all are different cases. My vote goes for the stryker. 
For 10k you can also check haf xm.


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## debarshi (Nov 7, 2012)

HAF XM is good unde 10k, The Original Phantom is also good............. I am getting Stryker for 12k, cause I have no choice, under 8k there simply is no good case except Phantom...... If I have to shell out that much, wouldnt it be bettr to shell out an xtra 3k for the NZXT Flagship P820............ From what I am seeing in reviews, NZXT has left nothing untouched and to be desired in that case......... If its 14 k or under, considering the market, its a definite buy

What about anything form Bitfenix, I pretty much like the Bitfenix Colossus Red Window Edition, its a good case too

So it stands like this
1. CM HAF XM (Its a pretty old case) 10k
2. Phantom 8k
3. Bitfenix Colossus Red Window Edition 11k
4. Stryker 12k
5. P820


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## saikiasunny (Nov 7, 2012)

What hafxm old case? . It was just released before 3-4 months.
If you are really into getting the 820, why not get the 800d. No comparison. 
Search a little and you might get the stryker/trooper for less than 12k.


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## d6bmg (Nov 7, 2012)

If you are talking about MID-TOWER chassis, I should say that sadly, there is no mid-tower chassis which can accommodate e-atx board.


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## sumonpathak (Nov 7, 2012)

why E atx?
what motherboard will you be using?


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## The Incinerator (Nov 7, 2012)

Stick with the Phantom or the Antec 1100 or if you have a cool environment the Corsairs are great too. And If you can extend to Rs 11500 yes that Stryker is great but will you actually need it? If yes then get it.


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## debarshi (Nov 8, 2012)

d6bmg said:


> If you are talking about MID-TOWER chassis, I should say that sadly, there is no mid-tower chassis which can accommodate e-atx board.



Except Haf-XM 



sumonpathak said:


> why E atx?
> what motherboard will you be using?



As mentioned above, ASUS Maximus V Formula



The Incinerator said:


> Stick with the Phantom or the Antec 1100 or if you have a cool environment the Corsairs are great too. And If you can extend to Rs 11500 yes that Stryker is great but will you actually need it? If yes then get it.



In summers temp go upto 52C, so not cool at all............         What exactly do you mean by " will you actually need it? " Are you talking about the case being overpriced or some features which i wouldn't or cant utilize..................... And yes, Phantom is my best option now...... I really liked the dial for multicolor LED in P820  :'(



saikiasunny said:


> What hafxm old case? . It was just released before 3-4 months.



I am sorry, it was HAF X I was talking about.............

Why nobody said anything about Bitfenix Colossus........... I wonder

And 800D is priced 21k in Flipkart(out of Stock)   18k in md computers


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## The Incinerator (Nov 8, 2012)

Yes you are right I was indeed talking about all the features which some of us need and some of us dont. If you require them its a great cabby, no two ways about it.

Mate give the Colossus a miss. Good to look at,Good build (soft feel etc etc) but bad bad cooling.


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## debarshi (Nov 8, 2012)

The Incinerator said:


> Yes you are right I was indeed talking about all the features which some of us need and some of us dont. If you require them its a great cabby, no two ways about it.
> 
> Mate give the Colossus a miss. Good to look at,Good build (soft feel etc etc) but bad bad cooling.



Thanks for the heads up on the Colossus..

And just tell me in brief which features you are talking about. I can then decide the VFM part........ It all looks so flashy in the specs and reviews,........confused 
I am definitely not water cooling now, but as one said, PSU and Cabinet are the only future-proof parts.............


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## saikiasunny (Nov 8, 2012)

First tell us the final budget. 
please don't worry any cabby having enough depth will accomodate eatx and no two cases are same.
P280-silent gaming.
Phantom-vfm cabby.
Stryker/trooper-almost perfect cabby.
650d-classy gamer.
800d-great cabby
now if i were at your place, i would have gone for the phantom or the stryker and save the bucks.


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## The Incinerator (Nov 8, 2012)

If you are not water cooling, if you are not buying XL- ATx boards,if you are not going Tri Sli, If you are not putting in 7 Hdds etc etc. But even then you know how impulsive we are.....its still a great cabinet even if you dont need them.....but hey the Phantom does all of it at Rs 8000...except the xl-atx board and hot swapable ssd slot! So be wise and dont overspend.


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## debarshi (Nov 8, 2012)

Thanks for the excellent advice.......... 

Its decided then, I will be going for the NZXT Phantom, and all NZXT cabinets are coming with one USB 3.0 port, so that should not be a problem too.......
Would have gone for the Stryker if it was below 10k but no need to spend that much on a cabinet....... I would rather save here and go for a modular PSU


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## nikhilsharma007nikx (Nov 8, 2012)

there are only few cases which support e atx like the cosmos ii , haf x ,phantom , stryker , trooper and the 800d or some expensive ones ss i would suggest go with phantom with that budget !


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## debarshi (Nov 9, 2012)

Incinerator, since you're the one who persuaded me (for good) for the Phantom, pray tell me where I will get the side window panel version of it online? 

Or will I get it in MD computers??

..............................


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## The Incinerator (Nov 9, 2012)

You have to mod it mate. You can buy the Acrylic sheet from Chandni itself and do a DIY

*i703.photobucket.com/albums/ww40/evil_homer/CIMG2929.jpg
*i703.photobucket.com/albums/ww40/evil_homer/CIMG2978.jpg
NZXT Phantom side panel window MOD - YouTube

If you look around the web theres innumerable Mods of the Phantom,so it wont be a problem.And NZXT has stopped selling the side windows on their website so I highly doubt the dealers will have them You can call up Prime ABGB or MD and check though .


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## debarshi (Nov 9, 2012)

Check this link out................ It wont really be worth it if it costs 2k................ BTW, for modding, how much estimate will it cost??

Buying : Cabinets NZXT Phantom Clear Side Panel Required


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## sumonpathak (Nov 9, 2012)

if u r feeling brave then just get a dremel and cut out a acrylic glass window..
or u can go conservative and look for an CM 690 II Advanced...it will fit the formula very nicely...it did on my case 
nitinbalyan is known as havoknation in tdf...bug him


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## debarshi (Nov 9, 2012)

No, I dont say I am not brave, but modding the case is simply not my thing............. I suffer from mild  OCD, and a mod done on a cabinet by me, wouldnt be upto the mark according to me...............


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## sumonpathak (Nov 9, 2012)

well....ze choice is urs 
a few led strips on the CM will look good..look up CM 690 II aurora mod.


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## debarshi (Nov 9, 2012)

Thats what I was asking for, people who have successfully installed e-atx mobos in non e-atx cabinets........... I just dont want my mobo covering up the cable management holes........

Thanks sumon, and CM 690II is a great case too.....


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## The Incinerator (Nov 9, 2012)

Mod will cost you around Rs 800 as per a source with a quality acrylic sheet and a Chinese dremel. Im not 100% sure about the cost could be less. But if you mod the Phantom the Side Fan cooling which keeps the Phantom cooler by at least 4° - 5° less compared to any cabinet wil be lost !!!


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## debarshi (Nov 9, 2012)

And what about the original NZXT Phantom side panel which is costing me around 2.6k.............. Maybe I'll buy it two to three months later but.............. Will it hamper the cooling? 

The quote as per ishop International is : 

Item Type:  Computer accessory
Item Description:  PHANTOM WINDOW PANEL white qty 1
As described in the U.S. website below:



Shipped directly from US retailer to you in India!

Total all-inclusive cost of item for delivery to India  based on current exchange ****rates will be: 

Rs. 2,698
Item price, local shipping,  taxes:                  Rs. 1,749
International Shipping:                                 Rs. 990
Duty, Taxes, & Fees:                                  Rs. 459
 - DISCOUNT                                            - Rs. 500
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TOTAL                                     Rs. 2,698

Do you think it will be worth anything it costs????


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## The Incinerator (Nov 10, 2012)

Not worth it. It will hamper the cooling for sure. If you want a Side window instead of cooling at that range better get a Corsair 650D for Rs 8800 or a 600TM Rs 9000. If you want a side window plus fan get an Antec 1100.


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## nikhilsharma007nikx (Nov 10, 2012)

i wud suggest u to go with 650d cause extreme build quality , side panel cooling performance , look , huge space , gourmets for cable management , other cable management options and huge customizable options and most importantly corsair support !

i wud suggest u to go with 650d cause extreme build quality , side panel cooling performance , look , huge space , gourmets for cable management , other cable management options and huge customizable options and most importantly corsair support !


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## debarshi (Dec 21, 2012)

Hey, nobody suggested the Tempest Evo............ It supports E-atx..................... What do you think about this one?


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## The Sorcerer (Dec 21, 2012)

P280. "Officially" it supports upto XL-ATX, but it can take in EATX easily. 

Avoid Tempest evo. It can fit in EATX but there's a lot restriction in space between the 5.25"/HDD bay and the motherboard area. 

Not sure if 650D can fit in. Do note its an ATX case. But if you spend a little more, you can afford CM Storm Trooper/Stryker. Hands down its an excellent case if you have the money, but you get all the fans+ all the air filters. So, I would vote either Trooper/Styrker or Antec P280, then followed by 600T, but 600T comes with a USB 3.0 re-routing cable and not USB 3.0 header so...


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## nikhilsharma007nikx (Dec 21, 2012)

not that good build quality as it looks cheap !!


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## debarshi (Dec 21, 2012)

Thought so, many negative reviews in Newegg........ And Sorcerer, my 1st preference is Stryker White, but its wayyy outta budget, cant justify spending that much on cabinet instead of a Crossfire, or a modular PSU


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## The Sorcerer (Dec 21, 2012)

Then Antec P280 is the only choice. Just switch those top fans to the front.


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## d6bmg (Dec 22, 2012)

The Sorcerer said:


> P280. "Officially" it supports upto XL-ATX, but it can take in EATX easily.
> 
> Avoid Tempest evo. It can fit in EATX but there's a lot restriction in space between the 5.25"/HDD bay and the motherboard area.
> 
> Not sure if 650D can fit in. Do note its an ATX case. But if you spend a little more, you can afford CM Storm Trooper/Stryker. Hands down its an excellent case if you have the money, but you get all the fans+ all the air filters. So, I would vote either Trooper/Styrker or Antec P280, then followed by 600T, but 600T comes with a USB 3.0 re-routing cable and not USB 3.0 header so...



650D can accommodate E-ATX inside it. Saying from my personal experience. Max IV Ex-Z could be attached inside 650D without any problem.
And again, interior of 650D and 600T are somewhat, same.


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## nikhilsharma007nikx (Dec 22, 2012)

d6bmg said:


> 650D can accommodate E-ATX inside it. Saying from my personal experience. Max IV Ex-Z could be attached inside 650D without any problem.
> And again, interior of 650D and 600T are somewhat, same.


LOOL UR WRONG AS Max IV Ex-Z IS NOT A E-ATX ,SEE THIS ASUS MAXIMUS IV Extreme-Z Motherboard: Flipkart.com
AND 650D AND 600T ARE TWO VERY DIFFERENT CABINETS !!! SEE THIS --- 600T --- Google Image Result for *www.techeta.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Corsair-Graphite-Series-600T-PC-gaming-case-picture.jpg AND THIS -- 650D -- Google Image Result for *www.corsair.com/en/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/6/5/650d_a.png


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## d6bmg (Dec 22, 2012)

Before accusing someone of wrong posting, think, understand what the posting person trying to say.
Here, unlike most of the guys, by the word *personally* I meant that I own the components I've said and I really put them together once. I'm not posting my theoritical calculation or imagination here.
About the dimension of motherboard see what the manufacturer have to say: ASUS - Motherboards- ASUS Maximus IV Extreme-Z

*flies away*


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## debarshi (Dec 22, 2012)

Yep I know it is not perfect E-atx............. I have seen people cramming this particular mobo in the P410 as well, with sacrificing the cable management holes and very tight fittings as well but they work

And, please, *don't fly away*
Its all about user experience rather than expert reviews


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