Three Gaming Cases, With Power, Under $100
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Page 1:Sticking It To “The Man”
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Page 2:Antec
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Page 3:Cooler Master USP 100 (RC-P100-RKR1)
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Page 4:Inside The USP 100
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Page 5:Building With The USP 100
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Page 6:In Win Griffin (With Power Man PSU)
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Page 7:Inside The Griffin
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Page 8:Building With The Griffin
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Page 9:Thermaltake M9 VI1450BWS
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Page 10:Inside The M9
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Page 11:Building With The M9
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Page 12:Test Settings
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Page 13:Measured Test Results
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Page 14:Energy And Acoustic Efficiency
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Page 15:Conclusion
In Win Griffin (With Power Man PSU)
Best known for its well-made office PC cases, In Win has spent the last few years trying to win over younger buyers with an additional line of stylized cases. In Win is also a power supply provider, its Power Man units widely available in several of its other cases. Yet, until we find a seller providing today’s exact combination, we’re left considering the separate prices of its $40 Griffin case and $42 Power Man IP-S400DQ3-2 power supply. The combined $82 price is similar to those of its older factory-shipped combos (such as its C589T.D400TBL8P).
The first two things that strike us about the Griffin’s design are its 220 mm side-panel fan and its angular 5.25” drive bay covers. Hidden in the recess of the front panel is a 3.5” drive bay.
The biggest functional difference between the Griffin and In Win’s more traditional designs might be its hide-away front-panel ports. Adding eSATA allows In Win to further set the Griffin apart from similarly-priced competitors.
A look around back reveals even more differences between the Griffin and In Win’s more traditional designs. First, the 120 mm fan is missing, replaced with a 92 mm unit to make the case narrower. Second, the inset port panel is missing, replaced by a cheaper flush design. Also notice the plastic tabs, which pop out to release the side panels.
A very basic installation kit includes a brief user’s manual, a small pack of screws and standoffs, and a push-on PC speaker.
- Sticking It To “The Man”
- Antec
- Cooler Master USP 100 (RC-P100-RKR1)
- Inside The USP 100
- Building With The USP 100
- In Win Griffin (With Power Man PSU)
- Inside The Griffin
- Building With The Griffin
- Thermaltake M9 VI1450BWS
- Inside The M9
- Building With The M9
- Test Settings
- Measured Test Results
- Energy And Acoustic Efficiency
- Conclusion
nice to see some cases getting screentime that are aimed at the lower end of the cost market.
Moto
but the thermaltake m9 is a bit decent, i'd probably get one even when not on a budget, the power supply would end up in a bin or on ebay with bidding starting at 99p, useless. i've got an antec 900 and this m9 doofer looks just as good, don't like the plasticy bits for the hard disks though, much prefer screws.
the 550W CM PSU is heavily outdated. i mean, 2x16A@12V? 32A, the CX400 can do nearly so much. and 20A@12V? yeah, that will be nearly enough for a x4 635 and a 5770 on base clocks. overclocked, there will be OCP shutdown (_if_ it has a functional OCP btw).
no recommendation indeed.
1. If you are interested in a budget case, you are probably going to be more than happy with a stock cooler on your CPU - why are you harping on and on about the In Win not fitting your after-market cooler? I'm more than happy with the noise and temps of my Phenom II with stock, why if I were on a very tight budget would I spend on a separate cooler that I could add instead into the gfx card or RAM?
2. Personal issue - why on earth would I waste desktop space by putting my PC on it? I y'know use my desk space for desk space stuff - files, peripherals, printer, phones, doritos (j/k).
What if someone already has a decent aftermarket cooler from an older build?
Or what if they want to be able to upgrade later?
I didn't see the point of an aftermarket cooler when I built my latest PC, but then decided to buy one later as I felt it was a bit too noisy. As a standalone upgrade a CPU cooler isn't too expensive, certainly much cheaper than a new CPU/Gfx card. I also fully intend to use the same cooler for as long as AMD don't change their fan mounts (or Intel start catering to budget range).