Which case to choose

[Prunes]

So I'm going to replace my HAF 922, which has served me well. The reason for the replacing of the case is that I want a more quiet case that looks good. I have of course done a wee bit of homework and have narrowed the choice down to two contestants.

 

Fractal Design R4 - $135

 

and 

 

Corsair Obsidian D550 - $150

 

I like the design and price of the Fractal Design R4 more; however, the Obsidian D550 should have better cooling performance (should the need arise), a wee bit more quiet and I'm more positive that the h100i, I'll be getting, will fit.

 

What are your experiences with the cases and so forth?

 

 

Prices are converted from DKK to USD

[El_Capitan]

Fractal Design Refine R4 all the way. I love it.

 

http://forums.overclockersclub.com/index.php?showtopic=195602

 

The R4 can fit two 120mm radiators, or a 140mm radiator on top. You don't need more cooling than that. And it's pretty silent once you replace the stock fans.

[Lackadaisical]

My point of will be slightly biased as I have no first hand experience with the obsidian... That being said I'll throw in my vote for the fractal as I absolutely love mine. Although I do not have the R4, I have the Fractal Arc Midi. The fans that it came with were very nice and queit and the HD bays include rubber gromments to deal with vibration. I have mine filled with 6 spinning drives and I don't notice any vibration from the HD's. I also have a Corsair H100i which I ended up mounting in the top of the case and I had no issues with space when mounting it. The loudest thing in my computer are the fans that came with the h100, they are definitely not silent, even when running at a lower rpm they make a fair amount of noise.

[Prunes]

I've also been leaning a lot towards the R4, since I love the minimalistic look of it. So unless someone has a killer argument for the obsidian case, then R4 it is.

 

Thanks. Just needed that little push to decide

[d6bmg]

Another vote for R4 over 550D.

[Hyper]

Hmm, not sure the H100 would fit in the obsidian without some modding..the only place I see set up for a double fan is the removeable side pannel which is never realy a good idea.. The fractal looks like you could mount it in the top though it might be kind of close to the mb depending on how you mount it.. it's kind of hard to tell from the pictures.

 

For me, it's looks I care about the most and will every thing fit, you can quiet a system down by changing fans, using gromets on the drives and such and even add sound dampening to the pannels..

 

So pick the one that you like the looks of and your gear will fit in (though for me, I have no problem modding a case so fit isnt that big of a deal  )

[robAP]

I personally have the 550D. It is a wonderful case to work with and I have all kinds of great things to say. I do not have any experience with the fractal however in looking at the newegg pictures, it as well has great cable management, great drive space, excellent design and build materials. The 550D has the usb and buttons on the front and the fractal on top. Both good places. the only thing I can see the 550D having over the fractal is the fan blanking plates. You can remove them easily and then use fans galore or cover up the fan holes and reduce noise even further if you are not using those locations for airflow. I an not OC'ing anymore. Inside this case is the 2009 Xmas Grand prize. (i sold the 800D case to my bro. in law) and the only fan locations i'm using are the bottom up, front and back. sids and top are blocked off wiht the panels and its totally temperature stable and dead quiet...or it would be dead quiet if it werent for the Corsair RAM fans going out on me creating a small vibration.

 

The price difference tho?...get the fractal. Quieter fan use will make up the difference and it's great as well.

[Prunes]

@Hyper I think you're right. I'm also going to replace the h100i stock fans with some quieter ones. And I just saw Sapphire revealing a new 7850 with passive cooling. xfire those and my build should be set for gaming and be dead quiet meanwhile But I probably won't get those anytime soon.

 

@robAP Glad to also hear from a 550D owner. And like you say, I'm sure it's a great case. I've never had problems with Corsair.

My initial attempt was to do a pure corsair/asus build, but since I've seen it done so many times I'll just go with whatever I like the most