Looking for a new case

Hey everyone,
For years now, I've been running a Corsair Obsidian Series (the original one), but over the last couple of years, it's been giving me grief. First, the power button died, so I had to bridge the power and reset buttons just to get it to boot. Now, even that setup is starting to fail on me. The problem is, Corsair doesn't sell these specific spare parts anymore. Honestly, if they did, I’d buy them in a heartbeat because I was absolutely thrilled with this case.

I'm looking for some suggestions for a new case, and there are a few deal-breakers:
- I love a good Full Tower. I don't care about RGB, transparent panels, or any of that flashy stuff; I just want a spacious case that's easy to work in.
- Silence is key. It needs to be quiet.
- It must have an SSD mounting bracket/tray.
- My storage layout is 1x SSD + 4x SATA HDDs + an optical drive.
- I absolutely need to be able to mount my Corsair H50 radiator—that's what I'm using for my Intel i5-4690k.
- I'm using an EVGA 850W power supply.
- I've got a EVGA Phantom 970 GTX (and maybe two of them down the road).
- Front-facing connectivity is important; I need at least 2x USB ports up front.

My budget is around $1000,$400 assuming I can find a shop that offers a quick turnaround to swap everything from my old rig into the new one (and if they could potentially haul away/dispose of my old case, that would be a huge plus). Some folks have suggested anything from the Corsair Obsidian series to brands like Fractal Design or Thermaltake, but I honestly have no clue what's actually worth the money or what's easily available here in the US. 👍

It’s hard to go wrong here...

There's also the Thermaltake Suppressor F51, which has a pretty similar look. I guess you should just grab whichever one you like better.

Going with a Full Tower really limits your options—you're looking at stuff like the Fractal Design R5 or the Fractal Define S. Plus, finding one with a transparent side panel can be a headache; while models like the Phanteks Enthoo Pro, Thermaltake Suppressor F31, or the F51 offer solid non-window versions, they’re hard to track down locally here in the States. Honestly, it feels like the Fractal Design Define XL R2 is being pushed on you as the obvious choice. As for where to buy, I'd suggest checking out Micro Center or Newegg; they generally have the best service, and you'll likely avoid extra fees if you need them to swap components for you (though definitely double-check their policy first)

EDIT

It's worth noting that some of those cases labeled as "mid towers" actually support larger motherboard formats than standard ATX, though I highly doubt you'll ever actually need that kind of space

Timothy Kim60 said:Going with a Skyscraper really limits your options—you’re looking at stuff like the Fractal Design Define S or the R5, for example. Plus, you won't find many with transparent side panels, unless you look at things like the Phanteks Enthoo Pro, the Thermaltake Suppressor F31, or the F51. It feels like you're being pushed toward the Fractal Design Define XL R2. As for where to buy, I'd say Micro Center or Newegg are your best bets for service.

Honestly, I don't mind if it has a clear side panel. I was just trying to say that having a few extra gigabytes of RAM isn't going to make or break things for me. So, feel free to suggest builds with transparent panels—it's not like it'll change my life one way or the other. 😬

Everything you listed is an absolute steal for the price point; honestly, you can't go wrong with any of them. Just like Alexander Moore67 said, it really just comes down to which one catches your eye. Though, they all look pretty similar since they all share that clean, minimalist Scandinavian aesthetic.

It has some great reviews, but it's pretty tough to find here in the States.

Timothy Kim60 said:Honestly, everything you listed is a killer deal for the price point. You really can't go wrong with any of them. Like smartic was saying, just pick whichever one catches your eye. They all look pretty similar anyway—they’ve all got that clean, minimalist vibe.

Thanks smartic and everyone else! I'm going with the Fractal Design, already cleared it with Future. 😬

Which one specifically? 😬

Timothy Kim60 said:Which one? 😬

Oh.

I checked out the YouTube video on the manufacturer's site. I have to say, I really dig the internal layout—the design is actually pretty slick. 😁

By the way, this one has some really solid reviews link

Matthew Anderson said:Oh, boy.

I’ve spent some time watching the YouTube videos on the manufacturer's website, and I have to admit, I really dig how it looks internally; the design is actually quite impressive, isn't it? 😁

🙏 Just try not to throw your back out 😁

It weighs about 36 pounds without any components inside...

So, you’re basically pulling a U-turn right at the shop entrance. 😬

Fractal Design has been my go-to for ages, but I’ll admit I’m a little biased because they just get my vibe. I love those clean, monolithic, minimalist lines without all the extra fluff, plus the space utilization is great. Everything feels high-quality and straightforward, and I really dig how they play around with separate cages and layouts...
I recently put together an "all-in-one" workstation build and went with that micro model, Core 1100. Everything is solid and works perfectly, except for this annoying trend where everyone seems to be using super thin sheet metal lately. You really notice it with models that have those flat, clean surfaces—it's even more obvious with the larger Define models... but hey, at least it doesn't wobble like some cheap off-brand case. Everything fits together flawlessly, and you don't feel like you're going to dent the panels just by touching them...

I can assure you, there isn't a single sheet of "thin" or flimsy metal to be found in Sophia Thomas7's Fractal Design Define model. My own Skyscraper weighs in at a solid 35 pounds, and the side panel alone is easily over four pounds. Honestly, the thing is heavier than my old desktop case and my laptop combined 🤣

Bradley Lewis59 said:🙏 Just try not to throw your back out 😁

Go ahead, laugh at me. I lugged the Cosmos all the way to my car, then hauled it into Best Buy. After that, I had to move the Fractal Design from Best Buy back to the car, and finally home. My back is absolutely killing me right now. 😬 🤦 Anyway, the case is kickass.

🤣 It’s all just part of the learning curve, isn't it? But honestly, it's precisely these kinds of little headaches that make you start truly appreciating free shipping. 😁
Now, let me give you a fair warning right off the bat: if your PC case ends up tucked away under some desk, don't be a hero—just lay it on its side on a soft towel and pull the cloth toward you. Otherwise, you'll find yourself straining your back for the second time... and we both know how that story ends. 🤣

Bradley Lewis59 said:🤣 It’s all just part of the learning curve. But honestly, incidents like this really make you appreciate (free) shipping. 😁
Just a heads-up though—if your case ends up tucked under some desk, don't try to be a hero. Lay it on its side on a towel and just slide the towel over to where you need it. Otherwise, you’ll end up straining your back again... trust me, I've been there. 🤣

Man, tell me about it. 😬

Case 1 / Case 2

👍

That's interesting. But tell me, what exactly is going on with those PCI slots, and what are the case feet actually made of? Are we looking at metal or just some cheap plastic?

Bradley Lewis59 said:Great. Just curious though—what’s actually going on with those PCI slots? And what are the case feet made of? Metal or plastic?

They're plastic.

My setup currently runs a Phantom Gainward 970 paired with a Soundblaster X-FI for audio.

Matthew Anderson said:Cheap plastic feet.

My setup is running a Phantom Gainward 970 paired with a Soundblaster X-FI for audio.

Is it just me, or is the GPU sagging at the top?