Best Computer Case Version 2.0 (last time I promise)

[Martrae]

They won't be able to help themselves. They go into it not changing things...then a year from now they'll skimp on something to increase the profit margin and that'll lead to a spiral of decay into garbage.

[The Kizzy]

#4 it fits the look you are going for better IMO

[Captain Insano]

Thanks for all the good posts. I looked a back on the choices and I fucking hate them all too.

Our first instinct was to go subtle with the look, but unfortunately subtle turned into boring.

Don't get me wrong... we have the margines to use 200 dollar cases, especially at our level.

We will be customizing the cases too and badging them. But we must use an off the shelf case as the base before its customized.

It will cost us between 40-50k to order a complete container of fully custom cases and we do not have that kind of capital.

[Captain Insano]

By the way vonk good post and I will probably take you up on the water cooling idea at some point.

And just an FYI... I know quite a bit about the parts that go into Alienware and Dell systems..

Dell's top of the line XPS 600 uses the cheapest parts imaginable. The power supplies, MoBo and memory are complete shit. The performance of these things is sub par based upon the specs too. Alienware is now taking advantage of Dell's parts procurement and pricing and is also greatly cheapening their parts. Instead of saying that they use a high end Asus motherboard, they install now say "Alienware certified motherboard" (ie: cheap garbage from Dell)

[Tikker]

By the way vonk good post and I will probably take you up on the water cooling idea at some point.

I'm ripping out my water cooling system that I just installed because it sucks =\

[Captain Insano]

Water cooling isn't going to happen for awhile. Those Zalman fans you recommmended are the shit and I just don't see the need for water cooling. Down the road I might have it.

PS I got your email I will have to get back to you on Tuesday about it. Our new systems are coming out next week and I'm freaking slammed.

[vonkaar]

And just an FYI... I know quite a bit about the parts that go into Alienware and Dell systems..

Dell's top of the line XPS 600 uses the cheapest parts imaginable. The power supplies, MoBo and memory are complete shit. The performance of these things is sub par based upon the specs too.

psu = delta, which is shit... absolutely. I'm famous on the OC boards for ragging on delta
mobo = asus, which isn't shit... but they use the worst of the worst... the absolute bottom of the barrel board that asus will sell them... so... yup, shit.
memory = 'made for dell' by crucial and hynix... which is also their bottom of the barrell shit.

It's like fish. (my grandfather is a fisherman). See, when a fisherman goes out and catches a shitload of fish... the best fish goes out 'whole' to the nice nice restaurants and high-end meat markets. The lesser-quality fish go to the places that pay less money or to the cheaper markets. And then the SHIT fish go to long-john silvers and places like that. Dell is the LJS of PC components.

[Captain Insano]

Dead on correct. The Asus motherboards are SO cheap that Asus won't even put their name on it. Dell actually had to contract them to make a complete POS.

Dell is actually having most of their laptop manufacturing done now by three companies in Taiwan called Quanta, Compal and Wistron.

I would like to find out what they are really paying for one of their high end M1710 notebooks.