Choosing a new case

X

Xpire

New Member
Hi guys,

I'm after a case + psu and i've kinda narrowed it down to the Coolermaster Elite 330\331\332. Has anyone had any experiences with any of these and know which one is better than the other?

Thanks guys
 
I have the cooler master elite 331. For the price it's a pretty good case. Had to move a hard drive to fit my 8800 GT but thats only because of the power plug on the end. The front is also mesh which is good for airflow.

The PSU in it is not so great.It's 350 watts and has 10 amps on the 12V rail. Ceewi1's useful PSU guides suggest 18 amps for intergrated. If you are going to use the PSU for 2-3 weeks until you can get the money for something more powerful and your powering something like a 7600 GT then you should be fine. But don't stick with it for any longer I would say and don't use it if you are powering an 8 series or higher graphics card. If you can afford one of them then you can afford a decent PSU!
 
I've an Elite 330 and love it. Plenty of airflow, room for a 120mm Front Fan, and looks very elegant. I bought mine without a PSU and have a 430 in there now. My wife and her mother both love it, too, so the next build I make for my wife will be housed in one. I really should just order 2 or three to have on hand in case anything ever happens.
 
It really depends on your expectations. You will probably be disappointed in the build quality if you have worked with more expensive cases before, I certainly was. It's a pretty good case for the money, but also don't expect wonders. It's a bit on the flimsy side overall, but then again so are all cheap cases.
 
diduknowthat said:
It really depends on your expectations. You will probably be disappointed in the build quality if you have worked with more expensive cases before, I certainly was. It's a pretty good case for the money, but also don't expect wonders. It's a bit on the flimsy side overall, but then again so are all cheap cases.
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this is completely true. i worked outta an old compaq case and then wen with a cooler master elite 330. it was really cool and i recommend it...but to me i was too flimsy. but for the price it is amazing, mesh front, 120mm in the front, and side thingy too. it was cool. if u have a LED fan, put it in the front. it looks very nice and sporty. but then i was ggettin really angry with the build quiality so i took the stand offs and screws/fans that came with and gave back the case to frys. after another mushap with ac ase, i settled upon the cm690, which is alot better then any other case in the world. period.:P
 
diduknowthat said:
It really depends on your expectations. You will probably be disappointed in the build quality if you have worked with more expensive cases before, I certainly was. It's a pretty good case for the money, but also don't expect wonders. It's a bit on the flimsy side overall, but then again so are all cheap cases.
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+1

I think no one would expect a $30 - 40 case with the same quality of those $100...
It is a good choice for budget PC anyway.
 
I thought the only difference between 330 331 and 332 is the type of power supply it comes with?

More on topic, I have the 340, which is similar except it's for mATX boards. It was a "downgrade" from an expensive ass Antec one. It's made of cheaper material, sure, but it's definitely thought out a lot better.

For example (I had an Antec Solo), with the entire Antec Solo/P150 line, you can't access the power supply without removing the motherboard.

With the Antec Sonata line, you can't even remove the back panel.

I'm not sure about the 330, but the 340 has a removable motherboard tray.

Next time I decide to do a full-sized build I'll be looking to CoolerMaster again.
 
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Have you looked at the Centurion 590?

It looks VERY Promising.....

Sorry that im recommending something that is not of the ones you have specified.
 
fortyways said:
I thought the only difference between 330 331 and 332 is the type of power supply it comes with?

More on topic, I have the 340, which is similar except it's for mATX boards. It was a "downgrade" from an expensive ass Antec one. It's made of cheaper material, sure, but it's definitely thought out a lot better.

For example (I had an Antec Solo), with the entire Antec Solo/P150 line, you can't access the power supply without removing the motherboard.

With the Antec Sonata line, you can't even remove the back panel.

I'm not sure about the 330, but the 340 has a removable motherboard tray.

Next time I decide to do a full-sized build I'll be looking to CoolerMaster again.
Click to expand...

I don't think that the 330 has a removable motherboard tray. Unless I missed something.
 
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