Need a case FAST

Hardware & Tech Questions
1

So I need a new case because my Antec Sonata that I’ve had since the Bush administration is no longer large enough internally for the new wave of video cards.
My 2070 fits but the 3070 I just got JUST doesn’t.

The problem is I have a DVD RW drive that I can’t give up, so a new case needs an external 5.25" bay but it also can’t be taller than 20" or wider than 9" (desk limits) and I also need front-mounted USB ports for my sticks/wheel.

I don’t care about lights or glass. There, not there, whatever, although I’d prefer minimal lighting. I don’t need fancy cooling.

Any ideas?

2

Would it be cheaper/easier to buy an external optical drive?

Edit > I guess the DVD drive isn’t the problem when it comes to getting the 3070 to fit.

3

This is a Dutch site, but I put in the filters to look for a reasonable case that fits your wishes:

I set the minimum supported gpu length to 344 mm, you could up that if you want to future-proof.

What height do you want to have available for CPU coolers?

Looks like Fractal Design Focus G and Corsair Silencio 600 fit the bill so far

4

No there’s a non-removable 3.5" drive cage that is next to the motherboard slots that is the issue with the front-rear dimension.

5

I can recommend Fractal Design btw. My current rig is in a Fractal. I have also built pc’s in a Corsair case before that, as well as a bequiet recently.

bequiet and Fractal make really nice cases to build in, the Corsair didn’t impress (but that was 8 years ago)

EDIT: looks like this Focus model is a lot more basic than the Meshify Compact I have wrt easily removable filters, SSD mounting, etc

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6

Looks like I can’t get a Fractal G in under a week, rather not wait that long.
Carbide might be a good fit.

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7

Where’s a CompUSA when you need one?-)

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8

It was across the street from Circuit City and down the road from Service Merchandise and Gold Triangle.
One block over from the Lionel Playworld.

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9

I recently got a Be Quiet Silent base thinger. Big ol case. Quiet as a SSBN.

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10

I love my Thermaltake case. Most of the guts (mobo) fit into the metal frame which is ~2’ x 2’ x 2". Four 8" brushed steel bars secure a glass shield to the case. The rest is open. It looks great. And because it is open, I can vacuum and clean regularly without removing anything.

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11

Sounds awesome, glad it works for you!
It wouldn’t work for me, I have two cats in the house, so very happy to have a thick foam filter on the intake fans on my case. I slap the dust and hairs out of it every month, and it’s a lot.

That last sentence is about the filter, to be clear. Not the cat…

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12

My case sits on my desk, not the floor, so my concerns aren’t exactly the same.

My options were unfortunately limited by the desire for speed and an optical drive bay, so I ordered an Antec P10 FLUX. It will be here tomorrow and my fingers are crossed that I can make it work.

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14

I use mine a couple of times a week to burn discs.
For reading discs externals work fine in my experience, but for burning they screw it up more often than not. At least the externals I’ve used (both external powered cases for normal internal drives that enable USB use and purpose built slim USB-powered ones) have always screwed up burns. Plus they’re always slower.

16

I don’t burn data, I burn movies. I get ISO files of them and then burn them so I can watch them on my bedroom DVD player.