Shopping for a minimalist mid-tower with good # of int/ex bays + usb-c in front

Morlock

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jun 8, 2012
Messages
508
Anyone want to help me shop for a case? I'm looking for a new mid-tower (not sure if 18" in height is the standard but that's my current case' height, and I don't want to go much over that, as my rig sits on shelving). Wants & needs:

Room for my current hardware:

Corsair CX600 PSU
Gigabyte Z370P D3-CF
Radeon Pulse RX 570 4gb
CRYORIG H7 Tower Cooler For AMD/Intel CPU with 120mm PWM Fan

Aesthetics: Spartan/minimalist, preferably with opaque panels and no lights other than power LEDs and the like. I'd like something with a front door because they can look so clean, but it's not required.

I/O: USB-C port, microphone, headphone (more is okay but I need those three)

At least 1 5.25" external drive bay. 2 Would be better.

At least 5 3.5" internal drive bays. More would be nice.

Other priorities:

Good air flow, obviously
Quiet
Good dust protection

Budget: I'm probably not going to pay much over $150, but I could stretch for something really great.

I probably would've gone with the Fractal Design Define R5 by now. The aesthetics are decent and it does most of what I want it to do. But it doesn't have a USB-C port on front. I suppose if I can't find anything better I'll go with the R5, but I figured it couldn't hurt to ask.
 
Agree. R6 is a great option. Just built a system for a friend using the CM S600 - quite impressed with the quality for $99: https://www.newegg.com/black-cooler-master-silencio-s600-atx-mid-tower/p/N82E16811119373
https://www.newegg.com/black-cooler-master-silencio-s600-atx-mid-tower/p/N82E16811119373

Has a single 5.25" external drive bay and available with a steel side panel or the look-at-me-faux-glass panel. Reversible-opening front door and sleek understated looks.
Perhaps you could tell me if the front bezel/panel is also steel? I see that the door is.
 
Perhaps you could tell me if the front bezel/panel is also steel? I see that the door is.

The bezel is a steel-tribute in some sort of plastic composite. Not really sure the door is steel... seems more like a composite as well - perhaps with a steely core
 
The door panel is Aluminum - the frame is heavy plastic. Doesn't come in white. It can be setup for right- or left-hand opening.
 
Anyone want to help me shop for a case? I'm looking for a new mid-tower (not sure if 18" in height is the standard but that's my current case' height, and I don't want to go much over that, as my rig sits on shelving). Wants & needs:

Room for my current hardware:

Corsair CX600 PSU
Gigabyte Z370P D3-CF
Radeon Pulse RX 570 4gb
CRYORIG H7 Tower Cooler For AMD/Intel CPU with 120mm PWM Fan

Aesthetics: Spartan/minimalist, preferably with opaque panels and no lights other than power LEDs and the like. I'd like something with a front door because they can look so clean, but it's not required.

I/O: USB-C port, microphone, headphone (more is okay but I need those three)

At least 1 5.25" external drive bay. 2 Would be better.

At least 5 3.5" internal drive bays. More would be nice.

Other priorities:

Good air flow, obviously
Quiet
Good dust protection

Budget: I'm probably not going to pay much over $150, but I could stretch for something really great.

I probably would've gone with the Fractal Design Define R5 by now. The aesthetics are decent and it does most of what I want it to do. But it doesn't have a USB-C port on front. I suppose if I can't find anything better I'll go with the R5, but I figured it couldn't hurt to ask.
COUGAR MG120 Black Micro ATX Mini Tower Elegant and Compact Case is what I just bought off of ebay. NO BAYS!!! No where to install my DVD/CD or my
SD card reader. A clean build? What is your concept about this lacking of what I thought came as standard on every computer case? How do I install anything that
would need an bay. They should warn the shopper that no bays as expected come with your computer case.
I had to use my old H.P. case. I noticed on some motherboards on 2 SATA connectors for HDD's and no connectors for DVD or CD. They are making changes without telling us are they? What can I do with my minimalist computer case?
 
COUGAR MG120 Black Micro ATX Mini Tower Elegant and Compact Case is what I just bought off of ebay. NO BAYS!!! No where to install my DVD/CD or my
SD card reader. A clean build? What is your concept about this lacking of what I thought came as standard on every computer case? How do I install anything that
would need an bay. They should warn the shopper that no bays as expected come with your computer case.
I had to use my old H.P. case. I noticed on some motherboards on 2 SATA connectors for HDD's and no connectors for DVD or CD. They are making changes without telling us are they? What can I do with my minimalist computer case?

I'd return it if the seller you bought it from accepts remorse returns. Then get yourself a real PC case with 5.25" front bays. (more than one in case you'd like to add more front USB ports down the line.
 
COUGAR MG120 Black Micro ATX Mini Tower Elegant and Compact Case is what I just bought off of ebay. NO BAYS!!! No where to install my DVD/CD or my
SD card reader. A clean build? What is your concept about this lacking of what I thought came as standard on every computer case? How do I install anything that
would need an bay. They should warn the shopper that no bays as expected come with your computer case.
I had to use my old H.P. case. I noticed on some motherboards on 2 SATA connectors for HDD's and no connectors for DVD or CD. They are making changes without telling us are they? What can I do with my minimalist computer case?
I don't like it either, but no front drive bays seems to be a common -and dare I say minimalist (don't include features that increasingly few people will use) - trend in newer case designs. I have no idea what level of pictures the fleabay listing you bought from had, but Cougar's own listing has enough images to see that it doesn't have any front bays; they're also conspiciously absent in the feature list as well.

https://cougargaming.com/us/products/cases/mg120/
 
Corsair 5000D Airflow

Why does anyone need bays?
I havent used a DVD in years.

The space can be utilized for any number of things.
 
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