The case I have
NZXT Lexa case is the most money I've spent on a case before. I've had it almost two years and I'm still happy with it. Only downside is putting in 3.5 drives (that have external access like a floppy drive or card reader) is a pain in the butt.
Aluminum cases are nice for two main reasons. They are lighter and also dissipate heat better than stainless steel. Newegg customer reviews are great for finding out about how a case is functionally. You may find a cool looking one, but a review may tell you the access is poor or its crappy materials, etc..
Some handy features to have in cases are:
- uses 120mm fans (these move the same amount of air as smaller 80mm, but run at lower RPM's so they are quieter)
- Front USB/Firewire, most cases have these now.
- Motherboard tray (allows you to slide/take out a tray from the case to mount the motherboard on the tray instead of mounting it directly inside the case. It's easier to installation of CPU's).
- Rail system (they attach 'rails' to the side of your 5.25 and 3.5 drive so you can slide them their slots instead of reaching into you case and unscrewing the drives.)
- Fan Filters (a basic little filter between the exterior of the case and an intake fan. I can testify that these work awesome. They really keep the dust out, especially with two cats. I rarely have to clean out of case for dust (maybe once a year)).
It's good to find a case that looks cool and matches your stuff. I've done pretty well with a Silver/Black color scheme and all my devices using Blue LEDs.
Having good airflow is essential. You'll want a case that keeps your stuff nice and cool.
Screwless Design cases can be hit or miss. Some cases are 'screwless' to access inside the case, but their design can be really poor. Their tabs to pull on or whatever may be too hard or too flimsy. It's good to read reviews for this.
