Desktop Computers

Getting a bit frustrated with using a TV as my monitor. It works fine but there's just something about being so far away from the screen that doesn't feel right even if it's the same viewing field angle as being closer to a monitor. It's going to be a few years until what I want out of a monitor is even commercially available at reasonable prices, and without jet-engine fans in them. (4k ~120hz with at least hdr600, and preferably hdmi 2.1 for future consoles)

Might just buy a 1440p144hz monitor again to fill in, but ugh with playing the fucking IPS panel lottery.

So many great things for displays on the horizon, so little patience.

Given the choice of the two at equal prices I'd go with the Alienware for Dell's warranty/support. It also goes on sale more often than the Acer from what I've seen.

Daezuel said:

How do people feel about


this case? I don't really give a shit about RGB nonsense as I'll keep my computer under my desk, but I'd also rather keep my purchase under $100.

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There are far better cases available in that price range that don't have gimped thermals for the sake of appearance. That thing won't be able to breathe worth a damn if you're using front intake, and using top is going to limit you in other ways. If you want a closed-front front, get one that has at least an inch of clearance on the sides of the front panel and around the entire length of the panel.

Edit: Some things to consider

You won't need the extra price/weight/fragility of tempered glass if it's going to be under the desk

Try to figure out what exactly cooling setup you're going to be using (rad/fans/heatsink) and the space requirements involved.

Avoid anything that looks like it's prioritizing visuals over cooling. This is a secondary effect of the RGB/PCMR nonsense that has cropped up over the last few years.

Good case brands to check out: Fractal. CoolerMaster (many stinkers but some awesome ones) Corsair, phanteks. NZXT makes a couple good ones but they focus too much on visual design.

Don't forget to figure out the storage bay (ssd & hdd) slots you'll need

Daezuel said:

Yeah I'm considering stepping up the Meshify-C or just waiting as my current case isn't really the issue. (want to get rid of my wife's case)

My parts were all supposed to arrive today but somehow the motherboard shipped from California has had a severe weather delay and won't get here until Monday now so I've been looking at new case options. Assholes.

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It doesn't hurt (money aside) to get a new case anyway just to solidify the "new build" experience, and putting the new shit in only to take it back out and put it into another case would suck. Also, I edited my post to add some extra stuff in case you didn't see it.

Daezuel said:

That's kind of why with this delay I'm considering it. Her case is too small and over a decade old, I don't want to put my old parts in it at all, rather just leave it in my case.

But being that I wasn't planning on adding more expense to everything I wanted to keep closer to $70 if possible too, that and I'm reading a lot of complaints about dust collecting on the front of the Meshify C.

Was also looking at Phanteks P350x (more airflow seems like than the p400), the NZXT 500 (the front of that design seems bad for temps but the reviews are good), or maybe something like the Cooler Master H500. (have a HAF right now and it's been a great case)

(missed your edit) The other thing I'd say is looks could be a consideration as this 2600 I bought will go to my wife later this year when I'll probably get a Zen 2. Thing is the way my area is set up with a monitor on my right side there really isn't a good place to put a computer even if I wanted it in view to see the components.

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Dust is going to be an issue no matter the case. Dust collecting on the mesh/grill just means that it's not going into the case, which is the purpose behind having it there. Clean it once a month and you're golden. Also beware of case reviews from the public. It's one of those PC parts that few buyers understand the nuances of and they'll praise pretty much anything. My best suggestion is to find half a dozen or so that looks right to you, and then narrow those down by reading/watching legitimate reviews (though good case reviews can be hard to find)

Any impedence to the airflow is going to come at a cost somewhere else. Whether it's noise from the increased fan speeds, lower limits to GPU boost due to hitting throttling ranges faster, or just outright thermal issues across the board. And what do you gain for it in this case? A slightly smoother looking front panel. That it can work without major issues and can be "good enough" does not excuse its form over function design, and there are options available where you don't need to deal with such an issue at all.