I have decided to go back to desktop computers for my main computer, and am currently looking at cases. What does everyone think of Thermaltake as a brand? Because the first several cases I saw that I liked were Thermaltake. I'm not really obsessive or picky enough about cases to spend a very long time researching that particular component--it seems easier than selecting a motherboard and CPU--I'll probably go with the first design I feel completely satisfied with. At the moment, I like this one pretty well: https://www.frys.com/product/9827125...H:MAIN_RSLT_PG .

(Oops. I meant to post this in non-NIX general. Will have it moved.)

I think they make a good case. I'm currently using the Thermaltake Versa N21 and it has been solid.

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They are solid well built cases. A few things to keep in mind when choosing a case.

1. How many 3.5" bays will you need. ex: if you are planning on deploying RAID6, you will need no less than 6 3.5" bays unless you are going to built the RAID6 with SSD's instead of HDD's.

2. How much heat do you need to displace. If you are building a system just to browse the web, do some basic functions, maybe some minor coding, than the answer is not much heat, but if you are going to be gaming, F@H, Bitcoin mining, etc... you will want a case with maximum air flow. Maximum air flow has been proven overall better than water cooled systems.

3. Format of the motherboard, the case and board need to be compatible.

4. Size. Do you want a system to fit under a monitor, or under a desk? Does size not matter? Most systems I build are either Full Towers (to have room for maximum storage) or mid-tower for typical work station use.

Good luck and have fun.

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Thanks. And besides that the motherboard and CPU obviously must be compatible, am I right that it's more efficient to select the CPU before the motherboard? I've been telling myself "Buy a board that fits the CPU, not a CPU that fits the board."

Thermaltake makes a good case. They tend to be a bit pricey, but quality costs. Everything should fit and all the screw holes line up, etc. It's easy to get replacement parts, too, and that's something that's usually overlooked.