Diablotek CPA-0390 Black SGCC Steel Legend ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Pros: -Holds components nicely
-Looks good for a cheap case
-Material is decent quality

Cons: -Can't mount a fan in the front
-Lightweight and metal is pretty malleable
-The plastic front uses the cheap kind of plastic, but on this case it still looks OK

Other Thoughts: I got this case for $27 on sale from a different vendor. I'm happy with it for the most part, especially for the price I paid, but I was hoping to mount a 120mm LED fan in the front. As others have said, you can't because the screw holes are right by the edge of the hard drive cage, so it's impossible to screw it in. Anyway, personally I choose my case based on what components I used. I've built several computers, and when I build gaming beasts, I usually use an Antec 902 or a Thermaltake Chaser, since they fit the look of beastly components (you can kind of go by price, more expensive components=more expensive case). This case is housing my budget build (AMD Athlon II X2, GeForce 9800, 4gb DDR3) and I think it fits the aura of those components. Call me crazy (I most likely am) but that system works well for me. Oh also the front audio ports are freaking out. I can hear my external hard drive get up to speed through the headphone jack LOL but it could be my mobo so I won't dock an egg.

Pros: Design - I like the look of Diablotek cases - they're not bland or over the top. Ideal for hiding a super-computer within. And the design provides lots of airflow. I wanted a front fan, so I had to figure it out. But I seriously doubt you'll need one if you don't run hot or just maximize the other fan option.

Cons: The front fan is a slight issue and even getting the front panel off is a small challenge. The panel is held on by by 3 'spread' snaps/posts on each side, meaning you have to compress them to push them through. The middle and bottom one can be accessed with small pliers fairly easy, but the top two need either a curved plier or something similar. I used the hollow tube of a mechanical pencil to simultaneously push & compress them through. As for the fan, the 3.5" bay sides are up against the holes on the inside, but I got all 4 screws to work from the front. The 120mm fans I'm using came with the little stubby screws. I pre-seated them in the holes in the fan - you'll need a small phillips to go through the top hole of the fan to the head of the screw to seat/drive the short screw through the bottom hole. I set the case on it back with the fan on top (front of case facing up) and eventually got all to take. But I don't think you need a front fan based on the case design.

Other Thoughts: I'm still in the build process, but I don't foresee any other issues. I like the case, happy with the selection, and gave it 4 eggs because the manual didn't state how to remove the front panel even though it tells you to put drives in from the front. The only other thing is the inside is the blackest of black - hard to see if you don't have adequate lighting. Still love the design - Stealth!

Pros: It's a nice bottom PSU design, meshed front for good airflow.

Cons: Typical cheap/thin metal, and while slightly better than the absolute cheapest packaging on a case that I've seen, still susceptible to damage.

Other Thoughts: While I didn't buy this case from the Egg, I got another case here with the same top dent - completely different brand and model. I am convinced merchants either don't know or care, maybe they hope it can be blamed on the shipper even if it didn't happen from their warehouse to you.

Unless you absolutely don't care about your case having a dent, and it's a good enough price (I think mine worked out to be $11 or 12 after rebate) then skip on these. Reputable dealers like Newegg should not carry them either, if they want to be known for quality products.

Pros: Low price.
Nice design.
Good air flow.
2x USB and audio/mic jacks in front.

Cons: No cable management.
Front fan is impossible to mount.
Cords from audio jacks may cover drive bays.

Other Thoughts: The positioning of the 3.5" drive bays makes it impossible to screw in the front fan. I had to secure the front fan using twist-ties.

The power/activity LED in the front is kinda bright. The HDD activity makes it flash red which I thought was kinda ugly, so I didn't even bother plugging it in. Now it just shines blue which I think looks better.

Overall I think it's a pretty nice case for its price point. It's the right case for someone who doesn't want a side case window with LED fans lighting up their whole room.

Pros: This case is great, had plenty of room for my Motherboard, had a nice toolless design for the HDD and DVDRom drive, and lots of places for fans and air flow. I've got a 90mm fan in the back, pulling air out and the rest of the case stays extremely cool, just off that one fan.

Cons: I wanted to mount a 120mm fan in the front, to pull air in front of the HDD, but the screw holes were oddly positioned and I couldn't get it in.

Other Thoughts: It's too bad the back panel doesn't have space to route power cords, there's a large jumble of them tied up and tucked to the side. It's not really a con (which is why it's here) it's just a personal thing.

Pros: Looks sharp, pretty easy to install everything. No problems yet.

Cons: None.

Pros: Bottom Mounted PSU! Black finish doesn't seem to scrap off, no matter how much I scrape things against it.

Plenty of fan slots. Most are able to accept different sizes. Most fan slots have a grate or sponge material protecting fans.

Drive quick attach holders hold well, and are easy to use. A first in my experience, if they don't work you can still use screws. (some screws are included too)

They had a nice Philips bit that covers the motherboard mounting bolts. No more needle nose pliers.

Cons: Front 120mm fan slot is almost imposable to mount a fan in. The hard drive slots are so close to the fan screw holes, that only one screw will fit, the rest have to be jammed in at odd angles.

Front sponge filter rips and interferes with fan operation.
Good news is, area looks better without sponge. Also has enough room to install a filter to a fan. Also the grates included need to be taped in place.

Other Thoughts: In one of the pictures it appears that the door is hinged, but its not. Just a simple sliding door. Also fan slots on the door doesn't cover all the grating.

Make sure that when designing your computer rig with this case, you look up positive pressure computer cooling.

Texture of the finish allows for easy adhering to black duck tape. Great for hiding wires.

Pros: - All black
- Roomy
- Lots of airflow
- Looks great
- Fairly sturdy

Cons: The expansion card slot covers are flimsy, and you have to break them off but you cant put them back. The first slot is already uncovered, and the cables for front-panel USB and audio are way too long. Easily stretch a few inches out of case in all directions.

Other Thoughts: Great case for a budget gaming build. Fits most air coolers.

Pros: The case can take 120mm fans in all positions.

The front and bottom fans have dust filters.

All drives have toolless attachments.

I'm a fan of cases with bottom-mounted power supplies.

The parts bag includes an adapter for fastening the motherboard standoffs with a screwdriver, which was a nice touch.This kind of feature set is not often seen in budget cases like this.

Cons: The PCI slot covers are breakaway slats, and the top one is already removed. If your motherboard skips the top slot (like one I used to have) you will need to either leave it open or buy a cover.

There is no AC'97 plug for the front panel audio, only HD. This is likely not an issue with new equipment but since I'm putting an old Socket A rig in here it was an issue for me. Most cases have both plugs hanging off one cable so the omission puzzles me.

Removing the front dust filter for cleaning requires a screwdriver. Removing the bottom one could be easier. Some slide out while this one requires a small amount of bending to get it out of its clips.

There is no dust filter for the side panel, but on the other hand this is not unusual for cases in general.

Other Thoughts: I bought this case to hold an older system and it should do nicely for that. I only had minor issues with this case which can be dealt with without too much difficulty. I saved the front panel cables from an old case and was able to bodge together a combined AC'97 and HD cable, but this should not have been necessary.

Pros: Pretty good case for the price.
- Thick steel. Steel is acceptable thickness, unlike some other cheap cases.
- Dust filters on bottom fan mounts and front panel.
- Good paint job.
- Black painted screws.
- Comes with philips screw driver adapter to tighten hex nut supports.
- 2.5" HDD mount holes at bottom of HDD bay.

Cons: - Tool less HDD and ODD mount doesn't really work out because it does not hold HDD or ODD tight enough. May cause vibration.
- Painted interior may not provide enough grounding to internal parts.