Coolermaster Elite 33x series vs Thermaltake Matrix

[Nil Einne]

Hey all,

Anyone ever compared the Thermaltake Matrix to the CM Elite 33x series? They're rather similar in basic design, dust filtered front mesh, fairly small, toolfree disk and expansion card slots, 12cm fan options on the back and front. The Thermaltake has Firewire but the CM Elite appear to lack it usually. The Elite are newer (well some are anyway) and mostly cheaper here in NZ (the 333 and under probably are, the 334 and 335 possibly not quite that much). Both appear to have decent build quality.

As it stands, I'm leaning to the Elite for reasons of price and no compelling reason for the Matrix to be better.

Reason I'm looking at these is because I need a resonably small ATX tower case. By small I mean about the size of the cases I've listed and 195mm or thinner (which the Matrix and Elite except 331 fit). And by tower I mean with the optical drives etc horizontal. These are some of the best I've come across that fit the bill but of course if you have any other suggestions I'm all ears. I'm not looking for extreme silence (it will be in a glass enclosed book shelf), just a case with decent airflow and resonably well built and designed. The airflow has to be from front to back (or vice versa) since the side and top won't very well (not much space)

If you're wondering the only Antec which comes close for example is the NSK4480 but it's 200mm so a bit wide, only has 80mm in front and HDDs aren't all the way to the bottom/front fan (I prefer that, easiest way to cool the HDDs). Only advantage it has in my eyes is a resonable power supply but considering the price of the non 334/335 CM Elite's for example I could likely get buy one and an Earthwatts PSU, sell the case PSU and come out about even perhaps even better off.

[baconandeggs]

how about this the silverstone sst-ps02

http://www.playtech.co.nz/product.php?a ... il&id=6662 only $89!

a fellow nzer has slightly modded it here

edit: too fat