[wait321]

I saw this combo on newegg:

ASUS M2N-MX SE Plus AM2+/AM2 NVIDIA GeForce 6100 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard

Rosewill R103A Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 350W Power Supply with 20+4 pin connector

Is the psu on the case enough to power the mobo?

[eyeCpc]

Even $30 is cheap for a case let alone one seeing a supply included. Most will simply toss the garbage supplies that often are thrown in just to use a particular style case.

A good brand supply 350w or above will easily run that model board for seeing a basic build. For running a high end video card or simply adding additional drives/devices toss the cheap supply and go with something more reliable.

[philbar71]

i agree, i wouldnt trust that thing as far as i could spit it.

[eyeCpc]

I haven't heard anything really favorable on Rosewill to start off with. But with other brands cases with supplies included are generally the lowest end quality regardless of who they are made by.

When looking at the case itself I wouldn't even touch that with a 10ft. pole! There's absolutely no cooling besides the single 80mm rear fan opening. It even lacks any front or side vents. A case like that would work about 5-6yrs. back while most expect at least a 120mm front intake fan to allow cool air in while blasting the heated air out the back!

As far as the board it's made by one of the better brands there while limited on features being a micro atx model. A better case and shopping around for a better supply depending on the type of build you have planned would be the recommendation.

[wait321]

thanks for your advice, but I'm not sure why the case matters. Aren't they just all metal boxes? Is there anything that warrants $70+?

[eyeCpc]

Besides styles you have to consider things like good air flow, materials and quality of construction, sufficient room inside for those planning to use liquid cooling setups, and other reasons as well. The case here is an Antec 900 model seeing twin 120mm front intake fans while the next person to come along may have the NZXT Guardian seeing an lcd monitor on top for cpu temps, voltages, etc. there.

One style will see one large door or two swing to the side doors for covering the 5.25" drive bays in front. One case will see front audio input/head phone jacks, usb, and even eSata ports on the front panel while another sees those on top or not at all.

As for materials many are made of aluminum and plastic with most cases seeing a plastic face plate to start with while most prefer a steel with plastic. Each brand and style often sees something at least slightly different explaining the various price ranges.