whats wrong getting a case looks to your likings?
I would hate to put my rig in a case i hated because of the way it looks. Like c'mon, its pretty much you looking at it, so why not get one that looks nice so you could live with it?
I used to have an CM690 case, its a really good case, it kept my computer cool with 7 120mm fans... i kind of regret selling it because i wanted a case with a transparent side panel...
Im thinking of getting it again, and get an transparent side panel (though it costs like $30 for it).
It was pretty much overall loud whether its under load or not, i think its pretty much slightly louder than an average computer with about 2-3 120mm fans.