In the PC I will fit:
- An Intel Core 2 Duo (E8200) CPU with Scythe Ninja cooler (preferrably passive)
A motherboard with onboard graphics OR
A motherboard without onboard graphics and ATI RADEON HD 3450 graphic card
A single 3,5" HDD (Western Digital Green Power 500 GB) mounted in a 5,25" drive bay with rubber thingies
2 GB RAM
A DVD-burner
Until recently I thought I would be getting the Antec P182 as case for my system along with a Corsair VX450W PSU. But after reading here in the forums I am now in doubt if this is overkill for my needs (spacewise and with regards to cooling capacity).
Will a smaller, cheaper case be sufficient for my needs and just as quiet? I considered the Antec NSK 3480, but I don't know if the bundled PSU is as quiet as the Corsair VX450W or if the ressonance is as efficiently dampened as in the P182. I have also been considering the Antec Sonata SOLO.
The P182 + Corsair PSU is a quite expensive solution compared to the others. I don't mind, however, spending the extra money as long as I get the quitest case. But maybe it is silly to buy a big P182 case if I can get something smaller and cheaper that is just as quiet. This is especially true if I have to swap all of the Tricool fans of the P182 to achieve quiet operation (and from what I have read in here, this could very well be the case).
Should I go for the P182 as originally planned, or are there better alternatives for my needs?