Best Stand-Alone Quiet Case Under $200?

altonad · Post by **altonad** » Mon May 18, 2009 8:21 pm

The title says it all. I am new to quiet computing and am looking for the most silent box that costs under $200. I'd like to just buy X case, transfer all my stuff, maybe buy a new quiet power supply if it doesn't come with one, then be done! I use a microATX motherboard so any size case would work as long as it will fit an 8800GT video card.

Basically I just don't want to mess around with buying special case fans or altering/tooling with anything. In my current setup, my case fans and power supply are the loudest so I don't really care about alternatives for my CPU/GPU.

Thanks for reading!

SebRad · Post by **SebRad** » Tue May 19, 2009 12:17 am

Hi altonad, Welcome to SPCR!
If you're new to quiet computing I would suggest an Antec Solo or P150, which is the same thing in white and with 430w PSU and discontinued or "Sonata Plus 550," that looks to be Solo with 550w PSU and coloured strips on the front.
The great thing about the Solo is the built in hard drive suspension. Once you start getting a quiet system a hard mounted hard drive quickly becomes a no-no. The Solo has bungees for suspending up to 3 hard drives built in, they completely eliminate transfer of vibration and hum from the drive(s) to the case. They're not the most secure mounting, I found you can put screws in the drive mounting holes and then zip-tie (zap-strap?) them to the suspension band so the drive can't slide out. If you're not happy with the suspension mounting there are 4 drive sleds with very soft silicone mounting that is secure and nearly as good for noise.
The side panels have some damping on them to help block noise and dampen vibrations, also the front allows good airflow in to the case while not providing direct path for sound to get out. The included rear 120mm "tri-cool" fan has 3 speeds, the slowest isn't very quiet but an OK starting point. The case can take two 92mm front intakes for hotter systems.
There is enough room to take just about any CPU heatsink although the largest video cards present a problem, I believe your 8800GT does fit but the 8800GTX is too long unless the case is modified.
In my view the Solo is an easy base to work from and can be made as quiet as you like with minimal work. This is good as most people here find once you start quietening your PC it can become an obsession, or at least you go much farther then you originally intended.
Other possible cases include Antec's P182/P183, mini-P180 and NSK3480. The last two are mATX, the NSK3480 is a pretty small case that comes with reasonably quiet 380w PSU and is quiet cheap.
To get an idea how they all are I suggest a look at the SPCR reviews and the General Gallery to see what people have done with them.
SPCR Review - P150
SPCR Review - P182
SPCR Review - P183
SPCR Review - Mini P180
SPCR Review - NSK3480
General Gallery
Regards, Seb

ame · Post by **ame** » Tue May 19, 2009 1:42 am

+1 for Antec Solo AKA Sonata Designer AKA Sonata PLUS AKA P-150.

Its THE most quiet out of the box case ever made.

Remembet that the case is just the shell. You will need quiet parts too.

Michael Sandstrom · Post by **Michael Sandstrom** » Tue May 19, 2009 1:43 am

Ditto on the Solo or P150. Great airflow, hard drive suspension built in, and much lesss than $200.

psiu · Post by **psiu** » Tue May 19, 2009 4:18 am

altonad wrote:The title says it all. I am new to quiet computing and am looking for the most silent box that costs under $200. I'd like to just buy X case, transfer all my stuff, maybe buy a new quiet power supply if it doesn't come with one, then be done! I use a microATX motherboard so any size case would work as long as it will fit an 8800GT video card.

Basically I just don't want to mess around with buying special case fans or altering/tooling with anything. In my current setup, my case fans and power supply are the loudest so I don't really care about alternatives for my CPU/GPU.

Thanks for reading!

Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny...

alecmg · Post by **alecmg** » Tue May 19, 2009 5:08 am

Arctic Cooling Silentium Eco 80 are good too
here is a review of an older version

Out of the box quiet and airflow is managed, hard drive is silenced comparable to Scythe Quiet Drive. PSU is efficient and quiet at light (under 200W) loads.

SebRad · Post by **SebRad** » Tue May 19, 2009 6:18 am

Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny...

If you quieten me down, your other parts will become more noisy than you could possibly imagine...

altonad · Post by **altonad** » Tue May 19, 2009 11:46 am

Thank you guys this is exactly the kind of information I wanted.

PartEleven · Post by **PartEleven** » Tue May 19, 2009 1:03 pm

Keep in mind that there's no such thing as a magic case that will magically eliminate noise. As long as your fans are noisy your system will be noisy.

JackyPerformance.com · Post by **JackyPerformance.com** » Thu May 21, 2009 4:10 am

ame wrote:+1 for Antec Solo AKA Sonata Designer AKA Sonata PLUS AKA P-150.

Its THE most quiet out of the box case ever made.

Remembet that the case is just the shell. You will need quiet parts too.

Out those Antec cases you mention, which is the quietest?:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi ... ta&x=0&y=0

Also, do you really think they're quieter than the Antec Mini P180?

SebRad · Post by **SebRad** » Thu May 21, 2009 11:49 am

Hi JackyPerformance.com,

Out those Antec cases you mention, which is the quietest?:

My impression, from what I've read, is that for most systems the Solo (and its Sonata cousins) is quieter as it's generally easier to assemble a system in it. The full elastic hard drive suspension is a definite help too.
For the hottest systems with overclocked CPUs and powerful, hot video card(s) then I think the P180/182/183 can be quieter. The larger size, dual 120mm exhausts and PSU seperation help to end up with a quieter system. Many have commented that it takes more work to build a P18x system as the layout is different to most other cases.
SPCRs review of the Mini P180 sugests that it's cooling potential is as good as the full size versions, possibly better due to 2x 120mm intakes to the main chamber and 200mm top exhaust fan. It will only take mATX motherboards so there's not much room for SLi or Crossfire, not to mention the problem of getting a suitable motherboard, DFI LANParty JR P45 T2RS will do crossfire in mATX size.
Hope this helps, Seb

mozartrules · Post by **mozartrules** » Thu May 21, 2009 7:04 pm

I was in your situation three years ago, wanting a quiet PC and not having much experience. I bought the white Sonata (called the designer now with a bigger power supply) and can recommend it. The harddrive suspension is great and the composite panels seem to keep the noise out well.

I am running a 92mm fan in the front, the 120mm at the back, 2 Samsung HDs, fanless 7600GS, E6600 with fanless Scythe Ninja and it is really hard to find out whether the computer is on. And apart from installing the front 92mm fan I didn't have to do anything.

Best Stand-Alone Quiet Case Under $200?

Best Stand-Alone Quiet Case Under $200?

Re: Best Stand-Alone Quiet Case Under $200?