New low end C2Duo will be faster than current one, but also much much cooler, therefore not requiring an expensive HSF. However, you'll need a mobo that supports socket 775 I had a P4 3.2 Prescott. Took a £50 HSF plus cold air duct front to back to get it to idle quietly at 50c. E6600 idles at 35-4...

Depends what you do with your PC. Most software isn't designed to run on 4 cores yet (or even 2), but you'll see a big difference with F@H for instance. I have a C2Duo E6600 and it is great at most things, not too hot etc. Am running stock cooler as it isn't too loud (SpeedFan slows it down when idl...

love learning new things. Mostly servers I guess....have never come across one as of yet

isn't pci-x the same as pci-e ? both standing for express?

ok agreed about mass, what about hdd's needing a case to case electrical ground connection? I can't see the need

And is colm suggesting my BIOS clock is running erratically because my HDD's aren't bolted to the case?!

Anyone know what points are being made here?

if i donate again, can I get ''Afterlife Patron'' status?

Happy 6th Birthday SPCR

I'd light some candles, but they can be very noisy....

borrowed a razer copperhead with exactmat off a friend, and ordered mine the very next day. Has a mid pitched scuff noise when slid, but you can blow it across the matt (speed side).

An opaque glass or polished metal should be quieter, but not sure how accurate they are

maybe a baby triffid has nested inside

Yep I know I was proving myself wrong

I was thinking I had read it in my Asus Striker manual though, was probably just wishful thinking

from the wiki Where a PC-hosted port is concerned, eSATA connectors cannot supply power, and would therefore be more cumbersome to use. but also: From the second half of 2008, SATA-IO expects eSATA to provide power to eSATA devices without the need for a separate power connection. In a news release ...

i think i read somewhere that the eSata spec gives power on the connector, not sure how much or if I only dreamed it

i know using the backplate wouldnt give power but a mobo with eSata ports already onboard might.

has anyone powered one of these directly from an eSata port (without connecting the external PSU) ?

unless its fanless

i forgot about the sandwich construction. Does the 900 have it aswell?

i would still think the antec 182 with foam would be better sound-wise, with maybe suspended hdd and fans. I do think the acryllic will stop vibrations better...but lack of vibrations in the first place is better....i'm not sure you get that option with the acryllic case, but I have to say no-one is...

I posted a while back about whether I should make a window double glazed if I got round to making a window....I was told acrylic is better accoustically than the metal it replaces. Thin metal tends to resonate, acryllic doesnt, though neither does thicker aluminium. If you look back I did ask the qu...

i quite like the look of the cosmos case now, with the VGA duct....funny how my favorite 3 are at the bottom of your list

Yes, the 900 doesnt lend itself brilliantly to the foam cladding idea....but then neither do your first 3 cases that you prefer

what are you using to get rid of VGA card heat? stock cooler? is it a twin-slot affair? have you thought of passively cooling the card in the 900 case, hot air wants to rise. With this in mind do you want a CPU HSF that blows downwards? cus when mounted this will be sideways towards the mobo, not ve...

if the fans in the antec900 are quiet enough, you might benefit from the top blowhole. The antec 182 is built for quietness and SPCRers in mind, though it might be too small for your requirements VGA-wise and heatwise

i just realised the E8400 is the CPU...i thought it was a 2nd VGA card

''Pros: The case comes loaded with seven 120mm fans and one top 80mm which provide great airlow without too much noise''

I think most here would see 8 fans as a con

Noise is subjective, depends on the reviewer

what CPU? is it overclocked/volted at all?

I thought acrylic plastic was a good absorber of acoustic energy...or at least good at not transferring vibrations? better than thin metal anyway

do you mean budget quiet PSU?

maybe this thread is coming down to what each of us mean by 'high end' or 'extreme'. i never considered my system as extreme, though you say you think i might be right thinking a w/c system might be cooler/quieter doing what i do with it....but you then say your a/c setup will deal with a 'high end'...

snutten, are you heavily overclocked and folding 24/7? Using an 8800GTX? This is what I use and I believe water with passive external rad will be a quieter and cooler option

round his way he's known as Delta Screamer

After all, just like water it is an incompressible fluid, which means excellent vibration transfer with minimal energy loss. Water does compress to some degree, which is part of the reason we bleed our car brake pipes from time to time. Brake fluid compresses much less than water...but is hydroscop...