SPCR

Thanks for the article.
This is one of the most elegant cases on sale, but it is soooo airflow restricted.
It's difficult to understand the design choices when the Fractal R4 was there as an example of how to balance silence and airflow. The H440 even had the advantage of a top cover, but they wasted it with limited mesh and another piece of foam which probably insulates no sound.

I love my white H440.

I never hear the fans in general usage, and while gaming the only fans I hear are the GPU fans. Not to say its "silent", but at my level of hearing, and ambient noise levels it might as well be.

Admittedly, all the fans(case & HSF) are controlled by my Sabertooth, so easy enough to keep them at slow speeds.

I do have one complaint, and that is the severe restriction on space behind the motherboard tray. Running the 24pin cable between the panel and the back of the mobo tray is VERY tight.

I really do think you should be testing the cases with more HDDs installed.

The same way you use a modern graphics card (or at least one with lots of fans) to test the case with a hardware component that users might actually use, you should test the cases with a number of drives a modern user might use.

In fact I believe that the case reviews need to test each case with the maximum number of 3.5" drives each case can handle.

Sincerely I don't know of any user in the forums I frequent who uses only an ssd and an hdd in his personal PC and in any case I believe these reviews in a "silent computing"-minded website lack in usefulness when the tests are rudimentary in this regard.

What is the point of conjecturing about the stability of the case if more hdds are installed, as you do in the conclusion, if you don't test it?

I think this revised testing methodology is needed exactly because the perceived qualities of the cases can be considerably altered when adding more drives.

I have seen cases with 6 hdd positions show construction and assembly deficits when mounted with more than three HDDs and I have seen cases with 8 hdd positions starting to vibrate heavily when 6 drives are installed, i.e. the added weight and vibration can severy impact the production of noise and expose shortcomings.

It is just not representative to test the cases with 1 HDD, as if adding more of the same model of hdd even would have no effect.

This is my complaint with most case reviews, but surely I expect more when "silent computing" is a priority and when cases with many hdd brackets are tested.

Pierre wrote:I really do think you should be testing the cases with more HDDs installed.

If you feel so strongly, start a poll in these forums & we'll pay attention to the results.

Pierre wrote:
I have seen cases with 6 hdd positions show construction and assembly deficits when mounted with more than three HDDs and I have seen cases with 8 hdd positions starting to vibrate heavily when 6 drives are installed, i.e. the added weight and vibration can severy impact the production of noise and expose shortcomings.

I beg to differ, common sense tells everyone to put that many drives in a server/NAS and hide it in a seperate room. No need to waste time for that while reviewing, imho.

Pierre wrote:Sincerely I don't know of any user in the forums I frequent who uses only an ssd and an hdd in his personal PC and in any case I believe these reviews in a "silent computing"-minded website lack in usefulness when the tests are rudimentary in this regard.

In fact, I only have an SSD installed in my current, and my last computers. The spinning rust lives in a server box, away from sensitive ears.

5.25" external bays aren't just for ODD. They also allow for external hot swap docks, a good feature for desktop cases. I'd never buy a desktop case without a bay.

Pappnaas wrote:

Pierre wrote:
I have seen cases with 6 hdd positions show construction and assembly deficits when mounted with more than three HDDs and I have seen cases with 8 hdd positions starting to vibrate heavily when 6 drives are installed, i.e. the added weight and vibration can severy impact the production of noise and expose shortcomings.

I beg to differ, common sense tells everyone to put that many drives in a server/NAS and hide it in a seperate room. No need to waste time for that while reviewing, imho.

darqsyde wrote:

Pierre wrote:Sincerely I don't know of any user in the forums I frequent who uses only an ssd and an hdd in his personal PC and in any case I believe these reviews in a "silent computing"-minded website lack in usefulness when the tests are rudimentary in this regard.

In fact, I only have an SSD installed in my current, and my last computers. The spinning rust lives in a server box, away from sensitive ears.

You guys must have large houses with lots of rooms; in my apartment there is a bedroom, a living-room/kitchen and the "office". I can't keep it in the bedroom, can't have it in the living-room, I can only keep it where I work.
Your common sense seems to have many practical prerequisites.

In any case this reasoning completely undoes every way the manufacturers try to target audience-customers.

If you want a case where you'll keep an SSD and an HDD, you don't need one with heavy dumping and 6 drive-bays, taking all the space of the height of the case.
Similarly there are cases with just 3-4 hdd bays and noise-cancelling if you have a noisy graphics card, which you could silence by investing in a quality passive cooling heatsink and or with fewer/lower spinning fans.

My point is, if the manufacturer makes a case with 6, or 8 etc 3,5" bays, you need to test the case according to its target audience and include if not all the number of supported drives at lease a fair number of them

Similarly, if the case has just 3 hdd bays, there is no point in testing the case with hdd modding accessories and looking for ways to mount drives on 5,25 bays or other places.

i.e. test it according to its target demographic, in a way that fulfills the reasons a specific user might purchase a specific case, as per its specifications.
All more importantly so, because it is a "silent computing" oriented website.

Arguing that if you need silence, you're gonna keep all the noise-producing hardware elsewhere doesn't make sense.
It would be equal to me telling you that if you are a gamer and use a beast of a graphics card, you shouldn't be looking for ways to keep the noise inside the case, but you should place it in another room and have long cable connected to your monitor or invest in quality Wireless display equipment.

Sounds farfetched? That is how "keep it in another room if you want many hdds" sounds to me.

Pierre wrote:1. My point is, if the manufacturer makes a case with 6, or 8 etc 3,5" bays, you need to test the case according to its target audience and include if not all the number of supported drives at lease a fair number of them

2. Similarly, if the case has just 3 hdd bays, there is no point in testing the case with hdd modding accessories and looking for ways to mount drives on 5,25 bays or other places.

3. i.e. test it according to its target demographic, in a way that fulfills the reasons a specific user might purchase a specific case, as per its specifications.
All more importantly so, because it is a "silent computing" oriented website.

1. And what do you the target audience is for the H440? I don't really know the answer, because it's not a great gaming case & it's only so-so as a silent case. Most silencers that post in these forums do follow the mantra of fewest moving parts, running at slowest possible speed.

In general, just because a case has 10 HDD bays doesn't mean the case makers expect you to use them all. It only means, imo, that they COULD and they did because it's more impressive than 4 bays. Case makers are generally NOT highly scientific or even practical, imo. They are driven by the marketing dept.

Gaming cases are generally big so they can accommodate enough cooling (big heatsinks, lots of fans, multiple video cards, radiators) -- the space for HDDs is a coincidental addon these days, not a primary goal of the design.

2. Sure.

3. Again, see my counter to point 1 -- The target demographic is usually not easy that to identify clearly. All the cases we review are for either general consumer use or gamers. There's overlap between the two because PC gamers number nearly 800 million in the world. Most general consumers today want smaller cases; ergo, almost all larger cases (say 40+ liters) are basically for gamers. Few others will buy them.

And as to testing w/ all drive bays filled because SPCR is a "silent computing" oriented website... It's so easy to argue to the converse: It's precisely why we shouldn't because that would encourage or even tacitly approve of a PC with 10 HDDs for silent computing, which is plain dumb.

I appreciate that many people live in tight urban spaces where remote placement of a home server us not practical. On the other hand, for perceived noise, even putting an external USB external drive array 6 or 8 ft away on a bed of foam is better than having them next to you in the case. And go highest capacity on each HDD as much as possible -- ie, don't run 8 old 500gb drives when you can get a single 4 TB drive.

Having said all that, we have tested some cases with all the drive bays filled with HHDs -- mostly cases meant for use as home servers. We've also done detailed home server build guides with upwards of 10 HDDs -- http://www.silentpcreview.com/Silent_Ho ... uild_Guide

MikeC wrote:The target demographic is usually not easy that to identify clearly. All the cases we review are for either general consumer use or gamers. There's overlap between the two because PC gamers number nearly 800 million in the world. Most general consumers today want smaller cases; ergo, almost all larger cases (say 40+ liters) are basically for gamers. Few others will buy them.

Ok, Mike, said that I also think that it's not unreasonable measuring (at least some) enclosures even with a bunch of drives inside, perhaps right because "who knows who will use it", without any need to actually refresh that wonderful SPCR home server guide.
Don't you agree? In a poll, I'd vote for a test supplement, if it were possible/practical.

For those interested, I've added pictures of the H440 Razer Edition on the last page: http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1447-page8.html

NZXT have a new variant out, its called the Noctis 450.

http://www.nzxt.com/product/detail/154- ... tower.html

The main point I would make is the far more open front: http://www.nzxt.com/uploads/product_ima ... -front.jpg
and top http://www.nzxt.com/uploads/product_ima ... bpanel.jpg

Not totally open.

I know a lot in here prefer a more minimal esthetic. It looks like a step in the right direction for remedying the H440s failings.

Gunbuster wrote:NZXT have a new variant out, its called the Noctis 450.
http://www.nzxt.com/product/detail/154- ... tower.html

At best, it looks interesting... but I bet it's not better, not in any significant way. As long as NZXT remains wedded to its vision of aesthetics, I can't see it moving ahead in true functionality -- ie, better cooling & quieting.

IMO, the H440 was their best chance, had they opted for function over form. The old H2 still remains my favorite of all the NZXT cases we've seen. It did not require much modding to make it perfectly quiet & cool enough for me.

Fair enough, I thought it worth raising.

I have to say its a shame. NZXT do some nice touches, like the illumination of the IO. Though that may be patented.