Hello.
During this past summer I bought a P150 and got a great deal on it. I really liked the idea of a white (dare I say Mac-like) case after years with my trusty aluminum Lian-Li cases. Anyway, I wound up returning the P150 because, although relatively quiet to my Lian-Li there was an annoying, occillating low frequency noise coming from the case. I could only guess that one of my fans (or the case fan) was slightly off and it was being magnified inside the case.
Is this the usual for this case? Is the SOLO really the same only painted black instead and missing the power supply?
What about weight? The P150 I had was the heaviest case I ever owned.
I am considering trying again with either the P150 or Solo when I build my new rig soon. And would like to get other's opinions here.
Thank you,
Richard
Antec P150 / Solo Questions
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Welcome to SPCR!
How many HDDs did you have in the system? Were they attached in the sleds or using the suspension cords?
There have been many reported situations where two or more HDDs develop a "beat noise," much like what you describe. Suspending the drives is usually the cure.
Yes, and the stealth drive covers are not used.
How many HDDs did you have in the system? Were they attached in the sleds or using the suspension cords?
There have been many reported situations where two or more HDDs develop a "beat noise," much like what you describe. Suspending the drives is usually the cure.
Is the SOLO really the same only painted black instead and missing the power supply?
Yes, and the stealth drive covers are not used.
The damping material on the P150 panels increases panel weight, which is one of the reasons this case is known to be quiet.What about weight? The P150 I had was the heaviest case I ever owned.
Well, I have four HDDs, mounted in the grommets, but maybe they cancel each other out. They are not all the same - 2 Raptors and 2 Samsung Spinpoints and I alternated them - R S R S
Oh, by the way, no, I don't have any low frequency noise as described.
As for the differences, I don't know for sure as I've never even seen a P150 in person, but that's what the literature says.
Yes, it is relatively heavy. As noted, that's one of the reasons its quiet. While I don't particularly like that aspect when I have to move it, I consider that a plus as I am less inclined to consider doing so. Besides, I like the feel of solidity.
I am very satisfied with my choice of the case. It is quiet and it is very handsome (though that's a personal opinion). It has a lot of features and the quality of the build and finish is first rate. The one serious aspect I felt the case was missing was isolation of the PSU. I resolved that by installing baffle that effectively separated the PSU and 5.25 drive bays from the rest of the main bay. I feel this has worked out very well, my PSU temp never varies, never.
However, because of that I feel I need one of the 5.25 bays for ventilation and so with just one other left I have just about maxed it out with regards to drives. Still, I have 2/3 of a Terabyte on board and I could easily increase that by swapping out my 250s for 750s.
Oh, by the way, no, I don't have any low frequency noise as described.
As for the differences, I don't know for sure as I've never even seen a P150 in person, but that's what the literature says.
Yes, it is relatively heavy. As noted, that's one of the reasons its quiet. While I don't particularly like that aspect when I have to move it, I consider that a plus as I am less inclined to consider doing so. Besides, I like the feel of solidity.
I am very satisfied with my choice of the case. It is quiet and it is very handsome (though that's a personal opinion). It has a lot of features and the quality of the build and finish is first rate. The one serious aspect I felt the case was missing was isolation of the PSU. I resolved that by installing baffle that effectively separated the PSU and 5.25 drive bays from the rest of the main bay. I feel this has worked out very well, my PSU temp never varies, never.
However, because of that I feel I need one of the 5.25 bays for ventilation and so with just one other left I have just about maxed it out with regards to drives. Still, I have 2/3 of a Terabyte on board and I could easily increase that by swapping out my 250s for 750s.
Thanks for the responses and thanks for the welcome, dfrost!
I think I recall that I had 2 HDs in that P150 case and they were installed in the sleds (didn't trust the cords). The drives are Samsung Spinpoint 160GB and a Seagate 7200.8 300GB. I guess I can look out for this when I get the new P150 or Solo. Still, I really felt that this oscillating noise was generated by a fan considering the out of phase signature.
RAFH, which PS are you using? The Neo HE 430 that comes with the P150 is pretty quiet. I have a Neo HE 550 that I got a good deal on and will probably use that one.
I'm glad to hear that this noise isn't an expected problem with the case as I did like it and it is on top of my list of contenders. I am really going to try hard to make this new system as quiet as possible.
Now I just got to figure out which one I want... P150 or Solo...
I think I recall that I had 2 HDs in that P150 case and they were installed in the sleds (didn't trust the cords). The drives are Samsung Spinpoint 160GB and a Seagate 7200.8 300GB. I guess I can look out for this when I get the new P150 or Solo. Still, I really felt that this oscillating noise was generated by a fan considering the out of phase signature.
RAFH, which PS are you using? The Neo HE 430 that comes with the P150 is pretty quiet. I have a Neo HE 550 that I got a good deal on and will probably use that one.
I'm glad to hear that this noise isn't an expected problem with the case as I did like it and it is on top of my list of contenders. I am really going to try hard to make this new system as quiet as possible.
Now I just got to figure out which one I want... P150 or Solo...
Hey richard13, I have the Antec NeoHE 550. I might have gone with the P150 but I definitely didn't feel the 430 was adequate for what I was going to be putting in my rig. I ran my proposed gear through the PSU estimator on the extreme.outervision.com site (see page /psucalculator.jsp) and it came out 438 watts. So the 430 was not going to work. Besides, I sort of like black better, it suits my sunny disposition.
I think you will be glad you got that 550. Mine has been rock solid from day one, temps have never varied and its essentially silent.
This is a very quiet case. Like I said, the noisiest item is the Plextor 716 slot-load optical drive and that's only when its burning.
I've got to work on mine one of these days and neaten up the cabling. Its a mess now. I want to run the power cables down the back of the motherboard tray which should help a lot.
As I've said elsewhere the most important aspect of a quiet rig is quiet components. The CPU doesn't make any noise, nor does the motherboard. Other than fans, its the drives that make noise. The case has the means to dampen the noise from the drives, the only way you could improve it would be to put them in a sound-proofed compartment which really isn't feasible in this size of case. Plus you'd have to provide them with active cooling which would take even more room the case doesn't have. That leaves the fans, so get the quietest fans you can. I can recommend the Nexus but there may be even quieter fans out there. I may try some others next spring just to see.
I also highly recommend cutting out the fan grilles. I didn't notice any huge difference but every little bit counts.
Also, using SpeedFan to control the fans is a very good strategy.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
I think you will be glad you got that 550. Mine has been rock solid from day one, temps have never varied and its essentially silent.
This is a very quiet case. Like I said, the noisiest item is the Plextor 716 slot-load optical drive and that's only when its burning.
I've got to work on mine one of these days and neaten up the cabling. Its a mess now. I want to run the power cables down the back of the motherboard tray which should help a lot.
As I've said elsewhere the most important aspect of a quiet rig is quiet components. The CPU doesn't make any noise, nor does the motherboard. Other than fans, its the drives that make noise. The case has the means to dampen the noise from the drives, the only way you could improve it would be to put them in a sound-proofed compartment which really isn't feasible in this size of case. Plus you'd have to provide them with active cooling which would take even more room the case doesn't have. That leaves the fans, so get the quietest fans you can. I can recommend the Nexus but there may be even quieter fans out there. I may try some others next spring just to see.
I also highly recommend cutting out the fan grilles. I didn't notice any huge difference but every little bit counts.
Also, using SpeedFan to control the fans is a very good strategy.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.