New PC-Case: Arctic Cooling Silentium

maarten · Post by **maarten** » Sat Aug 28, 2004 1:10 am

Arctic Cooling is releasing a new case, the Silentium... What do you think of the PSU-setup and the case in general?

http://www.bostar.cz/case.htm
unfortunately it's in Russian.

changed76 · Post by **changed76** » Sat Aug 28, 2004 4:43 am

I guess it's in Czech not Russian - anybody has any idea what's that thing near the PSU?

sthayashi · Post by **sthayashi** » Mon Aug 30, 2004 9:30 am

Unless my eyes deceive me, there's no place to put a PSU. Or if there is, then there's no place to install a large CPU heatsink.

acaurora · Post by **acaurora** » Mon Aug 30, 2004 9:39 am

It's not that great. I am skeptical of the dual 80mms in the back.

What's big, the size of a 120mm fan, and has a shiny side? Hell if I know.

The PSU in front is interesting, but then again that just introduces warmer air into the case.

I foresee mixed reviews of this case.

sthayashi · Post by **sthayashi** » Mon Aug 30, 2004 9:41 am

*hits head with hand*
THAT's where it is....

HammerSandwich · Post by **HammerSandwich** » Mon Aug 30, 2004 10:06 am

I've changed my mind, Steve. You SHOULD have a little help for your first brake job.

Shuriken · Post by **Shuriken** » Mon Aug 30, 2004 10:46 am

I assume the PSU blows downwards? The shiny thing could be a HDD mount of some kind?

Kingcow · Post by **Kingcow** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 6:57 am

Unless my eyes deceive me, there's no place to put a PSU. Or if there is, then there's no place to install a large CPU heatsink.

The Power Supply is in the front bottom and cool by two Arctic Fan 3 (the new creamic bearing fans), and the heat is exhaust out through the vents in the bottom. AC expect customer using their Freezer cooler that design to cool 200W processor!

The PSU in front is interesting, but then again that just introduces warmer air into the case.

Warm air is eaxhaust through the vent in the bottom!

It's not that great. I am skeptical of the dual 80mms in the back. What's big, the size of a 120mm fan, and has a shiny side? Hell if I know.

Most 120mm fan operate at 1500rpm with 50 CFM, why that two Artic Fan can blow 80 CFM with <23dbA noise

I assume the PSU blows downwards? The shiny thing could be a HDD mount of some kind?

The shiny thing is the integrated HD cooler - first in PC case! It also cool by the fans on top of the P.S. !

One thing that not mention here is there is intake vent in the rear bottom, and exhaust out through the vent under the P.S., the two rear fans, and mesh behind Processor!

Cheers,

Kingcow

acaurora · Post by **acaurora** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 8:46 am

Air exhausting through the bottom? a bit stupid, if you ask me, since warm air RISES.

Meh, I dont think this is a good case, until reviews prove otherwise.

Kingcow · Post by **Kingcow** » Tue Sep 07, 2004 4:26 pm

Air exhausting through the bottom? a bit stupid, if you ask me, since warm air RISES.

From what I learnt, fresh air inlet from the rear bottom vents
->integrated HD cooler ->P.S.->front bottom vents
->Processor->two outlet fans

In this ways both the P.S. fans and the two exhaust fans will be work cooler!

One more point with P.S. on the bottom, its lower the centre of gravity of the case and reduce the vibration!

Kingcow

Sooty · Post by **Sooty** » Sun Oct 10, 2004 9:59 am

More info/pics here (translated). Available in the UK from OverClockers UK (£58 c/w Seasonic PSU).

SevenRedSeven · Post by **SevenRedSeven** » Sun Oct 10, 2004 10:42 am

Arctic Cooling Silentium T-Series Datasheet:

http://makeashorterlink.com/?J28612E79

icancam · Post by **icancam** » Sun Oct 10, 2004 11:51 am

SevenRedSeven wrote:Arctic Cooling Silentium T-Series Datasheet:
http://makeashorterlink.com/?J28612E79

Very interesting! Thanks for adding the datasheet and: Welcome to SPCR!!!

hvengel · Post by **hvengel** » Sun Oct 10, 2004 12:20 pm

Looks like a serious attempt to build a fully integrated quite PC case. The built in HDD case and suspension if it was done correctly looks like it could be a real winner but there is only one of these. It also looks like it will have very good HDD cooling. If someone gets one of these please let us know how good it is.

DryFire · Post by **DryFire** » Sun Oct 10, 2004 12:33 pm

it's like 50GBP (~ 89 usd) on that british site with a seasonic supersilencer 350w?

that's one hell of a deal, especailly if that hd cooler works well.

rpsgc · Post by **rpsgc** » Sun Oct 10, 2004 12:51 pm

59£ with VAT (105$)

But in Germany it's between 85€ and 100€, and in France it's up to 140€ !!

hvengel · Post by **hvengel** » Sun Oct 10, 2004 1:08 pm

Yes I agree the prices for this are very good considering the features. Assuming the it works as advertised.

SevenRedSeven · Post by **SevenRedSeven** » Sun Oct 10, 2004 1:28 pm

Since all 4 fans are exhausting air, Arctic Cooling should at least add dust filters to the air intake on the bottom of the Silentium T1 case.

Otherwise the Arctic Cooling Silentium T1 case becomes the most silent vacuum cleaner available.

SevenRedSeven · Post by **SevenRedSeven** » Sun Oct 10, 2004 1:39 pm

hvengel wrote:Yes I agree the prices for this are very good considering the features. Assuming the it works as advertised.

Seems to work.
http://www.silenthardware.de/forum/inde ... topic=5869
if you don't read german, babelfish translation is funny as hell.

SevenRedSeven · Post by **SevenRedSeven** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 12:21 pm

Both PC Cases:
http://www.arctic-cooling.com/pc_case1.php

Silentium T1:

http://www.arctic-cooling.com/pc_case2.php?idx=4

Silentium T2:

http://www.arctic-cooling.com/pc_case2.php?idx=12

How it works:

Kingcow · Post by **Kingcow** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 6:01 pm

Just wonder will the Silentium better than Antec Sonata?

Kingcow

DryFire · Post by **DryFire** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 6:15 pm

the T2 looks nice. I'd probably buy one when they come stateside unless it gets the worst review ever or something.

acaurora · Post by **acaurora** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 6:19 pm

I was talking to Russ about the cases - i'm not sure if this has already been mentioned before:

The front exhaust part is somewhat fishy to me. Having hot air pulled downward just is weird, and to me inefficient. A simple, more logical mod that would be better, in my opinion, would be to reverse the fan, and have a 90 degree angle duct to blow air inwards.

In addition, I also feel the back may have a problem. Although heat DOES rise as it exists the PSU, the fans, if powerful enough, may suck the warm air back IN!

And as a side note - It's funny how they got a VGA silencer in the diagram, and have a arrow showing cold air coming in from the outside, when the VGA silencer does the exact opposite -.-;;

Let's hope SPCR can get it's lil grubby hands on one of them, (preferably the T2... I am particular to the glossy white - iMac resemblance

)

EDIT: HEY maybe I can use some of that foam used for the packaging for some dampening? Whatchaguys think?

ChucuSCAD · Post by **ChucuSCAD** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 7:01 pm

A case with a solution looking for a problem.

chucuSCAD

pangit · Post by **pangit** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 8:25 pm

That's a bit mean ChucuSCAD!

Actually the problem is heat, and this is just a different way of approaching it.

Whether it works well or not, only a test in the SPCR labs will tell!

Nobody's going to get it right first time, but it's good to see the mainstream manufacturers trying. And some real innovative design there too.

Post by **MikeC** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 9:30 pm

Agreed, Pangit, it IS an interesting design that they've obviously thought a lot about. I, too, welcome the new approach. Some of the details like the upward tilt at the base to the back of the case and the PSU in front, would have required a fair bit of design work. This case could represent a fairly sizeable investment in tooling -- probably many hundreds of thousands of $$ if it is all new.

But the airflow pattern they're trying to create seems a bit convoluted. On the other hand, the proof is in the testing: I've asked for samples. Ditto the big heatpipe HS.

The babelfish link to that http://www.com-tra.de website certainly has some good photos.

-- The PSU looks like a Seasonic SS-350-FS (pre-Super series) model modified with dual -- 60mm (??) fans with the almost frameless A-C design. At least based on the look of the PSU label color -- what little I could see.
-- There's room for only 1 internal HDD plus 2 3.5" external drives and one more with a cover? That makes it not so good for lots of enthusiasts who like to have more drives... but external drives are flooding the market so, maybe it's not such a big deal.
-- the space where the PSU is normally supposed to go seems a bit wasted.

Keeping in mind the highly cost-effective approach of A-C in general, I am guessing that this case is aimed as much toward system integrators as enthusiasts. Perhaps even more for the former. I bet pricing remains very competitive.

Tibors · Post by **Tibors** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 10:36 pm

Very interesting design.

I think the PSU has two 80mm fans. The label on the fans says 3AC and that is a 80mm fan. The specs at www.com-tra.de say it has 4 of the same fans and the fans at the top are definately 80mm. And lastly the fan is almost the same dimension as the depth of the PSU. That side of the PSU is normally 85mm.

acaurora, that arrow is not air entering the VGA silencer from the wrong side, but air entering through the grill right next to the PCI slots.

SevenRedSeven · Post by **SevenRedSeven** » Wed Oct 13, 2004 12:18 am

A Silentium T1 owner from the german silenthardware.de/forum told us that:

1. he can't open the case from both sides because one side is riveted.

2. he can't use the mainboard floppy connector because of the HDD Muffler location.

3. he has difficulties closing the case when using a SATA hard disk because of the SATA connector and cable location. lots of squeezing is required.

Tibors · Post by **Tibors** » Wed Oct 13, 2004 1:08 am

SevenRedSeven wrote:1. he can't open the case from both sides because one side is riveted.

All the Sonata owners on this forum are already accustomed to that.

SevenRedSeven wrote:2. he can't use the mainboard floppy connector because of the HDD Muffler location.

That's not just caused by the location of the muffler. He has a mobo with an angled floppy connector, where the connector+cable sticks outside the size allowed for normal ATX boards. I believe there are boards which do the same with PATA IDE connectors, so a motherboard non-compatibility list might be in order for this case.

SevenRedSeven wrote:3. he has difficulties closing the case when using a SATA hard disk because of the SATA connector and cable location. lots of squeezing is required.

Which he fixed by using a SATA cable with an angled connector.

One positive thing about this case is that mobo's with the CPU socket close to the edge of the board can still fit large CPU heatsinks like the Thermalright XP-120. There is no PSU to block it up there.

dago · Post by **dago** » Wed Oct 13, 2004 4:29 am

Just a comment about "but warm air rises".

I have difficulties remembering my lectures at school, but if I'm not that wrong, when you're using forced convection (read a fan), the natural convection effect is negligible. Of course, YMMV, especially with very low airflow setup, but this really sounds like "Aluminium cases are better for cooling".

Has somebody more precise info/sources on that ?

Apart from that, the price is really attractive (cheapest at around 80€ here).

New PC-Case: Arctic Cooling Silentium

New PC-Case: Arctic Cooling Silentium

Arctic Cooling Silentium T1 and Silentium T2