Should I try to quiet current case or just get a better one?

Enclosures and acoustic damping to help quiet them.

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amdsilencer
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Jan 17, 2005 11:49 am

Should I try to quiet current case or just get a better one?

Post by amdsilencer » Thu Feb 10, 2005 7:55 am

I'm looking to quiet the noise and I'm wondering if it would be better to get a new case than trying to quiet my current one.

This is the case I currently have.
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDe ... 001&depa=1

I imagine I would be better off with a 120mm fan exhaust and something made out of thicker material.

Should I start looking for a better case or try to work with what I've got?

Thanks all.

Blappo
Posts: 85
Joined: Thu May 27, 2004 10:21 am
Location: Waterloo, ON

Post by Blappo » Thu Feb 10, 2005 8:00 am

Try identifying what is making the noise in your current PC. The WD HDDs in my PC are making a high pitch whine. I've moved them into a Antec SLK3000B case and they are just as loud (still waiting for rest of components to arrive).

Using quieter components in the first place is a better way of quieting your PC than switching to a quieter case. Unfortunately it is more expensive.

Edit: A different case may have less restrictive grills, allow for 120mm fans, or have enough space to suspend HDDs. This could make your PC quieter. Also I believe windows let out more noise than a steel side panel. So a new case could help, but first find out why your PC is noisy.

Morpheusman
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Joined: Mon May 19, 2003 11:18 am

Post by Morpheusman » Thu Feb 10, 2005 10:33 am

Blappo is right, "using quieter components in the first place is a better way of quieting your PC than switching to a quieter case," so I'd focus on finding the source of the noise before swapping components (including the case).

If the case is the problem, you can try replacing restrictive grills with fan gaurds, and strategically placed dampening and/or sound absorbing materials. I've been very pleased with the results I've obtained by modifying inexpensive Ahanix and GMC cases, so don't count your current case out unless you really just want something different, or are not interested in putting the time or expense into modifications.

Whether or not you replace your case, or any other component in your current rig, should depend more on how much you like those components compared to other alternatives vs. how much effort it would take to make it quiet.

amdsilencer
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Jan 17, 2005 11:49 am

Post by amdsilencer » Sat Feb 12, 2005 11:42 am

Thanks for the replies everyone. My main noise is coil whine and fan noise. I know the 80mm fans that came with the case aren't great so I'm looking for some better ones but I also think the grills are part of the problem too.

I'm working on solving that noise as well but I figured a better case would also help. I need to get another case for an older computer so I thought it may make more sense to use my current case for that one and find something better to replace it.

Thunder
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Location: Bay Area Ca.

Post by Thunder » Sat Feb 12, 2005 2:13 pm

I had that case and buying a new one was the best thing I ever did.

Morpheusman
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Joined: Mon May 19, 2003 11:18 am

Post by Morpheusman » Sat Feb 12, 2005 10:22 pm

Thunder wrote:I had that case and buying a new one was the best thing I ever did.
There you have it.

You can't beat advice from someone with personal experience with the exact same case.

mathias
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Post by mathias » Sun Feb 13, 2005 7:39 am

If you need an extra case anyway then why not?

charlaph
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Post by charlaph » Wed Feb 23, 2005 3:14 am

I had a cheap £30 Codegen case with 3x80mm case fan mounts. I spent more on quiet fans, fanbuses, quiet heatsinks etc.. than I did on the case and at the end of it all I still wasn't happy with noise levels, so I bought an Antec SLK3700AMB which was quieter straight out of the box.

The main problem was temps. I could quiet everything down in the Codegen, but temps went right up due to the poor airflow through the case with the 80mm fans turning slowly. Running the Antec at similar noise levels, the temps are lower by anything up to 15°C. I can then turn the fans down further on the Antec without worrying about overheating, meaning noise levels go even lower.

If you have noisy components in the case then you'd be better off replacing them with quieter ones, it might be enough. If the system is still too noisy then get a better case. All a better case will do is allow you to run the system fans slower/quieter. If you've got a really noisy PSU/VGA/HD then it won't help.

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