Alternative to Antec SOLO?

rpsgc · Post by **rpsgc** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 1:19 am

Hello,

I would love to get myself a SOLO but it's a bit expensive (96 â‚¬) and the budget is tight so I'm trying to find a cheaper alternative. I've read the cases recommendations but it's a tad outdated... What do you recommend?

Forget the P180/182 and SOLO/P150... what's the next best thing?

UPDATE: Now that I was really going to buy a SOLO... it just had to happen

It's out of stock everywhere! And noone [stores] knows when they'll be back in stock

So... I love the SOLO but I'm just not going to wait for weeks and weeks for it.

The P182 is still too expensive (not to mention overkill) to me... so what now? I'm royally screwed.

ddrueding1 · Post by **ddrueding1** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 1:35 am

Frequently prices/availability of products varies significantly from one country to the next. Why don't you post some links to cases you can get that are in your range, and we'll help you pick amongst them?

burebista · Post by **burebista** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 1:51 am

NSK6000? Nexus Caterpillar?

rpsgc · Post by **rpsgc** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 2:02 am

Antec NSK6000 - 48 â‚¬ (although I don't see how it's any better than my SLK3000B)
Coolermaster Centurion 5 Black - 61 â‚¬ (same as above)
Coolermaster Centurion 534 Black - 58 â‚¬
Coolermaster CM 690 - 83 â‚¬
Lian Li PC-G50 - 77 â‚¬
Lian Li PC-G7 - 82 â‚¬
Nox Coolbay 25 - 58 â‚¬ (Aerocool Masstige-25 copy)

Nexus Caterpillar is not available and I doubt it'll ever be. *sigh*
If you give me some good suggestions I might be able to get it... one way or another.

rpsgc · Post by **rpsgc** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 2:55 pm

So...

Konnetikut · Post by **Konnetikut** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 9:18 pm

burebista wrote:Nexus Caterpillar?

Well, well.
Not so cheap after all.

ddrueding1 · Post by **ddrueding1** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 11:46 pm

rpsgc wrote:Antec NSK6000 - 48 â‚¬ (although I don't see how it's any better than my SLK3000B)

Agreed.

rpsgc wrote:Coolermaster Centurion 5 Black - 61 â‚¬ (same as above)

Ginormous window. It's actually not that bad once you completely cover it with a layer of Dynamat Extreme, it looks pretty cool

rpsgc wrote:Coolermaster Centurion 534 Black - 58 â‚¬
Coolermaster CM 690 - 83 â‚¬

Both look promising. Has a significant number of intake/exhaust locations to choose from; just block off the ones you don't use so noise doesn't escape.

rpsgc wrote:Lian Li PC-G50 - 77
Lian Li PC-G7 - 82 â‚¬

All Lian-Li cases that I have had have the same flaw. They put a fan in front that magically draws air from...nowhere! The intake is completely blocked! It just sits there and spins and makes noise. These look like they have the same problem.

rpsgc wrote:Nox Coolbay 25 - 58 â‚¬ (Aerocool Masstige-25 copy)

Looks a lot like an Antec 900 (I own a few). Great cooling, does not contain any noise. Unless your components are silent, this computer won't be.

Hope that helps.

rpsgc · Post by **rpsgc** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 1:36 am

ddrueding1 wrote:Hope that helps.

It does. Thanks for the feedback!

thejamppa · Post by **thejamppa** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 6:11 am

rpsgc wrote:Antec NSK6000 - 48 â‚¬ (although I don't see how it's any better than my SLK3000B)

if I am not mistaken, NSK6000 has 2x 92mm front fans and single 120mm exhaust. Other than that, its SLK3000B with different colour scheme and without door.

rpsgc · Post by **rpsgc** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 1:41 am

Anyone else has any feedback on the case with the 220mm side fan? Or any other similar to it.

Maybe I should just keep my SLK3000B?

roadie · Post by **roadie** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 1:51 am

I'd keep the 3000B. I've owned both it and the Solo, and the 3000B is a great case. Although it doesn't look as nice as the Solo, it is extremely competitive in silence terms and probably has superior cooling potential.

I blocked the upper vent on the side panel and filtered the lower one, which gave a great direct cold air supply to the graphics card and CPU. A slow spinning front 120mm fan kept the hard drives cool and a slow spinning rear 120mm fan and PSU fan exhausted the hot air. It's a great design.

rpsgc · Post by **rpsgc** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 1:58 am

Thing is... I don't know if the SLK3000B is the right case for a ATI HD2900PRO

roadie · Post by **roadie** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 6:19 am

It would be perfect; there's a socking great hole right in the side panel next to where the 2900 would be sucking in air!

rpsgc · Post by **rpsgc** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 6:32 am

I guess it could work. Maybe I'll spend the money on a HR-03 instead, to sooth the roaring beast (noisy!).

rpsgc · Post by **rpsgc** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 2:15 am

Some pics of the CM 690

PSU foam spacer:
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Cool ... psubay.jpg

Rubber feet:
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Cool ... erfoot.jpg

HDD plastic (vibration free?) trays:
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Cool ... dtrays.jpg
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Cool ... ddtray.jpg
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Cool ... filled.jpg

Full review:
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/CoolerMaster/RC_690/

Would those "silence" oriented features really make a difference?

Torajirou · Post by **Torajirou** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 8:25 am

I see you included a case that costs 83â‚¬. My Solo cost me 85â‚¬ (Belgium). Maybe if you look a bit harder... This case is really worth its price

rpsgc · Post by **rpsgc** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 9:46 am

Torajirou wrote:I see you included a case that costs 83â‚¬. My Solo cost me 85â‚¬ (Belgium). Maybe if you look a bit harder... This case is really worth its price

Cheapest place is 96 â‚¬ with shipping. The two (yes, 2) other stores that sell it charge 95 â‚¬ for it, sans shipping... *grumbles*

rpsgc · Post by **rpsgc** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 11:31 am

Bringing it back from the dead for reasons stated in the OP.

What case can even come close to the SOLO? (P182 doesn't count) The Coolermaster CM690? Lian Li G50? *shudders* NZXT Hush?

I'm leaning towards the CM690 but I don't know...

mcoleg · Post by **mcoleg** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 6:48 pm

not sure how "silent" the recent iterations would be but in-win makes some very solid cases for about half the price of antec.

there was some buzz about their micro-atx a while ago; i am talking about regular atx.

"solid" is pretty much their selling point. thick steel is not too prone to vibrations.

would need some work silencing hard drives and such but that's pretty much as it's with most cheaper cases.

aBo · Post by **aBo** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 5:44 am

Ordering from Germany makes sense if you're getting more than the case. http://geizhals.at/eu/a209341.html