Deciding on a case

[Licaon]

I'm thinking of replacing my 5 years old case.

My current system:
cpu: AMD Athlon64 X2 5200+ (Windsor rev. F3) 2x2600MHz@2800MHz L2:2x1Mb 65W skt. AM2
cooler: Scythe Ninja Plus Rev. B w/ Scythe DFS122512L @ 750rpm BIOS control
m/b: MSI K9A2 CF-F Rev. 1.00 BIOS v1.05
mem: Mushkin 2x1Gb DDR2-800 4-5-5-12
gpu: Gainward nVidia 8600GT GoldenSample 256Mb DDR3 625MHz/1800MHz w/ Arctic Cooling Accelero S1 Rev. 2
snd: Creative Labs AudigyLS
hdd1: Seagate 250Gb 16Mb SATA2
hdd2: Samsung 320Gb 16Mb SATA2
dvd: LG GSA-H10A@H10N
psu: Corsair VX450W
case: noname dec. 2002 ( size HxWxD: 43cm x 19cm x 46cm )
fans 1 front in + 1 back out: Nexus Real Silent Case Fan DF1209SL-3 @ 7V ( mounted on 80mm holes )




My options:

Thermaltake Wing RS100 price: USD $37
pros:
-as big as my current case
-the front/back could accomodate either 80/92/120m fans
-the hdds can be cooled by the front fan
-the front bezel has ventilation holes on the side
-cheapest option

cons:
-no idea about build quality
-unknown back fan rated 17dBA@1300rpm (at what distance?). but will be replaced with one of my current Nexus 92mm fans anyway
-hard drive mounting system looks like it will transfer alot of vibrations and doesn't look like it could be removed so i can suspend the drives.
-air guide/opening on side panel, but will be blocked since it's useless on my Ninja


Antec NSK4000 price: USD $67
pros:
-Antec cases are loved by SPCR
-removable hard drive cage with silicone grommets for mounting
-back 120mm TriCool fan
-cheapest Antec available

cons:
-hard drives are not cooled by the front fan
-front intake is only 80mm
-smaller than my current case but has a width of 20cm, so the Ninja would fit
-the smaller size would get the S1 too close to the hard drives if i moved them lower near the front fan
-air guide/opening on side panel, but will be blocked since it's useless on my Ninja
-back only for 120mm fan


Recom Midnight Case price: USD $51
pros:
-way bigger than my current case
-the front/back could accomodate either 80/92/120m fans
-hard drives can be cooled by the front fan

cons:
-no idea about build quality
-hard drive mounting system looks like it will transfer alot of vibrations and doesn't look like it could be removed so i can suspend the drives.
-air guide/opening on side panel, but will be blocked since it's useless on my Ninja


Spire SP7090B - BlackFin price: USD $53
pros:
-as big as my current case
-the back could accomodate either 80/92/120m fans
-hard drives could be cooled by the front fan if one would exist ( can't see that in the pictures )

cons:
-no idea about build quality
-hard drive mounting system looks like it will transfer alot of vibrations and doesn't look like it could be removed so i can suspend the drives.
-air guide/opening on side panel, but will be blocked since it's useless on my Ninja or not... i have no idea actually
-the description says: "Designed for a 80mm, a 90mm fan and a 120mm fan", the side panel can hold a 120mm fan, the back looks like it could get any fan 80/92/120... what do they mean ?


Akasa Zen Black price: USD $70
pros:
-bigger than my current case
-the front/back could accomodate 120m fans, included, 2x120mm fans, sleeve bearing, rated 23.1 dB(A)@1200 RPM/47.98 CFM (at what distance?)
-hard drives can be cooled by the front fan

cons:
-air guide/opening on side panel, but will be blocked since it's useless on my Ninja
-front/back intake only for 120mm fan
-hard drive mounting system looks like it will transfer alot of vibrations and doesn't look like it could be removed so i can suspend the drives.
-priced even above the Antec NSK4400, and almost twice as much as the Thermaltake


these are my options
i'll get a case from either eMag.ro or dc-shop.ro ( has only the Thermaltake )
BTW the currency is USD $1 = 2.31 RON/LEI

ideas?
10x

others:

RAIDMAX Ares (pics on Newegg) price: USD $39
pros:
-as big as my current case
-the front/back could accomodate either 92/120m fans
-hard drives can be cooled by the front fan

cons:
-no idea about build quality
-hard drive mounting system looks like it will transfer alot of vibrations and doesn't look like it could be removed so i can suspend the drives.
-air guide/opening on side panel, but will be blocked since it's useless on my Ninja

[Matija]

I can only recommend that you stay away from the Antec. It would be a very decent case if it wasn't for the idiotic shroud+plate on the top that make cable management a living nightmare.

See my post in this thread:

viewtopic.php?t=47315

It's hard to buy a proper case these days...

[Yomat]

Nice evaulation there. Although, cant say if any of them is much better than the other.

I've also tried to look around for alternative cases but it seem like noone comes close to SOLO/P18x. Other cases are just too compromising. For instance, you cant have both a light case and good vibration insulating case. One have to chose. Also you cant have a swiss cheese style case with random holes everywhere and expect good airflow control.

Of course with modding you can turn almost any case into something useful. Just comes down to how much work + change-money you want to spend. For instance it might be better to pick a cheaper case without fans and buy good fans instead of buying the more expensive case with included disputable fans.

[NeilBlanchard]

Greetings & welcome to SPCR!

I try to judge cases by their efficiency of air flow; especially through the front bezel. My benchmarks are the Evercase 4252 and the Antec Solo -- they can be run w/o front fans to cool the HD's (unless your room is very warm and/or your drive(s) run warmer than typical).

After that hurdle is passed, then I'd look at sturdiness -- resonance is a pain to deal with, and a strong case is the best solution. On this, the Solo is my benchmark, with it's 1mm (and 0.8mm?) steel construction, and the side panel dampening.

To make a long response short: some of those cases are reasonable (but not optimal), and others are (probably) lousy.

[Licaon]

i knew i should of made a poll

@Matija: thanks for the links, the pics really show me that the Antec NSK4000 is way too small, my hard drives would be hiting the S1

@Yomat: modding the Thermaltake is an option

@NeilBlanchard: some of those cases weren't even review by anyone, so i can't really tell anything about the steel construction, not to mention resonance or airflow

when i built my system, in february/march 2008, my options were either the Corsair VX450W + some case or the Antec NSK6580 (with the EarthWatts 430), i choose the first option, i feel kinda sorry now

anyway i'll do my purchase next monday, 5 May, so there's plenty of time to decide

[Plekto]

I found an older Antec SLK3700. No side opening(!). Very solid and quiet case. You will need to toss the included fan and install two quiet 120mm fans, though.

It's not a P182, but it's a very good design. 4 5.25 drive bays, 2 front 3.5 bays, and 4 3.5 drives in a removable bay that has the intake fan blowing over it.(yay!)

The intake and exhaust fan grilles and such(the intake has a silly filter) of course need to be removed and cut out.

My only "con" was that fitting a 120mm fan grille was impossible on the rear. No biggie, though, since I don't put my fingers in it...

Oh - the included power supply was junk. Just swap your current one in.

[Licaon]

added the Raidmax Ares to the list, as with others i can't see from where does the front fan gets it air

oh, BTW while P18x/Solo/ect look nice, having to pay for the case more than my CPU or more than both my hard drives is not an option, at least not for me anyway.

[Yomat]

Just remember the extra modding cost when comparing to p18x/solo/etc.

I'm not sure if you have them available but back when I joined this forum Compucase/HEC had a few models that were ok for low budget silence buffs. 6A19 and 6A21. They spot 0.8mm thick metal (think most cases you looked at were 0.7mm) .. 2 120mm fans, simple HD grommet damping. The HD cage is also in the proper direction and removable. Only big drawbacks are the side holes with the newer versions and stupid fan mounting and air contstriction that most probably has to be modded away with some cutting and drilling.

[Licaon]

looks like i should consider some other cases too:
-Antec P150/SOLO ~129$
-Nexus Caterpillar ( does my Ninja rev. B fit in this case?? ) ~92$
-Coolermaster CM 690 ~101$

[NeilBlanchard]

Hello,

I think the Antec Solo is the best case for you. Your drives are suspended in your current case, and the Solo is the only case you can buy with stock suspension. It adds much better air flow, sturdy steel construction, dampened side panels, and excellent cable management; all stock.

[snark_be]

Check also the Silverstone Kublai series. The KL-02 for instance looks great and is nice to use.
I have the KL-01 (with a door) and it's nice to use and pretty silent. The HDs are mounted in racks with rubber grommets. It has front and back 12cm fans. The front one can be removed when the system is on. One of the HD racks has hotswap support (if the motherboard and OS support it too).

[Licaon]

well i finally got the Antec Solo



some gripes with this build:

-my ide cable blocks the whole cable management system, except the front case connectors , so i put all the in the 3 free 5"25 bays, and zip-tied the main ATX cable and the 6 pin molex to the case cause they're pretty rigid and kept going back towards the cooler;

-the Antec cooler is pretty bad ( from the "Quiet computing"(TM) perspective anyway ) even on LOW it becomes the noisiest component on my system with a constant growl sound; anyway today i did order a black/white Nexus Real Silent 120mm that's coming on monday to replace the TriCool.

-about that vertical opening in the back, should i block it or not?

-should i open more tabs ( or whatever are called those small metal plates in the back of the case where one fits the video/audio/network card) for my S1 ?

-would the Nexus be enough for cooling? if i stop the mounted Scythe from the Ninja ( in the front space I've got 2 Nexus 92mm@7V )

-it seems that my Corsair VX450W makes a high pitched sound ( but i can only hear it if i put my ear in the back of the PSU) should i be worried?

-there is a 3 or 4 degrees Celsius difference between the idle temperature of the 2 CPU cores... is this normal? or should i reapply the cooler?

and another thing
this Nexus 92mm was in the back of the old case, the sticker above the motor has swollen is this ok?

[NeilBlanchard]

The sticker is no problem -- you might even be able to oil the bearing?

You would have been slightly better off buying a Scythe Slipstream 800RPM fan, rather than the Nexus.

There's all sorts of space on the back side of the drive bays -- did you take the right side of the case off? The IDE cable can go flat against the right side and the ATX cable could go behind the mobo tray?

[Licaon]

The sticker is no problem -- you might even be able to oil the bearing?

i know, hope this it's not a problem too soon

You would have been slightly better off buying a Scythe Slipstream 800RPM fan, rather than the Nexus.

unfortunately i can get many Scythe fans ( http://pcbay.ro/produse/19-componente/2 ... %5E63%5E63 ) but not the 800rpm version
anyway, according to the new tests ( when will the recomended section be updated? ) the Nexus and the Scythe have pretty much the same performance

There's all sorts of space on the back side of the drive bays -- did you take the right side of the case off? The IDE cable can go flat against the right side and the ATX cable could go behind the mobo tray?

i've already got the front connectors arranged back there, the ATX cable it's way too long and rigid to get it back there. i've put everything as best as i could, maybe if i'll see how others managed their cables in the Solo/P150 i'll have better ideas, it's pretty ok at the moment anyway

[bgavin]

I am having very good luck undervolting Panaflo fans in the Solo drive bay front mounting area. I have two 92mm 12H that are noisy are full voltage, but very quiet at 5v. I use a pin removal tool, and simply move the red and black fan leads from the 12v to the 5v side of the Molex connector.

When front mounted, the typical fan tail is not long enough to reach the board connectors, so I replace the 3-pin fan tail with a 4-pin Molex and use a spare PSU connector.

As noted in the SPCR reviews, the Panaflo has a very faint clicking at 5v, if you put your ear down close. For my business machine installations, this is a non-problem. I am also running the Antec 3-way fan on LOW, and it moves quite a bit of air without being objectionably loud. The two higher settings make too much noise.

I have not tested the TriCool at 5v. The manual says 5v is the minimum required to start the fan. It also says the TriCool circuitry further reduces the voltage. My Zalman Fan Mate reduces 12.1v down to 10.5v at full speed, so if the Antec is similar, this will probably reduce the voltage below 5v. I will take measurements of the TriCool and post them here.

[Licaon]

final setup (for now ):


thats: 2x92mm Nexus fan @7V front in and 1x120mm Nexus fan @7V back out

[Yomat]

-it seems that my Corsair VX450W makes a high pitched sound ( but i can only hear it if i put my ear in the back of the PSU) should i be worried?

Its called 'coil whine' and is usually nothing to worry about. Some units have it worse than others though. If its very loud it might be reason for RMA. You can read up on that in the forum. Most people stop there however and consider the ability to hear it a sign of a quiet computer.

[Licaon]

-it seems that my Corsair VX450W makes a high pitched sound ( but i can only hear it if i put my ear in the back of the PSU) should i be worried?

Its called 'coil whine' and is usually nothing to worry about. Some units have it worse than others though. If its very loud it might be reason for RMA. You can read up on that in the forum. Most people stop there however and consider the ability to hear it a sign of a quiet computer.

in the old case i did not hear it, well atleast not over the noise of the Scythe SLIP STREAM SY1225SL12M mounted on the Ninja and running at 750rpm by BIOS control
now that i only use one Nexus 120mm in the back of the case, noise is lower and sometimes late at night i can hear some coil whinning