Help, I'm going insane picking a case

barth2k · Post by **barth2k** » Wed Oct 15, 2003 11:24 pm

I'm going to build a PC I hope to be quiet. I'm more sensitive to noise than the avg. user, but I don't think I'm as picky about it as some of you folks here. So I'm not looking to make the PC silent, just quiet under light load (e.g., not playing 3D game or rendering a video file). I'll use it for both work and gaming (I don't have the money to build a quiet rig and a gaming rig.)

I have basically all the components picked out except the case.

ASUS P4P800 Deluxe
Intel P4C 2.6-2.8Ghz. Possibly O/C to 3.0-3.2
Zalman CNPS7000-Cu
2x256mb Corsair PC3200
MAXTOR 160GB 7200RPM Serial ATA 6Y160M (I know, not as quiet as the Seagate, but as long as I don't hear the drive's contant spin, I'm okay)
ATI all-in-wonder 9800 Pro
plus dvd-rom and dvd+-r,+-rw.

This thing will be warmish

I've been looking at so many web pages and reading so many reviews my eyes are bugging out. But I still can't choose a case. every time I half way settle on a case, like the ahanix dbox or the gmc neo classic, I'd find something negative and scrap it.

Please help me w/ some suggestions: I need something that'll keep all this stuff reasonably cool and run quiet, at least under light load. I'd like it to look nice (yes, I'm shallow), and though not crucial, be light so I can lug it around occasionally. (Oh and I don't like black, so if it's only available in black, it'd have to be really really great.) I'm not able to mod the case in anyway, except maybe swap out a fan for a quieter one, so it just has to be good out of the box.

thanks in advance

ruprag · Post by **ruprag** » Thu Oct 16, 2003 2:26 am

check out http://www.silentpcreview.com/modules.p ... 116&page=1
looks like just what you need (but it is black)

Post by **Ralf Hutter** » Thu Oct 16, 2003 4:16 am

For a great, out of the box case that would be perfect for your system I'd suggest the Antec SLK3700BQE (I know because I'm running almost the exact smae system as you in my own 3700BQE). Except that it's black.

If you really don't want a black case you can get a beige version of this same case but without a door. It's called the "LX-6A19" and is available from Coolcases.com. The stock grills are rather restrictive but you can get the dealer to cut them out for you as part of a package deal on the case. The one for you would probably be the model #CCLXA6-M1-FKFF. This comes w/o a PSU, the front and rear fan grills are punched out, fan mounting holes are drilled, u-channel punch trim is installed, and grommets are installed in overdrilled fan mounting holes. All that for $75! That's a great deal and a fine place to start building your system from. And it ain't black!

cmcquistion · Post by **cmcquistion** » Thu Oct 16, 2003 2:47 pm

I second Ralf's suggestion for the LX-6A19.

I just bought one a while back (not from Coolcases) and I absolutely love this case. It is a very quiet case and is better designed than the SLK3700AMB. I have not had a chance to work with the new SLK3700BQE, though.

The case is rather good, with a couple mods, for maximum quiet (either cut out the grills, yourself, or buy the modded one from Coolcases.)

With your newly modded case, you can use a 120mm exhaust fan, cranked down to lower speed, and you can use a 80 or 92mm fan, suspended with elastic, in the intake hole, for hard drive cooling.

If you need a really, really cheap case, that is quiet, you may want to look into the EverCase 4252. This case is dirt cheap, but it is built well. It only supports 80mm intake and exhaust, so it doesn't have the airflow capability of the LX-6A19, but it is the best case you can get, for it's price.

Tom Brown · Post by **Tom Brown** » Thu Oct 16, 2003 4:31 pm

Here's a case with outstanding air flow.

* Note: The harsh environment cases in this series are pressure treated.

CoolColJ · Post by **CoolColJ** » Thu Oct 16, 2003 6:21 pm

Get a 7000alcu rather than a CU. you save money, weight and at least you don't have to worry about the copper tarnishing and losing cooling capacity

I have no problems running my 2.8c at 3.5 gigahertz stable, and it will infact boot into XP at 2.855 gigahertz

Get a Zalman ZM90c + Op1 optional fan for your card, Works great

You'll need a fan controller - so youc an easily crank if up for max cooling or down for quietness

jweber · Post by **jweber** » Thu Oct 16, 2003 6:51 pm

I only have experience with about a half a dozen cases, but I have alot of experience with this case, CoolerMaster ATC 201C. When I converted the home office network from Dells to custom built machines about a year ago I ended up buying four of them. I was so impressed with them that I gave one to my son (the overclocker) for his birthday. His friend (another over clocker) recently bought one also when he became disappointed by thin gauge of the metal used in his Lian Li and the USB door breaking.

Some thoughts on cases:

It is furniture. The dining room is the location my home office. The case is a piece of furniture. It will always be the visual center of your system.

I am cheap. But CoolerMaster's are not cheap. My thinking was that I wanted to buy a case that would last as long as the form factor will last. Barring some accident, the case should last many upgrade cycles. I am on the second one now. If you shop around you can get a good price on them
http://www.sundialmicro.com/cgi-bin/sun ... d=9F8sLHuw

It is not plastic. I worry about plastic breaking and getting that scummy film on it that is impossible to clean. You can wax the this case. It has a simple elegance.

It is easy to get into. During upgrade cycles I am constantly going into the box. Also, installing a CDR does not require that you remove a faceplate.

It has flexibility for cooling. Four fans. I only use two case fans on my systems, most of them hooked up to an Intel board that has the motherboard controlling fan speed. If I want to experiement with a variety of fan configurations and with fan placement in different places, I can do that.

I have always wondered how the CoolerMaster would rank as a "quiet" case. However, my latest project rig equiped with Intel D865PERLL, P4 2.4 800Mgz, SLK900U, SilenX 400w PSU, Toshiba DVD, Lite ON CDRW, MSI FX5600 (it was so quiet I did not bother to put passive heatsink on it), PCI video card (three monitor setup), Seagate 80GB Serial ATA, Papst N2Gl 80mm CPU fan, one Silenx fan for exhaust and intake. With this system, it is quiet to the point that I have to turn off all noise making devices including the kitchen flourescent lights to hear it. And then I have to put my head adjacent to the box.

I think case selection is the most important part of the system. Whatever you put in it wont last more than a couple of years.

Good luck on your selection!

Ginta · Post by **Ginta** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 12:32 am

If you want to go for the do-it-yourself mod option, Directron offers the Compucase LX-6A19 for $39 + shipping in beige or black. PSU is *not* included, and the lower bezel appears to be sleightly different than the D8000. I'm leaning toward this myself but I'm waiting for the Antec P160 to ship.

barth2k · Post by **barth2k** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 8:12 am

Thanks all for the many suggestions.

I think the 3700BQE fits most of my needs. and relatively inexpensive too. The drawback is the weight (23lbs).

tom brown: I like your box case

coolcolJ: I thought the max for P4C is around 3.4Ghz. How did you get it to 3.5? Did you play with the voltage? What memory are you using?

jweber: the spec on the coolermaster says 5kg (= ~11lbs). Is that about right? How may fans does it come with? I see you're using silenx fans. I take it the built-in fans (if any) are loud? $140 is a bit more than I was hoping to spend on case, but you're right, I don't want to cheap out on the case, which has very good reuse value. Lastly, how does it look "in real life"?

thanks again

Tom Brown · Post by **Tom Brown** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 8:55 am

That isn't my case. That's the work of someone else here on SPCR. I just posted it for laughs.

I have Sonatas and have really been enjoying them. One of the things I like most about it is the high lustre black finish. Tastes vary, I suppose.

The 3700BQE looks to be better than the Sonata from a cooling perspective. Ralf's article on the 3700BQE ought to tell you everything you need to know about that case.

I hope you check back with us once you have something. It's always interesting to hear about the choices and experiences of others.

-- Tom

GamingGod · Post by **GamingGod** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 11:00 am

Careful ur mobo doesnt like most corsair memory. Im using kingston hyperX in mine and it works great.

Post by **Ralf Hutter** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 12:26 pm

GamingGod wrote:Careful ur mobo doesnt like most corsair memory. Im using kingston hyperX in mine and it works great.

GamingGod's correct about the P4P800/Corsair issue. For some reason these boards have a hard time with the Corsair RAM. It may work but I'd choose different RAM if I was you, unless you like troubleshooting hardware problems.

Xstatic · Post by **Xstatic** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 12:52 pm

I sparked up my new BQE this last week, and it has the same innards as your proposed system. I is inaudible from where I sit at the monitor in a v. quiet room.

I suggest the changing out the PSU as I did (i used the Seatronics 300), because you WILL hear the PSU if you don't. I used the seatronic to give me two slow 12cm fans and LOTS of cooling air flow.

Other than having to work on de-coupling my HDD somehow, I like the BQE. But then, I like black.

CoolColJ · Post by **CoolColJ** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 2:50 pm

Ralf Hutter wrote:
GamingGod wrote:Careful ur mobo doesnt like most corsair memory. Im using kingston hyperX in mine and it works great.
GamingGod's correct about the P4P800/Corsair issue. For some reason these boards have a hard time with the Corsair RAM. It may work but I'd choose different RAM if I was you, unless you like troubleshooting hardware problems.

I have no issues with my P4P800 with Corsair memory (Twin X XMS4000 1gig). In fact Corsair test their ram with Asus and Abit motherboards

And I can even run my system at high overclock bus speeds with aggressive memory timings. Which is unusual as DDR500 memory is not designed for fast timings.

jweber · Post by **jweber** » Fri Oct 17, 2003 6:05 pm

The weight of the CoolerMaster sounds about right. It is a light case. The case comes with 4 fans. Mine had YS Tech FD1281253S fans that push 28 cfm at 22.5 db. Not loud, but swapping fans is fun. Only the exhaust fan had rpm sensing and a connector for the motherboard.

Here is a link that has some pictures

http://www.phamcomputer.com/coolermaste ... c201c.html

I would second the caution on the Corsair memory. I had alot of problems with two sticks of CMX512-3200. They would work at 533mhz but would not work 800mhz. It seems that the problem was that they were different version numbers (one ver 1 and one ver 2) which created compatability problems. I bought the memory at different times. I returned the memory to Corsair and they sent back two sticks (now they are on ver 3). That memory works fine. They did not send me the TWINX match set, darn it. After going through the hassle of troubleshooting memory compatability problems I would consider buying a match set in the future. Regardless, of what brand I would choose.

I have been attracted to Corsair in the past because of their reputation. I think the compatibiltiy problems has tarnished that a bit.

Post by **Ralf Hutter** » Sat Oct 18, 2003 3:56 am

jweber wrote:I have been attracted to Corsair in the past because of their reputation. I think the compatibiltiy problems has tarnished that a bit.

Don't blame Corsair, it's not really their fault. These 875/865 chipsets have been giving all the manufacturers headaches. They're just incredibly picky about RAM.

It's really a crapshoot to try and pick RAM that will run fast and stable in any given 875/865 boards. Some boards tend to be more picky than others, and certain brands and types of RAM seen to be more finicky too. And sometimes that combo (in the case of the P4P800 and Corsair for one example) will bite you if you're not lucky.