Antec Sonata PSU fan noise +
Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Lawrence Lee, Devonavar
I hear you. The ironic thing for me is that after going through all of the choosing process, buying and building a machine, which, as aside from the not-so-quiet aspects, is blazingly fast, I am using a used HP Vectra that I bought off of ebay to write this post. The reason I mention this is that this is by far the quietest computer I have ever heard in my life. It has one fan (PSU) that makes barely a whisper and the HD is nearly silent. THIS is what I was shooting for initially when I bought the Sonata. Of course this machine doesn't have 2 massive HD's. a P4 processor, etc., etc. but without even trying I have a machine that I can be in the same room with and literally have to try and hear! Anyway, I'll hopefully get the Sonata to a point where I can be somewhat at peace with it--new PSU, damping material, and down the road when I feel ambitious enough to scrape thermal pad, a new quiet mode heat sink/fan combo. Good luck to you too whatever you have to do to get to that "power computer that's quiet"... point.
While I have to agree that the Sonata PSU isn't the quietest out there, it definitely is not as noisy as you make it out to be. As documented elsewhere in the forums, the Sonata PSU has the bad habit of ramping up fan speed rather quickly. My personal experiences have also shown that to be the case on a high load system.
Please remember when critizing the PSU that the Sonata is a somewhat small case and high temperatures with inadequate PSU cooling WILL shorten PSU life considerably, resulting in failing PSUs that take out just about everything with it.
There ARE quieter PSUs out there. Please remember that any product is a compromise between features & price. Personally I think the Sonata hits a good spot there. So do a lot of other people, I would guess, looking at the number of favorite posts on this forum.
You may choose to get a quieter PSU or you may go ahead and modify your 380s. As far as I remember, nowhere in this forum has it been suggested that the Sonata PSU was excellent right out of the box. Come to think of it, probably none of the regulars of this site use ANY brand PSU in stock form
As for the Sonata itself, while it's not the best case out there, it does have a number of features geared specifically towards quietness. For example the rear 120mm fan grill, made of honeycomb style, with raised portions to keep the grill as far away from the fan as possible. Grommeted drive rails, minimum use of rivets to lower vibration noise, etc, etc., you've read the review. Thus the marketing claims, which IMO are a better match than say the Vantec Stealth or a number of others listed in our "Dubious Marketing" thread. Remember, nothing is quiet out-of-the-box (ARMs excluded )
Personally, right now, I'm quite happy with my current setup with a Acoustifan modified Antec PSU. The system loads about 250W onto the PSU. The loudest thing in my setup is the 120mm acoustifan doing 1100 rpm.
As I'm very fond of saying, once you start down the dark path, nothing is quiet enough.
Please remember when critizing the PSU that the Sonata is a somewhat small case and high temperatures with inadequate PSU cooling WILL shorten PSU life considerably, resulting in failing PSUs that take out just about everything with it.
There ARE quieter PSUs out there. Please remember that any product is a compromise between features & price. Personally I think the Sonata hits a good spot there. So do a lot of other people, I would guess, looking at the number of favorite posts on this forum.
You may choose to get a quieter PSU or you may go ahead and modify your 380s. As far as I remember, nowhere in this forum has it been suggested that the Sonata PSU was excellent right out of the box. Come to think of it, probably none of the regulars of this site use ANY brand PSU in stock form
As for the Sonata itself, while it's not the best case out there, it does have a number of features geared specifically towards quietness. For example the rear 120mm fan grill, made of honeycomb style, with raised portions to keep the grill as far away from the fan as possible. Grommeted drive rails, minimum use of rivets to lower vibration noise, etc, etc., you've read the review. Thus the marketing claims, which IMO are a better match than say the Vantec Stealth or a number of others listed in our "Dubious Marketing" thread. Remember, nothing is quiet out-of-the-box (ARMs excluded
)Personally, right now, I'm quite happy with my current setup with a Acoustifan modified Antec PSU. The system loads about 250W onto the PSU. The loudest thing in my setup is the 120mm acoustifan doing 1100 rpm.
As I'm very fond of saying, once you start down the dark path, nothing is quiet enough.
I agree with everything you say. I kind of wonder about something though. There was a favorable review of the TruePower 380 here in Silentpcreview about a year and a half ago.
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article61-page1.html
I've got to think that there is no way that they would miss the tickiness of that fan, as a recent review of the Zalman ZM400B PSU noted a clickety sound of the fan at low RPM's.
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article153-page1.html
Maybe the current line of Antec fan installations for the 380 have this ticky tendency.
I was considering buying that Zalman but the clickety note in the review dissuaded me.
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article61-page1.html
I've got to think that there is no way that they would miss the tickiness of that fan, as a recent review of the Zalman ZM400B PSU noted a clickety sound of the fan at low RPM's.
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article153-page1.html
Maybe the current line of Antec fan installations for the 380 have this ticky tendency.
I was considering buying that Zalman but the clickety note in the review dissuaded me.
burcakb
let me qualify my previous statement...I agree with everything you say except that the 380 isn't as noisy as I make it out to be. For me, and for some others, it's annoying enough that one guy tried to take the whole case back and gave up when they wanted a 20% restocking fee, others have modded theirs and I am probably going to purchase a new one to replace this one. Yeah, the case is great for the most part otherwise but, at least as far as the 380 PSU I got, I think I would have rather had a stock off-the-shelf PSU with no claims of quieteness as long as it didn't tick!
let me qualify my previous statement...I agree with everything you say except that the 380 isn't as noisy as I make it out to be. For me, and for some others, it's annoying enough that one guy tried to take the whole case back and gave up when they wanted a 20% restocking fee, others have modded theirs and I am probably going to purchase a new one to replace this one. Yeah, the case is great for the most part otherwise but, at least as far as the 380 PSU I got, I think I would have rather had a stock off-the-shelf PSU with no claims of quieteness as long as it didn't tick!
Just an update on my disappointing experience with my new Sonata case.
Firstly I have replaced the PSU fan with an unbranded fan from an old cheap PSU and although subjectively it may seem slightly louder the ticking has gone - hurrah! The next step will be trying an Acoustifan tomorrow. Any tips in this area would be appreciated burcakb .
Secondly I'd like to explain where I'm coming from regarding my critisism of this case. Burcakb makes many good points in defence of the Sonata but I feel he is coming from the 'SilentPC' enthusiast's point of view rather than that of an average consumer.
As I stated earlier I had great fun tweaking an old case to the point of near silence but it looked rough so I just wanted to buy for a one off payment a completed Quiet Case. This to my mind is how the Sonata is marketed and nothing I ever read in any review contradicted this.
I admit now if I had read what I have discovered in these forums I wouldn't have touched the case with a bargepole. If the Sonata was sold on the basis of being some sort of 'starter system' on which a quiet PC could be built then fair enough. But then why sell it with a distinctly unquiet PSU? It doesn't make sense. An enthusiast would know it's failings and avoid it and Joe Public who wants a quiet machine will be disappointed
I don't really know where to go with this case now. New PSU? New fans? Acoustifoam? New mortgage to pay for it all? I think I will have to start again, so any suggestions for a good case would be welcome.
Firstly I have replaced the PSU fan with an unbranded fan from an old cheap PSU and although subjectively it may seem slightly louder the ticking has gone - hurrah! The next step will be trying an Acoustifan tomorrow. Any tips in this area would be appreciated burcakb
.Secondly I'd like to explain where I'm coming from regarding my critisism of this case. Burcakb makes many good points in defence of the Sonata but I feel he is coming from the 'SilentPC' enthusiast's point of view rather than that of an average consumer.
As I stated earlier I had great fun tweaking an old case to the point of near silence but it looked rough so I just wanted to buy for a one off payment a completed Quiet Case. This to my mind is how the Sonata is marketed and nothing I ever read in any review contradicted this.
I admit now if I had read what I have discovered in these forums I wouldn't have touched the case with a bargepole. If the Sonata was sold on the basis of being some sort of 'starter system' on which a quiet PC could be built then fair enough. But then why sell it with a distinctly unquiet PSU? It doesn't make sense. An enthusiast would know it's failings and avoid it and Joe Public who wants a quiet machine will be disappointed
I don't really know where to go with this case now. New PSU? New fans? Acoustifoam? New mortgage to pay for it all? I think I will have to start again, so any suggestions for a good case would be welcome.
Hehehe, the above results are why we tell everybody to read the recommended lists & reviews first
I'm VERY satisfied with the acoustifan for the moment. But really, today is the first time I've subjected the system to heavy use (folding 100% CPU use with 28C+ ambients for 15 hours straight. If when I get home the whole thing hasn't crashed I'll update with the good news. I'll even post the pictures of how I did it.
There's another user here who pioneered the use of Acoustifans, EdwardNG and I'm sure he'll drop in shortly
As for the annoying click, since you're both so annoyed, I've started thinking maybe something with the fan has really changed. I was troubled with not the clicking but with bearing (plastic against plastic rubbing sound) noise. If you look around a little, most noise references in this site are given relative to a Panaflo L1A 80mm fan at x volts. Now that was in the past as Panaflo has shifted production from Japan to China and the Chinaflo's as they are called here are reputed to click. Maybe a similar thing happened to the Sonata.
As for the Sonata, if I could get one, I'd have preferred a 3700BQE or better still a 3700AMB. I've often found myself cursing at the limited insides of the Sonata
I'm VERY satisfied with the acoustifan for the moment. But really, today is the first time I've subjected the system to heavy use (folding 100% CPU use with 28C+ ambients for 15 hours straight. If when I get home the whole thing hasn't crashed I'll update with the good news. I'll even post the pictures of how I did it.
There's another user here who pioneered the use of Acoustifans, EdwardNG and I'm sure he'll drop in shortly
As for the annoying click, since you're both so annoyed, I've started thinking maybe something with the fan has really changed. I was troubled with not the clicking but with bearing (plastic against plastic rubbing sound) noise. If you look around a little, most noise references in this site are given relative to a Panaflo L1A 80mm fan at x volts. Now that was in the past as Panaflo has shifted production from Japan to China and the Chinaflo's as they are called here are reputed to click. Maybe a similar thing happened to the Sonata.
As for the Sonata, if I could get one, I'd have preferred a 3700BQE or better still a 3700AMB. I've often found myself cursing at the limited insides of the Sonata
GAH! I replaced the fan, but now the thing is making coil whine. It's noticable when the processor is loaded, when running Prime95 or folding at home. It's very high pitched and easy to block out because it's not real loud, but it bugs me when I try to sleep at night. So I guess I'll have to uprade to a more quiet psu.
Here's a link to my fan swap pictures. They're a bit high res so I didn't want to put them up directly.
http://burcakbaskan.com/Albums/AcoustifanMod/index.htm
I'm very pleased with the results. The PSU is simply inaudiable. With 27C ambient, the PSU ramps up to 8.31 V for the fan-only line. While it looks a bit high, consider the high ambient temp. Turning on the A/C (set for 24C) gets it down to 7.6 V. I can't seem to get rpm counts. Probably the line connection wasn't proper. Those contacts aren't soldered, just winded together and then taped.
If it wasn't for the lowish fan voltage, I might get worried about the heat. Exhaust air is definitely hot. Not burn-your-hand-if-held-too-long hot but still hot.
Current noise list:
1. Acoustifan 120mm at 1100 rpm ties with Zalman 7000A-Cu set to low 1400 rpm
2. Arctic VGA Silencer set to low
3. Hard drives (Sata Seagate 120s suspended with elastic cord)
4. Not the PSU because I can't hear the thing !
Time for some creative Zalman fan swaps. Now if only I could find a cheap and quiet 92mm fan....
PS: Be warned. It's bloody damn difficult to remove the PSU for a mod with the mobo & Zalman cooler in place. Damn the cramped sonata insides.
http://burcakbaskan.com/Albums/AcoustifanMod/index.htm
I'm very pleased with the results. The PSU is simply inaudiable. With 27C ambient, the PSU ramps up to 8.31 V for the fan-only line. While it looks a bit high, consider the high ambient temp. Turning on the A/C (set for 24C) gets it down to 7.6 V. I can't seem to get rpm counts. Probably the line connection wasn't proper. Those contacts aren't soldered, just winded together and then taped.
If it wasn't for the lowish fan voltage, I might get worried about the heat. Exhaust air is definitely hot. Not burn-your-hand-if-held-too-long hot but still hot.
Current noise list:
1. Acoustifan 120mm at 1100 rpm ties with Zalman 7000A-Cu set to low 1400 rpm
2. Arctic VGA Silencer set to low
3. Hard drives (Sata Seagate 120s suspended with elastic cord)
4. Not the PSU because I can't hear the thing !
Time for some creative Zalman fan swaps. Now if only I could find a cheap and quiet 92mm fan....
PS: Be warned. It's bloody damn difficult to remove the PSU for a mod with the mobo & Zalman cooler in place. Damn the cramped sonata insides.
burcakb you may just have inspired me to retrieve the Sonata from the trashcan and try again.Some questions for you:
Where have you placed the temp probe of the 120mm Acoustifan or have you disabled it and run it from PSU fan outlet?
Did you get much of an improvement sound wise over the stock Antec 120mm?
What sort of temps are you getting for your HD's?
I noticed in one of your pics a fan on the underside of the PSU - is this a mod or a different PSU?
Any tips for improving airflow through the case?
Can't quite make out the duct picture - are you ducting to the front of the case?
Sorry to bombard you like this - and I suppose I should search the forums for the answers - but I really was about to give up on the whole Sonata thing.
Thanks
-
Perfect Chaos
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Wed Jun 23, 2004 2:54 pm
Folks,
I had some good luck calling up Antec to complain about the clicking noise coming from my PSU. They replaced it at their cost under my warranty. (Charged my credit card until I sent in the bad unit.)
The new PSU is much quieter. In addition, some peculiar system problems went away.
That being said, my next system will not be using a Sonata case.
PC
I had some good luck calling up Antec to complain about the clicking noise coming from my PSU. They replaced it at their cost under my warranty. (Charged my credit card until I sent in the bad unit.)
The new PSU is much quieter. In addition, some peculiar system problems went away.
That being said, my next system will not be using a Sonata case.
PC
I bought my Sonata about a year ago on the advice of plenty of online reviews, sites I trusted. Big mistake.
This case is far from silent. The $38 shipped "Powmax" case I just bought for my second PC is far quieter. The only thing I like from this case is the power supply... yep, that's right. I don't know if I have a different version of the PS you all seem to have, but mine is very near silent. No ticking, whooshing or anything else. And yes, the fan is spinning.
All the Antec supplies I've owned have run hot, no biggie as long as they run stable - and they all seem to be IME. I moved the Sonata PS to the Powmax case, and modded a 350w Antec that had an earache of a 92mm fan (along with a more subtle 80mm in the back). Removed both fans and strapped a 120mm L1A (with a Fanmate controller to bring it down to about 7V or so) to the bottom:
Much better now.
Anyway, the Sonata has about every design flaw I've ever seen in any case... all built into one overpriced piece of garbage. I'm trying to find a reason to dump mine, but can't live with the idea of wasting it. Maybe a relative will need a computer upgrade soon...
Best of Luck,
-Evan-
This case is far from silent. The $38 shipped "Powmax" case I just bought for my second PC is far quieter. The only thing I like from this case is the power supply... yep, that's right. I don't know if I have a different version of the PS you all seem to have, but mine is very near silent. No ticking, whooshing or anything else. And yes, the fan is spinning.
All the Antec supplies I've owned have run hot, no biggie as long as they run stable - and they all seem to be IME. I moved the Sonata PS to the Powmax case, and modded a 350w Antec that had an earache of a 92mm fan (along with a more subtle 80mm in the back). Removed both fans and strapped a 120mm L1A (with a Fanmate controller to bring it down to about 7V or so) to the bottom:
Much better now.
Anyway, the Sonata has about every design flaw I've ever seen in any case... all built into one overpriced piece of garbage. I'm trying to find a reason to dump mine, but can't live with the idea of wasting it. Maybe a relative will need a computer upgrade soon...
Best of Luck,
-Evan-
-
Perfect Chaos
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Wed Jun 23, 2004 2:54 pm
Nope. Unlike their 80mm brothers (and 92mm brothers according to our Acoustifan guru Edward) the 120mm Acoustifans click a lot. So I want it running as slowly as possible. I tried different positions for the probe: The PSU intake (the area between the CDROMs and the PSU, right in between the pins of the northbridge and the hottest point on the board, the southbridge. The rpm differences I got was max 50 rpm. So basically it doesn't matterGrayZee wrote: Where have you placed the temp probe of the 120mm Acoustifan or have you disabled it and run it from PSU fan outlet?
Yes and no. The noise of the acousti is very different from the antec. I find it less annoying than the antec but YMMV.GrayZee wrote: Did you get much of an improvement sound wise over the stock Antec 120mm?
Before the Antec, I was using a Vantec Ion. That one has a 80x15 fan on the underside so that helped the airflow and I got 40C HDD temps on idle regularly (remember I have slightly high ambients) With the Antec airflow is reduced and HDD temps are up to 45-46C. However when I came home last night after 15 hours of work in a closed room, hdds read 53C.GrayZee wrote: What sort of temps are you getting for your HD's?
That one is before the Antec, a Vantec Ion. I tested both PSUs long and hard in open air before choosing one. At that time the Antec had its stock fan and in open air, the rpms never went above 1600, making it very quiet (remember my antec didn't have clicking) Still the Vantec was quieter. However after continued use, the Vantec got noisier or my hearing got betterGrayZee wrote: I noticed in one of your pics a fan on the underside of the PSU - is this a mod or a different PSU?
so when I modded the sonata PSU, the Vantec was gone. I haven't photographed the final Thor rig, there's still work to be done on it. I'll do a full gallery when I'm finished.Ahh, that's the hardest part. Actually if you have nice ambients around 23-24C, the current setup I have is quite enough. I have a Vantec Stealth 120mm - *gasp* - behind the hdds which I turn to its lowest settings if the hdds or the southbridge gets too hot, but even at startup voltage it has an annoying hum. I *could* improve airflow by cutting up the hdd compartment but I haven't convinced myself yet.GrayZee wrote: Any tips for improving airflow through the case?
The Vantec Ion had a duct but also an underside fan so that kind of defeated the idea. I do intend to make a duct now but I have two optical drives and the insides of the Sonata is a bit cramped. I plan to use the side Antec holes for intake but the cabling is a bit of a nuisance.GrayZee wrote: Can't quite make out the duct picture - are you ducting to the front of the case?
Overall, I've put the Thor rig improvements on hold. I'm working on the Wotan rig that's in an AOpen H600 case. I think I can get better results with that one. I'll turn back to Thor once Wotan is finished.
Thanks burcakb for answering all those questions 
I think I'll go ahead with the PSU fan mod but will stick with the standard exhaust fan as it seems OK and certainly moves a lot of air.
Your HD temps seem a bit scary - I panic when mine reach 40C but then again I live in the UK and high ambients are a rare occurence . I also have a Vantec Stealth 
on HD cooling duty and agree it is a tad noisy but to my ears is not too annoying. I was going to replace it with an Acoustifan but now you've mentioned the dreaded clicking I think I'll look elsewhere.
I really get the impression modding a Sonata is an uphill struggle - so ironic given the advertising from Antec - if the PSU mod is unsuccessful I think I'll take a hammer to it then post it in the gallery as a warning to potential buyers
. As much as I have enjoyed following the threads on this forum and having these debates I am still extremely angry that this case is receiving such rave reviews everywhere.
Thanks again burcakb.
I think I'll go ahead with the PSU fan mod but will stick with the standard exhaust fan as it seems OK and certainly moves a lot of air.
Your HD temps seem a bit scary - I panic when mine reach 40C
but then again I live in the UK and high ambients are a rare occurence . I also have a Vantec Stealth on HD cooling duty and agree it is a tad noisy but to my ears is not too annoying. I was going to replace it with an Acoustifan but now you've mentioned the dreaded clicking I think I'll look elsewhere.I really get the impression modding a Sonata is an uphill struggle - so ironic given the advertising from Antec - if the PSU mod is unsuccessful I think I'll take a hammer to it then post it in the gallery as a warning to potential buyers
. As much as I have enjoyed following the threads on this forum and having these debates I am still extremely angry that this case is receiving such rave reviews everywhere.I agree with this completely.QuaiBoy wrote: I bought my Sonata about a year ago on the advice of plenty of online reviews, sites I trusted. Big mistake.
Anyway, the Sonata has about every design flaw I've ever seen in any case... all built into one overpriced piece of garbage. I'm trying to find a reason to dump mine, but can't live with the idea of wasting it. Maybe a relative will need a computer upgrade soon...
Thanks again burcakb.
You guys sure are harshin' on the Sonata!
Contrary to some of the opinions in this thread, I feel it is one of the best choices as a foundation for a quiet PC and arguably the best foundation for those not willing to cut, mod, swap PSU's etc. I also thinks it's a fine looking case.
My Pentium 4 2.8C Sonata system is fast and near silent. Other than the PSU, all parts are off the shelf and other than opening up the inner and outer plastic front intake bezels, the case is stock. I ultimately abandoned the TP380S power supply for a self modded Fortron FSP300-60PFN purchased on the cheap for $17 US. Also ditched the stock Antec case fan for soft-mounted 5v undervolted Papst 4412 FGL's front & rear.
The FSP300-60PFN is a active PFC 300watt PSU w/ single 80mm fan with no openings on the bottom surface facing the CPU. My mod involved removing the pwa, snipping out the stamped fan grille, opening up the intake grille, swapping the stock fan for a soft-mounted Panaflo L1A and relocating the thermistor. Compared to my M1A modded TP380S, the Fortron runs cooler and quieter, especially under load. The TP380S ramps fan speed quickly when loaded, the modded Fortron does not.
I summarized the process I went thru in modding my system in this thread. Perhaps there is some useful information for those of you still willing to give the Sonata a shot.
Also, if you really want a near silent fanned PSU, forget about modding the TP380S; it just plain runs too hot! You can follow my lead or pick a PSU from the top of the SPCR recommended list; chances are you won't need to mod it, but if you do, you'll be starting with a very efficient PSU that can safely survive with low airflow.
Contrary to some of the opinions in this thread, I feel it is one of the best choices as a foundation for a quiet PC and arguably the best foundation for those not willing to cut, mod, swap PSU's etc. I also thinks it's a fine looking case.
My Pentium 4 2.8C Sonata system is fast and near silent. Other than the PSU, all parts are off the shelf and other than opening up the inner and outer plastic front intake bezels, the case is stock. I ultimately abandoned the TP380S power supply for a self modded Fortron FSP300-60PFN purchased on the cheap for $17 US. Also ditched the stock Antec case fan for soft-mounted 5v undervolted Papst 4412 FGL's front & rear.
The FSP300-60PFN is a active PFC 300watt PSU w/ single 80mm fan with no openings on the bottom surface facing the CPU. My mod involved removing the pwa, snipping out the stamped fan grille, opening up the intake grille, swapping the stock fan for a soft-mounted Panaflo L1A and relocating the thermistor. Compared to my M1A modded TP380S, the Fortron runs cooler and quieter, especially under load. The TP380S ramps fan speed quickly when loaded, the modded Fortron does not.
I summarized the process I went thru in modding my system in this thread. Perhaps there is some useful information for those of you still willing to give the Sonata a shot.
Also, if you really want a near silent fanned PSU, forget about modding the TP380S; it just plain runs too hot! You can follow my lead or pick a PSU from the top of the SPCR recommended list; chances are you won't need to mod it, but if you do, you'll be starting with a very efficient PSU that can safely survive with low airflow.
-
Ralf Hutter
- SPCR Reviewer
- Posts: 8636
- Joined: Sat Nov 23, 2002 6:33 am
- Location: Sunny SoCal
I humbly beg to differ with you. Since you're willing to ditch the Sonata PSU anyway, I'd recommend the 3700BQE as being much better than the Sonata. No cutting or modding is required at all. Better ventilation through the entire case, and especially through the HDD bays. Roomier and much easier to work inside of. Removable right side panel for routing/hiding cables. No silly holes punched through the side doors. Case finish is much easier to keep clean. Cheaper. (I won't even bring up the blue LEDs or the cheap looking "chrome" plating.....)bomba wrote:You guys sure are harshin' on the Sonata!
Contrary to some of the opinions in this thread, I feel it is one of the best choices as a foundation for a quiet PC and arguably the best foundation for those not willing to cut, mod, swap PSU's etc.
My reasons for choosing the Sonata:
Sonata: available
3700BQE or AMB or any other 3-letter version: Not available.
I really have only two gripes about the Sonata: tight insides & 120mm fans.
I really haven't found any satisfactory 120mm fans. I think I've tamed the 380s PSU but nothing I do will silence the 120mm fans. I've tried stock antec, acoustifan, vantec, noiseblocker, they're all noisy, all of them click.
Right now I'm working on a case with two 80mm exhausts and the going is good right now. If it works, I probably won't ever look at a 120mm case again.
Other than that, the Sonata was a good beginners case.
Sonata: available
3700BQE or AMB or any other 3-letter version: Not available.
I really have only two gripes about the Sonata: tight insides & 120mm fans.
I really haven't found any satisfactory 120mm fans. I think I've tamed the 380s PSU but nothing I do will silence the 120mm fans. I've tried stock antec, acoustifan, vantec, noiseblocker, they're all noisy, all of them click.
Right now I'm working on a case with two 80mm exhausts and the going is good right now. If it works, I probably won't ever look at a 120mm case again.
Other than that, the Sonata was a good beginners case.
I did say arguably! Well, as I stated earlier today in another thread, Sonata wouldn't be my first choice if I were to do it again. Not sure I'd go for the BQE either, tho. The sideways drive cages (used in both the BQE & Sonata) seemed cool at first, but they are not good for airflow or drive temps. Sonata front fan mount does help lower HDD temps but turbulance from drive cage causes noise even w/ 5-volted front fan. Strange as it seems, Antec holes seem to act somewhat as a PSU intake duct. When I had the TP380S w/ fan speed monitoring; PSU fan ran ~150RPM slower with the Antec holes unblocked.Ralf Hutter wrote:I humbly beg to differ with you. Since you're willing to ditch the Sonata PSU anyway, I'd recommend the 3700BQE as being much better than the Sonata. No cutting or modding is required at all. Better ventilation through the entire case, and especially through the HDD bays. Roomier and much easier to work inside of. Removable right side panel for routing/hiding cables. No silly holes punched through the side doors. Case finish is much easier to keep clean. Cheaper. (I won't even bring up the blue LEDs or the cheap looking "chrome" plating.....)bomba wrote:You guys sure are harshin' on the Sonata!
Contrary to some of the opinions in this thread, I feel it is one of the best choices as a foundation for a quiet PC and arguably the best foundation for those not willing to cut, mod, swap PSU's etc.