can this case be made silent?

Jay_S · Post by **Jay_S** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 11:09 am

All,

Take a look at this case & PSU combo (Newegg.com). I need both components, but for different projects. I need a (really cheap) PSU to complete a PC I am gifting to a family member. And I'd like a new mATX case for my gaming rig.

The PSU is 80+, which is amazing at this price point. It looks to be Channel Well (CWT) model# DSA300V-C. Here is the 80+ test cert (pdf).

Half-load efficientcy: 83% ... not too shabby!

The 300W rating is plenty for the application (1.6 GHz Northwood P4). And I think the case looks terrific. So this combo solves 2 problems pretty inexpensively.

Question - do you all think this case can be made silent? Here's what's going inside:

Intel E2160 CPU
Asus P5E-VM HDMI motherboard
8800GT graphics card
Single 3.5" hard drive
Single DVD-ROM
FSP Green PS FSP400-60GLN

The rear exhaust opening is specified at 90mm ... so I won't be able to use all my surplus YL 120mm fans. Cable managment will be tricky without a hidden chamber behind the MOBO tray. Doesn't look like there's much ventilation in the front for hard drives. In short - it looks like a challenge!

[edit - added more info on the PSU]

Jay_S · Post by **Jay_S** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 11:29 am

Actually, looking at some of the pictures on Newegg, there looks to be about 1cm between the MOBO tray and the outer panel. I bet I could cut a few holes and pull cable behind there.

Aris · Post by **Aris** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 10:38 am

In my experience, you can make any case quiet with enough modification.

It all depends on how much work you want to do and how much extra your willing to spend doing it.

CallmeRoth · Post by **CallmeRoth** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 12:33 pm

I think the power supply will be questionable for that 8800GT, also it doesn't look like the right side panel even comes off. Another thing you will want to keep in mind is it looks like the fan openings are 92 and 80mm.

Jay_S · Post by **Jay_S** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 1:03 pm

CallmeRoth wrote:I think the power supply will be questionable for that 8800GT.

Totally - I agree. I guess my initial post wasn't clear - I'm not using the PSU that comes with the case in my gaming PC. I'm going to put it into the PC I am gifting to a family member. My gaming PC's specs are above, and are perfectly stable - I just want a new case

shleepy · Post by **shleepy** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 3:37 pm

Jay_S wrote:
CallmeRoth wrote:I think the power supply will be questionable for that 8800GT.
Totally - I agree. I guess my initial post wasn't clear - I'm not using the PSU that comes with the case in my gaming PC. I'm going to put it into the PC I am gifting to a family member. My gaming PC's specs are above, and are perfectly stable - I just want a new case

Well, actually, the PSU WOULD be just fine for the 8800GT, in case you would want to go with that route, after all... There's even a quote from a reviewer on newegg:
"The power supply is more than capable of running my AMD 5600 and GeForce 9800." I think that the E2160 might be even more efficient than the AMD 5600+... If you count up the watts and amps that you'll be using, I think you'll find that you are perfectly safe (by around 100W).

Aris · Post by **Aris** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 4:13 pm

shleepy wrote:
Jay_S wrote:
CallmeRoth wrote:I think the power supply will be questionable for that 8800GT.
Totally - I agree. I guess my initial post wasn't clear - I'm not using the PSU that comes with the case in my gaming PC. I'm going to put it into the PC I am gifting to a family member. My gaming PC's specs are above, and are perfectly stable - I just want a new case
Well, actually, the PSU WOULD be just fine for the 8800GT, in case you would want to go with that route, after all... There's even a quote from a reviewer on newegg:
"The power supply is more than capable of running my AMD 5600 and GeForce 9800." I think that the E2160 might be even more efficient than the AMD 5600+... If you count up the watts and amps that you'll be using, I think you'll find that you are perfectly safe (by around 100W).

I personally refuse to use any stock PSU. Most of the time they are of very poor quality.

Jay_S · Post by **Jay_S** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 8:53 pm

Aris wrote:I personally refuse to use any stock PSU. Most of the time they are of very poor quality.

Normally, I would agree. But the more I read about Channel Well, the more I discover they are akin to FSP - they manufacture PSU's for a lot of other OEMs (Corsair, OCX, etc.). Plus, the 80+ certification means they must be doing something right. I mean, shoddy design and craftsmanship do not usually translate into high efficiency.

I think I'm going to give this combo a shot.

EekTheCat · Post by **EekTheCat** » Wed Feb 11, 2009 10:10 pm

Jay_S wrote:Normally, I would agree. But the more I read about Channel Well, the more I discover they are akin to FSP - they manufacture PSU's for a lot of other OEMs (Corsair, OCX, etc.). Plus, the 80+ certification means they must be doing something right. I mean, shoddy design and craftsmanship do not usually translate into high efficiency.

I think I'm going to give this combo a shot.

I'd check with the guys over at Jonnyguru if I were you. CWT and FSP do make some poorly performing models.
While I agree that 80+ certification is important in deciding on a PSU, it also doesn't mean squat if ripple is out of spec. High ripple is very bad for your components.

yamahaSHO · Post by **yamahaSHO** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 7:19 am

Aris wrote: I personally refuse to use any stock PSU. Most of the time they are of very poor quality.

The only stock PSU's I have been known to use are Antec units.

Jay_S · Post by **Jay_S** » Thu Feb 12, 2009 12:00 pm

Per this jonnyguru.com article (good idea EekTheCat), CWT actually makes some Antec PSUs.

Jay_S · Post by **Jay_S** » Mon Feb 16, 2009 2:24 pm

OK. Changed gears completely

After reading how well the Corsair 400CX measured at HardOCP, and seeing that it's $39 after rebate from Newegg (deal ends tomorrow) with free shipping, I bought one. I'll have to suffer with my old Antec 3700BQE

.

Depending on how quiet it is, I think the Corsair will end up in my gaming PC. It has a bit more 12V rail current than my current FSP.