Any news in the case market?

[antiatavist]

It's been a long time since I've researched any case info.

Is Fractal Design Define R4 still the king of cooling/noise ratio?

[Abula]

Is Fractal Design Define R4 still the king of cooling/noise ratio?

I never seen as the R4 like that, for cooling i would go with more open case and just get quieter components, and drive fans lower with lower resistance, etc. Fractal is good to enclose stuff, it has few opening specially with the moduvents, its a well restricted case with all the filters and frontal doors, cooling wise its much worst than my TJ08-E, but noise wise is pretty solid, also good cable management and quality, overall a solid case, but i would go another route if cooling is important to you. Probably the best air cooling case in the market is the FT02 which also has the editors choice from SPCR, reason im wating for the FT05... but will see, im happy with my R4 as it is atm.

[whispercat]

The Raven 05 is now here....

http://www.silverstonetek.com/raven/pro ... model=RV05

[lb_felipe]

Abula, here I am again.

I want to thank you for the fan testimonials on controls by software or BIOS of ASUS and MSI motherboards.

I was thinking something like:

ASUS GTX 980 STRIX (silent and probably coil whine free)
Silverstone FT05 (looks nice, sound absorption, dust free due to positive pressure stuffs etc)
Scythe Kotetsu (SPCR king)
Corsair HX1000i (the 1000W version very much because its range of fanless operation, and the HXi series because a supposed coil whine free operation)
2 x Phanteks 140SP (same level SPCR acoustics king Noctua P14) to replace the stock AP181 fans

Then you came to me with some considerations.

AP182, 140mm fans in FT05's not recommendation, Define R4 etc.

What to me is dealbreaker in this all is the unusable swiches or knobs for speed fan control that stay hooked on the case (R4 has too). Other than that, all right.

What do you recommend me?

[Abula]

I think you should start a thread, we are just invading someone else threads, ill find you dont worry.

[lb_felipe]

Okay.

I thought this was appropriated because my looking is for case, and I'd want a new one.

But let's go to a new thread.

[MikeC]

Is Fractal Design Define R4 still the king of cooling/noise ratio?

No one around here has made any statement of that kind. It'd be nice if we could just pick one case out and declare it king for clear, unambiguous reasons... but that's fantasy. There are too many system types, too many sizes, too many styles.

The reality is that most decent cases can run extremely quietly, and even poorly made cases can be made to do this (tho this might require some smart & skillful modding). The case itself doesn't make noise; it's your choice of components to go into the case that ultimately determines the noise of the system.

A good case, as I see it, should be....

1) Sturdy. This means good joinery, reasonably thick metal panels (with added mass damping if they are too thin), more rather than fewer rivets/screws, more supporting braces rather than fewer, etc. Basic mechanics. Good quality cases from a decade ago are generally far better in this regard than most of today's cases, which are flimsier, more flexible, less well supported, more prone to vibration noise. Perhaps some remember the Chieftec series & all their copycats, or things like the Antec SLK3700: Heavy, thick steel cases full of rivets. But they were also less well vented. Quality server type cases are generally far better made than consumer cases. The HP Microserver case, for example, stands head & shoulders over most consumer mITX cases: Thick panels, great mechanical joinery, excellent fitting modular design, excellent quality bolts/screws with threads that don't strip after a few uses.

2) Good ventilation. This means enough low-impedance vents for fans & airflow, and larger rather than smaller. Some might interpret this to be a thumbs up for all-mesh cases, but that doesn't always lead to good ventilation unless you're completely fanless. Cooling airflow from fans generally works best when directed, and shorter paths for the airflow in the case are best. So, for example, with a 140mm back exhaust fan in a big vertical case (say >50 liters), top vents and front vents (and no other openings), most of the inflow will be through the top. This means any components in the front won't get much airflow if that back fan is the only one. Close of the top vents and you'll get some cooling for the front components because the front vent becomes the main intake. Control the airflow path so it passes through/around hot components and you can run fans slower while still getting decent cooling.

Sound blocking/damping (by which I mean super thick panels & heavy elastoviscous mats glued to the panels) is not as important as it used to be because there are fewer truly noisy components, and better airflow = lower fan speed = lower noise. But baffles that minimize direct sound paths between the user and the noise source are still quite useful -- ie, the type of front baffle/fascia widely popularized by the P180 series.

[lb_felipe]

Mike, Abula doesn't like it, but what do you think about FT05 with two Phanteks 140SP instead of AP181 stock fans?

New cases in the market, and the reference now, in my opinion, should have no ODD bay and no HDD cages/places. Just it.

And I say more, I wish cases without windows, with good look, without freaking LEDs, THICK panels and sturdy construction, more modular and reforced (like Antec SOLO II), etc.

FT05 is not the case, but I would say it is close.

Thoughts?

P.S.: I hate manual fan speed controller. For me, it should be always automatic by motherboard, and, in case of fine tunning, internal with resistors ou even dials, etc but no apparent.

[MikeC]

We have an FT05 sample in the lab. Aside from the skin, it's just about identical to the RV05 reviewed in the summer. If you like the RV05, you will probably like the FT05 more.

[tbessie]

I got a Corsair Obsidian 550D case - a bit bigger than some might want, but I found it quiet; I put in all Noctua fans and Noctua cooler, not using a separate GPU (just onboard), and it runs quiet as a whisper; I can hardly hear anything.

http://www.corsair.com/en-us/obsidian-s ... quiet-case

- Tim

[whispercat]

We have an FT05 sample in the lab. Aside from the skin, it's just about identical to the RV05 reviewed in the summer. If you like the RV05, you will probably like the FT05 more.

Will you be doing a review of the FT05? Or is it too close in design to the RV05.

[MikeC]

We have an FT05 sample in the lab. Aside from the skin, it's just about identical to the RV05 reviewed in the summer. If you like the RV05, you will probably like the FT05 more.

Will you be doing a review of the FT05? Or is it too close in design to the RV05.

We will do a review, but if the thermal results are similar, then the focus will be on what's different between them. I don't expect the thermal behavior to be different, but there could be some subtle acoustic differences.

We will use the FT05 in a Silent Gaming PC Build Guide -- most likely in SLI mode.

[antiatavist]

Too bad about the FT05, I really despise cases with transparent/windowed panels.

[ekerazha]

We have an FT05 sample in the lab.

Can't wait for the review

It could be my next case, as it combines full ATX support with a relatively compact size.

[akm]

antiatavist: You can get it without the window.

Silverstone website lists following options:
SST-FT05B (black)
SST-FT05S (silver)
SST-FT05B-W (black + window)
SST-FT05S-W (silver + window)

[antiatavist]

That's great then!

I was just looking at the SilverStone FT05 specs again, and if the other solid panel is also padded then it would definitely be a better case than Define R4 in both cooling and silence.

[Abula]

That's great then!

I was just looking at the SilverStone FT05 specs again, and if the other solid panel is also padded then it would definitely be a better case than Define R4 in both cooling and silence.

It should cool better, weather its more quiet.... i doubt it, maybe if you put a lot of money, but the issue with it will be the fans, with the R4 there are some options like Antec True Quiet 140s, with the FT05 you only have the AP182... that can be drop very low and pretty decent imo, but they are $30 each and you will need a good motherboard to drop them below 500rpms that its the lowest the knob allows. Personally im in the process of moving toward FT05 from a R4, but its more because im aiming into a GTX970 SLI setup, to me the R4 is a great case, specially for $80 that you can get on the monthly sales.

[antiatavist]

According to this, it's not audible.

[Abula]

According to this, it's not audible.

Personally i respect what a lot of the high end sites have in terms of performance, build, etc, now on sound.... personally i dont trust them, and no other than SPCR in that department, i do use those sites to compare between products though, mostly techpowerup out of reivewing so much hardware and having limited spcr reviews. But overall i would trust more the SPCR SilverStone Raven RV05, thats basically the same same case with different materials, with the same fans.

Using the case's fan controllers, the stock fans ran at average speeds of 680, 980, and 1230 RPM at the three speed settings. Noise levels varied from a modest 23 dBA@1m on low, a loud 34 dBA@1m on medium, and a ridiculous 39~40 dBA@1m on high. As the noise gap between low and medium was sizable, we also tested them at the halfway point using an external fan controller. At 830 RPM, a noise level of 28 dBA@1m was produced.

Personally i have used an AP181 on my TJ08-E, and if they are the same, the fan its quiet below 500rpms, still you hear a wosh from the frontal mesh/grill, its not bad, but its berely noticible but this is with the case on the desk, probably below the desk or on the floor it will be inaudible. Either way, just remember to have a good motherboard to drop them as low as you can, Asus can drop them around 420rpms, i havent tested MSi with it, i intend to, but i also have two ap182 that i know can be droped to 200rpm if i need to make the switch. Btw im not trying to steer you away from it, personally i love the design, and if i didn't think its a good case, i wouldn't be going for it, just its a precaution into what to expect and how to react to what you will face.

[antiatavist]

Yes, it's always best to go with Asus' FanXpert II, so you won't even have to use manual settings.