Define Mini or ?

Enclosures and acoustic damping to help quiet them.

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hhhh81
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2015 8:13 am

Define Mini or ?

Post by hhhh81 » Sun Jan 31, 2016 7:46 am

Hello,

I'm looking for a matx case and was thinking about getting a silencio 352, but I saw that I can get a define mini for less. Even if I would prefer something more compact and less heavy, it seems to be better in term of quality. This is for an i7, hd7750 and a couple of SSD. I'm not enough space constrained to pay more for something smaller and possibility less good. Anyone have any experience with those cases? Or if you can think of an alternative, I don't really like the silverstone and their inverted motherboard.

Thanks.

mikeb
Posts: 26
Joined: Sat Mar 07, 2015 9:23 pm

Re: Define Mini or ?

Post by mikeb » Sun Jan 31, 2016 9:56 pm

I don't have any experience with it, but the Raijintek STYX is a similar matx case I've been considering. There are a couple other threads on SPR on the mitx version of it, Metis, and it seems quite nice.

LostHighway
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2015 2:32 pm

Re: Define Mini or ?

Post by LostHighway » Mon Feb 01, 2016 7:15 am

I have the Define Mini and as noted it is both big and heavy for a mATX case. However, on the plus side it is easy to work (big pays off in that regard), quiet and seems to ventilate well. I'm not thrilled about the way Fractal has implemented the dust filters (the rear access for the PSU filter is a PIA in my set up and the front filter also present some issues). I looked long and hard at the Silverstone TJ-08E, which clicks the small, light and ventilates well boxes but presents other issues. The Silencio generally shares the Mini's filter faults and isn't that much smaller. I also looked at and rejected the Nanoxia Deep Silence 4, the BitFenix Prodigy/Prodigy M, Corsair Obsidian 350D, Phanteks and a couple other Silverstones. I did not really look at the Raijintek Styx. I'm not persuaded that aluminum is the best choice for a case unless you are using it as a heatsink in a fanless configuration like a NUC. The way Raijintek implemented case ventilation also seems slightly iffy to me but my familiarity with this case is limited to reading about it, it might be great and I do like the plain surface look.
Price played a part in my decision as the Define Mini was significantly cheaper than TJ-08E. I also liked the looks of the Fractal better and felt it was more physically robust, which it should be given the weight difference. I don't regret the choice but certainly smaller would have be nice.

NoThrills
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Feb 02, 2016 3:13 am

Re: Define Mini or ?

Post by NoThrills » Tue Feb 02, 2016 3:39 am

Hi LostHighway,

I recently purchased the Deep Silence 4 and am regretting my purchase. I have always been a fan of Nanoxia fans (no pun intended). They are quiet and move air at a high rate for the relative speed. Therefore after carefully evaluating reviews of the DS4, Define Mini and the Silencio, I decided on the Nanoxia. The Silenco doesn't support my Hyper Evo heatsink length so I couldn't consider it anyway.

Now the two critical issues I am having with the DS4 are the airflow i.e. component temps, and dust. Frankly the volume isn't too great either, considering most of my parts such as the Hyper Evo are considered quiet aftermarket solutions, I keep the fans on low until I fire up a game.

The main temperature problem is with the GPU. There is a 5 C difference with the case door off. I know there are compromises with temperature when building a silent rig, but when that 5 C increase results in the Twin Frozr IV fans on my GPU speeding up and emitting more noise, the silent aspect is negated. Admittedly this was observed and more pronounced when testing temps with furmark, but even in game I notice this difference.

As for the dust issue. My room seems to border between this dimension and some undiscovered dust dimension and dust seems to materialize from nowhere even with regular cleaning (literally a layer forms right after cleaning). Keeping dust out of the PC is a priority for me. The DS4 seems to have a design flaw where the grills on the side of the front panel let in dust that enters through the exposed ODD drive "hole". I've managed to salvage some filter material from my previous rig and painstakingly covered up the vents. I'm not happy with this solution as I have had relatively inexpensive builds (not to say the DS4 is top of the line) in the past, in the same setting, that handled dust better (albeit less attractively).

From your experience with the Define Mini, would I see improvements in these aspects if I changed to to that case?

P.S. I've learnt that Nanoxia fans are terrible when installed vertically (facing up). There is an annoying clicking sound that occurs when the fan is on the rated speed. I've tried using screws and the included rubber fasteners without joy. My previous fractal fans had a hum from air movement, which I can tolerate over the clicking.

hhhh81
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2015 8:13 am

Re: Define Mini or ?

Post by hhhh81 » Tue Feb 02, 2016 1:39 pm

I admit the raijintek looks lovely. But it doesn't seem to be readily available yet and cost twice as much. More over, my graphic card is passive, and not sure if it will get a proper air flow. It will go under the desk anyways so the look is not much of a priority.

There is also the fractal core 1500 (33l instead of 41l) but it has the same price, and seems to have some quality issues.
For the fractal mini, do you know if replacing the fan can get better result or if they're good already?

quest_for_silence
Posts: 5275
Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:12 am
Location: ITALY

Re: Define Mini or ?

Post by quest_for_silence » Tue Feb 02, 2016 4:09 pm

Corsair 88R (maybe wih different fans)?

hhhh81
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2015 8:13 am

Re: Define Mini or ?

Post by hhhh81 » Wed Feb 03, 2016 12:56 am

It looks like a silencio on a budget, with the same internal layout. But no front filter, and the kotetsu doesn't seem to fit inside.
A windowed panel doesn't leak more noise?

quest_for_silence
Posts: 5275
Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:12 am
Location: ITALY

Re: Define Mini or ?

Post by quest_for_silence » Thu Feb 04, 2016 10:39 am

hhhh81 wrote:It looks like a silencio on a budget, with the same internal layout. But no front filter, and the kotetsu doesn't seem to fit inside.
If you want to fit the Kotetsu, it won't fit in the Corsair: it may accomodate a Thermalright 120i or 120m, which are close (but with the right fan). Take note that the Kotetsu fits in the Silencio (which deserves a fan swap as well as the 88R).
Main points are that it's smaller than the Define, and probably much cheaper than both the Mini anf the Silencio.

hhhh81 wrote:A windowed panel doesn't leak more noise?

Not necessarily: even better, the presence of the window doesn't tell you how much more noise will emit, it may be negligible, also depending of the parts of choice.

hhhh81
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu Aug 13, 2015 8:13 am

Re: Define Mini or ?

Post by hhhh81 » Tue Feb 09, 2016 3:21 pm

Thank for the input. For now, I think I'll reuse my antec solo after some modding. I wanted to keep my old computer, but it looks like something is failing anyways.

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