Is Corsair Obsidian 550D the best case?!

pilsburypie

pilsburypie

pilsburypie

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I have recently immersed myself in all things components for my new HD video editing build (i7 3770k). Having changed my mind from the noisey H100 closed loop water cooler to the Phanteks air cooler to avoid the H100 hovercraft mode, I was wondering if the 550D ws the best of both worlds for cooling and noise..... I also like the clean look too..... not really impressed by the extreme alien look of some cases. Cooling is important as I intent to OC the ivy bridge to 4.5Ghz and I'm aware they do get pretty warm...
 
There really isn't a best case. Ask anyone here and they will tell you that cases are a matter of personal taste.

Things to look for in cases are:

Size
Build Quality
Motherboard Options
Cable Management
Ventilation Space
PSU Position
Number of Fans and whether these come with filters
Manufacturers warranty and aftercare support
 
There is a best case in terms of quietness whilst giving good airflow. In many cases there is always a case of the best case for the job, it just depends on the job :p

The best two are the Fractal R3 and the Corsair 550D. (for quietness)

You might want to check if the Phanteks fits in them though, as I know it is quite beefy. I do know however that the Noctua D14 fits in the R3, but I'm not entirely sure the Phanteks does as it's about 10mm bigger. It might be worth getting the D14 instead if you want to keep the smaller case size.

If you need a larger, 'silent' case, then go for either the Fractal Define Design XL or the Antec P280.

kd
 
I kinda knew you were going to say that!

I shall certainly bear in mind the Phanteks cooler's size with regards to the Obsidian 550D. I just like the nice clean look of it.
 
You could maybe put the Antec Solo II on your short list as well, a little smaller and cheaper than the others but it may be the best 'silent' case of these dimensions. SPCR does good, comparable testing on all the contenders, in approximate order of least to most expensive...if you just want to look at the performance numbers skip to pages 7 & 6 of the reviews. N.B. don't mix up the single and dual GPU temperature results - for the smaller cases the testing is no gfx card, then single gfx card, but for the bigger cases they do single card then dual card (crossfire.)
 
Problem with a lot of those cases, (particularly the last 4), is they're not specifically 'silent' cases. As in they don't have noise proofing throughout.

kd
 
King Damager said:
they don't have noise proofing throughout.
Click to expand...

It's not important, the only thing that matters is quietly transporting heat out of the case. There are different ways to achieve good results, and as you increase the heat output damping is less important than unrestricted, non-turbulent airflow. Read the articles and tests on SPCR, and you'll come to see why cases like the FT02 are so highly rated for quiet builds.
 
Turbulent airflow is your enemy really. I only have a modest setup in an Antec 300, but with my old setup it was a good choice. Since moving to Sandybridge and it's relative ease of cooling I only have 2 fans in my setup and it sounds worse than before because it's now a big echoey case with low airflow that'sa poorly directed, and improving it is a matter of ducting, blocking off entry & exits and so on - the kinds of things where adding damping and acoustic matting is of no help. I'm actually thinking of getting a smaller case to help with directing and controlling the airflow, which is something I never thought I'd do as I've always been one to lust after the big Lan Lis and Silverstones, but withmy current setup they'd be nightmares.
 
I would like to add that the case should be able to fit tall heatsinks so anything with 170mm side clearance
 
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